Your views,
wishes and feelings

The Local Offer and Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

The Local Offer

Your local authority must publish a 'Local Offer' which makes it easy to find information on every college you could potentially attend. By law, this list must include specialist national colleges like RNC. You should be able to name RNC in your EHCP if you choose.

There are only limited grounds on which the local authority can refuse to name your preferred college. Some reasons may be:

if it would be unsuitable for your age, ability, aptitude or needs, or
your attendance would be incompatible with the effective education of others, or the efficient use of resources.

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for students in England

An EHCP is a legal document that is designed to last from the age of 0 to 25 but can be requested at any point during this age range, for instance if you experience a deterioration in your sight. It will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is up to date.

Young people and their families (or a specific person acting on behalf of a school or post-16 institution) have a specific right to ask a local authority to conduct an Education, Health and Care assessment.

It can take up to 20 weeks from the initial request to the EHCP being finalised. It will then be reviewed at least annually to ensure it is up to date.

The key points are:

Your views and wishes and feelings should be at the heart of the EHCP.
It should cover your full education, health and care needs as well as your strengths and capabilities.
It should emphasise outcomes, making sure you have what you need to achieve what you want.
It should be written in a way that you can easily understand, using clear language rather than professional jargon.

You will be able to request that a particular college is named in your EHCP. If this is agreed, the local authority and the college will work together to make sure that all of your outcomes will be met.

You have the right to independent advice and guidance about your EHCP and the Local Offer. If you struggle to find advice, please contact RNC's Placement Funding Advisor who will be able to answer most of your questions or refer you to experts that can.

Contact us 01432 265 725 (Main reception)
01432 376 621 (Student enquiries)

Email: info@rnc.ac.uk

Press and media enquiries to:
mediaenquiries@rnc.ac.uk

Visit us at The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), Venns Lane, Hereford HR1 1DT

Company Limited by Guarantee No. 2367626
Registered Charity No. 1000388

Print this page Go Back to top Go

Accreditations

Accessibility Cookies Privacy

Cookies are used on this website to enhance the user experience. If you do not agree to our Cookie Policy, please update the settings on your browser.