Education

Every child and young person has the right to an education. Every local authority- this means your local government must support in your best interests.

They need to listen to your concerns and interests about your education.

You can contact us if you would like any of this explained to you- this is a free service, we won't charge you any money.

My Views

You should be part of any planning or decision-making.

The local authority and your school or college should involve you as much as possible in deciding on, and reviewing your support. They must take into account your views, as well as your parent carer's if appropriate.

You may need help to express your views. For example, from a family member or practitioner already working with you. Consider alternative ways you can share your views, with pictures or video for example.

Our service can help you directly with:

questions you might have
getting your views across
supporting you to prepare for meetings
supporting you at meetings

It is important that your goals and wishes are recorded to make sure you are supported to get the best outcomes for you. These things are just as important in your views as the things you may find difficult.

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Transcript for My Views

SENDIASS Southend for young people what are my views

It is very important that you have a chance to tell people what help you need and what you find difficult

People must also know what you're good at and what you would like to do in the future

If you need more help than the school or college are giving you already you may need an EHCP

EHCP stands for education health and care plan

An EHCP is a document that can tell your school or college exactly what help you need if you your parent or your teacher think that you may need an EHCP they should ask for your views

Adults may ask you about things that you find difficult and what kind of help you would like they may ask you about which school college or workplace you want to go to

An adult can write down your answers if you're not able to it's okay if you don't know the answers to all the questions but it is important that they ask you

If you want to you can answer the questions yourself without help from someone else whichever way is best it is important that the answers are your own words and you say what you want

SENDIASS Southend can help you with writing down your views or give you more information about it

How you can reach SENDIASS Southend you can call us on 01702 215499 just leave a message with your name and number and we will call you back or email us at iass@southend.gov.uk

How to get help in school or college

Special Educational Needs (SEN) support, is the name for extra support or adjustments at school.

You might need SEN support at school because you:

find it harder to learn than other young people your age
have a condition which means your school or the way you are taught is not accessible to you

If you do not have a diagnosis yet, you can still ask for SEN support.

There are usually 2 types of support for children and young people with additional needs:

SEN support, which mainstream state schools must always provide
Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans, sometimes called EHCPs, for when SEN support is not enough to meet your needs

Schools and colleges must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ so that you can learn. There is no set definition for ‘reasonable’ adjustments. It depends on:

what you need and the difference it will make
cost
practicality and effectiveness
if the adjustment will affect other pupils’ learning

Reasonable adjustments are often included as part of SEN support.

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Transcript for SEN Support

Understanding support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, sen support.

Hi I'm going to talk about me and what extra support and help I get at school. I love riding my bike, walking my dog and playing with my friends.

I can do lots of things really well but sometimes I struggle and I need extra help.

Simple things can help me in school, such as a visual timetable, somebody taking extra notes for me, or being sat close to the front of the class.

Sometimes I need help with my feelings and my worries too.

In my school we have somebody who can help work out new ways of helping me, they may be called a SENDCo, a SENCo, or an Inclusion Manager.

I often talk to my teachers about how i am doing with my learning. My parent carers are also involved with me in this conversation.

We talk about my outcomes, which are the things I have been trying to achieve.

Together we agree my next steps and plan the support that I need to achieve this. My outcomes are aspirational, which means they might be challenging.

This is why they need breaking down into manageable steps. We work through four steps, assess, plan, do, and review.

Special Educational Needs SEN support at school is a four-stage cycle also known as the graduated approach, assess, plan, do, review.

Assess. My teachers will work with the senco to decide what kind of extra help and support I may need and talk to me about how I feel.

Sometimes they will ask other professionals for advice.

Plan. A plan will then be written out with all of my aims outcomes and what support they will give me, including dates of when this will be reviewed.

Do. The SENCo will support my teachers, teaching assistants, and specialist staff to put all the support in place.

Review. My school should meet with me and my parents at least three times a year. We will review my progress and what difference the support has made.

We will talk about what can be done next. My school provides all the extra support I need for me to learn,

but some people may need a lot more help and could consider applying for an education health and care needs assessment.

If you need more help understanding support at school or college, you can contact your local send information advice and support service, SENDIASS.

What is an EHCP?

This is an Education Health and Care Plan. An EHC Plan describes your educational needs. It details the help you will get to achieve your goals. An EHC plan can include any health and care support you need. It is a legal document written by the local authority- this means your local government. It is for children and young people whose needs cannot be met by the support that is usually available at their school or college.

