Reports for EHCP Applications
An ‘EHCP’ stands for Education, Health and Care Plan and is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support.
An EHC Plan is a legally binding document identifying educational, health and social needs and sets out additional support to meet those needs. If a Local Authority deems your application to be successful, you may be able to receive a personal budget for your child to help them access support needed.
If applying for an EHC Plan, it can be useful to submit as much evidence about your child as possible. We can provide an array of reports to support your application.
Applying for an EHC Plan (EHCP)
Parents do not have to provide reports when requesting an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment; the Local Authority has a legal duty to gather the necessary evidence themselves. However, sharing reports or information about your child can strengthen the application and help avoid delays, as it gives the Local Authority a clear picture of your child’s needs and the support already attempted.
Useful reports and evidence parents may choose to provide include:
- School reports and SEN Support plans / IEPs
- Educational psychologist reports (local authority or private)
- Speech and language therapy reports
- Occupational therapy or physiotherapy assessments
- Paediatrician / GP letters
- CAMHS reports or mental health assessments
- Behaviour logs, safeguarding notes, or exclusion records
- Attendance records and evidence of school refusal (if applicable)
- Evidence of interventions already tried and their outcomes
- Specialist diagnoses (e.g., ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia)
- Parent statement outlining needs and impact
- Child’s views (written, visual, or recorded)
Our clinic is able to provide a range of reports about your child to support your application.
We can provide 90-minute formal Speech and Language Assessments, with a report specifically written to support an EHCP application. A detailed speech and language therapy report can significantly support an EHCP application because it provides professional, evidence-based information about a child’s communication needs and how they affect access to learning. Even if a child can speak, they may struggle with understanding language, expressing ideas, social communication, memory, processing speed, or interaction skills – all of which are crucial for school success. A SALT report explains the child’s specific strengths and difficulties, the impact on education and daily functioning, and the specialist support and interventions required. This helps demonstrate to the Local Authority if a child’s needs go beyond typical classroom strategies and need structured, ongoing provision. More information can be found here.
We can provide 90-minute formal Occupational Therapy Assessments, looking at a range of needs. The report can be written specifically to support an EHCP application. An occupational therapy report is valuable for an EHCP application because it explains how a child’s physical, sensory, motor, and functional needs affect their ability to participate in education. OT reports look at real-life school tasks (e.g., writing, dressing for PE, sitting in class, coping with noise, organising belongings, managing fatigue or sensory overload) and show where the child struggles and why. A detailed OT report outlines the support, adaptations, and interventions required, and demonstrates if a child may need ongoing, specialist input to access learning and develop independence. More information can be found here.
A detailed mental health assessment report can be very helpful for an EHCP application because it provides clear, professional evidence about how a child’s emotional and psychological needs affect their learning, behaviour, and ability to access education. While a diagnosis alone does not guarantee support, a full mental health report explains the nature of the difficulties, the level of need, how the child is impacted in school and daily life, and what support or interventions are required. This helps the Local Authority understand if a child’s needs are significant, ongoing, and require more than what can be provided through standard SEN Support. More information can be found here.
An Educational Psychology report can be extremely helpful for an EHCP application because it provides a comprehensive, professional assessment of how a child learns, their cognitive abilities, emotional and behavioural needs, and the support they require to make progress in school. While the Local Authority must arrange EP involvement as part of the statutory assessment, having an existing report can strengthen the application and provide early clarity about the child’s needs. More information can be found here.
Our clinic can formally assess and diagnose a range of conditions. A formal diagnostic assessment and understanding of neurodevelopmental needs can be useful when applying for an EHCP, because it provides clear, professional evidence of the child’s underlying needs. A diagnosis on its own does not automatically lead to an EHCP, but these reports explain more about a child’s profile, how this might affect learning and daily functioning, and what level of support is required to help them access education.
Neuropsychological Assessments are comprehensive evaluations conducted by our experienced psychologists and psychometricians. They help children better understand their cognitive, academic, and emotional strengths and challenges. This is to optimise their performance in school, at home, and with friends by using the most effective strategies based on their strengths and limitations.
We will take several factors into account, including an individual’s family and medical history, social and emotional functioning, academic achievement and cognitive skills, as well as their attention and focus. The results will yield important information about how to help your child thrive and we will provide a personalised plan and recommendations for educational support, interventions, and accommodations. As these assessments are so detailed, they can help provide a holistic overview to the Local Authority about your child’s needs. More information can be found here.
Which reports would my child need?
Parents are not expected to privately fund multiple assessments, and many families simply cannot afford to do so. The EHCP process does not require private reports, and the Local Authority must carry out the necessary assessments if an EHCP needs assessment is agreed. However, where parents are considering private assessments to strengthen their application, it can be helpful to think carefully about which assessment would make the biggest difference for their child. The most useful reports are those that clearly explain the child’s needs, how those needs affect access to learning and daily school life, and what specialist support is required. Choosing the most relevant assessment can help ensure the child’s difficulties are properly understood and that the right support can be put in place as early as possible.
When deciding which report may be most beneficial, parents might consider:
- What is the greatest barrier to your child’s learning right now? (e.g., communication, emotional needs, sensory issues, attention, literacy)
- Which area of need is currently least understood by school or the Local Authority?
- Has the school already gathered strong evidence in one area, but not another?
- Would specialist recommendations in this area directly inform support strategies or provision?
- Is there a long wait for NHS assessment in this area and urgent clarity needed?
Parents should not feel pressured to obtain every possible assessment; the goal is simply to ensure the child’s needs are understood and met in a way that supports their learning, wellbeing and long-term development.
Please note that while many families choose to share our reports as supporting evidence during Tribunal proceedings, our reports are not written specifically for legal purposes. If you require a report prepared solely for Tribunal use, you may wish to seek an independent specialist who provides SEND Tribunal (SENDIST) reports or consult with a legal representative experienced in SEND law.