Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for parents and carers of children with a special educational needs SEND Support or EHC Plan

We are working with partners across Lambeth and London to ensure that children with special educational needs in Lambeth are supported during the coronavirus outbreak.

In line with government advice, we are doing everything we can to slow the spread of coronavirus. This includes stopping all non-essential meetings and minimising direct contact between staff. This is likely to have a knock-on effect on EHCP co-production meetings, annual review meetings and other such meetings. In some cases this might make it difficult to meet statutory guidelines.

We are working hard to minimise disruption through written and online communication, but apologise for any delays that occur as a result of the measures required to protect everyone’s safety and welfare. If you have urgent concerns in the meantime, please contact us in the usual way, and if a coordinator is not at work, your call will be diverted to someone who can help you.

We know that you will be concerned about the nursery/school/college closures and what this will mean for your child’s education and wellbeing. We want to reassure you that we are working with Early Years settings, mainstream schools, special schools and schools outside of our borough, to ensure that our children with special educational needs are being thought about carefully.

You can find information about changes to specific SEND services on our SEND service update page.

Contact the team

SEND, call 020 7926 9460

General enquiries: sendsupport@lambeth.gov.uk

Annual Reviews: AnnualReviews@lambeth.gov.uk

Annual reviews of EHCPs

  • annual review requirements remain in place
  • a review meeting, even if by necessity briefer than usual, can be reassuring for parents, children and young people, through ensuring that their EHC plan is up-to-date
  • where it is impractical for a local authority to complete an annual review of a plan within the prescribed time scales for a reason relating to coronavirus, then, they must complete it as soon as reasonably practicable
  • annual review meetings may need to take a different form – such as online video conference calls.
  • it is important that they continue to ensure that the child or young person is at the centre of the process and can engage with the process in a meaningful way

We want to emphasise that co-production, partnership and communication remain critical. If you have any concerns, please contact the SEND Team.

Tips for health and wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak

Lambeth Educational Psychology Service has put together some advice and guidance for parents and carers about how to support the wellbeing and learning of their children during the coronavirus outbreak.

Other information about coronavirus in Lambeth