EHCP process map

The EHCP process from initial concerns to annual review.

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1 Initial Concerns Ongoing 2 Request Assessment Any time 3 Assessment Underway 6 weeks 4 Draft EHCP 15 days to respond 5 Final EHCP Issued 20 weeks total
Ongoing
6 Annual Review Every 12 months

Total process: up to 20 weeks from request to final EHCP. Click a stage for guidance. = appeal possible

EHCP process — full map

The complete EHCP graph including refusal, mediation, and tribunal branches. Click any node for guidance on that stage. 

flowchart TD
  initial_concerns["1. Initial Concerns"]
  request_assessment["2. Request Assessment"]
  refused_assessment["2a. LA Refused to Assess"]
  mediation_assessment["2b. Mediation"]
  appeal_assessment["2c. Appeal to Tribunal"]
  assessment_decision["2+. LA Decision on Assessment"]
  assessment_underway["3. Assessment Underway"]
  refused_ehcp["3a. LA Refused to Issue EHCP"]
  mediation_ehcp["3b. Mediation"]
  appeal_ehcp["3c. Appeal to Tribunal"]
  draft_ehcp["4. Draft EHCP"]
  final_ehcp["5. Final EHCP Issued"]
  appeal_content["5a. Appealing EHCP Content"]
  mediation_content["5b. Mediation"]
  appeal_content_tribunal["5c. Appeal to Tribunal"]
  annual_review["6. Annual Review"]
  appeal_review["6a. Appealing Annual Review"]
  mediation_review["6b. Mediation"]
  appeal_review_tribunal["6c. Appeal to Tribunal"]
  appeal["T. SEND Tribunal Appeal"]
  initial_concerns -->|"Ready to request assessment"| request_assessment
  request_assessment -->|"LA agreed to assess"| assessment_underway
  request_assessment -->|"LA refused to assess"| refused_assessment
  refused_assessment -->|"Going to mediation"| mediation_assessment
  refused_assessment -->|"Appeal directly (mediation certificate still required)"| appeal_assessment
  mediation_assessment -->|"Resolved — LA will assess"| assessment_underway
  mediation_assessment -->|"Not resolved — proceeding to tribunal"| appeal_assessment
  appeal_assessment -->|"Won — LA must assess"| assessment_underway
  appeal_assessment -->|"Lost — consider next steps"| initial_concerns
  appeal_assessment -->|"LA conceded before tribunal"| assessment_underway
  assessment_decision -->|"LA agreed to assess"| assessment_underway
  assessment_decision -->|"LA refused to assess"| refused_assessment
  assessment_underway -->|"LA agrees to issue EHCP"| draft_ehcp
  assessment_underway -->|"LA refused to issue EHCP"| refused_ehcp
  refused_ehcp -->|"Going to mediation"| mediation_ehcp
  refused_ehcp -->|"Appeal directly (mediation certificate still required)"| appeal_ehcp
  mediation_ehcp -->|"Resolved — LA will issue EHCP"| draft_ehcp
  mediation_ehcp -->|"Not resolved — proceeding to tribunal"| appeal_ehcp
  appeal_ehcp -->|"Won — LA must issue EHCP"| draft_ehcp
  appeal_ehcp -->|"Lost"| initial_concerns
  appeal_ehcp -->|"LA conceded before tribunal"| draft_ehcp
  draft_ehcp -->|"Comments submitted"| final_ehcp
  final_ehcp -->|"Satisfied with EHCP"| annual_review
  final_ehcp -->|"Appealing content (Sections B, F, or I)"| appeal_content
  appeal_content -->|"Going to mediation"| mediation_content
  appeal_content -->|"Proceeding to tribunal"| appeal_content_tribunal
  mediation_content -->|"Resolved — EHCP amended"| final_ehcp
  mediation_content -->|"Not resolved — proceeding to tribunal"| appeal_content_tribunal
  appeal_content_tribunal -->|"Won — EHCP amended"| final_ehcp
  appeal_content_tribunal -->|"Lost"| annual_review
  appeal_content_tribunal -->|"LA conceded before tribunal"| final_ehcp
  annual_review -->|"Plan amended"| annual_review
  annual_review -->|"Appealing refusal to amend"| appeal_review
  appeal_review -->|"Going to mediation"| mediation_review
  appeal_review -->|"Proceeding to tribunal"| appeal_review_tribunal
  mediation_review -->|"Resolved — plan amended"| annual_review
  mediation_review -->|"Not resolved — proceeding to tribunal"| appeal_review_tribunal
  appeal_review_tribunal -->|"Won — plan amended"| annual_review
  appeal_review_tribunal -->|"Lost"| annual_review
  appeal_review_tribunal -->|"LA conceded before tribunal"| annual_review
  appeal -->|"Won at tribunal"| assessment_underway
  appeal -->|"Lost at tribunal"| initial_concerns
  click initial_concerns call ehcpStageInfo()
  click request_assessment call ehcpStageInfo()
  click refused_assessment call ehcpStageInfo()
  click mediation_assessment call ehcpStageInfo()
  click appeal_assessment call ehcpStageInfo()
  click assessment_decision call ehcpStageInfo()
  click assessment_underway call ehcpStageInfo()
  click refused_ehcp call ehcpStageInfo()
  click mediation_ehcp call ehcpStageInfo()
  click appeal_ehcp call ehcpStageInfo()
  click draft_ehcp call ehcpStageInfo()
  click final_ehcp call ehcpStageInfo()
  click appeal_content call ehcpStageInfo()
  click mediation_content call ehcpStageInfo()
  click appeal_content_tribunal call ehcpStageInfo()
  click annual_review call ehcpStageInfo()
  click appeal_review call ehcpStageInfo()
  click mediation_review call ehcpStageInfo()
  click appeal_review_tribunal call ehcpStageInfo()
  click appeal call ehcpStageInfo()
  style refused_assessment stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style mediation_assessment stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style appeal_assessment stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style assessment_decision stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style refused_ehcp stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style mediation_ehcp stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style appeal_ehcp stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style appeal_content stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style mediation_content stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style appeal_content_tribunal stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style appeal_review stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style mediation_review stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style appeal_review_tribunal stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b
  style appeal stroke-dasharray: 4 4,stroke:#f59e0b