Key considerations for EHCP outcomes

When agreeing outcomes, it is important to consider what is important to the child or young person - what they themselves want to be able to achieve - and what is important for them as judged by others with the child or young person’s best interests at heart.

SEND Code of Practice: 9.67 p.163

For example, in the case of speech and language needs, what is important to the child may be that they want to be able to talk to their friends and join in their games at playtime. What is important for them is that their behaviour improves so that they no longer get frustrated at not being understood.

An outcome for a child of secondary school age might be, for example, to make sufficient progress or achieve a qualification to enable them to attend a specific course at college. Other outcomes in the EHC plan may then describe what needs to be achieved by the end of each intervening year to enable them to achieve the college place.

Outcomes from year 9 and onwards

In Bromley we want to promote best practice in ensuring that Preparing for Adulthood pathways in EHC plans are considered from the earliest years. This focus becomes even more important when young people are in year 9 and above and are making decisions about their future educational options.

SEND Code of Practice Para 9.6

From year 9 onwards, the nature of the outcomes should ensure young people are preparing for adulthood across the four Preparing for Adulthood pathways of:

Employment, education, and training
Independent living
Friends, relationships and community inclusion
Staying healthy

We want all young people to be supported by a curriculum that encourages them to undertake work experience so that they gain a better understanding of the skills that they may need for future employment.

It is important that outcomes continue to be aspirational and stretching and set out a vision for how the young person will be supported to gain the skills needed to experience and secure employment, to live with independence and to remain healthy and connected to their local community and friends.

For young people with EHCP’s the year 9 annual review meeting will be the point where discussions about the Preparing for Adulthood (PFA) pathways and outcomes should begin. There should be a clear focus on the pathway that all young people will follow and the Post 16 education and work experience options that they might like to consider.

You can learn more about this on our Transition Planning from Year 9 page.

In all cases, EHCP’s must specify the special educational provision required to meet each of the child or young person’s special educational needs. The provision should enable the outcomes to be achieved.

When thinking about how to develop meaningful outcomes there are several key things to consider:

Holistic - Often a multi-agency approach will be required to support the child or young person to achieve their outcomes.
Make use of existing resources - Resources and materials should be shared to support the development of outcomes.
Golden Thread - There should be an identifiable connection directly through the aspirations, needs, outcomes and provision in an EHC plan. We call this the Golden Thread.
Person Centred - Outcomes should be individual to the child or young person and expressed from a personal perspective, not a specific one.
Aspirational - In order to develop aspirations for life children, young people and their families need opportunities to find out what is possible and what type of support would help them achieve their aspirations.
Outcomes are NOT Provision - Provision is what must be provided to meet a child or young person's needs and enable the outcomes to be achieved.
The outcomes should be SMART - SMART outcomes are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound.