Annual Review of an Education Health and Care Plan

This guidance supports parents, carers, educational settings, and professionals in understanding and navigating the annual review process for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). It clarifies how to plan and prepare for the annual review meeting, what occurs during the meeting, the interim stages, and the next steps leading to the local authority's decision.

An annual review is the statutory process of looking at the needs, provision and outcomes specified in an EHCP and deciding whether these need to change, ensuring the EHCP remains appropriate and effective in meeting the child or young person's evolving needs and aspirations.
Under Section 44 of the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities are legally required to review EHCPs at least once every 12 months from the date of the first final EHCP and within six months if the child is under five. There may be exceptions to this, which are covered further into this guidance document.

This guidance should be read alongside the Council's Annual Review of EHCP Process dated October 2025.

Why guidance is needed?

The annual review process sits within a complex system involving schools, families, health and social care professionals, and is governed by strict statutory requirements. Legally, the local authority (LA) is responsible for the annual review and must ensure the entire review process (not just the meeting) is completed within the required timescales. Under Section 44 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Regulations 2014, the LA must review every Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) at least annually, and for children under five, every three to six months.

The SEND Code of Practice sets out clear legal expectations for the LA and those contributing to the process. Before the annual review meeting, information and advice must be sought from families and relevant professionals and circulated at least two weeks before the meeting. After the meeting, the LA must consider the report and notify the family of its decision within four weeks, whether the plan will remain unchanged, be amended, or be ceased. Where amendments are required, a draft amended plan must be issued within four weeks, and the final amended plan completed within 12 weeks of the review meeting, as clarified by case law.

Without clear guidance, this legally structured, multi‑step process can quickly become confusing, leading to delays or missed statutory duties. This document aims to bring clarity and consistency, ensuring that everyone involved understands what is expected of them and when, and how their responsibilities fit within the legal framework.

When schools, families, and agencies work to a shared framework, the process becomes more transparent and collaborative, with the child or young person's outcomes at the heart of every decision. This guidance also makes an important distinction between the annual review meeting (usually delegated to the school or educational setting) and the LA's statutory decision‑making responsibilities, helping participants understand their roles and the steps that follow.

By setting out these principles clearly, we hope to reduce uncertainty, ensure legal compliance across the system, and keep the focus where it belongs, on supporting the child or young person effectively.