Highlighting EHCP barriers
Thank you to SOS!SEN and legal expert Eleanor Wright for delivering a valuable webinar on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for children and young people with PANS and PANDAS.
The session focused on a key issue: the difficulty families face in securing EHCPs that reflect the complex and changing needs of children and young people with PANS or PANDAS.
One of the core challenges lies in the dynamic and often invisible nature of the conditions, which can result in sudden and severe needs.
An Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document created following an EHC needs assessment. It identifies the support needs of a child or young person.
More about EHC assessmentsThese shifts and flares require urgent and responsive support, something that current EHCP frameworks, which are frequently delayed or unmet, struggle to recognise or provide
Compounding the issue is the lack of awareness of PANS and PANDAS among professionals. Although EHCPs are based on a child’s needs rather than a diagnosis, the link between health and education is critical.
“My daughter is extremely bright and capable.
[Since her onset], if I give her a pen, some paper or a book, she’ll rip the whole thing up, snap the pen… She can’t cope with any demand.Our needs application was declined, straight away. ”
– Parent of a child with PANDAS
“Without addressing health needs that impact on education, children or young people with PANS or PANDAS cannot fulfil their potential. We hope this webinar will enable many more families to access the support they deserve.”
– Tina Coope, Education Lead, PANS PANDAS UK
Watch the webinar
In addition to providing informative background knowledge about EHCPs and what they should comprise, Eleanor takes audience questions from families affected by the conditions.
Question topics include:
- Appealing decisions
- Amending an EHCP
- Accessing private healthcare
- The tribunal process
- PANS PANDAS UK and
EHC needs assessments
