Assessing SEMH Needs: How SEMH Assessment Works in School and for an EHCP

Published 15 October 2026 · Checked against legislation.gov.uk, the SEND Code of Practice, Department for Education guidance and nhs.uk

SEMH needs are assessed by building up a picture of your child over time, not by a single test or a diagnosis. In school, the teacher and the SENCO assess social, emotional and mental health needs through a cycle of assess, plan, do and review, sometimes with a screening questionnaire. They should bring in a specialist when progress stalls. If your child needs more, the council's EHC needs assessment must gather advice from you, the school, an educational psychologist, health and social care. This guide explains who does what and how to help the assessment see the whole child.

The short version: there is no SEMH test and no SEMH diagnosis. Identifying SEMH needs is about working out what action the school needs to take, not putting your child in a category (SEND Code of Practice, paragraph 6.27). Where behaviour is a concern, there should be an assessment of what is causing it (paragraph 6.21). An EHC needs assessment must include advice from an educational psychologist and from anyone you reasonably ask for (regulation 6(1)(d) and (h) of the SEND Regulations 2014).

SEMH is assessed, not diagnosed

Parents are often told to wait for an SEMH diagnosis. There is not one to wait for. SEMH stands for social, emotional and mental health, a heading the education system uses for an area of need, as our guide to what SEMH means explains. Paragraph 6.27 of the Code says a detailed assessment should identify the full range of a child's needs, not simply the primary need.

Clinical diagnosis is a separate job. The Department for Education's guidance Mental health and behaviour in schools says only appropriately trained professionals should attempt to diagnose a mental health problem and that school staff should not try (paragraph 3.3). A diagnosis such as anxiety or ADHD can add useful detail, but the law does not wait for one: a child has special educational needs if a learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision (section 20 of the Children and Families Act 2014). Our guide to getting an EHCP without a diagnosis sets out why.

Who assesses SEMH needs

No single professional owns the assessment of SEMH needs. Each person below sees a different part of your child, and the clearest picture comes from putting their observations side by side with yours.

Who	What they look at	How they get involved
Class teacher and SENCO	Progress, attendance and behaviour records, your concerns and your child's views	The school's SEN support assessment (Code paragraph 6.45)
Educational psychologist	How your child learns, feels and copes and what provision would help	Brought in by the school as a specialist (paragraph 6.61) and required in an EHC needs assessment (regulation 6(1)(d))
Children and young people's mental health services (CAMHS or CYPMHS)	Mental health difficulties such as anxiety, low mood or self-harm	A GP, teacher, school nurse or social worker can put you in touch. Some services accept self-referrals (nhs.uk)
GP, paediatrician or other health professional	Health and developmental factors	Through your GP; health advice is part of every EHC needs assessment (regulation 6(1)(c))
Speech and language therapist or occupational therapist	Communication or sensory needs that may sit underneath the behaviour	Through the school or a local service, or at your request in an EHC needs assessment (regulation 6(1)(h))
Social care and early help	Family and home circumstances	An early help assessment (Code paragraph 6.21) or social care advice in an EHC needs assessment (regulation 6(1)(e))

How schools assess SEMH needs: the graduated approach

Most SEMH needs are first assessed in school, at the level the Code calls SEN support. Paragraph 6.44 describes a four-part cycle of assess, plan, do and review, with more detailed approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in each new cycle. Our guide to SEN support versus an EHCP explains how this differs from a plan.

Assess

Paragraph 6.45 says the teacher, working with the SENCO, should carry out a clear analysis of your child's needs. It should draw on the teacher's own assessment, previous progress, the school's information on attainment and behaviour, your views, your child's views and, if relevant, advice from outside services. Schools should take seriously any concerns you raise, record them and compare them with their own assessment.

Plan and do

If the school gives SEN support, it must formally notify you (paragraph 6.48). The teacher and SENCO should agree with you and your child the support to be put in place, its expected impact on progress, development or behaviour and a clear review date. For SEMH needs that might be a named adult, a safe space or changes around known triggers.

Review

Support should be reviewed by the agreed date, with your views and your child's feeding back into the analysis of need (paragraphs 6.53 and 6.54). Paragraph 6.46 says that for some types of SEN, the way a pupil responds to an intervention can be the most reliable way to build a picture of need. A record of what was tried, for how long and what changed is assessment evidence in its own right. Schools should meet you at least three times a year (paragraph 6.65).

