How Will SEND Reforms Affect EHCPs?

Quick Summary

Proposed SEND reforms may change how support is planned, recorded and reviewed in future.
At the time of writing, EHCPs remain part of the current SEND system.
Parents should not assume that EHCPs have been replaced by Individual Support Plans or National Inclusion Standards.
Some children and young people may still need an EHCP where their needs require more support than SEN Support can provide.
If your child needs help now, use the current SEN Support, EHCP request, annual review and appeal routes where appropriate.

SEND reforms may affect how EHCPs work in future, but they have not removed the current EHCP system.

At the time of writing, Education, Health and Care Plans are still the statutory route for children and young people who need more support than is normally available through SEN Support.

This guide explains what may change, what has not changed yet, and what parents should do if their child already has an EHCP or may need one.

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Are EHCPs changing now?

EHCPs are being discussed as part of wider SEND reform, but parents should be careful not to treat proposals as if they are already fully implemented.

At the time of writing, the current system still includes:

SEN Support in schools and education settings
Education, Health and Care needs assessments
Education, Health and Care Plans
annual reviews for children and young people with EHCPs
appeal rights where parents or young people disagree with certain local authority decisions

You can read more about current rights and proposed reform here: Current SEND Law vs Proposed Reform.

Key point

Parents should not stop using current EHCP routes because of proposed reforms. If your child needs statutory support now, the current EHCP process still matters.

What is an EHCP under the current system?

An Education, Health and Care Plan is a legal document for a child or young person with special educational needs who needs more support than is usually available through SEN Support alone.

An EHCP should identify a child or young person’s special educational needs, set out the provision required to meet those needs, and name the education setting or type of setting where support will be delivered.

EHCPs can include educational, health and social care needs where these are relevant to the child or young person’s special educational provision and wider support.

You can read more here: EHCP Process Explained Simply.

What are SEND reforms proposing?

The proposed SEND reforms are intended to make support earlier, clearer and more consistent across education settings and local areas.

The reforms include several connected ideas, including:

Individual Support Plans for children and young people with SEND
National Inclusion Standards for mainstream education
Specialist Provision Packages for children and young people with more complex needs
changes to how EHCPs may operate in future
stronger expectations around early support and mainstream inclusion

These proposals are significant, but parents should continue to separate what is proposed from what currently applies.

Will EHCPs be replaced by Individual Support Plans?

Parents should not assume that Individual Support Plans will simply replace EHCPs.

Individual Support Plans are proposed as a way of recording a child or young person’s needs, the day-to-day support they should receive, and how that support will be delivered.

EHCPs are different because they are currently statutory plans for children and young people who need more support than is normally available through SEN Support.

Plan or support route	What it means for parents
SEN Support	The current school-based support route for many children with SEND.
Individual Support Plan	A proposed record of needs, support and how that support will be delivered.
EHCP	A current statutory plan for children and young people who need more support than SEN Support alone.
Specialist Provision Package	A proposed reform area linked to support for children and young people with more complex needs.

You can read more here: Individual Support Plans Explained.

Will existing EHCPs disappear?

Parents should not assume that existing EHCPs will disappear because reforms are being discussed.

If your child already has an EHCP, that plan remains important. Parents should continue to:

check whether the provision in the EHCP is being delivered
prepare for annual reviews
raise concerns if support is not being provided
request amendments where needs or provision have changed
seek advice if the local authority proposes to cease the plan

You can read more here: EHCP Annual Review Explained.

Will children still be able to get an EHCP?

At the time of writing, children and young people may still need an EHCP if their needs require more support than is available through SEN Support.

Parents should not wait for reform implementation if their child is struggling now and current support is not enough.

If school-based support is not meeting your child’s needs, you may need to ask:

what support is currently being provided
whether the support has been reviewed
what evidence shows that support is or is not working
whether outside professional advice is needed
whether an EHC needs assessment should be considered

You can read more here: What Schools Must Do Before an EHCP Request.

How could EHCP requests change in future?

Future reforms may place more emphasis on earlier support, clearer school-based planning and national expectations before a child reaches the point of needing an EHCP.

This may mean parents see more focus on:

what support has already been tried
whether a child has an Individual Support Plan
whether the school has followed National Inclusion Standards
whether needs can be met through mainstream support
whether the child needs a more specialist package of support

However, this should not be read as meaning that EHCP requests are no longer relevant. If a child’s needs require statutory assessment and provision, parents should still consider the current EHCP route.

How could annual reviews be affected?

Annual reviews may become more closely linked to wider support planning if Individual Support Plans and new reform structures are introduced.

For now, parents should continue to prepare for annual reviews using the current EHCP framework.

