Special Educational Needs Solicitors - SEN Solicitors
Expert legal advice to ensure your child has the support they need for their education
Please note: We are only able to take on cases on a privately paying basis. If you are unable to privately fund your case or you are looking for general guidance on what actions you can take to protect you or your child’s education rights, you can refer to the Education section of the Citizens Advice website.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) is always an emotive area. If your child has Special Educational Needs, it is vital to make sure they have all of the care and support they need for their education and beyond.
There are processes in law that allow for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to be created to help identify a child’s needs and the provision necessary to meet those needs. Getting an EHCP in place is a vital first step to making sure your child gets the educational support they need.
Unfortunately, the process of securing an EHCP for your child is not always straightforward. This can also be true when it comes to ensuring your child is provided with the support required by an ECHP. In such cases, you and your child will likely benefit significantly from specialist legal advice.
At IBB Law, our specialist education law solicitors are highly experienced in helping parents and guardians in obtaining the EHCP, working with schools to achieve the right placement for the child and representing clients in the First Tier and Upper Tribunals when disputes arise with the Local Authority.
We offer a free initial phone consultation with our team to discuss your needs and see how we can help. We then charge for our services on a fixed fee basis, providing certainty over the costs involved.
Looking for quick answers about Special Educational Needs and EHCPs? Take a look at our FAQs.
If you want to know more about how we can help with Special Education Needs support, please contact our education law consultant Salima Mawji on 01895 207247 or email salima.mawji@ibblaw.co.uk.
Our expertise with special educational needs
Our SEN solicitors have experience supporting individuals and families throughout the appeals process and have a proven track record handling:
- Requests for EHCPs
- Providing expert guidance throughout the process.
- Ensuring correct and suitable provisions are stated in the EHCP for the child/young person in question by working closely with relevant experts such as psychologists or psychiatrists
- Assisting families throughout the tribunal process.
How our team can help with all special educational needs issues
We can also provide additional practical support through:
- Challenging local authorities regarding payment for specialist residential school care
- Providing instruction to independent and specialist barristers
- Instructing experts
- Document drafting
- Case Preparation
- Providing specialist advice regarding negotiations and settlement
Common questions about Special Educational Needs and EHCPs
How do you request an EHCP?
You need to request an EHC needs assessment from your local authority by filling out an EHC needs assessment form. There is a different form depending on whether you are a young person requesting an EHC needs assessment or a parent, guardian or carer making the request on behalf of a young person.
How long does it take to get an EHCP?
Once a request for an assessment for an EHCP is made, the Local Authority has 6 weeks to respond and make a decision about whether to conduct an assessment. This process will result in a decision about whether to conduct an assessment.
If the assessment is approved, the process will take up to a maximum of 20 weeks from the initial date of receipt of your request for the final EHCP to be issued.
What happens if your local authority won’t carry out an EHC needs assessment?
In some cases, a local authority may decide that a child doesn’t require an EHC needs assessment. If this happens, they will write to you to inform you of this decision.
You have the right to appeal this decision and should be notified by your local authority of the process for doing so when they write to you to inform you of their initial decision.
What can you do if your child is refused an Education Health and Care Plan?
If your local authority carries out an EHC needs assessment only to decide that an EHC Plan is not needed, they must explain their reasons for doing so and your options for getting further advice and support.
They must also notify you of the option to use independent disagreement resolution and mediation to find a positive way forward, as well as your right to appeal and how the appeals process works.
Can you get an EHCP changed?
An EHC Plan will be reviewed at least once per year, which is something the child’s education provider should arrange. If your child’s needs have changed, their EHC Plan will be updated to reflect this.
If you feel your child’s needs have changed since their plan was last reviewed, then you can ask for an early review.
Get clear legal advice and support for dealing with special educational needs
The information given here is intended for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.
If you want to know more about how our education law solicitors can help with your own legal queries surrounding academic failure, please contact our education law consultant Salima Mawji on 01895 207247 or email salima.mawji@ibblaw.co.uk.