Screening tools: the SDQ and the Boxall Profile

The mental health and behaviour guidance names two tools that can support schools through this cycle: the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Boxall Profile (paragraph 3.14). It describes the SDQ as helping schools judge whether a pupil is likely to be suffering from a mental health problem, and the Boxall Profile as an online assessment tool for social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Such tools can also show whether the first support is working.

They are screening and tracking tools, not diagnoses, and the guidance does not require a school to use either. If one was used, ask who completed it, when and what the scores were before and after support began. One questionnaire from one adult who sees your child in one setting is a starting point, not a verdict.

The records the school already holds

The guidance says schools can spot children at risk by noticing changes in patterns of attainment, attendance or behaviour, backed by a pastoral system in which at least one member of staff knows every pupil well (paragraph 3.13). Those records are strong evidence. Ask for the attendance record, behaviour logs, time spent out of class or in isolation, suspension letters, any part-time timetable and every SEN support plan with its reviews. Our EHCP evidence checklist lists what else to collect.

Assessing SEMH behaviour: looking for the cause

Behaviour is often the first sign of SEMH needs, and the Code says it should lead to an assessment. Paragraph 6.21 says persistent disruptive or withdrawn behaviours do not necessarily mean a child has SEN, but where there are concerns there should be an assessment to find out whether there are causal factors such as undiagnosed learning difficulties, communication difficulties or mental health issues. The mental health guidance adds child protection concerns (paragraph 3.12).

The Department for Education's 2024 behaviour guidance agrees. It says behaviour will often need to be considered in relation to a pupil's SEND, gives the example of a pupil with speech, language and communication needs who may not understand a verbal instruction and says schools should try to understand the underlying causes of behaviour. Paragraph 6.23 of the Code adds that unaddressed learning difficulties can lead to frustration that shows as emotional or behavioural difficulties.

A good assessment of SEMH behaviour asks practical questions:

When and where does it happen, and when does it not?
What comes just before it: a demand, a change of routine, noise, a particular lesson?
What happens just after it: is your child sent out, does the task go away?
Could a language, learning, attention or sensory difficulty explain some of it?
Has something happened, such as bullying or a bereavement (paragraph 6.22)?

A simple log helps. Ask the school to note the date, lesson, what happened before, what your child did and what adults did next. Keep a similar record at home. A few weeks of entries tells an assessor more than a page of general description.

When your child copes at school and falls apart at home

Some children hold everything together in class and release it at home, so the school's records look calm while your evenings do not. That does not make your account less valid. Schools should take your concerns seriously (paragraph 6.45), and the council should weigh your child's emotional and social development, not only attainment (paragraph 9.14). Keep a dated diary.

When the school should bring in specialists

Paragraph 6.59 of the Code says a school should always involve a specialist where a pupil continues to make little or no progress, or works at levels substantially below those expected of children of a similar age, despite evidence-based SEN support. You should be involved in that decision and told what the specialist advises. Paragraph 6.61 lists educational psychologists and CAMHS among those services, and paragraph 6.47 says the SENCO should contact professionals already working with your child, with your agreement.

On the health side, nhs.uk says a GP, teacher, school nurse or social worker can put you in touch with children and young people's mental health services, and some services accept referrals from families directly. A place on a waiting list does not stop the school or the council acting now; our guide to an EHCP for SEMH needs explains why.

If you are worried about your child's safety now: nhs.uk says to call 111 and choose the mental health option, or ask for an urgent GP appointment. Call 999 or go to A&E if someone's life is at risk.

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How SEMH needs are assessed in an EHC needs assessment

When SEN support is not enough, you can ask the council for an EHC needs assessment yourself; see our guide to requesting an EHC needs assessment. The council must assess if your child has or may have special educational needs and it may be necessary for provision to be made through an EHC plan (section 36(8) of the Children and Families Act 2014). It must tell you within 6 weeks whether it will (regulation 5(1)).

If it agrees, regulation 6(1) requires advice on your child's needs, the provision that may meet them and the intended outcomes from:

you (regulation 6(1)(a))
your child's head teacher or another suitable person (6(1)(b))
a health care professional chosen by the local NHS commissioning body (6(1)(c))
an educational psychologist (6(1)(d))
social care (6(1)(e))
anyone else the council thinks appropriate (6(1)(f))
from year 9, advice on preparing for adulthood (6(1)(g))
anyone you reasonably ask the council to seek advice from (6(1)(h))

The educational psychologist's advice is usually central for SEMH. The Code says the psychologist should normally be employed or commissioned by the council and should consult any other psychologists involved with your child (paragraph 9.49). Where there are signs of an underlying health difficulty a specialist health assessment may be necessary, and where there are safeguarding or welfare concerns a statutory social care assessment may be necessary (paragraph 9.48).

