My Child Has Just Received a Draft EHCP – What Should I Do Next?

Receiving your child's Draft Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) can feel like a significant milestone. For many families, it feels as though the hard work is over.

In reality, this is one of the most important stages of the entire EHCP process.

The local authority is asking whether you agree with the draft before it issues the Final EHCP. Once the final plan is issued, changing poor wording or missing provision often becomes much more difficult and may require an appeal to the SEND Tribunal.

Before responding, it's worth taking the time to review the draft carefully.

1. Don't just read the EHCP – compare it with the professional reports

The draft EHCP should accurately reflect the evidence gathered during the assessment.

Compare it against every Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist and any other professional reports.

Ask yourself:

• Has every identified need been included?

• Have any recommendations been left out?

• Does the wording accurately reflect what the professionals actually recommended?

2. Read Sections B and F together

Section B describes your child's special educational needs.

Section F sets out the special educational provision required to meet those needs.

Every need identified in Section B should be matched by appropriate provision in Section F.

If a need appears without any provision to address it, you should question why.

3. Look out for vague wording

One of the most common problems I see is provision that is difficult to enforce because it lacks detail.

Phrases such as:

• "Regular access to..."

• "As required..."

• "Opportunities for..."

• "Support when needed..."

may sound positive, but they often leave too much open to interpretation.

The more specific the provision, the easier it is for schools to understand what must be delivered.

4. Check that provision is properly specified

Ask yourself:

• Who will provide the support?

• How often will it be delivered?

• For how long?

• Is it clear enough that a new school could understand exactly what is required?

The EHCP should remove uncertainty, not create it.

5. Don't feel pressured to rush your response

Parents are normally given 15 days to comment on a draft EHCP.

Use that time wisely.

Read the draft carefully, compare it with the evidence and make sure you're confident it accurately reflects your child's needs before it becomes final.

Every EHCP is different

There is no single checklist that guarantees whether a draft EHCP is good or bad.

Each child, each assessment and each plan is different.

The key is understanding whether the draft accurately reflects your child's individual needs and whether the provision is clear enough to be delivered in practice.

Ready to find out what your draft is missing? Get a free score in 5 minutes with my Draft EHCP Health Check, or go straight to a full written Draft EHCP Review if you already know something's not right.