Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) can be game-changing for looked-after children (LAC). They formalise the special educational provision a child is legally entitled to, coordinate health and social care where it’s reasonably required for education, and anchor everyone—carers, school, social worker, health professionals and the Virtual School—around the same outcomes. This guide explains how to request an EHCP, what to expect at annual reviews (including phase transfers), and how to set sharp, meaningful targets that translate into better progress.
1) Requests: who can ask, what to include, how long it should take
Who can make a request?
An EHCP starts with an EHC needs assessment. In England, a parent, a young person over 16, or a school/college can request one from the local authority (LA). For looked-after children, the social worker and Virtual School Head (VSH) should be closely involved from the outset, and the school’s Designated Teacher for LAC should coordinate evidence. The statutory framework for EHCPs sits in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice (0–25).
What evidence helps?
Send a short cover note plus 3–6 pieces of evidence that show needs and the education of the child or young person (EHC) outcomes that ordinary SEN support has not met. Typical items include: recent SEN Support plan or provision map, standardised scores, teacher/EP/SLT reports, attendance/behaviour data, Pupil Premium Plus spending impact, and—crucially for LAC—the most recent PEP with progress commentary and specific barriers identified. The PEP is a statutory, live record of what needs to happen for a looked-after child and forms the education part of the care plan; use it to show what has (and hasn’t) worked.
Timelines you can hold the LA to
From the day the LA receives a request, the full process (assessment decision, drafting and issuing the plan) should take no more than 20 weeks, unless one of a small number of lawful exemptions applies. Only limited circumstances (e.g., late advice for reasons outside the LA’s control) can extend the timeframe.
In practice, national data show many plans exceed the 20-week limit. That makes tracking dates essential—especially for LAC who may relocate with care placements. The DfE’s 2025 statistics show 46.4% of new plans were issued within 20 weeks, down on the previous year, so be prepared to chase politely and escalate where needed.
Roles of the Virtual School and Designated Teacher
Local authorities must appoint a Virtual School Head to promote the education of looked-after children. In school, the Designated Teacher leads staff to meet LAC needs and liaises with the VSH. Their leadership is key to a strong EHCP request and a high-quality PEP.
2) Reviews: keeping an EHCP current—and aligned with the PEP
Annual review basics
Every EHCP must be reviewed at least annually (every 6 months if the child is 0–5). The review checks whether needs and provision remain right, and whether outcomes and targets are being met; it can amend, maintain or cease the plan. Start planning early if a child will move school or if needs have changed significantly—looked-after children often experience placement or school moves where timely reviews prevent gaps in provision.
Phase transfer deadlines you must not miss
When a child changes phase (e.g., primary→secondary or secondary→post-16), the LA must review the EHCP in time to name the next setting and ensure provision is ready. Deadlines are:
- 15 February for most phase moves;
- 31 March for transfer to post-16.
These are hard deadlines; start the review in the autumn term to avoid a scramble.
Aligning the EHCP with the PEP
For looked-after children, the PEP and EHCP should talk to each other. The PEP runs termly and sets education priorities funded partly by Pupil Premium Plus; the EHCP locks in the statutory special educational provision under Section F. Use the PEP to track short-term delivery (e.g., weekly SALT or literacy programmes) against the EHCP’s longer-term outcomes. If data show insufficient progress, the annual review is where you strengthen Section F and tighten accountability.
Who should be in the room?
For LAC, best practice is to have SENCO, Designated Teacher, social worker, supervising social worker/IFA link (if relevant), carers, the VSH/representative, and any key professionals (EP, SALT, CAMHS). That ensures the review captures what’s happening at home, in school, and across health/social care in one place, as envisaged by the SEND Code of Practice’s multi-agency approach.
3) Targets: turning the plan into progress
A common reason EHCPs underperform is that targets are vague (“improve spelling”, “better engagement”). For looked-after children—who may face disrupted schooling or trauma-related barriers—targets must be specific, data-led and trauma-informed.
What good looks like (structure)
- Outcomes (Section E): broad, longer-term achievements linked to independence, communication, literacy, numeracy, attendance, regulation and preparation for adulthood.