Most children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) will have enough help given by their school or college. This is known as SEN Support. It can include lots of different types of support to help you with the things you find difficult. If your school or college has tried all the possible support options and you are still not doing as well as expected, it might be time to request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. This is the first stage.

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SENDIASS Southend, for young
people. What is an EHCP?

EHCP stands for education health and care plan.

What is it for? An education health and care plan,
EHCP, is a document about the help that you need.

People may talk about the help you need as
special educational needs and disabilities.

This is sometimes shortened to SEND.

An EHCP can also talk about any
health or care needs you have.

EHCPs are for children and young people
who need more or different help in school
or college. EHCPs can stay with you
until the age of 25 if you need it.

An EHCP will describe the type of help that you
need and how the school or college will help you.

This is sometimes called provision. Every year you
will have a meeting about your EHCP to make sure

it's up to date and you still need the help that
it says you need. This is called an annual review.

How you can reach SENDIASS SOUTHEND? You can
call us on 01702 215 499 just leave a message
with your name and number and we will call
you back or email us at iass@southend.gov.uk

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Transcript for What is an Annual Review?

SENDIASS Southend for young people. What is an Annual Review?

If you have an EHCP you will have a meeting every year about the help you need. This is part of your Annual Review.

EHCP stands for education health and care plan.

The meeting usually happens at your school or college.

The meeting is to talk about the help that you get and if it needs to change or stay the same.

You will also talk about the school or college that you go to, the subjects you are studying, or the courses that you are taking.

Adults and professionals who help you in school or college will meet with you and your parents. You do not have to go to the meeting but you should be invited to take part if you want to.

It is very important that you are asked about the help that you get and if you would like it to change or stay the same.

After the meeting changes can be made to your EHCP so that you get the help that you need. Sometimes EHCPs stay the same so nothing will change

SENDIASS Southend can help you with your annual review or give you more information about it.

How you can reach SENDIASS Southend, you can call us on 01702 215 499 just leave a message with your name and number and we will call you back, or email us at iass@southend.gov.uk

What is an Annual Review?

The local authority will review an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan every 12 months or earlier if it is needed. This must be done with you. This must take account of your views, wishes and feelings.

The local authority must decide whether to keep the plan as it is, make changes, or cease it- this means to end the plan. This decision must be made within four weeks of the review meeting. You have a right of appeal if you do not agree with the local authority's decision at the end of the review. We can help you with this.

For some young people an EHC plan will continue until they are 25. However, the plan will stop if the young person:

Goes to university
Gets a job
Tells their local authority they no longer want their EHC plan, or
The local authority decides the outcomes have been achieved and Special Educational Provision is no longer necessary

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Transcript for What if you don't agree with your EHCP?

SENDIASS Southend. For young people.

What if you don’t agree with your EHCP?

EHCP stands for education, health and care plan.

An EHCP is a document that can tell your school or college exactly what help you need and how they should help you.

If you would like something change in your EHCP you should speak to your teacher, or the person that helps you at school or college.

Sometimes the person in charge is called the SENCo.

You should I also tell your parent carer.

If you have an EHCP you will have a meeting every year about the help you need. This is part of your annual review.

The meeting is to talk with the adults that help you about the information in your EHCP, the help that you get, and if it needs to change or stay the same.

It is very important that you ask about the help that you get, and how you are doing if school or college.

You should be asked if you would like it to change or stay the same.

If you think that you would like more or different help and it is important that you say so. You should tell someone if you think that you would like something else changed in your EHCP too.

If you would like something changed in your EHCP and there’s not a meeting soon, you should speak to your teacher. You should also tell your parent carer.

They might be able to arrange a meeting to talk about what you would like changed.

Sendiass Southend can help you with this.

How you can reach SENDIASS Southend.

You can call us on 01702 215499, just leave a message with your name and number and we will call you back.

Or email us at iass@southend.gov.uk

What to do if you don't agree with your EHCP

If you are over 16 and under 25, you can appeal a Local Authority's decision if you do not agree with it.

To do this you must be either:

in education, for example at a school or college - or trying to get into one
taking part in an apprenticeship, internship or workplace scheme - or trying to get into one

You can also appeal if you’re in custody (in prison or a young offender institution, for example) if you are over 16 but under 18.

You cannot appeal if you’re studying at university, or trying to get into one.

If you need help and cannot appeal yourself, your parent or carer may be able to appeal on your behalf instead.

