Last Wednesday we had the EHCP annual review. For those of you that don’t know the annual review takes place every 12 months unless there is cause to bring it forward to an emergency annual review. Since Charlie’s EHCP was finalised in July 2017 we have had two emergency annual reviews both of which was for the purpose of the placement ending.

On an annual review the LA can keep, change or cease an EHCP so pretty important stuff really. And it is there to enable the child to get the full potential out of the placement. This review though was the confirmation review. This is what happens 12 weeks after an independent specialist placement has began and Charlie should of had this review in December. However, he was not attending AT ALL in December (for those of you that have been following us for a while). So it was moved to February, but… Charlie had just moved class and had just done his first full time week. I didn’t want to pre empty the review by having it with not enough evidence. And he hadn’t been at school consistently enough to know how he would manage after a school holiday. So it was moved to 12th May instead. Overdue, but, it would mean we would have the right level of engagement and evidence to prove the school was working.

A confirmation review and paperwork like Charlie’s 12 weeks on, gives the LA the opportunity to see if the school is working and if their money is being “well spent”. If we had of had it in December, there would of been the possibility that the LA could terminate the funding as placement wasn’t working. And I’m sure there probably will of been instances that families will have had that experience. But, this is me! And I advocate hard. And I absolutely would not have let that happen. We would of gone back to court without a doubt.

This is not the end, we haven’t just had the review and case closed Charlie gets another 12 months of funded placement. There are changes to be made, recommendations by the OT. More OT provision to be introduced, and some assessments that the school will do to help with his writing and learning.

These changes have got to be done in 10 days. (I’m unsure if it’s 10 working days or just 10 days). Then it is sent to me to agree, then the LA to agree then a new version of the EHCP is produced. This will then be version 8. And then that is it for another 12 months unless something drastic happens!!! But let’s not think negatively.

Will definitely update you all when the new EHCP is finalised, yet again.

Georgina x