Date: <Date>
Dear <parentcarer>/<youngperson>
Education, Health & Care (EHC) Needs Assessment
Transfer of children and young people with Statements of Special Educational Needs (SSENs) to EHC Plans
Name:<pupil_forename> <pupil_surname>
Date of Birth:<date_of_birth>
Setting:<education_setting>
I am writing to advise you of the process that the Local Authority is proposing to follow to transfer<pupil_forename>‘s Statement to an EHC plan.
You will be aware that children and young people with Statements will gradually be transferred over to the new arrangements under the 2014 Children and Families Act. The Local Authority wants to ensure that all the EHC Plans issued will be person-centred and outcome focussed, therefore the ‘transfer review’ process will involve an EHC needs assessment that allows:
- outcomes for <pupil_forename>to be developed; and
- the provision necessary to support the achievement of those outcomes to be identified.
As part of the ‘transfer review’, it is important that your child’s and your own views are clearly understood, so that a decision can be made about whether updated assessment information is required, as updated or additional professional advice will only be formally requested as part of the process if current information is no longer accurate or significantly outdated.
To enable a considered and planned discussion to be held with you, <pupil_forename>’s and any relevant professionals, the Local Authority is proposing to hold a ‘transfer review’ meeting at <education_setting> on <date> at<time>. The Local Authority has asked<education_setting> to lead this meeting and invite all those involved.
You should have received this letter not less than 2 weeks before the transfer review meeting and therefore should expect the transfer process to be completed within 18 weeks from the date of the meeting.To confirm, the date at which the Local Authority has initiated the transfer review is by giving you a minimum of 2 weeks’ noticeprior to the transfer review meeting which means a timescale of 20 weeks in total
I attach for your information further details about the transfer review process which describes what will happen and when. I hope this will help you to understand the transfer review and enable you to participate fully in the process.
Please be assured however, that the LA can provide any advice or support to you throughout this process as necessary and should you have any queries please contact SENAR on 0121 303 1888.
Yours sincerely
On behalf of Simon Wellman
Special Educational Needs Assessment & Review (SENAR) – Head of Service
cc. SENAR Principal Officer
The Transfer Review: what will happen?
(a)At least two weeks before the transfer review begins you will receive a letter signed by the Local Authority explaining the ‘transfer review’ and the timescales for completing an EHC Plan. The timescale will be 18 weeks to issue a final EHC plan from the date of the transfer review meeting or 14 weeks if it is decided to cease the statement;
(b)As the transfer reviewmust involve a ‘transfer review meeting’, your child or young person’s school or the Local Authority will contact you to agree a date for the meeting. You and all those involved will be given at least two weeks’ notice before the transfer review meeting. Invitations will be sent to you, your child or young person, the Health Service, Social Care, depending on who arranged the meeting, the school, the setting or the Local Authority and anyone else who needs to attend the meeting;
(c)The meeting will take the format of an annual review meeting and focus on whether an EHC Plan is required, progress of your child or young person, any proposed outcomes, identifying the provision necessary to achieve them and reach agreement on how your child or young person’s needs, outcomes and provision could be incorporated into an EHC Plan;
(d)A report of the meeting is sent to you and all of the others who were invited, setting out the meeting’s recommendations and the Local Authority uses the contents of this report, the completed EHC Transfer Review Template and any other reports that it has received, to produce a draft EHC Plan for your child or young person;
(e)The Local Authority then sends the draft EHC Plan to you before any EHC Plan is finalised, along with an invitation to meet with one of its officers to discuss the draft EHC Plan and how your child or young person’s Statement of SEN will be transferred to the new system;
NB: If a Statement of SEN or EHC Plan is not required, the Local Authority will begin making arrangements to ‘cease to maintain’ the document and issue a support plan
(f)Once the EHC Plan has been finalised the Local Authority sends out copies, within 18 weeks of the transfer review meeting or a notification of its decision to ‘cease to maintain’, within 14 weeks of the transfer review meeting, along with information about how you can challenge or appeal against the contents of the EHC Plan and the Local Authority’s decision; your child or young person’s Statement of SEN will remain in place whilst your appeal is being considered.
Further Information:
If you require further information, please call the Local Authority’s Special Educational Needs Assessment & Review Service on telephone number: 0121 303 1888 or email: ; you can also follow us on Twitter: @BirminghamSEND
Independent information and advice can also be obtained from:
Birmingham SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs Disability Information Advice & Support Service) at or telephone number: 0121 303 5004;
The Council for Disabled Children -
Independent Parental Special Education Advice -
General information about the new special educational needs & disability system and the transfer review process, along a full list of organisations offering advice and support, is available on the Local Offer website.