EHCP Outcomes

Why might it be of interest?

Outcomes are key to an EHCP but they are often poorly written, somewhat vague or very short term goals.  There’s no definitive list or set of examples about what makes a good outcome which makes it really hard to come up with them for the EHCP.

At some point I believe it would be good if the outcomes in the EHCP could demonstrate where the young person is going with the support and provision in the EHCP – what are they hoping to achieve?  This means structuring the outcome to look further ahead than just the next few months or a year.

Your young person’s outcomes are going to be different, not just because of their needs but also their abilities and their hopes and aspirations.  But I think that the outcomes below show how an outcome can look forward and still be quite clear about what the young person is aiming to achieve.

These may not be appropriate as outcomes for your young person but may give you some ideas for expressing aspirations in Section A.

• By the age of 25, the young person will have the specialist skills to hold a part-time working role, with a meaningful job description and clear duties, which meets their abilities and interests.
• By the age of 25, the young person will have the skills to live independently from their family, in an environment that they feel is ‘home’ and from where they could spend time in the family home or on family holidays and happily return to their supported living.
• By the age of 25, the young person will have the skills required to participate in adult-led, communal domestic activities, so that they can independently carry out any task delegated to them from a rota of jobs.
• By the age of 25, the young person will recognise and follow a daily routine to wash independently, make choices about their clothes for both the weather and event and wear footwear appropriate for the situation.
• By the age of 25, the young person will be able to recognise how to express themself best for ‘audience’ and respond to questions, so that they will be able to reliably ask their mum, aunt, care worker or a waitress for chicken nuggets and chips, for example.
• By the age of 25, the young person will participate in family and friends’ events, reliably reaching their destination and leaving the vehicle to enter a house or building for a social gathering or evening event so that they can maintain their social life.
• By the age of 25, the young person will be able to express their needs and wants ‘in the moment’, to choose and participate reliably in daily community activities, when supported by a pool of carers. They will be able to recognise and name the responsible adult supporting a community activity, be able to follow the instructions provided by that person and recognise that person is a safe point of return.
• By the age of 25, the young person will accept a routine of healthcare for medication and healthy eating choices, where these things are supported by a varying place or person.
• By the age of 25, the young person is walking daily and participating in two different community exercise groups per week, attending annual health checkups, biannual dental checkups and any GP, dental or hospital attendances that their health may require.