Annual reviews
EHC plan annual review forms and guidance for professionals.
This guidance is for all professionals working with children and young people who hold an education, health and care plan in Lancashire from early years through to post 16 provision.
For information for parent carers, please see the the SEND local offer.
In most cases the school or educational setting is responsible for organising and facilitating the annual review meeting. Please see the educational settings section for:
template invitation letters
advice forms and guidance
Updated 5 February 2024
Your feedback
Thank you for taking the time to read this SEND Partnership EHC plan annual review guidance for professionals.
We would like to know what you, including children, young people, parent carers and practitioners think about the new EHC plan annual review forms and guidance.
If you have any feedback, please email SENDPartnership@Lancashire.gov.uk
You said
Parent carers, young people and professionals have told us there are issues with the annual review process.
We did
We've updated the annual review forms and guidance and we're encouraging professionals involved in the process to get to know their role in the process.
Support us
If you're a professional working with children and young people who have EHC plans, please read and share the key messages below and signpost your colleagues to this page.
Key messages
Please read these key messages and share them with your colleagues.
New forms and guidance
this guide contains the latest annual review forms and guidance
always download the latest version of the forms and guidance from this site (and not use old versions you may have saved locally)
Contacting professionals
Educational settings:
ask parent carers to find out whether there are any health, social care or early help professionals professionals that are involved with their child
professionals need as much notice as possible to provide information for an annual review
requests should be made at least 12 weeks before the annual review date, at the beginning of the term if possible
Responding to invitations and requests for advice
Health, early help and social care:
there is a joint responsibility to stay in touch
be aware of children and young people on your caseload who have an EHC plan
look out for annual review lists from educational settings at the beginning of each term and log relevant dates
The Lancashire Annual Review Guidance Handbook 2024 outlines the special educational needs (SEN) annual review and related processes.
Parent carer invitation and advice form
We recommend you send the parent carer guidance together with the invitation and advice form.
The handbook contains a checklist for SENDCOs including timescales and actions to carry out before, during and after the annual review meeting.
You can download template invitations, advice forms and guidance below.
Professionals need as much notice as possible to provide information for an annual review. Requests should be made at least 12 weeks before the annual review date, at the beginning of the term if possible.
The flow charts below include contact emails for the local health teams that schools can contact request annual review reports.
Parents should be able to help by completing the checklist of the professionals that are involved with their child:
Preparing for adulthood reviews
The review of an EHC Plan of a young person in the school year in which they turn 14 years of age (Year 9) and every review thereafter must include a focus on preparing for adulthood including employment, independent living and participation in society.
The young person and parent carer guidance includes extra information for young people and parents about this type of review.
Developing preparation for adulthood outcomes from early years to post 16
Visit the CDC website to download the tool 'PfA Outcomes across the age ranges for children and young people with SEND'.
This supportive tool has been designed by the Department for Education (DfE) to promote consideration of the four PfA outcomes as part of EHC planning across the age range.
Learning disability health checks
From the year 9 annual review onwards children with a diagnosed learning disability or suspected learning disability should be made aware of their entitlement to a health check via their GP.
Young people and families should be signposted to their GP, you can find more information at:
Clinical team receive annual review list from educational setting at the beginning of each term.
Clinical team log provisional annual review dates on annual review datasheet or alternative.
Practitioner plans in and offers review appointment for CYP if clinically appropriate, to discuss current outcomes and progress towards these with CYP and family.
Email from educational setting with annual review date (12 weeks prior) and requests for a health report on the annual review form (health). Email to include blank annual review (health) form, guidance document, current copy of EHCP and the previous year's annual review summary report. Annual review datasheet updated by health team.
Practitioner reviews existing outcomes, writes report, discusses with CYP and family, and returns to the setting within 6 weeks of the request and at least 2 weeks before the meeting.
Practitioner responds to meeting invitation.
Practitioner attends review (virtual or in person) at their own discretion dependant on clinical need of CYP.
Review summary or minutes of the meeting, and revised EHCP if appropriate, received from the setting within 6 weeks of the annual review meeting.
It is strongly recommended that clinical teams keep records of data for ECHP annual reviews for monitoring and data collection purposes. Each organisation will determine their own process.
Notes for Social Care / Early Help colleagues
COP 9.172 The local authority provides a list of CYP who require a review of EHC plan that term to schools, colleges two weeks before the start of each term; and a list to the local authority officers responsible for social care for CYP with SEND. These lists should also indicate which reviews must be focused on transition and preparation for adulthood.
Social Care / Early Help worker receive annual review list from educational setting at the beginning of each term with proposed dates for the review.
Social Care / Early Help worker logs review dates on their SEND Annual Review spreadsheet
Social Care / Early Help worker plans a home visit to see parent and child and young person or checks alignment with CIN review to discuss current outcomes and review the current care package. Where the Care Worker is of the view that the assessed care needs have changed they will seek the necessary authorisation / complete further referrals as might be required.
Email received from educational setting confirming details of annual review and copy of Annual review form for completion, with copy of EHCP and previous year's annual review.
Social Care / Early Help worker reviews outcomes, writes report on standard form, discusses with CYP and family, and returns this to the setting within 6 weeks of the request.
2 weeks prior to meeting all annual review paperwork is received from the educational setting.
Social Care / Early Help worker confirms attendance for the meeting / or sends apologies
Social Care / Early Help worker attends review attends (virtual or in person) wherever possible and reflecting urgency of the need presentation / new and changed setting
Review summary or minutes of the meeting received from the setting within 2 weeks of the annual review meeting. Datasheet updated.
Social Care / Early Help worker checks document for accuracy and informs educational setting or LA directly if any amendments are needed
If appropriate LA issues new EHCP within 4* weeks of the annual review documentation being submitted by the educational setting and a copy sent to Social Worker