2017-05 SCC Transfer Review (EHC Needs Assessment)Page 4 of 5

A guide to the Transfer Review (Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment) Process For Young People, Families and Practitioners

Step 1 (Week 0 to 2)
Planning and starting the Transfer Review (EHC Needs Assessment)
·  The Local Authority has to transfer all pupils’ Statements of SEN to EHC Plans where necessary by the end of March 2018.
·  The Local Authority is asking all education settings to arrange and conduct the transfer review meeting for all pupils who still have a Statement by the end of October 2017.
·  Suffolk is using a similar format to the annual review meeting to gather advice and information for the Transfer Review. The school, college or setting should arrange with families/young people a convenient date for the meeting and discuss who it would be helpful to attend. Once a date and attendees have been agreed, the school/setting must notify the local SEN Team.
·  The Local Authority will contact the family or young person to confirm the date, venue and time of the Transfer Review Meeting and the intention to undertake an EHC Needs Assessment.
·  If the Local Authority has not been notified of the date of the meeting, the SEN Team will make contact with you as soon as the transfer review report is received.
·  The assessment should take no longer than 20 weeks. The start date is two weeks before the transfer review meeting takes place.
What happens in Step 1 for the child/young person and the family? / What happens in Step 1 for education settings and practitioners?
·  You will be invited to a transfer review meeting at the education setting and you will be given an opportunity to say who you think should attend.
·  You should be contacted by the Local Authority to confirm the date, time and venue of the Transfer Review Meeting and the Local Authority’s intention to start an EHC Needs Assessment.
·  You can contact the SEN Team or visit Suffolk Local Offer website for information about the process or support is also available through SENDIASS and Independent Supporters.
·  The EHC Plans include the ambitions and views of the child/young person and their family. You can complete an advice form before the meeting as it can be helpful to think in advance about some of the things that you would like to say but your views can also be recorded in the meeting.
·  You can find more information about what the EHCP looks and the forms on Suffolk Local Offer website. / ·  Education settings will be sent information about the transfer reviews that must take place.
·  Education settings will liaison will the family or young person to agree a date, time and venue for the meeting and seek the involvement of practitioners as discussed with families and young people.
·  Education settings must notify the Local Authority in advance of the meeting of the agreed meeting details.
·  Education settings must give sufficient time to prepare, including seeking updated advice if it is needed and must circulate this information 2 weeks in advance of the transfer review meeting.
·  Remember that the transfer to the EHC Plan is via an assessment. You do not need to produce further advice or information if what is already available is sufficient to inform the assessment and this is agreed with all parties.
Step 2 (Weeks 2 to 4)
The Transfer Review Meeting
·  The transfer review meeting is a very important part of the assessment process for children and young people moving to an EHC Plan.
·  The transfer review meeting should consider the progress made by the child/young person using the information provided by the family, the education setting and other practitioners and consider whether changes to the description of need, the support required or the placement is required.
·  When a child or young person is transferring to a new education setting then a representative from that setting or a practitioner with knowledge of that type of setting should attend to contribute recommendations about any changes to the support arrangements that may be needed.
·  The meeting must take a person centred approach and focus on outcomes for the child/young person. For young people from age 14 (Y9) plus, these outcomes should increasingly reflect preparation for adulthood.
·  Progress and support will be discussed and it should be considered whether the child/young person continues to require additional support that is significantly different to the support available at SEN Support and the Local Offer.
·  There should be an opportunity at the meeting to discuss personal budgets.
·  The Transfer Review Report should accurately reflect the discussions of the meeting and must be circulated to all attendees and a copy sent to the local authority within 2 weeks of the meeting being held.
What happens in Step 2 for the child/young person and the family? / What happens in Step 2 for settings and practitioners?
·  It is important that you attend the transfer review meeting.
·  The education setting should discuss and agree how the child/young person will be involved in the meeting so that their ideas and views can be heard.
·  It’s a good idea to go through the information and advice that has been sent to you before the meeting.
·  You can bring someone to the meeting to support you.
·  You will be given opportunities at the meeting to talk about the outcomes you want. You can also share ideas about how you would like practitioners to help as well as ways in which you feel you can help.
·  At this meeting, you will be asked if you would like to discuss further or request a personal budget. / ·  It is important for practitioners who directly support the child/young person to attend the transfer review meeting. If they cannot attend, then a report must be provided.
·  You should contribute to the discussions and explain your views at the meeting. You should assist in identifying the needs, outcomes and support that should be reflected in the plan.
·  It is expected that all necessary advice will be available before the meeting. In exceptional circumstance, if it is felt that additional advice is required through discussions at the meeting, then the education setting or the most relevant practitioner must agree to seek this advice as a matter of urgency. This action must be recorded on the meeting report.
·  The education setting will complete and circulate the report and supporting advice to all attendees with a copy to the local authority.
Step 3 (week 4 – 6)
Response to the Transfer Review Report
·  The SEN Team in the Local Authority will receive a copy of the Transfer Review Report and supporting advice within 2 weeks of the meeting being held.
·  If direct contact with the family/young person has not already been made before the transfer review meeting, when the report is received, a member of the Team will contact them to make sure that they understand the process and the recommendations of the Transfer Review Report.
