Review preparation
Helping clarify the main issues, concerns and priorities that should shape the annual review.
EHCP annual reviews
Navigate SEND supports families and professionals who need a clearer, more strategic route through the annual review process — whether the review is approaching, has already happened, or has highlighted issues that now need proper follow-through.
Annual reviews are meant to ensure that an Education, Health and Care Plan still reflects a child or young person’s needs, provision, outcomes and placement. In practice, they can feel rushed, unclear, or disconnected from what is actually happening in real life.
This service may be right if...
- An annual review is coming up and you want to prepare properly
- You are unsure what should be raised or prioritised
- The EHCP no longer reflects the current picture
- Provision has changed, reduced, or is no longer working
- The review has happened, but the next steps are unclear
- You need a calmer, more strategic way through the process
WHAT THIS SERVICE DOES
Support around one of the most important decision points in the SEND process
Annual review is not just an administrative check-in. It is often the point where families and professionals need to show what has changed, what is working, what is not working, what support is missing, what the plan now needs to say more clearly, and what should happen next.
Navigate SEND helps bring structure to that stage. We help review the current picture, clarify the priority issues, organise the evidence and build a more coherent route through the review and what follows it.
WHAT SUPPORT MAY INCLUDE
Typical scope of support
Evidence review
Reviewing available reports, school information, professional input and the current case picture to identify what matters most.
Strategic framing
Helping define what the review needs to address and what realistic next-step pathway should follow it.
Drafting support
Support with structuring review-related points, written input or follow-up materials where agreed.
Post-review clarity
Helping make sense of what happened at review and what the most important next step now is.
Connection to the next stage
Clarifying whether the case now points towards amendment, provision concerns, placement issues, local authority requests or ongoing strategic support.
BEST FIT
Who is this service for
Families
Parents and carers who want a more structured, strategic route into or out of annual review.
Case managers and professionals
Professionals who need review preparation, clearer case framing or stronger follow-through after review.
Cases in transition
Situations where review is likely to trigger changes to needs, provision, outcomes or placement.
HOW IT WORKS
A clear route from enquiry to next steps
Initial enquiry
You explain the current position, when the annual review is due or what has recently happened, and what concerns now feel most important.
Triage and fit
We review the case at a high level and identify whether annual review support is the right service pathway.
Consultation and scope
Where appropriate, we clarify priorities, review the likely evidence picture and confirm the likely scope of work.
Preparation and review stage
The key issues are organised, the relevant evidence is reviewed and the review pathway is structured more clearly.
Post-review next steps
The service concludes with a clearer route forward for whatever the review stage now points to next.
Need help with a review that feels unclear or high-stakes?
Navigate SEND can help organise the picture, identify the priority issues and clarify the strongest next steps before or after review.
HELPFUL STARTING INFORMATION
What is useful to have ready?
The current EHCP
The latest version of the plan so the review stage can be understood in context.
Annual review paperwork
Any meeting invitation, review paperwork or notes already available.
Reports and evidence
School reports, professional reports, and anything showing what has changed or what is not working.
Current concerns
A clear explanation of what you want the review to address and why it matters now.
Related services
If the case is linked to a nearby stage in the SEND journey, these services may also be relevant:
EHCP Provision not being delivered
FAQ'S
Common questions
What is an EHCP annual review?
An annual review is the formal yearly review of an Education, Health and Care Plan to consider whether the plan still reflects the child or young person’s needs, provision, outcomes and placement.
When should we start preparing?
Preparation is usually most effective before the review meeting, once it is clear what the current concerns are, what evidence exists, and what changes may need to be discussed.
Can this service help after the annual review as well?
Yes. Navigate SEND can help before, during and after annual review where the next stage needs to be clarified, structured or followed through properly.
Do you support families as well as professionals?
Yes. Families are the primary audience, and case managers and other professionals can also use this service where the case and referral route are appropriate.
NEXT STEP
Need support with an EHCP annual review
If you want a clearer, more structured route into or out of annual review, Navigate SEND can help identify the strongest next step.
You can also use our checklists, to see if you have everything you need.
We look forward to hearing from you.