Annual EHCP Review
Professional Support Reviewing EHCP Amendments After an Annual Review
After an EHCP Annual Review, the local authority must decide whether the plan should remain the same, be amended, or cease.
Where the authority decides to amend the Education, Health and Care Plan, parents will receive a draft amended EHCP and amendment notice.
Parents then have 15 days to respond to the proposed changes.
This stage is extremely important.
Changes introduced following an annual review can alter the description of a child’s needs, the provision required to meet those needs, or the educational placement specified in the plan.
Little Nellies provides professional Annual Review Draft EHCP Review support for families across England, helping parents examine the proposed amendments carefully and prepare a clear response to the local authority.
Our role is to ensure the proposed amendments are accurate, evidence-based and clearly enforceable within the EHCP.
What Our Annual Review Draft EHCP Review Includes
Our EHCP annual review draft review support is designed to help families identify problems in the draft plan, understand what needs to change, and respond with clear, evidence-based recommendations.
Initial Consultation Call
We begin with a one-hour consultation phone call to discuss the annual review, the current EHCP, the main concerns, and the changes you want to seek.
We go through the plan in detail to identify where the wording is unclear, outdated, incomplete or no longer reflects the child’s current needs.
Comparison Against Current Evidence
We compare the EHCP against the current information and evidence available to identify discrepancies, vague wording, contradictions, missing needs and missing provision.
Identification of Key Issues
We identify the main weaknesses in the plan and the areas that need to be addressed at annual review.
Written Recommendations Report
We prepare a report setting out the issues identified and the changes we recommend to the EHCP.
Evidence-Based Recommendations
We ensure that the concerns raised and the amendments recommended are backed up by evidence wherever possible.
Support Calls When Needed
We provide support calls when needed so you can ask questions, understand the issues identified and remain clear on next steps.
When Families Request Annual Review Support
Families often contact us when:
• the annual review has recommended changes to the EHCP
• the local authority issues a draft amended EHCP that does not reflect the evidence
• provision in the plan appears to have been reduced or weakened
• the proposed amendments are unclear or vague
• parents believe the proposed changes do not reflect the child’s actual needs
Following an annual review meeting, the local authority must decide whether to maintain, amend or cease the Education, Health and Care Plan.
Where the authority proposes amendments, parents receive a draft amended EHCP together with an amendment notice.
Parents normally have 15 calendar days to respond to the proposed changes before the authority issues the final amended plan.
Understanding the EHCP Annual Review Process
Every Education, Health and Care Plan must be reviewed at least once every 12 months.
The annual review process examines:
• the child’s progress towards the outcomes in the EHCP
• whether the provision remains appropriate
• whether the child’s needs have changed
• whether the current placement remains suitable
Following the review meeting, the local authority must decide within four weeks whether to:
• maintain the plan without changes
• amend the plan
• cease to maintain the plan
Where amendments are proposed, parents receive a draft amended EHCP.
Parents then have 15 days to respond to the proposed changes before the authority issues a final amended plan.
What we Need From You
To support the annual review properly, we usually need the following from you:
The main areas of concern
Please tell us which parts of the EHCP are no longer right, what is not working, and what changes you want to seek at annual review.
The current EHCP
We need the current EHCP so we can review the wording and compare it against the child’s current needs and provision.
Any annual review paperwork
If you have already received review paperwork from the school or local authority, please send this across.
School records and reports
This may include school reports, attendance records where relevant, and any ILPs or support plans already in place.
Professional evidence
Please send any diagnoses, educational psychology reports, speech and language therapy reports, occupational therapy reports, medical letters, CAMHS letters or other relevant professional evidence you already have.
Parent evidence
Your own account is important. Parent statements can help explain what has or has not changed, what difficulties remain, and why amendments are needed.
Voice of the child evidence, where appropriate
Where appropriate, we can also consider statements reflecting your child’s views and experiences.
Any other relevant documents
Anything else that helps show the child’s current needs, the provision required or the changes needed at annual review can be included. The more relevant evidence available, the better.
Why add our evidence pack
At annual review stage, cases often turn on whether the evidence is current, clear and difficult for the local authority to ignore.
This is often the point in the EHCP process where problems can either be corrected early or allowed to become more serious. If needs have changed, provision is no longer sufficient, or draft amendments do not reflect the child’s actual presentation, those issues need to be identified and evidenced properly before they become embedded in the final plan.
Our evidence pack can help with that.
By adding updated professional input from our team, including social work and psychology, we can help ensure concerns are not only raised but properly evidenced at the point when the local authority is still considering amendments. That can make it easier to challenge weak wording, outdated descriptions of need, or proposed changes that reduce provision.
This can be especially valuable at annual review stage because stronger evidence now may help resolve issues before they progress further. In some cases, identifying and evidencing the problems early can reduce the likelihood of families needing to move on to mediation or appeal later.
As an independent social work practice, we are also able to bring a level of professional input that many services cannot provide directly. That means families are not just responding to draft amendments with concerns alone, but with clearer supporting evidence behind the changes they are asking for.
