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The Annual Review meeting

Before the meeting

  • The host (usually the SENCo in the setting) will contact relevant professionals to gather up-to-date reports and must contact the parent and child to invite them to contribute their views, wishes and feelings.
  • The host must send an invitation to attendees at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting date and circulate copies of the gathered reports and views.
  • The host should arrange a suitable meeting place, where confidential conversations can be held without disruption.
  • A commitment to timely responses is appreciated by settings as gathering a large group of people can be challenging and impact on contact time with children.
  • For children requiring specialist provision, annual reviews will need to be held early to meet transition panel timescales.

During the meeting

  • The aim of the process is to review the child’s progress towards achieving outcomes and must cover the following:
  • Are the outcomes and objectives still appropriate? Agree new outcomes or short-term objectives if required.
  • Is the educational provision (including any health and social care provision) and the arrangements for delivering still appropriate?
  • Have the aspirations of the child changed?
  • Is a Personal Budget required?

Following the meeting

  • The host must prepare a report including any recommendations for amendments to the EHC Plan, documenting differences of opinion (if necessary) rather than a general consensus. This must be circulated to those invited and the LA within 2 weeks of the meeting.
  • The LA will consider the review documentation and decide whether the EHC Plan should either remain unchanged; be amended or be ceased. The LA must inform the parent or young person of this decision within 4 weeks from the review date and should be no later than the anniversary of either when the EHC Plan was first issued or the previous Annual Review.