Calderdale is committed to promoting achievement and learning for all. We believe that every child and young person should be given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. As part of this commitment, we aim to ensure that pupils with special educational needs:
- have their needs identified as early as possible
- receive education appropriate to their needs
- experience a broad and balanced curriculum, including full access to the National Curriculum
- are educated, wherever possible, in their local mainstream school
- receive support to enable them to contribute to decisions made about their education.
There are many different ways that children and young people’s needs are assessed. A couple of these are the Early Intervention Single Assessment (or EISA) or the Education Health and Care needs assessment.
Early Intervention Single Assessment (EISA)
This is an assessment to identify the needs of children, young people and their families. It involves:
- listening to you and your child/children, to find out their needs;
- and what is working well for them and the family unit.
Once the needs have been identified a plan will be agreed with you and your child or children. It will be put in place to address and meet their needs and those of your family. For more about this, read: 
Early Intervention Single Assessment Leaflet [PDF 411KB].
Education Health and Care needs assessment
The Special Educational Needs (SEN) team manage the assessment process for EHC plans. These give more support in education for children and young people who have significant additional needs.
Budgets have been delegated to schools to provide support, up to the value of £6,000, for any child or young person with additional needs. It is not necessary to have an EHC plan to access this support.
The majority of requests for a EHC needs assessment come from schools or settings working cooperatively with parents. Working together with schools/settings and other professionals often leads to the best outcomes for the child. Parents/carers can also make a direct request to the SEN team. It is advisable to speak to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) or the SEN Team if you are considering this.
The SEN team must consider a request for a EHC needs assessment unless your child has already had an assessment in the last six months. Requests for EHC needs assessment are considered by a multi-disciplinary moderating panel. Please see:
Your views and those of the child or young person are central to this process and you will be supported to provide information as part of the assessment. Information will also be sought from a range of professionals, including teachers and educational psychologists, as well as professionals from health and social care and other agencies involved.
An EHC needs assessment will not always lead to an EHC plan. The information gathered may show ways in which the school, college or provider can meet the child/young person’s needs without a plan.
If it is decided to issue an EHC plan, the whole process must not take longer than 20 weeks. This is from the assessment request to issuing the final plan. For more details, please read: Timeline for the EHC assessment process [PDF 186KB].