·  The SEN Team will consider the recommendations of the meeting and decide whether the assessment should continue. It is anticipated that the majority of children and young people transferring to the new system will receive an EHC plan. No child or young person will lose their statement of SEN and not have it replaced with an EHC plan simply because the system is changing.
·  The SEN Team will write to the family or young person notifying them of the Local Authority’s decision.
·  If it has been recorded that additional advice is required, then the local authority will write to request this. Practitioner Advice must be provided within 6 weeks of this request.
·  If families or young people have not provided their written views, they will also have another opportunity to complete the advice form and return it to the SEN Team if they want to.
What happens in Step 3 for the child/young person and the family? / What happens in Step 3 for settings and practitioners?
·  You will receive a copy of the Transfer Review Report and supporting advice from the education setting.
·  When the Local Authority receives a copy of the report, a member of the SEN Team will contact you to discuss the meeting and check whether there is anything else we need to be aware of.
·  You will receive a response from the SEN Team regarding the local authority’s decision to continue with the assessment or the reasons why it is not considered necessary.
·  If the assessment is to continue, then you will be invited to provide your written views if you have not already done so. / ·  The education setting must circulate the Transfer Review Report and supporting advice to all attendees of the meeting.
·  If it is recorded that you will provide or seek additional advice, then this must be undertaken as a matter of urgency.
·  The education setting will receive a copy of the Local Authority’s decision whether to continue with the assessment or the reasons why it is not considered necessary.
·  You may receive a formal written request for advice to be provided within 6 weeks if it has been identified during the meeting and recorded on in the Transfer Review Report or the parent/young person has requested it through direct contact with the SEN Team.
Step 4 (week 6 – 18)
Preparing the EHC Plan
·  Where it has been agreed that an EHC Plan is needed and the advice and information provided with the transfer review report is current and relevant, then the SEN Team will prepare a Draft EHC Plan.
·  Where it is agreed that an EHC Plan will be produced, but additional advice has been requested, then the SEN Team will wait 6 weeks for this to be provided before preparing a Draft EHC Plan.
·  If this advice is not provided within 6 weeks, then the SEN Team will prepare a Draft EHC Plan without this advice. Should this advice become available before the Final EHC Plan is issued, then changes can be made to include any of the new information or recommendations.
·  In Suffolk, the drafting of EHC Plans through the Transfer Review, will generally be undertaken by the Central Transfer Team. When a case has been allocated to a member of this team, they will make contact with the family or young person to introduce themselves.
·  The Draft EHC Plan will be sent to the young person or family. The young person or family will be given 15 days to make any comments on the Draft EHC Plan and say what educational setting they would prefer to be named in Section I.
·  If the young person or family require extra time to consider the EHC Plan or would prefer to discuss the Draft at a meeting, then this can be requested.
·  The Local Authority will consider the young person’s or family’s request for school placement and consult with the preferred school and other suitable schools/settings.
·  If the local authority decision is that an EHC Plan is not required at this stage, then the SEN Team will use the information gathered from the transfer review to produce written feedback following an EHC needs assessment. This will advise the education setting of the type of support they should consider and implement.
What happens in Step 4 for the child/young person and the family? / What happens in Step 4 for settings and practitioners?
·  If you want to provide your written views and have not already done so, you can do this now.
·  A member of the SEN Team who will Draft the EHC Plan with contact you.
·  You will receive a copy of the Draft EHC Plan. If there is anything that you would like to change you should contact the SEN Team.
·  If you have not already, you can formally request a personal budget at this time.
·  You will be asked what school/setting you would like to be named in the plan.
·  You will have 15 days to respond with any comments but can request some additional time or a meeting.
·  If the local authority decides that an EHC Plan is not required, you will be sent information about why and how to appeal the decision and where you can go for further support and advice. / ·  You will receive a copy of the Draft EHC Plan.
·  The family or young person may wish to discuss the Draft EHC Plan with you.
·  The local authority will consider the request and consult with Chair of Governors (with a copy to the Headteacher of the education setting preferred by the young person or family and other suitable schools/settings if appropriate.
·  Education settings will have 15 calendar days to respond to the consultation. They should refer to the SEND Code of Practice when considering their response.
Step 5 (week 18 – 20 )
Finalising the EHCP
·  The SEN Team will issue the Final EHC Plan if it has not already been issued. For example, if all the information and advice was immediately available following the Transfer Review Meeting and the SEN Team could prepare a Draft EHC Plan without waiting 6 weeks for any additional advice and agreement is reached on the contents and placement, this will be completed as soon as possible.
What happens in Step 5 for the child/young person and the family? / What happens in Step 5 for settings and professionals?
·  The child/young person and family will receive a copy of the final EHCP.
·  At this stage if the young person or family remains concerned about provision they may:
Ø  Talk to the SEN Team or other agencies e.g. SENDIASS and Independent Supporters.
Ø  Ask the education setting for a meeting to discuss the delivery of the support identified in EHC Plan
Ø  Seek mediation/independent advice
Ø  Take up their right to appeal to the First Tier Tribunal / ·  The final EHCP will be sent to education setting. named in the EHC Plan.
·  The local authority will seek confirmation that the education setting has in place the support identified in Section F in place and must arrange the special provision where it is necessary.
·  The social care provision must be provided in line with responsibilities set out in the Children Act 1989 or for young people over 18 as set out in the Care Bill.
·  The Clinical Commissioning Group must ensure that the specified health provision is made.

2017-05 SCC Transfer Review (EHC Needs Assessment)Page 4 of 5