Local authority SEND teams are working hard to improve the quality and consistency of Education, Health and Care Plans.

This five-part series shares what we’re learning from working alongside councils – focusing on common challenges, what’s getting in the way, and how teams are strengthening EHCPs in practical ways.

About the series

Each episode focuses on a specific area councils have told us makes a real difference to EHCP quality.

Rather than theory, the series is grounded in what’s happening in practice – reflecting the realities of multi-agency working, time pressures, and the need for clarity and consistency across plans.

The five key areas:

The Golden Thread

Ensuring clear alignment between needs, provision and outcomes to improve defensibility and coherence across plans.

Specific and quantified provision

Making provision clearer, more precise and easier to commission and deliver.

SMART outcomes

Strengthening outcome clarity so progress can be meaningfully reviewed and evidenced.

Gaps, inconsistencies and contradictions

Identifying where advice doesn't align and resolving issues before plans are finalised.

Retaining local templates and workflows

Improving quality without disrupting established processes, templates or expectations.

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‍What we’re seeing across councils

A consistent approach is emerging across all five areas. Councils are improving EHCP quality not by replacing everything, but by strengthening how plans are written, reviewed and aligned – making them clearer, more consistent and easier to use in practice.

This includes:

• Improving clarity without adding unnecessary complexity  
• Strengthening quality assurance earlier in the process  
• Supporting consistency across multi-agency input  
• Retaining local ways of working while improving outcomes  

Why this matters

When EHCPs are clearer and more consistent:

• Plans are easier to implement in practice  
• Reviews become more meaningful  
• Provision is easier to commission  
• Disputes and rework reduce  
• Families and settings have greater confidence in the plan

Strengthen EHCP quality across your service

We’re happy to share what other councils are learning and applying in practice.