SENDIASS supported a parent whose child had started a nursery school placement.  The school was struggling to meet their needs and although it was agreed that due to the severity of the child’s needs, they would need a specialist placement as stated within the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the local authority identified a need for specialist but named a mainstream school in the final plan.

The young person’s mother contacted SENDIASS via the 24-hour answerphone service (helpline). The young person is 5 years old and has been diagnosed with developmental delay and differences across all areas of development, with significant speech and language delay, delay in social communication and interaction, sleep difficulties and a restricted diet due to sensory issues.  He is also on the social and communication pathway.

Due to sensory processing difficulties, the young person struggles in busy environments and finds it difficult to tolerate other children/adults.

Previously due to their complex needs the young person attended across two-day care settings using his 15 hours free childcare voucher.

The young person started school in September 2024, but unfortunately the young person did not settle and was extremely upset. Although the young person’s EHC Plan mentioned a specialist placement, a mainstream school was named in section I. Mum took him out of the mainstream education and wanted to wait for a specialist setting placement.

Mum contacted SENDIASS as she had not received her son’s EHC Plan following the school review meeting in October 2023. Contact details for the coordinator was shared with mum and advice given was to contact the EHCP team and request a copy of the EHC Plan.

Mum rang our service again and wanted to complain about not receiving a copy of the EHC plan and to discuss with the LA that the young person was in the wrong placement. SENDIASS provided mum with an LA escalation list and case workers contact details.

Mum rang our service back and explained how upset she was and how this is affecting her university course not having her child in fulltime education. SENDIASS opened a case to support the family.

With parental consent SENDIASS contacted the primary school SENCO, who confirmed that they were struggling to meet need and felt they could not provide section F of the EHC Plan and were currently working with the LA who had just had a meeting with school.

With parental consent SENDIASS contacted the LA to share concerns and worries

The LA met with the school and agreed extra funding, which would enable school to apply for a 1-1 worker (although despite advertising the post 4 times no one applied).

School requested an early review with SENDIASS support of the young person’s EHC Plan

• The aim of the meeting was for mum to share her concerns, experiences and feel listened too.

• The young person’s education, health or social care needs had changed and were no longer accurately described within the EHC plan; the education, health, or social care provision in the EHC plan is no longer meeting the child or young person’s needs.

• The early statutory review would also allow mum to appeal and to name a specialist placement and not state mainstream (mum was aware that the LA don’t always name parental choice).

• As the young person had not been attending school but was still on roll, it was agreed for him to start back at the school on reduced hours so school could assess, plan, do and review to provide more evidence that the placement was or wasn’t suitable/safe.

42 Duty to secure special educational provision and health care provision in accordance with EHC Plan

(1) This section applies where a local authority maintains an EHC plan for a child or young person.

(2) The local authority must secure the specified special educational provision for the child or young person.

• The local authority must make sure that all of the special educational provision specified in Section F of the EHC plan is delivered. This is a legal duty, in practice, school or college will be carrying out the majority of the provision, however the legal responsibility to make sure it is delivered sits with your LA.

The ‘best endeavours’ duty

• Section 66 of the Children and Families Act 2014 says:

“If a registered pupil or a student at a school or other institution has special educational needs, the appropriate authority must, in exercising its functions in relation to the school or other institution, use its best endeavours to secure that the special educational provision called for by the pupil’s or student’s special educational needs is made.”

Working together the LA, school, mum and SENDIASS has been a positive experience.

Calling an early review meeting with school has meant that the young person went back into education, school are aware of the young person’s individual needs, the new and updated EHC Plan has been shared so that the young person can have the appropriate support in place and his transition to a specialist placement can be planned. 

If this were not resolved, then the YP would be out of education. We know that the longer a young person is out of education the harder it is to get them back in and very often they will disengage.

If the case had gone via the appeal route, which is currently around 12 months, the young person would not have secured a specialist school place for September 2024.

School, mum, SENDIASS and the LA worked together to find a suitable placement that can meet the young person’s needs.

Sections B and F of the EHC Plan were updated to reflect current needs.

Since the review meeting the young person is now attending school every day (1 hour) his hours are being monitored and have increased slightly.



Staff at the primary school are working with the young person and are more familiar of his needs.

A specialist primary school has been named in section I of the EHCP and a place have been offered and accepted, the young person will start there after the summer holidays.

You may also wish to read our related factsheet number 44 Appeals “Challenge to Section I” and our related podcast “EHCPs” both can be found on our website.

The SENDIASS website for Parent/carers, YP’s and professionals and has lots of relevant information with links, podcasts, factsheets, training, and information.

There are various ways parent/carers can gain information and knowledge.

SENDIASS Information is shared verbally though volunteer parent groups,

• Manchester Parent Carer Forum,

• Manchester Parent Champions,

• SPACE group and the Local Offer and educational establishments.

SENDIASS also attend local drop-ins in North, Central and South Manchester to meet face to face with parents.

Listen to our SENDIASS Podcasts:

You may wish to read the following:

Complete our website contact form: