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In most cases, a request for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment is made by your child’s school, early years setting, college, training provider or a service that supports your child.

You should first speak to your child’s teacher or the school’s Special Educational Needs Co‑ordinator (SENCO) to discuss whether an EHC needs assessment is the right next step. Usually EHC needs assessment takes place after other forms of support have already been put in place.

You can also contact , who can offer free, impartial advice and support.

If the school or setting agrees that an assessment is needed, they will collect the required information and submit the request.

If the school does not agree

Even if the school or setting does not support making a request, parents, carers and young people aged 16 or over still have the legal right to request an EHC needs assessment themselves.

How to make a request independently

There are two ways to request an EHC needs assessment when the school or setting does not support making a request:

1. Complete the 'Request for EHC needs assessment young person, parent or carer form'

You can complete the Request for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment – young person, parent or carer form (DOC).

• Parents and carers can use this form to request an assessment for their child.
• Young people aged between 16 and 25 can use the same form to request an assessment for themselves.

Once completed, email the form to:
EHCNArequests@surreycc.gov.uk

ßÙßÇÂþ»­ will write to you within six weeks of receiving your request to let you know whether they will carry out the assessment.

If you have difficulty accessing or completing the form, you can contact the Learners’ Single Point of Access (L‑SPA) contact centre for help.

2. Submit a written request

You can also request an EHC needs assessment by writing directly to ßÙßÇÂþ»­.

For guidance on how to do this, you can contact . The (IPSEA) website also offers helpful information, including you can use.