How to apply for an EHCP in Sheffield
To get an EHC plan (Education, Health and Care plan) in Sheffield, you ask the council for an EHC needs assessment. Send an email or letter to SENDSARS, Sheffield City Council's EHC plan team. You don't need the school's permission or a diagnosis. The council must tell you within 6 weeks whether it will assess. Our free tool can write the request for you.
What is an EHC needs assessment?
An EHC needs assessment is how the council finds out what help your child needs. It collects reports from school, health and care professionals. Then it decides whether to write an EHC plan (Education, Health and Care plan). An EHC plan is a legal document setting out the extra help your child must get. Asking for an assessment is the first step to getting one.
Step by step: asking Sheffield City Council for an assessment
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Note down why you're worried
Write a few lines about what your child finds hard, and what has been tried at school. If you have school reports or letters from a doctor or therapist, keep them nearby. If you haven't got any reports, that's fine. You can still ask.
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Write the request
Say clearly that you are asking for an EHC needs assessment for your child. Include their name, date of birth and school. Explain what they find hard. You can mention section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which is the law that gives you this right. EHC Plan Helper can write this letter for you after a few plain questions.
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Send it to SENDSARS
SENDSARS (SEND Statutory Assessment and Review Service) is Sheffield City Council's EHC plan team. Email is best, because it shows the date you sent it.
- Email: SENDAssess&Review@sheffield.gov.uk
- Post: SENDSARS, Floor 5, Howden House, 1 Union Street, Sheffield S1 2SH
You can also fill in and attach the council's yellow Parent/Young Person Advice Form. It's optional.
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Keep a copy and note the date
Save a copy of what you sent and write down the date. The legal deadlines all count from the day the council gets your request.
Do I need the school's permission to ask for an EHC needs assessment?
No. In Sheffield, as everywhere in England, a parent can ask the council for an EHC needs assessment at any time. The school doesn't have to agree first. It's still worth telling the school's SENCo (special educational needs coordinator, the teacher in charge of extra help) that you've asked, because the council will contact the school for information.
Does my child need a diagnosis to get an EHC plan?
No. The legal test is whether your child has or may have special educational needs, and may need help set out in an EHC plan (Education, Health and Care plan). A diagnosis such as autism or ADHD can help explain things, but it isn't required. Many Sheffield families wait years for one, so don't wait for it before asking.
What happens after I send the request to Sheffield City Council?
The council's EHC Panel, a group of education, health and care staff, meets every week to look at requests. The council must write to you within 6 weeks to say whether it will assess. If it says yes, it gathers reports. The final EHC plan is due within 20 weeks of your request. Read how long an EHCP takes in Sheffield, week by week.
What if Sheffield City Council says no to an assessment?
In 2025, Sheffield City Council said no to almost 1 in 5 requests from parents (17.9%). If it says no, you can ask it to think again, and you have the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal, an independent court that decides these disagreements. The letter saying no must explain how to appeal. The Appeals section of EHC Plan Helper shows your deadlines.
Who can help me write a request for an EHC needs assessment in Sheffield?
Sheffield SENDIAS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support) gives free, confidential advice and can help with your request. Phone 0114 273 6009 or visit sheffieldsendias.org.uk. They're often busy, so you may want to send your request first and talk to them after. For more Sheffield contacts, see EHCP help in Sheffield: who does what.
What to do next
- Ready to ask? Let EHC Plan Helper write your request. It asks a few plain questions, then gives you a letter to email to SENDSARS.
- Already sent it? Add the date you sent it and EHC Plan Helper will show you every deadline that follows.
It's free, with no account. What you type stays on your own phone or computer.
What the law says
Children and Families Act 2014, section 36(8)
"The local authority must secure an EHC needs assessment for the child or young person if, after having regard to any views expressed and evidence submitted under subsection (7), the authority 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 for the child or young person in accordance with an EHC plan."
Read section 36 on legislation.gov.uk
SEND Regulations 2014, regulation 5(1)
The council "must notify the child's parent or the young person as soon as practicable and in any event within 6 weeks of— (a) receiving a request for an assessment ... of its decision whether or not it is necessary to secure an EHC needs assessment".
Last checked: October 2026. Sheffield details are from the council's Local Offer and the Department for Education's EHC plan statistics for 2026. This is information, not legal advice. Who makes EHC Plan Helper.