How to Succeed in Your EHC Plan Writer Job Interview

In this blog, you will learn:

• What an EHC Plan Writer is.
• Roles and responsibilities of an EHC Plan Writer.
• Six strategies to succeed in your EHC Plan Writer job interview.
• Where the latest EHC Plan Writer jobs are and how to apply for them. 

Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan Writers play a crucial role in ensuring that individuals with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) receive the support and services they need to thrive during their educational journey. Their work is essential for promoting inclusivity and equity in the education system.

In an EHC Plan Writer interview, candidates are encouraged to be confident and professional, speak clearly, and demonstrate enthusiasm for the role. Succeeding in a job interview for an EHC Plan Writer position requires a combination of preparation, effective communication, and a strong understanding of the role and its responsibilities.

Throughout this blog, we uncover these six strategies to help you confidently navigate the interview process and successfully land the EHC Plan Writer position.

What is an EHC Plan Writer?

EHC Plan Writers provide a statement of special educational, health and social needs for children and young people up to 25 who require additional support to meet those needs. 

The current Special Educational Needs (SEN) support available may not be enough to support the needs of the young person, therefore a parent, guardian, school, paediatrician or social worker can contact their local authority to assess whether an EHC Plan is necessary.

How to succeed in your EHC Plan Writer job interview

Six strategies to succeed in your EHC Plan Writer job interview include: 

1. Understand the role and the organisation.
2. Develop your knowledge of SEND Code of Practice.
3. Highlight your skills.
4. Emphasise your experience.
5. Apply your knowledge of legal framework.
6. Stay up to date with current trends in the industry.

Understand the role and organisation

The best way to prepare for your EHC Plan Writer job interview is to ensure that you are aware of the responsibilities required for the role. Thoroughly research the role of an EHC Plan Writer, review the job description, organisation and the specific requirements and responsibilities.

Candidates must be aware of the purpose and significance of an EHC Plan and how it identifies the needs of a young person and sets out the additional support to meet those needs. You must be able to describe and ensure EHC Plans meet legal requirements and identify any gaps or discrepancies in the assessment reports.

In your interview, be prepared to describe and discuss the responsibilities of the role in detail to show the hiring manager that you have done your research.

Roles and responsibilities of an EHC Plan Writer

The roles and responsibilities of an EHC Plan Writer:

• The EHC Plan Writer assesses the needs of the individual with SEND. This may involve consulting with educators, healthcare professionals, parents, and the individual themselves to gather relevant information.
• Based on the assessment, the EHC Plan Writer develops a comprehensive EHC plan that outlines the individual's needs, goals, and the support and services they require. The plan should be tailored to the individual's unique needs.
• Ensuring that the EHC plan complies with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements is crucial.
• Collaborate with parents or guardians, educators, healthcare providers, and other professionals involved in the individual's care and education to gather information and ensure the plan meets the individual's needs.
• Maintain detailed records of assessments, meetings, and plan development to ensure accountability and transparency.
• Advocate for the individual's rights and needs within the educational system and healthcare settings.
• Periodically review and update the EHC plan to ensure it remains relevant and effective in meeting the individual's changing needs.

Develop your knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice

To succeed in the interview, candidates must have a solid understanding of the SEND system. Candidates must be able to demonstrate to the hiring manager how they would interpret and adhere to the principles and statutory processes outlined in the SEN Code of Practice. Therefore it is important to follow SEN news to stay updated and adjust your approach as needed. Dissect each iteration of the SEND Code of Practice, read the legislation and look at every guidance document to strengthen your understanding and bring that knowledge to your answers in the interview. 

Highlight your skills

Be aware of the skills and qualities that make a good EHC Plan Writer and be prepared to discuss how your skills and qualifications align with the requirements of the role; you could also highlight any previous examples of success. In your interview, don’t just talk about your skills; it’s crucial to talk about how those skills will benefit the company and the impact you could have.

Skills to be an EHC Plan Writer include:

• Organisational skills to prioritise workloads, manage multiple, diverse cases and meet strict deadlines.
• IT and communication abilities are crucial for communicating with various parties within the SEND system.
• Dealing with individuals with SEND and their families requires a high level of empathy, patience, and understanding.
• Emphasise communication and collaboration skills. Discuss how you would communicate with various stakeholders, including parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and the individuals themselves, to develop effective EHC plans. 
• Experience with assessment tools and techniques to evaluate the needs of individuals with special educational needs. The ability to gather and analyse relevant information is vital for the position of EHC Plan Writer.
• Mention any ongoing professional development, certifications, or training that is relevant to the role.

Emphasise experience

Mention any relevant experience you have in special education, assessment, plan development, or working with individuals with special educational needs or disabilities. Don’t just mention your experience, provide specific examples of your accomplishments in these areas and what you have learnt from it.

Emphasise how your experience has prepared you for the interview and what you can bring to the role. The best way to highlight your skills is to provide examples. Discuss how you used your skills to get results or drive change and show the hiring manager how you would best fit into the role you're interviewing for.

Demonstrate your expertise to distinguish yourself from other candidates and prove that you are the best fit for the role at your interview.

Apply your knowledge of legal framework

For the role of EHC Plan Writer, it is crucial that candidates be aware of the legal and regulatory requirements and regulations of the role to ensure compliance with these laws.

EHC Plan Writers are expected to know the relevant legislation to transfer EHC Plans between local authorities and understand the legal processes related to special education and EHC plans.

EHC Plan Writers must be able to write EHC Plans within strict timescales, to a high standard and meet legal requirements. To succeed in your interview, candidates must showcase their knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework governing special education and discuss how they would ensure compliance with the law in their work.

Emphasise the importance of maintaining detailed records, documenting assessments, meetings, and plan development, and how you would ensure transparency and accountability.

For example, parents, the student, or the person in charge of the relevant youth accommodation all have the legal right to ask the local authority to arrange an EHC needs assessment to determine education, health and care needs.

This means that it is important to be able to understand and comply with the law as candidates should be aware of local authorities' rights to refuse to undertake the EHC needs assessment.

Not only will having knowledge of the legal requirements to be an EHC Plan Writer help you succeed in the interview, but it will also prepare you for the job itself. You should have qualifications, training or experience to better understand the legal requirements of the industry and be able to prepare.

Stay up to date with current trends in the industry

To succeed in your EHC Plan Writer job interview you will be expected to have an understanding of and be able to discuss current trends in the education and SEN sector.

Your knowledge of trends can help direct the choices you make at work and determine how you could tackle any issues or rise to the challenge. Interviewers also ask about trends to get a sense of your engagement with work and to ensure you are engaged with the industry.

Show that you have gone beyond the bare minimum to demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm. Be even more specific by mentioning trends or movements associated with the organisation you are applying to, not just generally in the education and SEND sector.

Having an understanding and knowledge of the latest trends and statistics would demonstrate to the hiring manager that you have taken the time and effort to not only learn about the industry, but that you are passionate about what is currently going on. 

Mention current trends, statistics, successes and failures and offer any solutions or how you would deal with challenges or setbacks. This would demonstrate to the hiring manager that you would benefit the organisation and excel in the role of EHC Plan Writer.

SEND recruitment services

As a leading SEND recruitment agency in the UK, we support Local Authorities and schools with their recruitment needs, whether it be for a SEND Teaching Assistant or a Head of SEND!

Our team of SEND specialists have extensive knowledge of working within this sector and are well equipped to find the best talent for your needs.

Richard was recently awarded Best Temporary Consultant at the Global Recruiter Awards so you’ll be in good hands!

You can also read our interview with a SEND recruitment specialist to gain insight into the market and current challenges in the industry.

EHC Plan Writer jobs

Searching for your next temporary, interim or permanent EHC Plan Writer job? Why not upload your CV to discover the latest opportunities. 

Already have an interview lined up? Discover EHCP Coordinator interview questions and answers and common safeguarding interview questions and answers.

Who is Spencer Clarke Group?

Since 2017, we’ve been engaging with candidates and clients to effect positive change and shape a brighter and more fulfilling future for all. From the heart of our organisation, to the way we conduct business, we’ve been reshaping the recruitment industry.

Recruitment means more to us than matching candidates and clients to a job that has the ability to boost their salary. We understand the importance of finding candidates a job that will improve their mental health, better their work life balance and increase their standard of living.

From individuals seeking their next career leap to organisations looking to expand their business, we continue to evolve and positively influence all.

We operate in two sectors:

Private Sector

Public Sector 

In eleven specialisms:

Accountancy & Finance

Education & SEND

Construction, Trades & Labour

Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing

Housing

Corporate Functions & Business Support

HR & Workforce Development

IT & Digital

Property & Asset Management  

Planning, Development & Regeneration 

Highways, Infrastructure & Engineering