What happens after an EHCP assessment request?
After receiving an EHC needs-assessment request, the local authority normally has six weeks to decide whether to assess. Use that period to confirm the receipt date, check who is handling the case and submit concise evidence of needs and support. An acknowledgement is not the assessment decision.
Practical guidance for families in England
Confirm the start date
Save the submitted request and delivery confirmation. If the authority has not acknowledged it, ask for confirmation of the receipt date and the case officer’s contact details. Record the six-week decision date. Do not assume the clock begins only when the authority allocates a worker or considers its file complete.
Guidance checked on 15 September 2026. Keep the decision letter, relevant plan or request, and the dates that apply to your case.
Understand what the authority is deciding
The first decision concerns whether the individual has or may have SEN and whether it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made through a plan. It is not the later test for issuing a plan. Explain what remains uncertain and why a coordinated assessment may be needed.
Send useful additional information
Provide relevant existing school support plans, progress information, health or therapy advice and your own dated examples. Keep a short index so the decision-maker can locate each item. Explain what each document establishes. A large undifferentiated bundle is less useful than a clear account of the needs and support gap.
If the decision is to assess
Ask what education, psychology, health and social-care advice will be sought, and how the child or young person will participate. Flag gaps and accessibility needs. Keep the original request date on your timeline: the usual 16-week and 20-week milestones run from that date, not the assessment decision.
A practical follow-up message
“Please confirm that you received the assessment request on [date], the decision deadline and the named case officer. The attached [document] explains [need or support gap]. Please confirm how [communication or social-care issue] will be considered.” Replace the brackets with your facts and keep a copy.
Check the documents for this stage
Keep the relevant request, decision notice or plan together with the evidence referred to above. Record the source of each proposed change and the date on which the next action is due. If two accounts differ, explain the difference and seek clarification rather than omitting one account.
If the decision is not to assess
Read the reasons against the statutory assessment test. Keep the letter and mediation information. You can consider an appeal, usually within two months of the decision notice or one month of the mediation certificate, whichever is later. Check the exact route and deadline before pursuing a complaint alone.
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Before you take the next step
You should be able to identify the issue, the outcome or information you need, the evidence supporting it and the person responsible for the next action. Keep a copy of what you send and any acknowledgement. The related guides below cover the stages that may follow.
Free information and additional support
Choose help for the question you need answered
Your local SENDIASS offers free information, advice and support. IPSEA also publishes SEND guidance. If a deadline, evidence gap or disputed decision remains unclear, identify the specific question before commissioning paid help. Seek prompt specialist legal advice where an urgent legal remedy may be needed.
How Little Nellie’s can help
Little Nellie’s offers EHCP advocacy, document review, evidence organisation and independent social-work input. Agree the task, deliverable, deadline and fee before instructing. The related service and pricing pages explain the available support.
Little Nellie’s is not a law firm. Its services do not replace the local authority’s statutory duties or guarantee a plan, placement or tribunal outcome. Legal work outside the agreed service scope may require a specialist solicitor.
Related guides and support
Choose the guide for your next question or stage.
Official sources and EHCP services
Official sources: Children and Families Act 2014 — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/6/contents
SEND Code of Practice — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
SEND appeal guidance — https://www.gov.uk/appeal-ehc-plan-decision
Free SEND guidance — https://www.ipsea.org.uk/
The service links below describe Nellie’s paid support. Check current official instructions when filing an appeal.
Discuss the support you need
Send the relevant decision, plan or request and any deadline when enquiring. Ask which service addresses your specific issue and request a clear scope and quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I submit evidence while waiting?
Yes, if it is relevant. Identify what it adds and send it promptly. Do not delay the original request solely to assemble every possible report.
Does agreeing to assess guarantee a plan?
No. The authority must assess and then apply the separate statutory test for whether an EHC plan is necessary.
What if there is no decision after six weeks?
Ask for the written decision and identify the missed date. Request the specific legal exception, if any, and consider the appropriate complaint or legal route for continued delay.
Where can I find free SEND information?
Your local SENDIASS provides free information, advice and support. IPSEA publishes guidance on the SEND system. Use the direct links in the sources section and check any service’s current availability.
What should I send when asking Little Nellie’s for help?
Send the relevant request, decision letter or plan, the key evidence and any deadline. Explain the specific task you need help with so the scope and fee can be agreed.
Does this guide apply outside England?
This guide concerns the EHCP framework in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different education and support systems; check guidance for the relevant jurisdiction.