For many families, the evidence pack is therefore a practical early-stage investment: keeping the evidence up to date now, so the EHCP process is less likely to become more stressful, prolonged and expensive later.
Why This Stage Matters
The annual review amendment stage is often where significant changes are introduced to an EHCP.
Common issues include:
• provision being reduced or weakened
• wording becoming less specific
• professional recommendations not being included
• outcomes being changed in ways that affect support
Because the EHCP is a legally enforceable document, the wording used in the plan matters.
Clear and specific drafting ensures the provision described in the plan can be delivered and monitored properly.
Careful review of the proposed amendments helps ensure the final EHCP continues to accurately reflect the child’s needs and the support required.
How Our Support Works
Our role is to bring clarity and structure to the annual review amendment process.
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Free 15 Minute Call
We begin with a short discussion to confirm the stage of the annual review process and the amendment notice deadline.
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Document Review
We review the current EHCP, the proposed amendments and any reports from the annual review meeting.
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Structured Consultation
A one-hour consultation reviews the draft amendments section by section and identifies the changes required.
Written Response
We prepare a structured amendment response for the parent to submit to the local authority.
What Happens After the Amendments?
Once parents submit their response to the proposed amendments, the local authority must issue the final amended EHCP within eight weeks.
If the final plan still does not reflect the child’s needs, parents may have the right to challenge the decision.
This may involve:
• mediation with the local authority
• appealing the EHCP contents to the SEND Tribunal
Where required, we can continue supporting families with mediation preparation or SEND Tribunal appeals.
Professional Standards and Expertise
Little Nellies is the SEND advocacy division of the Nellie Supports social work practice, providing specialist EHCP support for families across England.
Our work is delivered by professionals who understand both the statutory SEND framework and the practical realities families face when navigating local authority processes.
Our team includes:
• Social Work England registered social workers
• Social Care Wales registered social workers
• Members of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW)
• SEND practitioners with postgraduate qualifications
• multidisciplinary professionals across education, health and social care
This combination of statutory knowledge and real-world advocacy experience allows us to review EHCP amendments carefully and help families respond clearly within the legal process.
Other EHCP Support Services
Families often require support at different stages of the EHCP process.
Related services include:
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Frequently Asked Questions
An EHCP annual review is the statutory process used to examine whether an Education, Health and Care Plan still reflects a child or young person’s needs.
The review considers:
• progress towards the outcomes in the plan
• whether the provision remains appropriate
• whether needs have changed
• whether the current educational placement remains suitableFollowing the review meeting, the local authority must decide whether to maintain the plan, amend it, or cease to maintain it.
After the meeting, the school prepares a review report summarising the discussion and any recommended changes to the EHCP.
The local authority must then decide within four weeks whether to:
• keep the plan unchanged
• amend the plan
• cease the planIf the authority decides to amend the plan, parents will receive a draft amended EHCP together with an amendment notice.
Parents normally have 15 calendar days to respond to the proposed amendments.
During this time parents can:
• request changes to the wording
• object to proposed amendments
• request a meeting with the local authority
• request a change of school placementAfter this period the authority will issue the final amended EHCP.
An EHCP is a legally enforceable document.
The wording used in the plan determines the support the local authority must arrange.
If amendments introduce vague language or reduce provision, this can weaken the plan and make it harder to ensure the required support is delivered.
Careful review helps ensure the final EHCP clearly sets out:
• the child’s needs
• the provision required to meet those needs
• the responsibilities of the local authorityIf you disagree with the final amended plan, you may have the right to challenge the decision.
This may involve:
• requesting mediation with the local authority
• appealing the contents of the EHCP to the SEND TribunalAppeals commonly relate to:
• Section B (description of needs)
• Section F (educational provision)
• Section I (school placement)The local authority can propose changes to provision following an annual review.
However, any amendments should reflect the evidence presented during the review process, including professional reports and the child’s progress.
If provision is reduced without clear justification, parents may challenge those changes.
Yes. In some situations parents or schools may request an early annual review if circumstances have changed significantly.
This may happen where:
• a child’s needs have changed
• new professional evidence has become available
• the provision in the plan is no longer appropriate
• the child is struggling in their current placementEarly reviews follow the same process as a standard annual review.
Our team reviews the proposed amendments to the EHCP and helps parents respond clearly within the statutory timeframe.
This includes:
• reviewing the draft amended EHCP
• identifying issues with the proposed wording
• suggesting clear and enforceable amendments
• preparing a structured response for submission to the local authorityThe aim is to ensure the final EHCP accurately reflects the child’s needs and the provision required to support them.
Ready to Move Forward With Your EHCP Appeal?
Preparing for a SEND Tribunal can feel overwhelming, especially when you are already dealing with complex reports, deadlines and legal terminology.
Clear preparation and structured representation can make a significant difference to how your child’s needs are understood.
If you would like support preparing your case and representation at the tribunal hearing, our team can help you approach the process with clarity and confidence.