Request an EHC needs assessment — prepare your letter | EHCP Clarity
Prepared EHCP pack

Prepare your EHC needs assessment request — get it ready with support

You have the right to request an assessment under section 36 — no school permission or diagnosis required. EHCP Clarity helps you prepare your request letter, request letter. The local authority must decide within 6 weeks. We prepare the pack. You review it. You send it.

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Get my request pack prepared — £249See a real example pack

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What is your EHCP situation?

Tell us where you are. We match the document you need to send, then an assigned case professional prepares it. You review it. You send it.

What we prepare for this

Request letter · £249

The letter you send to the council to ask for an EHC needs assessment.

  • The document you send
  • How to send it, and what to attach
  • One revision round of factual corrections

One case professional prepares and checks it. You review it. You send it.

Typically 5 working days after we have what we need.

Other documents: request letter £249 · appeal grounds £349 · challenge to the plan £449

Sample of a request letter · mock names
The most recent school assessment data from March 2025 shows that [CHILD] is working at a level approximately three years below his chronological age in reading and writing, and at least two years below in spoken language and verbal comprehension.

Read the full examples · What each price includes

Case preparation support only · Not legal advice or tribunal representation

Quick answer

Any parent or carer can request an EHC needs assessment by writing to the local authority's SEND team under section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014. The local authority must decide within 6 weeks whether to assess. If they refuse, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal within 2 months. No diagnosis is required. School support does not block your right to request.

Your statutory right to request

Section 36(1) of the Children and Families Act 2014 gives a child's parent, a young person, or a person acting on behalf of a school or post-16 institution the right to request that the local authority secures an EHC needs assessment. The local authority must notify you of its decision whether or not to assess within 6 weeks under regulation 5 of the SEN and Disability Regulations 2014.

The legal threshold for agreeing to assess is low. Under section 36(8), the local authority must secure an assessment if it is of the opinion that (a) the child or young person has or may have special educational needs, and (b) it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHC plan. That is not a requirement for certainty that an EHCP will be issued. Many parents succeed at this first hurdle when they present well-evidenced requests.

Who can request an assessment?

  • The child's parent (including those with parental responsibility)
  • The young person (typically aged 16 to 25, in their own name)
  • A person acting on behalf of a school or post-16 institution

Parent requests are directly governed by section 36 CFA 2014 and must be decided within 6 weeks. School requests work under the same framework. You do not need the school's agreement to make your own request.

What to include in your request

Your request does not need to use legal language, but it should be detailed enough to give the local authority a clear picture of why assessment may be necessary. A strong request typically covers:

  • Your child's needs: Describe all areas of difficulty — learning, communication, social, emotional, sensory, physical. Use specific examples from daily life and school.
  • Support already tried: Explain what SEN support has been in place (at school and elsewhere) and why it has not been sufficient. Describe outcomes — has your child progressed? What gaps remain?
  • Professional involvement: List any professionals who have assessed or are currently working with your child. Attach copies of reports if you have them.
  • Impact on your child: Explain how unmet needs affect your child's education, development, wellbeing, and daily life. Be specific — the Tribunal and local authority want to understand your child's lived experience.
  • Why assessment may be necessary: Explain, in plain language, why you believe SEN support alone is not sufficient and why a statutory plan may be needed.

Statutory timescales

6 weeks

local authority decision

From receiving your request to notifying you whether they will assess

12 weeks

Assessment complete

From agreeing to assess to completing the EHC needs assessment

20 weeks

Final EHCP (if issued)

From your request to the final EHCP being issued (if the local authority decides one is needed)

What strong cases do next

  1. 1

    Write your request letter

    Draft a clear letter addressed to your local authority's SEND team. State that you are requesting an EHC needs assessment under section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Describe your child's needs, the support already tried, and why you believe assessment may be necessary. Attach any professional reports you have.

  2. 2

    Send the letter to the right address

    Send your letter (and copies of reports) to the local authority's SEND or EHC team. Most local authorities accept email — check their SEND Local Offer website for the correct contact. Send by email AND post if you are unsure. Note the date you sent it — the 6-week clock starts when the local authority receives it.

  3. 3

    Record everything

    Keep a copy of your letter, the date you sent it, and any read receipts or delivery confirmations. If you send by post, consider recorded delivery. If by email, request a read receipt or keep the sent email.

2 further steps when you submit or appeal — Requesting, appealing, and negotiating Section F are where most parents need help — that is what we prepare for you.

This guide shows what strong cases look like. We prepare the request letter, appeal grounds, or plan letter for your route.

