One of its most recent publications explains what the planned changes may mean for parents and carers whose children already have an Education, Health and Care Plan, commonly known as an EHCP.
When we first considered the proposed SEND reforms in the Spring of 2026, much of the detailed policy had yet to be published. Nevertheless, it was clear the Government wanted to deliver more support in mainstream education, introduce greater national consistency and reserve EHCPs for children and young people requiring the most complex support.
Further publications provided more information about Labour’s plans. It proposed Individual Support Plans for children with SEND, national standards for inclusive education, greater access to professionals in mainstream settings, and Specialist Provision Packages for children with more complex needs.
The latest Government announcement provides parents with a clearer picture of how existing EHCPs are expected to move into the new system. Importantly, EHCPs are not being abolished. Many parents will be comforted by this news. However, the purpose of an EHCP, its content, and relationship with other forms of SEND support are expected to change and therefore parents will want to keep abreast of what those changes mean for their child.
Are EHCPs being abolished?
EHCPs will not be abolished. The Government says that EHCPs will be retained and improved.
Under the proposed system, an EHCP will provide a legal entitlement to support that is more intensive or complex than a mainstream nursery, school or college can routinely provide. Future EHCPs will be based on national Specialist Provision Packages, intended to make support more consistent across England.
Children whose needs can be met through the new mainstream system may eventually move from an existing EHCP to a legally backed Individual Support Plan. However, this will not happen immediately. The Government says that no child will be moved into the new arrangements in the middle of a phase of education. Parents will be relieved that there is not going to be an immediate and sudden change to their child’s support.
What are Specialist Provision Packages?
Specialist Provision Packages will describe the support available for children and young people with complex needs.
A package may, for example, cover the provision required by a child with a physical disability who needs personal care assistance in mainstream education. Another package might address the support required by a child with a significant learning disability.
The Government intends these packages to provide a more consistent national framework. At present, the support written into an EHCP can vary considerably according to the local authority responsible for the plan. Specialist Provision Packages are intended to reduce this variation by setting out evidence-based support that should be available across England.
The packages are expected to:
- Describe the specialist support required for particular types and levels of need
- Provide greater consistency between local authority areas
- Form the basis of future EHCPs
- Help parents understand the provision their child should receive
- Assist families in identifying settings capable of delivering that provision
A child will not necessarily be limited to one Specialist Provision Package. The Government recognises that children with complex or overlapping needs may require support from more than one package.
How will Specialist Provision Packages be created?
The Government says that an independent panel of experts will develop the packages. The panel will take account of the views of children, families and professionals.
Draft versions of these Specialist Provision Packages are due to be published this autumn. The final Specialist Provision Packages are not expected to be published until 2027 and 2028 so, once again, parents can take comfort from the fact they will have time to understand the new SEND system and what it may mean for their child.
When their son or daughter’s circumstances are being considered, parents will want clarity about:
- How eligibility for each package will be decided
- What evidence will be required
- How multiple packages can be combined
- Whether provision can be added where a child needs support outside a standard package
- How the contents of a package can be challenged
- Who will be responsible if the required provision is not delivered
Answers to these questions will become clearer over time. The positive news is that Specialist Provision Packages should provide a starting point for identifying appropriate support.
How will Specialist Provision Packages affect EHCPs?
Under the proposed system, a child will have a new EHCP if their assessed needs require the support contained in one or more Specialist Provision Packages. A package will identify the specialist provision required. The EHCP will then secure the child’s legal entitlement to that provision.
Parents should receive information about the relevant package and a list of education settings capable of delivering it. They will then be able to consider which setting is suitable for their child.
There may be benefits in having nationally defined support. However, parents will rightly want to be satisfied that the resulting EHCP reflects all their child’s needs and contains sufficiently clear provision. Parents will want to be clear about:
- What support will be provided
- Who will provide it
- How frequently it will be provided
- How long each session or intervention will last
- Where the support will take place
- What outcomes it is intended to achieve
As the Specialist Provision packages are developed, we will see to what extent these questions and others are addressed.
What is an Individual Support Plan?
An Individual Support Plan, or ISP, will be a digital record of a child’s needs and the support they should receive each day.
Every child and young person identified as having SEND is expected to have an ISP, including those who also have an EHCP. Nurseries, schools and colleges will have a legal duty to produce these plans.
What happens if a child no longer qualifies for an EHCP?
At the relevant transition point, e.g. moving from primary to secondary school, a new needs assessment will decide whether the child requires a Specialist Provision Package. If the child requires one or more packages, they will move into the next phase of education with a new EHCP based on that provision.
If the assessment concludes that a Specialist Provision Package is not required, the Government says the child will receive a legally backed ISP before moving out of their existing EHCP. That ISP may provide for professional input, small group teaching, changes to the learning environment or time in an inclusion base.
What is the EHCP reform timeline?
The reforms are intended to be introduced gradually, which will assist parents to transition into the new system.
2026 to 2028: preparing the new system
The Government intends to introduce staff training, additional funding for mainstream inclusion, Experts at Hand, National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages.
2028 to 2029: building capacity
Investment and preparation will continue. New SEND legislation is expected to come into effect from September 2029. Until legislation has been passed by Parliament, these arrangements remain proposals rather than existing legal rights.
September 2029: first assessments
The first children entering the reformed system are expected to have their needs assessed from September 2029. This will not necessarily result in every existing EHCP being reviewed at once.
September 2030: first transitions
The first children with existing EHCPs are expected to move fully into the new system in September 2030. These will include children moving from primary to secondary school and from secondary school to college.
From 2030 onwards: gradual implementation
Other children will move into the new system when they reach the end of their current phase of education. No child should transfer part way through a phase. EHCPs and specialist provision will remain available, as now, for young people aged 18 to 25 where required.
What happens to children already in special schools?
Every child who has a special school place in September 2029 will be able to remain in a special school until they finish their education.
Can parents still challenge decisions?
The Government says that improved mediation and dispute resolution processes will be introduced. Local authorities will also be subject to stronger accountability.
The SEND Tribunal is expected to remain as a legal safeguard. Parents should still be able to seek mediation and appeal where relevant. School complaints procedures may be used where a setting is not providing the required support.
What are the key messages for families?
The most important points arising from the Government’s latest publication are that:
- EHCPs are not being abolished
- Existing EHCPs will not all change at once
- Transition to the new system is expected to begin in 2030
- Children should move only at the end of a phase of education
- Every child with SEND is expected to have an ISP
- Future EHCPs will be based on Specialist Provision Packages
- A child may require more than one Specialist Provision Package
- Children in special schools in September 2029 can remain in special education
- The SEND Tribunal is expected to remain available for parents
The Government’s ambition is to provide earlier and more consistent SEND support so that families do not have to fight for help. As we know, its success will depend on adequate funding, trained staff, access to specialists, sufficient suitable placements and effective rights of challenge. With economic challenges facing the UK, only time will show whether all the proposed SEND reforms are implemented. As those changes are being introduced over the next few years, parents should continue to use the rights available under the current system to ensure their daughter or son receives the support they deserve.
