An Appreciative Inquiry into the Annual Review Process for Education, Health and Care Plans

In England, Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are reviewed through the Annual Review process as stipulated in the Children and Families Act (2014) and the most recent SEND Code of Practice (Department for Education & Department of Health, 2015). These legislations have person-centred and collaborative underpinnings; however, these aims appear to be shrouded in contextual barriers leading to inconsistent experiences (Capper & Soan, 2022). Whilst some existing research considered the initial assessment of an EHCP (e.g. Roa, 2020), few explore the Annual Review process directly (e.g. Boorman et al., 2025; Cooper, 2019). This current study aimed to fill this research gap and contribute towards an understanding as to what may support positive experiences of Annual Reviews moving forward.
The current research took an Appreciative Inquiry approach which consisted of six focus groups. Participants included: Parent/Carers; Children and Young People (CYP); health practitioners; a social worker; SENCOs; SEND team practitioners and an Educational Psychologist. A Critical Realist Thematic Analysis (Fryer, 2022) approach was used to explore focus group data. ‘Possibility Statements’ and a ‘Design Planning Document’ were generated to support consideration of what ‘should be’ (or could be) in future Annual Reviews.
This study aspired to achieve a better understanding of current practice, hopes for the future and consideration for future practice moving forward. Key themes included: collaborative working (Griffiths et al., 2021); CYP participation (Fox, 2016; Lundy, 2007); a person-centred approach; and improved accessibility to the process. Additional considerations, such as epistemic oppression and contextual factors, including competing resources, were also evident in impacting individuals’ experiences. Moving forwards, it is vital that Annual Reviews are viewed as a priority to make them meaningful and accessible processes that support CYP with EHCPs. Future research and recommendations for practice is also considered, in addition to the research’s strengths and limitations.