Explain
Ceasing (ending) a plan
The council can stop maintaining (cease) a plan only if it is no longer responsible for the child or young person, or decides the plan is no longer necessary. It must first consult the parent or young person and the school or college. For under-18s out of education or training, the council must review the plan. At 18 or over, the plan cannot then end without a review. A decision to cease can be appealed to the SEND Tribunal. The plan stays in place until the time to appeal has passed, or until an appeal made in time is decided.
The council must also tell the parent or young person that it is considering ceasing the plan. For a child or young person under 18 who is not in education or training, the council must review the plan and, where appropriate, amend it so they continue to receive education or training. A young person aged 18 or over may leave education or training. The council cannot then cease the plan without first reviewing it, to find out whether they want to return and whether that would be appropriate. For a young person over 18, the council must also have regard to whether the education or training outcomes in the plan have been achieved. Turning 19 is not by itself a reason in the Act for ceasing a plan. When a family moves to another council in England, the plan is transferred, not ceased.
- Type of rule
- Law (Act or Regulations)
- Rule id
ceasing_a_plan- Rules version
- england-2026.10
- Law as at
- 30 September 2026
Sources
- Children and Families Act 2014, s 45(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
- Children and Families Act 2014, s 45(2)Law (Act or Regulations)
- Children and Families Act 2014, s 45(3)Law (Act or Regulations)
- Children and Families Act 2014, s 45(4)Law (Act or Regulations)
- SEND Regulations 2014, reg 29Law (Act or Regulations)
- SEND Regulations 2014, reg 30Law (Act or Regulations)
- SEND Regulations 2014, reg 31(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
- SEND Regulations 2014, reg 31(2)Law (Act or Regulations)
- Children and Families Act 2014, s 51(2)(f)Law (Act or Regulations)
- Children and Families Act 2014, s 47Law (Act or Regulations)
- SEND Regulations 2014, reg 15(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
Related
- Plans for young people aged 19 to 25
- Higher education, paid work or an apprenticeship
- Moving to another council area
- Decisions that can be appealed to the SEND Tribunal
- Annual review
In an assistant, the ehcp_challenge_options tool helps with this: Ways to challenge a decision.
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