Contents
- Alternative Provision
- Annual Review
- Appeals & Mediation
- Attendance/Not in full time education
- Benefits
- Complaints
- Disability Discrimination
- Education other than in school/college
- Education, Health and Care Plans
- Exclusions
- Health
- How should the Local Authority help
- Neurodiversity
- Personal Budgets
- SEN Support in nurseries, schools and colleges
- Service Families
- Social Care
- Transport
- Year 6 Transition
- Young People’s Page
Education other than in school/college
EOTISC (education other than in school or college)
EOTISC, sometimes called EOTAS, and is an umbrella term for a package of education that is not in provided by a nursery, school, or college setting for the purpose of this information we will refer to EOTAS as EOTISC.
What is EOTISC?
EOTISC is Education other than at school or college that is provided in line with the Children and Families Act. It is educational provision for children with SEND that does not take place in a nursery, school or post-16 setting and is arranged to meet a child’s needs, as detailed in their EHCP. Further information on EOTISC can be found here.
EOTISC is not the same as Alternative Provision (AP) which is provided in line with the Education Act. AP is education for any pupil, with or without SEND, who because of exclusion, illness or other reasons would not otherwise receive suitable education at school. Sometimes when a child is receiving AP that is not school-based, the arrangement is referred to as ‘EOTISC’ which can be very confusing.
EOTISC is not the same as Elective Home Education (EHE). If parents choose to home educate, the LA is not responsible for meeting any of the costs of education or providing any support. The parents become responsible for providing the child’s educational provision. More information on EHE can be found here.
Parents and carers typically consider EOTISC if:
- their child is unable to attend an education setting,
- does not have a setting,
- has had long absences from school,
- requires medical interventions that significantly disrupt their attendance or,
- requires provisions that cannot made by a setting.
There is a misunderstanding that EOTISC can be ‘requested’ instead of a school placement for a child with an EHCP. This is not the case. The law does not allow for the parent or young person to request EOTISC.
When thinking about EOTISC, the key words are inappropriate and necessary…
A child can only have the provision in their EHCP delivered through an EOTISC package if it is deemed to be necessary because it would be inappropriate for them to be educated in a setting.
The child/young person’s needs are assessed or reassessed through the EHCP process.
The LA issue a draft EHCP and ask parents to comment and to identify their preferred setting/s. It is extremely important that parents check and tell the LA if their child’s needs are fully described in section B of the draft or if the support to meet those needs are not specified and quantified in section F.
The LA must consult the parent’s preferred setting/s and any other settings that it thinks may be appropriate. They do this by sending the EHCP to the settings and asking whether they can meet all the child’s needs.
If, after consultation, the LA is satisfied that the child/young person’s needs could not be met in any type of setting, then provision in a setting would be deemed inappropriate. At this point it becomes necessary for provision to be made through EOTISC.
When the Local Authority have found that EOTISC is necessary, they are responsible for arranging it…
In practice, when there are concerns that a setting may not be able to meet a child or young person’s needs it would be appropriate for the family and LA to discuss this at the earliest opportunity. This can be at draft stage when the LA must offer to meet with the family about the draft EHCP, or for children who already have an EHCP, this can be at review.
EOTISC is not named as the placement in section I of the EHCP, this section is left blank.
The local authority must work with the family to identify suitable providers who can deliver the support detailed in section F of the EHCP.
Please note that the individual providers are not specified in section F, only the support that they must provide for example:
✔️ ‘1hr hydrotherapy per week with a qualified physiotherapist’
❌ ‘1hr hydrotherapy with Karima from Hydro-Happy Therapies’
The EOTISC provision can be secured in one of two ways:
- The LA may arrange a package of education and support that will be delivered in a variety of community settings such as libraries or community centres. Provision may also be delivered within the home environment.
- Alternatively, you may request to manage the EOTISC package through a personal budget. If the LA agrees this then parents take the responsibility of co-ordinating the package of provision themselves. Click here to view the personal budget policy from Hampshire.
Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places the LA under a duty to make sure that all the provision in the EHC Plan is in place. Therefore, the EOTISC package detailed in Section F is legally treated exactly the same as provision which is delivered within an education setting.
The EOTISC package is managed through the normal Annual Review process, by the LA EHC Co-ordinator. You can read more about annual reviews here.
Some key things to note are:
- There are often multiple providers of support in an EOTISC package. All must be invited to contribute a report to the review and to attend the review meeting.
- Progress toward outcomes can be harder to measure where multiple providers are supporting a child/young person. Parents can help by keeping a record of achievements and reports throughout the year.
- If the provider needs to change because the child/young person’s needs have changed then sections B and F of the EHCP need to be amended through the review process and new providers appointed accordingly. If the provider needs to change for another reason, then this this can be addressed at any time with the caseworker.
- Children and Young People can move from EOTISC back into educational settings through the annual review process if it becomes appropriate for them to do so.
There is no legal duty to provide transport (or help with transport costs) from home to EOTISC settings, however the school transport team at the LA can consider applications for support with home to setting transport on a case-by-case basis.
Applications for School Transport should be made via the Education Online Portal.
To contact the School Transport team directly please use the online enquiry form Hampshire County Council – School Transport Enquiry. Some disabled children can also access help with transport through social services.
Under their Local Government Act duties, the LA is responsible for a child/young person’s transport between EOTISC settings. These arrangements should be discussed with the LA caseworker.
You can find further information on LA’s EOTISC position statement
Click here for links and resources from I.P.S.E.A
Where can my young person access careers advice?
The Hampshire Futures Careers Service offers a wide range of support
If you would like to access their support or find out more information about their services, get in touch with the Careers Team:
- Email: careers.service@hants.gov.uk
- Phone: 01962 846193
How do I access immunisations and health support?
Advise your GP you are not in an educational setting and they will guide you on how to ensure you get reminders for immunisations and how to book them.
More information is available on the local offer.