You can speak to us if you want to know more, or need help.

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Transcript for Post 16 Opportunities

SENDIASS Southend for young people post 16 opportunities

What can I do after school other than sixth form or college

You must stay in some type of educational training until you are 18. Think about what options suit your strengths and interests you might want to go to sixth form or college or take a work related course that gives you skills and experience

There are many options available when you turn 16 including supported internships these are for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities who need extra support to get a job or apprenticeships this is where you practice on the job practical skills alongside your learning and be paid a salary

The SEND preparing for adulthood team can support you with moving on from school if you have an EHCP. EHCP stands for education health and care plan. They can support you and your family from year 9 and above to help you prepare for what you want to do when you finish school

You can find more information about the preparing for adulthood team and post 16 opportunities on the local offer website. Our short video on how to access the local offer can be found on our website in the section for young people

If you do not have an EHCP but still need some support Connexions can offer information advice and guidance. This is their logo you can visit their website at www.southendconnexions.co.uk

SENDIASS Southend can give you more information about your post 16 opportunities or help you find someone else who can support you

How you can reach SENDIASS Southend- you can call us on01702 215499 just leave a message with your name and number and we will call you back or email us at iass@southend.gov.uk

Post 16 Opportunities

You must stay in some type of education or training until you are 18. There are many options available when you turn 16. You should think about what option best suits you and your situation, your strengths and interests.

You might want to go to sixth form or college, or take a work-related course that will give you skills and work experience. Some courses keep your options open by giving you the chance to study different subjects. You may need specific qualifications for your career choice, so always do some research. You can ask for careers advice from the Southend Connexions Careers Service.

Sometimes you can work and study together. This might improve your skills, give you work experience and gain you qualifications that some employers need.

Supported internships

Supported internships are for young people with learning difficulties or learning disabilities, who need extra support to get a job.

You will spend most of your time on placements with an employer, learning skills for work. You will also get help from a tutor and a job coach in college or with a specialist provider.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships combine practical on-the-job skills training with off-the-job learning. You'll get training that is relevant to your job and be paid a salary. These can start at a level to suit you, with support if you have special needs or a disability.

If you have an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan there may be different and more suitable options available to you.

The Local Offer for Southend has more information about post 16 options.

Below are some frequently asked questions about education. If your question is not answered here, please contact us to see if we can help you further.

What support should I be getting in school?

You can find out what help schools offer by:

talking to the SENCo in your school about the difficulties you are having
looking at your school's SEN information report
looking at your school's SEN policies on their website

You can work with your school’s SENCo to work out the best plan to support you. We can help you to ask for help from your school.

The Local Offer can help you find out what help is available in Southend- for example voluntary, health or specialist services.

I have a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND), how can I be involved in decisions about my support?

You should be involved in all discussions about your special educational needs or disability.

You can speak to your SENCo and ask for a meeting. Then you can share your views and ask questions about the support that's in place, or what else might be available to help you.

Before a meeting it can be helpful to write a list of what you would like to talk about. It might be helpful to share this list with your SENCo before the meeting.

School have said they can't afford to support my needs. What can I do?

The law is very clear that schools must identify, assess need and then plan support based on this information. Where school have identified what you need, this should be put in place.

Sometimes it can be useful to discuss with school about what they could put in place. For example, perhaps they are unable to provide someone to help you at lunch but may be able to suggest a supervised club instead. We can help you talk to your school about ways they can help you.

School can only provide support if I get a diagnosis. Is that right?

This is not right. SEN is about the needs of a child or young person, not the diagnosis. Schools have a duty to identify SEN. They must do their best to make sure you get the support you need.

I'm struggling in school but my teachers don't know there's a problem. What can I do?

Some people will appear as though they are OK. You might actually be finding things difficult and feeling too anxious or self-conscious to ask for help. It might help to talk to your parent or carer about what you are finding difficult so they can help you to explain to the school. We can also help you with this.

Try to explain or write down what you are finding difficult and what is going well. Sharing this with school should help them to understand and find the best ways to support you.

What is an EHCP?

An EHCP, sometimes called an EHC Plan, is an Education Health and Care Plan.

An EHCP describes your educational needs. It details the help you will get to achieve your goals.

An EHCP can include any health and care support you need.

It is a legal document written by the local authority- this means your local government. It is for children and young people whose needs cannot be met by the support that is usually available at their school or college.

