PERSONAL BUDGETS
A Personal Budget is money set aside to fund support as part of an EHCP.
The funding is not in addition to the funding attached to the EHCP.
It gives choice and control in the way support is delivered and can include funding for Education, Health, or Social Care provision.
A Personal Budget can only be used in a way that enables the child or young person to achieve the outcomes in the EHCP. Parents / young people can request a Personal Budget, but this does not mean it is guaranteed.
If you would like to request a Personal Budget for your child, it needs to be during the annual review/drafting process. You need to write a letter to send in with the Annual Review paperwork or when you make comments about the draft EHCP, with the following details:
- The type of provision / educational setting you are requesting.
- How long your child would receive this provision for, as well as how often they will be accessing it (for example, 2 hours a day, for 3 days a week, for 6 months).
- How this provision would relate to your child achieving the outcomes and provisions within their EHCP, and a description on how this would support them.
- How much this provision will cost, both per session and annually.
Once you have all this information and have submitted your letter to the EHC Team, it may be that they take your request to the next provision panel. It may also be that they ask your child’s school to put your requested provision in place.