- Provision (Section F): the exact support, frequency, staff role, programme and setting (“who, what, where, when, how often”) that will deliver each outcome.
- SMART targets (termly/annual): measurable steps that you can test within the PEP cycle and the EHCP review.
The Code expects clear lines from need → provision → outcome, and that advice from professionals is specific and quantified, not “as required” or “access to”.
Example targets (primary)
- Reading decoding/fluency: “With daily 25-minute 1:1 Read Write Inc. Fresh Start delivered by trained TA, the pupil will increase YARC passage reading accuracy from SS 78 to SS 90+ by 31 July; progress recorded half-termly.”
- Speech, language and communication: “With weekly 45-minute SALT plus daily 15-minute TA-led practice, the pupil will use 3-step instructions in class at 80%+ success over three consecutive weeks.”
- Emotional regulation (trauma-informed): “Using zones of regulation with a 10-minute check-in/checkout and access to a quiet safe space (max 15 minutes, twice daily), unstructured time incidents will reduce from 6/week to ≤2/week within 12 weeks; monitored via behaviour logs.”
Example targets (secondary/post-16)
- Attendance & stability: “With transport support and key-adult mentoring twice weekly, attendance will rise from 84% to ≥92% over two terms; explore return-from-absence script and predictable routines.”
- Functional literacy for vocational route: “With 2×45-minute weekly specialist literacy sessions and Edexcel Functional Skills entry pathway, achieve FS English L1 by July; evidence via mocks and portfolio.”
- Preparation for adulthood: “Student will complete independent travel training to named college route within 10 weeks (3 coached journeys + 2 assessed journeys), then maintain 100% on-time arrival for 6 weeks.”
Make it measurable—and visible
- Put every target into the PEP so carers and staff can track weekly.
- Use one page in the PEP dashboard to log provision actually delivered (e.g., minutes of SALT, sessions attended) so you can evidence impact at review.
- If provision in Section F is not delivered, record this precisely; it strengthens your case to amend the plan or, if needed, to escalate.
Practical tips for looked-after children
- Start early for phase transfers. Begin the review in the autumn term and gather reports by December so the LA can name the next setting before the statutory 15 February/31 March deadlines.
- Use the PEP termly to iterate. If targets are off-track, don’t wait for the annual review—call an early review or request an amendment, especially after changes in placement or health.
- Keep a timeline tracker. List every statutory date from request → draft → final plan; note 20-week deadline and any exemption the LA claims. If timescales slip without a valid exemption, escalate to the SEND casework team and—if necessary—seek independent advice.
- Leverage the Virtual School. Ask the VSH (or their officer) to quality-assure the PEP and help secure specialist assessments where needed; the Designated Teacher should ensure whole-school staff know the plan.
- Evidence progress—and gaps. Use standardised tools (e.g., YARC, NGRT, BPVS, Boxall) consistently; attach graphs to the PEP so annual reviews discuss data, not guesswork.
Common pinch points—and how to respond
- Delay beyond 20 weeks: Ask which exemption applies; if none, request a completion date in writing and copy the SEND manager/VSH. DfE stats confirm delays are widespread, so polite persistence matters.
- Vague Section F wording: Request amendments that specify frequency, duration, staffing and programme; reference the Code’s expectation that advice be specific and quantified.
- Phase transfer drift: If a school/college isn’t named by the deadline, escalate promptly—late naming risks no place in September.
- PEP/EHCP misalignment: If PEP spending doesn’t reflect EHCP priorities, re-set the plan at the next PEP with the Designated Teacher and VSH so funding supports the Section F provision.
Bottom line
For looked-after children, an EHCP works best when requests are evidence-rich, reviews are on time, and targets are SMART, trauma-informed and tied to the PEP. Know your 20-week clock for new plans, meet the 15 February/31 March phase-transfer deadlines, and use the Virtual School + Designated Teacher partnership to keep provision specific, delivered and impactful. That’s how the plan becomes progress—consistently and sustainably.