I Only Have One Day Left to Respond to My Draft EHCP. What Should I Do?

Receiving your child's Draft Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) can feel like a huge milestone. But for many parents, that relief quickly turns to panic when they realise they only have a day or two left to respond.

If you've found yourself searching "I only have one day left to respond to my Draft EHCP", don't panic. There are still important steps you can take.

Can I still respond if the deadline is tomorrow?

Yes.

Even if your deadline is tomorrow, it's far better to submit a considered response than not respond at all.

The 15-day period is your opportunity to:

• Check whether your child's needs have been fully described.

• Make sure all professional recommendations have been included.

• Request changes to the educational provision.

• Ask for your preferred school or type of placement to be named.

Missing problems at this stage can make them much harder to correct later.

What should I check first?

If time is running out, focus on the most important parts of the Draft EHCP.

Section B – Special Educational Needs

Ask yourself:

• Are all of my child's needs included?

• Have any diagnoses or difficulties been missed?

• Do the needs match the professional reports?

If needs are missing, the support your child receives is likely to be affected.

Section F – Special Educational Provision

This is often the most important section of the plan.

Check whether the provision is:

• Specific.

• Quantified.

• Clearly explained.

• Directly linked to each identified need.

Phrases such as "access to", "opportunities for" or "regular support" may not clearly secure the support your child requires.

Section I – School Placement

Have you requested the school you want?

If not, this is usually your opportunity to tell the Local Authority which school or type of school you would prefer.

What if I don't have time to check everything?

Prioritise.

Even if you cannot carry out a full review, identifying the most significant omissions is better than saying nothing at all.

Many parents focus on:

• Missing needs.

• Missing therapy recommendations.

• Vague wording in Section F.

• The school placement.

Can I ask for more time?

Sometimes Local Authorities will agree to a short extension if requested promptly.

However, there is no guarantee.

If your deadline is imminent, it is usually safer to submit your comments before it expires rather than assume additional time will be given.

What happens if I don't respond?

If you do nothing, the Local Authority may proceed towards issuing the Final EHCP.

Once the Final EHCP has been issued, making changes can become significantly more difficult and may require mediation or an appeal to the SEND Tribunal.

This is why the Draft EHCP stage is so important.

Don't rush—but don't ignore it

Parents often spend months waiting for a Draft EHCP.

The last thing you want is for an important error to become part of your child's final plan simply because there wasn't enough time to review it properly.

If your deadline is tomorrow, focus on the key sections and submit your response as soon as you can.

Need an Urgent Draft EHCP Review?

If you've only just received your Draft EHCP and your deadline is fast approaching, I offer an urgent Draft EHCP Review.

I'll identify the most important issues, explain what should be changed and help you prepare clear amendments before your response is submitted.

If your deadline is close, get in touch as soon as possible so we can discuss your options.