SENCO and EHCCo roles
Who to contact for advice and support
Role of the SENCO
What is a SENCO?
A Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO for short) is a teacher, within your mainstream primary or secondary school, that aims to help you and others understand what your child needs to make their learning easier. A SENCO helps to spot these needs and can put in place, or make referrals for, relevant support to help your child succeed.
A SENCO should always base their decisions and actions on the SEND Code of Practice.
If there are any concerns about a child or young person’s (CYP) learning, the SENCO is your first point of contact for advice and support.
How should a SENCO support you and your child?
The SENCO is the first point of contact for parents and carers. SENCOs will provide you and your child with the information, advice and support you need to take part in the SEN decision-making process.
SENCos will liaise with external agencies including:
- the Integrated SEND Service (EHC Coordinators, Specialist Teachers, and Educational Psychologists)
- health and social services
- voluntary bodies
- help with the development of the school’s SEN Policy and SEN Information Report, and oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy
- work with the headteacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) for reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
- be a key point of contact with external agencies, the local authority, and its support services
- liaise and plan with potential next providers of education to ensure the pupil and their parents are informed about options and smooth the transition for all CYP
- ensure that the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEN up to date
- consider the school’s strategic approach to meeting SEN in the context of the total resources available. This includes any resources targeted at particular groups, such as the pupil premium and SEND
- help with a concern about a child or young person’s (CYP) learning. The SENCO is your first point of contact.
- follow the Graduated Approach focusing on the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle for all children with SEN.
- identify patterns in the identification of SEN, in the school and in comparison with national data. Use this information to reflect on and reinforce the quality of teaching.
- meet with parents and carers three times per year in line with best practice.
- signpost families to resources and support (Local Offer plus)
- apply for temporary funding (if appropriate)
- coordinate with the school and decide how tasks will be undertaken, and who will undertake them
- where the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is not the SENCO, work with the Designated Teachers to ensure that the needs of a child known to social care, Children Looked After (CLA), Child Protection (CP) and Children in Need (CIN) and have SEN are understood by school staff
work with families to submit requests for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA) if appropriate
- review the provision through the Annual Review process (including requesting assessment and reports from relevant professionals in advance of the meeting). Ensure these are planned and organised for the year and in advance
- organise and send invitations to attend the Annual Review meeting to the family and professionals, request for reports to professionals, and chair the annual review meeting
- to ensure that a written record of the annual review meeting and that any changes required to the EHCP are submitted to the Local Authority. Any changes requested should highlight any significant changes and requests
- if further referrals need to be made to external agencies (social care, therapies, CAMHS), the SENCO should make these prior to the review meeting (at least 8 weeks in advance of the meeting)
- hold interim reviews of EHCPs should there be a significant change in the need or provision required
Role of the EHCCO
What is an EHC Coordinator?
The Education, health and care (EHC) coordinator (EHCCO) provides comprehensive casework management with EHC plans.
They manage and review the Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans, and ensure the efficient and timely assessment of children and young people aged 0 to 25.
They sit within the Integrated SEN Service which works on behalf of children and young people with severe and complex special educational needs and their parents.
What is the role of an EHCCO?
EHCCOs support schools, nurseries, and colleges with statutory work for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
- hold regular discussions with SENCOs. Timetabling the discussions in line with the numbers of students with EHCPs; this is where the EHCCO can advise the SENCO
- contribute to and oversee complex casework for children with multiple needs across education, health and care including prioritising attendance at meetings in relation to these cases
- be responsible for a range of caseloads (approximately 150 to 400) in line with type of setting being supported
- create resource comparisons, ensuring accurate and consistent presentation to agencies
- make transport eligibility decisions and refer information to SEN Transport team
- attend, coordinate and negotiate outcomes through formal mediation meetings and tribunal appeals
- give advice to parents, carers and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) undergoing EHC needs assessments as needed
- coordinate the EHC Needs Assessment process within statutory timeframes, including ensuring requests are presented to Local Area Surgeries accurately within 6 weeks of receipt
- if an EHC Needs Assessment progresses to an EHC Plan, ensure that they co-produce the EHC Plans with families, settings and others within the statutory 20-week process
draft and maintain all sections of the EHC Plan, and ensure advice received from professionals and practitioners is of high quality and on time
- oversee the annual reviews of EHC Plans and ensure they take place within 12 months
- provide a list of upcoming annual reviews to the SENCO before the start of each term
- signpost SENCos to guidance as required (EHCCOs do not attend annual reviews)
- ensure decisions to amend, not amend, or cease are sent within four weeks of the annual review meeting
- issue a final amended EHC Plan within 12 weeks of the review meeting
- if a parent requests a change of setting for the CYP, the EHCCO will co-ordinate the process to ensure cases are heard at SEND placement panel
- consult with potential educational placements (0 to 25) and prepare information for headteacher meetings to confirm spaces in schools
- prepare SEND Placement Panel submissions, co-produced with families and settings where possible, to ensure all views are included and communicate placement decisions in line with the Buckinghamshire Communication Protocol
- allocate children to specific schools in line with SEN legislation. Where space in a preferred school is not available, further options will be explored that may involve further discussions
- ensure that all final EHCPs are issued, amended and name the next setting by 15 February (school-age) or 31 March (post-16), in accordance with statutory requirements for phase transfers