Match my situation →Get yours prepared — From £249

Documents and evidence to gather

  • Educational psychologist report (if you have one)
  • Speech and language therapy assessment
  • Occupational therapy report
  • Medical letters or reports (paediatrician, CAMHS, etc.)
  • School SEN support plan, IEP, or SEMH support records
  • School reports and progress data
  • Any previous assessment or advice from other professionals
  • Your own written account of your child's needs and daily difficulties
  • Copies of correspondence with school SENDCO and the local authority

Before you send your request

  • Your letter clearly states this is a request under section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014
  • You have described all areas of your child's SEN, not just the most obvious ones
  • You have explained what support has been tried and why it has not worked
  • You have attached or listed all relevant professional reports
  • You have included your child's name, date of birth, and school

2 more items depending on your case. Plus turning this evidence into one coherent pack an LA or tribunal takes seriously.

This guide shows what strong cases look like. We prepare the request letter, appeal grounds, or plan letter for your route.

Match my situation →Get yours prepared — From £249

Common mistakes when requesting an EHC needs assessment

  1. Sending to the wrong department — check the local authority's SEND team contact on their Local Offer website
  2. Not keeping a copy of the request or a record of when it was sent
  3. Writing only about school concerns — include home, social, and emotional difficulties too
  4. Not attaching professional reports because they feel too informal — include everything
  5. Assuming the school must make the request — parents can do this independently
  6. Waiting too long — the longer SEN goes without formal support, the harder it can be to demonstrate need

This guide shows what strong cases look like. We prepare the request letter, appeal grounds, or plan letter for your route.

Match my situation →Get yours prepared — From £249

What your pack includes

  • Assessment request letter, written from your intake and reports — you review before you send
  • Council-response matching and SEND law in that letter
  • Named reports referred to by author, date and what they show
  • Assigned case professional who prepares and checks it
  • How to send, one revision, and 14 days of email support

Frequently asked questions

England · SEND

Who can request an EHC needs assessment?
Parents and carers, young people aged 16 to 25, and schools or other educational settings can all request an EHC needs assessment. The parent or carer request carries the most weight and triggers a statutory 6-week decision window. You do not need the school's agreement to make the request.
How long does the local authority have to decide whether to assess?
The local authority must notify you of its decision within 6 weeks of receiving your request. This is a statutory deadline under regulation 5 of the SEN and Disability Regulations 2014. If the local authority does not respond within 6 weeks, you can contact them to chase the decision in writing. Persistent delays may be grounds for a complaint.
What happens if the local authority agrees to assess?
If the local authority agrees to carry out an EHC needs assessment, it will gather information from relevant professionals — educational psychologist, SALT, OT, medical practitioners, and others. The full process from request to final EHCP (if one is issued) must be completed within 20 weeks of the local authority receiving your request.
Can I request an assessment even though my child already has SEN support at school?
Yes, and this is in fact the most common situation. Existing SEN support does not prevent you from requesting an assessment — if anything, a record of SEN support that has not been sufficient strengthens your request. Under section 36(8), the local authority must assess if your child has or may have SEN and it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHC plan.
What if the local authority says my child is too young or too old to request an EHCP?
EHCPs cover children and young people from birth to age 25. There is no minimum age — requests for very young children with complex needs are possible. For children under compulsory school age, the request can cover early years provision. For young people, the EHCP can continue up to age 25 if they are still in education or training.
Does my child need a diagnosis before I can request an assessment?
No. A diagnosis is not a legal requirement for requesting an assessment or for having an EHCP. The legal test is about special educational needs, not diagnoses. Many children with significant unmet SEN have not yet received a formal diagnosis. If your child is awaiting assessment for autism, ADHD, or another condition, you can and should still request an EHCP if their needs are not being met.
Can I request an assessment for a child at a private school?
Yes. The local authority's duties apply regardless of the type of school the child attends. Private or independent schools do not remove your right to request an EHC needs assessment from the local authority. However, the EHCP process and any placement named will still be determined by the local authority.
What happens if the local authority refuses to assess?
If the local authority refuses, you will receive a formal decision letter explaining their reasons. You have the right to appeal this refusal to the First-tier Tribunal (SENDIST) within 2 months of the decision letter. See our guide on appealing a refusal to assess for the full process.

Related guides

Sources and further reading

  1. Children and Families Act 2014 — section 36 (EHC needs assessment request) — Statutory basis for requesting an assessment
  2. SEN and Disability Regulations 2014 — regulation 5 (6-week decision window) — LA must notify its decision whether or not to assess within 6 weeks of the request
  3. SEND Code of Practice 2015 — Chapter 9 (EHC needs assessments and plans) — Statutory guidance for local authorities on how to handle assessment requests
  4. IPSEA — requesting an EHC needs assessment — Free independent guidance for parents