- 01306 879 975
- enquiries@psychologydirect.co.uk
Expert EHCP assessments meeting statutory timelines. Clear reports, fast turnaround, SEND Code of Practice compliance. For Multi-Academy Trusts, Cluster School and LAs nationwide.
An EHCP is a statutory document describing a child’s special educational needs and required support.
To create an EHCP, the local authority gathers evidence from multiple professionals, including an Educational Psychologist.
An EHCP assessment report gives the LA and schools the foundation to design effective support and allocate resources.
An EP’s primary goal is to gain a holistic understanding of the young person’s strengths and needs through careful consultation and review.
The EP will meet with the child’s teacher and the SENCO to discuss their concerns, review the support that has already been tried, and review relevant school reports and, where relevant, schoolwork.
Parents and/or carers are the experts on their child. The EP will want to hear their unique perspective on their child’s developmental history, their strengths, their interests, what they find difficult, and what life is like for them at home.
The EP will always seek to understand the child’s own perspective on school, their friendships, and what they feel they are good at or need help with.
This approach is carefully tailored to the child’s age, communication style, and needs. If a direct assessment is not possible, the EP will use other tools and consultations (e.g., discussions with key adults) to gain this crucial information, ensuring the child’s voice is always represented.
The EP analyses everything gathered to build a full picture of the child’s strengths and needs, then writes a clear, jargon-free report with practical recommendations for school and parents to act on.
A feedback meeting follows, where the EP discusses the findings with parents and staff and agrees the next steps together, giving everyone a shared, evidence-based roadmap to support the child.
An EHCP assessment is a specialist psychological evaluations to determine if a child needs an Education, Health and Care Plan. It is designed to build a holistic picture of a child’s unique strengths, their challenges, and the specific support they need to thrive.
The assessment itself typically takes 2 to 4 hours, spread across one or more visits. Analysis and report writing usually takes around 2 weeks. The wider statutory process, from the initial request to the final EHC plan being issued, has a legal maximum of 20 weeks: 6 weeks for the local authority to decide whether to assess, a further decision by week 16 on whether to issue a plan, and the final plan issued by week 20.
We understand the pressure of the 20-week statutory process and plan assessments to fit comfortably within it. Report turnaround from assessment to delivery is typically 2 weeks, which gives schools and LAs plenty of room within the wider timeline. For urgent cases, faster turnaround is available.
Costs vary depending on complexity and location. We always provide a fixed quotation upfront. For local authorities, we offer volume discounts. Contact us for a quote specific to your case.
A comprehensive report covering cognitive assessment, attainment testing, observations of learning and behaviour, a summary of needs, and clear, practical recommendations for support. Reports are evidence-based and written to meet SEND Code of Practice standards.
Yes. All our EPs are HCPC-registered and experienced in LA EHCP assessments. We work to your LA's template or our own format, and can provide evidence of our vetting and quality assurance.
If there's a recent assessment from a qualified professional, it may be sufficient. An updated, EHCP-focused assessment is often still needed to address the specific statutory questions. Get in touch and we'll advise whether reassessment is necessary.
Yes. Our EPs are experienced in assessing dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autism, attachment needs and other specific learning needs, as part of establishing the full picture for an EHCP.
EHCP assessments are one part of what we do. We also offer early intervention, staff training and wider consultation, support designed to help schools and settings sooner, so fewer children need to reach the point of a statutory assessment at all. If you're not sure whether an EHCP assessment is the right next step, talk to us and we'll help you work out what would actually help.
We work with schools and local authorities, not directly with families. If you're a parent or carer and think your child may need an EHCP assessment, the right first step is a conversation with your child's school SENCO or your local authority's SEND team.
This is rare, quality EHCP assessment reports are evidence-based and hold up well. If a panel does have questions, the EP can clarify, and we're available to support panel meetings if that would help.
Yes. After the plan is issued, the EP can provide ongoing consultation, review progress, or advise the school as the child's needs change. Support doesn't have to end once the plan is in place.
Whether you’re a school needing an urgent assessment or an LA clearing a backlog, we’ll match you with an experienced EP and deliver a statutory-compliant report on time.