Your evidence goes to every adviser

The council must give each adviser copies of your representations and evidence (regulation 6(3)), so your diary and the school's behaviour log reach the psychologist before they write. It must also consult you and your child and consider information provided by you or at your request, including private reports (regulation 7).

Old reports are not enough unless everyone agrees

The council can rely on existing advice instead of fresh advice only if the person who gave it, the council and you are all satisfied that it is sufficient (regulation 6(4)), and the Code says advice should remain current (paragraph 9.47). If the only psychologist's report predates your child's difficulties escalating, you can say it is not sufficient and explain why.

Asking for a particular professional

Under regulation 6(1)(h) you can ask for advice from a specific person, such as the CAMHS clinician already seeing your child or a speech and language therapist. Ask in writing at the start, with reasons. Advice should be given within 6 weeks of the council's request (Code paragraph 9.52). Paragraph 9.51 says professionals may comment on the amount of provision your child needs and councils should not have blanket policies that stop them. Our guide to what happens during an EHC needs assessment covers each stage.

What a good SEMH assessment should tell you

A useful SEMH report goes beyond the letters SEMH. Check that it describes:

what your child's difficulties look like, where, how often and how intensely
what triggers them and what helps
any needs underneath or alongside them, such as language, learning or sensory needs (paragraph 6.27)
your child's strengths and own views
what has been tried, for how long and with what result
the support needed: what it is, who delivers it, how often and for how long

If a plan follows, section B must specify all of your child's identified special educational needs (the table after paragraph 9.69 of the Code), so "has SEMH needs" is not enough. Write your own contribution with the same detail; our guide to writing parental views shows how. Describe a typical day and a hard day as they really are: accurate, dated detail is what persuades.

How long it takes and what happens next

Support in school has no fixed deadline, but every SEN support plan should have a review date. The council's process does: a decision on whether to assess within 6 weeks of the request (regulation 5(1)), notice within 16 weeks if it decides not to issue a plan (regulation 10(1)) and a final plan within 20 weeks (regulation 13(2)). Our 20 week timeline sets out each step. If the council refuses to assess or refuses a plan, you can appeal; see what to do after a refusal.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a test for SEMH?

No. Schools assess SEMH needs through the assess, plan, do and review cycle, using observation, their own records, your views and sometimes a screening questionnaire such as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Specialists such as an educational psychologist add their own assessments.

Who assesses SEMH needs?

In school, the teacher and the SENCO assess first and should involve a specialist, such as an educational psychologist, if your child makes little or no progress. In an EHC needs assessment, the council must seek advice from you, the school, a health professional, an educational psychologist and social care.

Can a school diagnose SEMH or a mental health condition?

No. SEMH is an area of need, not a condition, so nobody diagnoses it. Department for Education guidance says only appropriately trained professionals should attempt to diagnose a mental health problem and that school staff should not try. A school can still identify and support SEMH needs without a diagnosis.

Does an EHC needs assessment for SEMH include an educational psychologist?

Yes. Regulation 6(1)(d) of the SEND Regulations 2014 requires the council to seek psychological advice from an educational psychologist. It can rely on an existing report only if the psychologist, the council and you all agree it is sufficient (regulation 6(4)).

Can I ask the council to get advice from CAMHS or another professional?

Yes. Regulation 6(1)(h) requires the council to seek advice from any person you reasonably ask it to. Ask in writing at the start of the assessment and explain why that person's advice matters.

What is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire?

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a screening questionnaire schools can use as part of the graduated approach. Department for Education guidance says it can help schools judge whether a pupil is likely to have a mental health problem and whether support is working. It is not a diagnosis.

How long does an EHC needs assessment for SEMH needs take?

The same as for any other need. The council must decide whether to assess within 6 weeks of the request, and any final EHC plan must be issued within 20 weeks of the request, subject to limited exceptions.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Free specialist help is available from IPSEA and your local SENDIASS, and legal aid may be available depending on your circumstances.