EHCP Help re. Activity outside borough and personal budget queries

Teens25

I am supporting a friend with her son’s EHCP review because English is not her first language. I have no experience in this. She has found a new activity/place she wants her son to go in the autumn, this would be in addition to his college.  The reason being they offer more practical tasks, mentoring and therapy with animals and horticulture, lots of things that are really supportive of his autism and these aren’t offered at his current college.  I am concerned that this activity, although in the same county, is outside the local authority borough and I have no idea whether this in itself means that she can’t even present this new provision at the review?  If she was able to secure personal budget for her son (although also have no idea how she gets that), would that allow her to spend the personal budget wherever she deems fit, if it supports his EHCP plan, so by getting around the issue of this Centre not being in the same local authority borough? Any help anyone can offer would be greatly received. I’m feeling out of my depth and feel that she is now looking at me to be a bit of an expert on this , I have googled my questions but cannot find an answer.  I need people with lived experience and more knowledge than I to advise,  thank you to all that chip in!

Albus_Scope

Hi there @Teens25 and a belated welcome to the community!

Sorry to see the community haven't been able to support you with your problem. Has this been resolved yet?

Doris_Scope

Hi @Teens25

Sorry for this late reply but I have only just seen it. If you friend's son has an EHCP, activities and services outside of local authority have to be considered. Especially if there are no similar services within the local authority. She can absolutely present it at review. I would try and make sure that she has evidence on how it would meet her son’s needs.

Your friend can request a personal budget when the EHCP is being reviewed. This legally has to be considered if she does it at this point. This IPSEA page on personal budgets might help. Also this page on how the local authority should help might be useful.

You can also contact IPSEA directly for free legal advice. They run an open diary booking system for appointments. It is difficult to get one, but worthwhile if you do. You can also phone them 3 days a week for shorted queries.

I don’t know what area you are from, but her local advisory service might also be able to help you. Just type in the area that she lives, and then add SENDIASS, and it should come up. I would advise calling them and emailing them. They probably won’t get back in touch for a few days.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to come back if you have any more questions.

@Doris_Scope

sarawillmakeitok

your friend can name any placement as long as she can show how the value spent will be value added on his path in education and at his age independent skills too. I’m having this with my daughter for next year when she will be 20 but not ready to leave education but can’t find anyway except adult education that offer the course of therapy she wishes to study. Due to her disabilities she cannot access adult education as she needs supervised learning in small groups with possible one to one dependent on the course content. This can’t be provided by adult education and that is the angle I will state on her EHCP - and then say how this course will meet her social and emotional needs, her adult life skills and that it’s helping her towards employment. All of these factors must and have to be recognised and if they cannot offer something that a professional (ie psychological assessments and sensory etc) have said she must have in order to meet her educational needs then like it or not you can name this in section I and the local authority will have a hard time fighting against the funding.
good luck and what a lovely person you are to be helping your friend.
stat strong ladies. 🙏

Teens25

thanks to all that responded, interesting feedback. It’s been resolved of sorts. The place she found the local authority won’t consider as an additional educational option because of the college courses he is already doing. However small glimmer of hope, as there might be a way he can do a few hours there as work experience, which is part of his college requirement. Navigating this system is bewildering and I only became involved for a small part.