Changes to Education Health and Care Plan Coordination Officers (ECOs) contact
From 1 June the way to get in touch with Education Health and Care Plan Coordination Officers (ECOs) is changing.
Instead of using your ECO's individual email address, you should contact the SEND service using the central email addresses on this page.
These shared inboxes are monitored by SEND officers and managers, who will direct your query and make sure you receive a response. This approach helps to: reduce waiting times for response, provide clear and consistent communication and ensure continuity of support during staff absence or changes.
For more information about what's changing and why, including Frequently Asked Questions. see the news article: Changes to SEND service contact process
Page contents
- Education Health Care and Needs Assessment (EHCNA) Officers
- Education Health and Care Plan Coordination Officers (ECOs)
- Find my quadrant team (map)
Education Health Care and Needs Assessment (EHCNA) Officers
If you have submitted a request to assess, you will be allocated an Education Health Care and Needs Assessment (EHCNA) Officer. They work with families, to specifically manage the 20 week Education Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment process.
- Receive and review requests to assess.
- Request additional information if necessary.
- Consider the request to assess at multi agency team discussions previously called Education Governance Board (EGB) or panels.
- Inform parents and carers of the 'Yes' or 'No' to assess decision and next steps.
- Gather information, advice and reports from families, settings and professionals about children and young people (CYP) going through an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) needs assessment.
- Following assessment, consider the request to issue at multi agency team discussions previously called Education Governance Board (EGB) or panels.
- Communicate the decision to families and professionals involved with the CYP. Offer support to the young person and their family to understand the reasons for the decision and what happens next.
- Draft the initial EHC plan, when issuing has been agreed, in collaboration with the family, CYP and professionals.
- Make any amendments and issue the final plan to families, schools or education settings and professionals involved with the CYP.
Contact your EHCNA Officer using the shared ehcnateam@surreycc.gov.uk email address.
Education Health and Care Plan Coordination Officers (ECOs)
Education Health and Care Plan Coordination Officers (ECOs), work with children and young people (CYP), who have an EHC plan. ECOs help schools and colleges:
- carry out annual reviews for CYP with existing EHC plans
- support CYP moving between key stages of education (for example from primary to secondary school)
- by holding termly in person planning meetings to discuss CYP and build relationships
- Attend EHC plan reviews for phase and key stage transfers or any other significant change such as change of placement or increase in hours of support.
- Provide information and guidance on the law, the process, and roles of individuals to make sure everyone knows what their responsibilities are.
- ECOs are not decision-makers, but they will record what is said so that it can be shared at the multi agency team discussions to help them make recommendations on decisions. They can also provide information and suggest further support.
- Process annual reviews, referring the EHC plan to the multi agency team discussions, where needed, and issue a response or decision on whether the plan will be kept the same, changed or stopped.
- Change an EHC plan where there is agreement to do so.
- Liaise with the Commissioning and Special educational needs and disability (SEND) Admissions teams to secure placements for children and young people if a change of placement is needed, including for KST.
- Work with families, professionals, and education and training providers about all aspects of the life of the EHC plan.
Families and young people can contact their named ECO by emailing the shared inbox for their local area.
These inboxes are monitored by the SEND service, including ECOs and their managers. Emails are forwarded to the most appropriate person, ensuring families receive a response as quickly as possible.
What to include in your email
To help us respond efficiently, please include:
- A clear description of what your email is about
- The child or young person’s full name and date of birth
- “For the attention of [named ECO]” (if you are contacting a specific ECO)
Which email address to use
Which email address to use, usually depends on where your child attends school or educational setting in Surrey.
- North West Surrey (Surrey Heath, Spelthorne, Woking, and Runnymede): NWsend@surreycc.gov.uk
- South West Surrey (Guildford and Waverley): SWsend@surreycc.gov.uk
- South East Surrey (Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge): SEsend@surreycc.gov.uk
- North East Surrey (Elmbridge, and Epsom and Ewell): NEsend@surreycc.gov.uk
Children looked after by the local authority with an EHC plan will have an ECO based in the same quadrant as their social worker, even if their school or setting is in a different quadrant.
Schools, settings, and professionals working with a child or young person should use the dedicated email addresses below:
Find my quadrant team (map)
Which email address to use, usually depends on where the child attends school or educational setting in Surrey. If you are unsure which borough or district you fall in to, you can search for this by using: Find your local council tool.
Children looked after by the local authority with an EHC plan will have an ECO based in the same area as their social worker, even if their school or setting is in a different area.