You can watch our video to learn more about this.

How do I know if I need an EHCP?

Most children and young people with special educational needs will have enough help given by their school or college. Special Educational Needs is often called SEN. The help given by school or college is known as SEN Support. It can include lots of different types of support to help you with the things you find difficult.

If your school or college has tried all the possible support options and you are still not doing as well as expected, it might be time to request an Education, Health and Care needs assessment. This is often known as an EHC assessment. This is the first stage.

The local authority will expect to see evidence of what, if any, progress you have made. They will need to see that school or college have done everything they can to help you make progress.

If you have SEN and are not in education but want to be, you can contact us to discuss your option.

Is it only school or college that can request an EHC Needs Assessment?

An Education Health and Care needs assessment is often called an EHC Needs assessment. Usually a request will be made by the school or college, though a parent/carer, or other appropriate adult with your permission, has the right to make a request directly to the local authority.

You can request an EHC Needs Assessment yourself if you are over the age of 16 and under the age of 25.

As your school or college will be asked to submit information within 15 days, it's best you let school know you have, or are planning to make a request.

What information do I need to make a request?

You can make a direct request by contacting the Special Educational Needs Team in writing, by phone or email.

The local authority will take some basic information from you including:

your name
date of birth
where you go to school
family information including
- your address
- contact details for you and your parents or carers.

You will be sent a form to complete within 15 days.

Southend Council's SEND page has more information and contact details.

How long does the process take?

From start to finish the process is 20 weeks. The local authority will let you know their decision in writing within 6 weeks of the request. This is where they decide whether to carry out an assessment.

The Local Authority have said they are not going to assess, what happens next?

It is really helpful to find out why the local authority reached this decision. You can ask them for a meeting, including school to discuss their reasons.

It could be that they have identified some support that school can put in place without an EHC plan for example.

You have the right to mediation and appeal, your letter will explain this and we can offer further advice and support.

I'm not very confident at saying what I want to say, can someone help me with that?

We can help you with preparing for a meeting. Sometimes we can come with you, but we cannot tell you what you should say. This should be your views.

We aim to help you to feel confident to have your say and feel heard. You could take a friend or family member along for support. Always let school (or the local authority) know who will be going so they can make sure there is room for all of you.

Will I get an EHCP at the end of the Assessment?

An EHC needs assessment will not always lead to an EHC plan.

If the local authority decides not to give you an EHC plan, they will write to you. They will include information about your rights to mediation and appeal- we can help you with this.

Information gathered as part of the assessment will explain ways in which the school or college can meet your needs without an EHC plan.

What are 'outcomes'?

An outcome is a goal you expect to meet within an agreed period of time.

What is a co-production meeting?

If the Local Authority agree that you need an Education Health and Care Plan, you should be invited to meet with a Special Education Needs and Disability Officer as well as any other professional you would like to invite to discuss the support you may need.

This meeting is sometimes called a co-production meeting, when the draft EHCP will be discussed and you can ask for any changes you would like to be made. A parent, carer or trusted adult of your choice can come with you.

Before the meeting it can be helpful to prepare notes about any questions you have, or changes you would like to ask for.

Can I go to a meeting?

You should be part of any planning or decision-making.

The local authority should involve you as much as possible in this process. They must take into account your views as well as your parent/carer's if appropriate.

Our service can help you directly with:

questions you might have
getting your views across
supporting you in preparing meetings
supporting you at meetings

When will my plan be reviewed?

The local authority will review the EHC plan every 12 months or earlier if it is needed. This must be done with you. This must take account of your views, wishes and feelings.

The local authority must decide whether to keep the plan as it is, make changes, or cease it- this means to end the plan. This decision must be made within four weeks of the review meeting. You have a right of appeal if the local authority proposes to cease the EHC plan. We can help you with this.

For some young people an EHC plan will continue until they are 25. However, the plan will stop if the young person:

Goes to university
Gets a job
Tells their local authority they no longer want their EHC plan, or
The local authority decides the outcomes have been achieved and Special Educational Provision is no longer necessary

What happens to the EHCP when I leave education?

An EHC plan is only for young people with special educational needs. Training can be considered an educational need, for example an apprenticeship or internship.

If you are no longer in education or training, the local authority will likely cease the EHC plan at the next annual review. This means it will stop. There must be an educational need for a plan to continue.

I am going to University- will my plan continue?

No, EHC plans are only for young people in further education, and will stop when they go into higher education.