‘Forget the Health and Care and just call them Education Plans’: SENCOs' perspectives on Education, Health and Care plans

Abstract

In England, Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are used to identify children's educational, health and social needs, and describe the additional support required to meet those needs. Replacing statements of special educational needs (SEN), the intent was to improve the process of accessing SEN provision through the greater participation of families in decision‐making processes, and increased collaboration between education, health and care sectors. Special educational needs co‐ordinators (SENCOs) play a pivotal role in the implementation of education reforms, and are often responsible for the application of EHC plans. As such, gaining insight into their experiences of initiating applications and transferring statements of SEN into EHC plans can help identify whether these documents are meeting their objectives as person‐led, wraparound care plans. This qualitative study used semi‐structured interviews to explore 16 SENCOs’ perspectives on the effectiveness of the process of applying for and transferring EHC plans. Thematic analysis of responses elicited three key themes: the perceived role of the SENCO in the EHC plan process; procedural challenges and changes – an evolving process; and difficulties in accessing an EHC plan for children with social, emotional and mental health needs.