This means checking:

whether the child’s needs have changed
whether Section B still describes the child accurately
whether Section F clearly sets out the provision required
whether the named placement remains suitable
whether outcomes need updating
whether support is actually being delivered

You can read more here: EHCP Annual Review Explained.

How do National Inclusion Standards affect EHCPs?

National Inclusion Standards are proposed standards for what inclusive support should usually look like in mainstream education.

If introduced, they may help clarify what schools should normally provide before an EHCP is requested, and what families should be able to expect from mainstream settings.

They may also help parents and professionals identify when a child needs support beyond what is ordinarily available.

You can read more here: National Inclusion Standards Explained.

What might change for children with complex needs?

Some reform proposals focus on clearer support for children and young people with more complex needs.

This includes discussion of Specialist Provision Packages and reformed EHCP processes. These proposals may affect how support is defined, funded, reviewed or linked to specialist provision in future.

Parents should treat this area carefully. The detail of how Specialist Provision Packages will work, who will receive them, and how they will interact with EHCPs will depend on how reforms are finalised and implemented.

Key point

For children with complex needs, parents should continue to focus on clear evidence of needs, provision and outcomes. Reform language should not replace the need for precise support planning.

What has not changed yet?

For parents, this is the most important practical point.

At the time of writing, proposed SEND reform has not removed the need to use current processes where a child needs support now.

This means parents should still:

ask schools what SEN Support is in place
request reviews where support is not working
keep evidence of needs, provision and progress
consider an EHC needs assessment request where appropriate
prepare properly for EHCP annual reviews
seek advice if provision is not being delivered
use appeal routes where they apply

You can read more here: SEND Rights and Appeals Explained.

What should parents do now?

If your child has SEND and is not getting enough support, the safest approach is to use the current system while keeping an eye on reform developments.

Useful steps include:

ask the school to explain what support is currently in place
request a written record of agreed support
keep notes from meetings
collect examples showing what is or is not working
ask when the support will be reviewed
raise concerns if provision is not being delivered
consider specialist advice if the situation is complex

If your child already has an EHCP, continue to focus on whether the plan accurately describes their needs and whether the provision is being delivered.

Decision point for parents

If your child is struggling now, do not wait for reform details before acting. Ask what support is in place, request a review, and consider EHCP advice if school-based support is not enough.

What should parents watch for next?

Parents may want to watch for updates on:

when Individual Support Plans will be introduced
how National Inclusion Standards will be defined
how Specialist Provision Packages will work
whether EHCP processes are amended
whether statutory guidance changes
how local authorities and schools explain implementation

FSUK will continue to separate current SEND law from proposed reform so families can understand what applies now and what may change later.

You can follow updates here: SEND Reform Tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are EHCPs being replaced by SEND reforms?

At the time of writing, EHCPs have not been replaced. EHCPs remain part of the current SEND system for children and young people who need more support than SEN Support can provide.

Will my child lose their EHCP because of SEND reform?

Parents should not assume that an existing EHCP will disappear because reforms are being discussed. If your child already has an EHCP, continue to prepare for annual reviews and raise concerns if provision is not being delivered.

Will children still be able to request an EHCP?

At the time of writing, parents and young people should still use current EHCP routes where school-based support is not enough. Future reforms may affect how the system works, but current routes still matter now.

How do Individual Support Plans affect EHCPs?

Individual Support Plans are proposed records of a child or young person’s needs and support. They should not be treated as the same thing as an EHCP, which is currently a statutory plan for children and young people with more complex needs.

What should parents do while SEND reforms are still being developed?

Could SEND reforms make it harder to get an EHCP?

The detail will depend on how reforms are finalised and implemented. Parents should focus on clear evidence of needs, support already tried, impact on learning or wellbeing, and why additional statutory support may be needed.

Current SEND Law vs Proposed Reform – explains what is already part of the SEND system and what remains proposed, planned or not yet confirmed.
Individual Support Plans Explained – explains what Individual Support Plans may mean, how they differ from EHCPs and what parents should watch for as reforms develop.
National Inclusion Standards Explained – explains the proposed national expectations for mainstream inclusion and how they may affect SEND support in schools.
EHCP Process Explained Simply – explains the current EHCP process from request to assessment, draft plan and final plan.
EHCP Annual Review Explained – explains how EHCP reviews work and when a plan may be maintained, amended or ceased.
SEND Rights and Appeals Explained – covers common SEND disagreements, local authority decisions, mediation and SEND Tribunal routes.
What Schools Must Do Before an EHCP Request – explains SEN Support, school evidence and what should usually happen before an EHCP needs assessment request.
SEND Reform Tracker – follows key SEND reform developments, proposals, government updates and implementation signals.

Useful external sources

Find Support UK provides general information to help families understand support options. This guide does not provide legal advice, medical advice, diagnosis or formal SEND advice.