Template Letters

Use this letter to formally request that your Local Authority carries out an EHC needs assessment for your child. You have the right to make this request under section 36(1) of the Children and Families Act 2014.

Use this letter if the Local Authority has refused to carry out an EHC needs assessment. You have the right to appeal this decision to the First-tier Tribunal (SEND).

Use this letter to submit your comments on the draft EHC plan. You have at least 15 calendar days to respond. Focus on ensuring Section B (needs) is comprehensive and Section F (provision) is specific and quantified.

Use this letter to request an annual review of your child's EHC plan, or to raise concerns that trigger an early review under reg. 20 of the SEND Regulations 2014.

Use this letter to make a formal complaint if the LA has failed to meet statutory deadlines or follow proper procedures. Step 1 is the LA's own complaints procedure; once it is exhausted you can escalate to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).

Use this letter to ask the Local Authority's children's social care team (sometimes called the Disabled Children's Team) to carry out a Children Act 1989 s.17 assessment. The findings underpin Section D (social-care needs) and Section H1/H2 (social-care provision) of the EHC plan, both of which are frequently left blank where no s.17 assessment has been done.

Guidance for registering an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (SEND). Appeals must be registered within 2 months of the decision being appealed, or 1 month after receiving a mediation certificate, whichever is later.