Last week it felt like a fuse was lit within the SEND community with talk of potential huge changes to EHCPs.
You can read more about what was said and our reaction to it in last week’s blog post here: https://sunshine-support.org/the-end-of-ehcps/
We also did a Facebook and Youtube Live on Tuesday with Chrissa taking your comments and questions. It was the biggest live we have ever done with over 10,000 views in just a few hours. If you haven’t watched it yet then you can do so now:
What happens next?
It’s crucial to understand that nothing is changing at the moment and that if you are thinking of applying for an EHCP or are in the process of doing so, you need to continue as planned.
Any sort of wholesale change like that which is being proposed will need to go through extensive public consultation and if the changes were in any way what is being suggested, then the law would also need to be changed which is not something which happens quickly.
However, there are things that can be done right now.
Number one as we have just said is to continue as normal. There are no changes to EHCPs right now and importantly no changes to legal timescales that need to be met, to the level of support which needs to be provided and to the way in which education, health and social care needs to be considered together. Don’t let any talk of potential changes put you off or delay you in getting the support that your child needs now.
Remember, if you need any help with anything to do with EHCPs then get in touch and our SEND consultants can help you. Whether it’s putting in a parental application, gathering evidence, tribunals, mediation or annual reviews – we have the skills and experience to support you. You can find out more here: https://sunshine-support.org/advice-and-support/
Make your voice heard
The second thing we would advise doing now is contacting your local MP. Let them know your thoughts on what’s being proposed and the ways in which you can foresee a potential impact for your child. If you already have an EHCP in place, we would also really recommend telling them what an impact the EHCP has made. We all know that EHCPs are not a golden ticket and don’t magically make all difficulties go away but sharing with your local MP any positives you have seen from the having the EHCPO in place will be really useful for them to know.
To find out the contact details for your MP then simply visit this website and enter your postcode, it will tell you who your local MP is and give you their email address: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP
If you are struggling to know what to write or how structure your letter, we’ve written a brief outline which should help you. You can download that here and then make it into your own document:
Where to from here?
We are going to be keeping all over these EHCP reforms and we will use our voice wherever we can to ensure that SEND families across England are represented and that the impact of what is being talked about is truly understood.
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