EHCNA Convo - ONLINE - 2026/04/23 - 1

Currently, families who request an EHC Needs Assessment (EHCNA) are likely to receive a phone call from Social Care if they are not known to the service. The purpose of the phone call is help build a picture of the child’s needs as part of the process. We recognise that while this is intended to be a supportive process, it might feel intimidating to some people. Wiltshire Council would therefore like to invite parents and carers to take part in a discussion to explore what it feels like to receive a call from Social Care to talk about your family. They want to understand whether the questions asked feel appropriate, and how well they help build an accurate picture of your child or young person’s social care needs. Your insight will play an important role in shaping how the LA requests and gathers social care advice for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA), as well as improving the experience, information and support provided to families throughout the process, so that it doesn’t feel intimidating.

Please join us for an online conversation, facilitated by a Social Care colleague from Wiltshire Council on Thursday 23rd April from 10:00am to 11:30am. To book your place, please click [HERE]. Booking closes at 5:00pm on Monday 20th April 2026. Joining links will be sent to those who have requested a place at least a day before the session takes place.

Wiltshire Council has also produced a short survey to sit alongside these events as an additional way to share what matters most to you, what’s working, and what needs to change, so SEND support works better for children, young people and families. Responses to this survey will directly inform decisions about early support in schools, access to specialist advice, future SEND places, and how services work together.

The deadline for responses to this [survey] is Friday 1st May 2026. The survey should take around 5 to 10 minutes to complete, and all responses will be used to shape the first version of the Wiltshire Local SEND Reform Plan.