Responding to the Public Accounts Committee’s Findings: EHCP Plus

Responding to the Public Accounts Committee’s Findings: EHCP Plus

15 January 2025|AI Adoption, SEND, Workforce

How EHCP Plus Supports a Struggling SEND System

The Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) recent report on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) highlights a familiar reality: demand for SEND services is soaring, resources are stretched, and children are too often left waiting for the support they need. The report underlines that these systemic issues result in delayed and inconsistent EHCPs, placing undue stress on families and professionals alike.

Against this backdrop, EHCP Plus has emerged as a genuine game-changer. Designed to tackle many of the administrative burdens the PAC report points out, EHCP Plus uses generative AI to do the “heavy lifting” in drafting EHCPs. Below, we discuss the key challenges raised by the PAC and outline how EHCP Plus helps to address them.

1. Rising Demand and Lengthy Delays

PAC Concern:
The PAC report draws attention to significant delays and backlogs in processing EHCP requests. Data shows a 55% increase in demand for SEND services from 2017 to 2023, creating a bottleneck that leaves children and families uncertain about when support will arrive.

How EHCP Plus Helps:

• Faster Drafting: By automatically generating around 80% of an EHCP’s first draft, EHCP Plus reduces the time case workers spend writing documents from scratch.
• Immediate Impact: This efficiency can help local authorities clear their backlog faster, enabling them to process more EHCPs within statutory deadlines.

2. Complexity of Children’s Needs

PAC Concern:
As children with SEND present increasingly diverse and complex needs, EHCPs must reflect this complexity thoroughly. The PAC highlights the risk of “cookie-cutter” plans that fail to capture a child’s full range of requirements.

How EHCP Plus Helps:

• Information Synthesis: EHCP Plus “reads” multiple documents (medical records, social work notes, school support plans, etc.) and draws out key points to build a robust foundation for each draft.
• Consistent Quality: By using a consistent, AI-driven approach to collate information, it aims to standardise the basic structure of every EHCP while still allowing for professional judgement and tailoring based on the nuance and complexity of every child.

3. Budgetary Constraints

PAC Concern:
Local authorities are facing significant financial pressures, with the Society of County Treasurers estimating a £3.6bn deficit nationally by 2025. Strained budgets mean it’s harder to invest in new systems or additional staff—yet the PAC warns that without action, the gap between demand and provision will widen.

How EHCP Plus Helps:

• Resource Efficiency: By reducing administrative hours on each EHCP, local authorities can potentially reallocate staff time towards higher-value tasks, such as direct support for children and families.
• Scalable Solution: EHCP Plus is designed to integrate within existing workflows, so even under tight budgets, it can help ensure that every EHCP meets a consistent standard.

4. Workforce Under Pressure

PAC Concern:
The PAC highlights the pressure on SEND professionals, citing missed statutory deadlines and increased workloads. Surveys indicate 84% of SEND case workers can’t complete their work within normal hours, and 76% report high stress levels.

How EHCP Plus Helps:

• Reduced Admin Burden: By automating much of the text generation, EHCP Plus helps case workers focus on more meaningful tasks, such as engaging directly with children, families, and other professionals.
• Improved Staff Wellbeing: Less paperwork and fewer repetitive tasks can alleviate stress, potentially boosting retention and morale among case workers.

5. Timely, High-Quality EHCPs for Every Child

PAC Concern:
At the heart of the PAC’s findings is the concern that children with SEND are not receiving consistent and timely support. Lengthy wait times for EHCPs can have a lasting negative impact on a child’s education and wellbeing.

How EHCP Plus Helps:

• Speeding Up the Process By  producing a solid first draft of the EHCP, case workers can focus on  refining the plan rather than starting from a blank page.
• Ensuring Quality The  AI tool collates information from multiple sources, helping ensure the  EHCP reflects the child’s holistic needs. Professionals then review and  fine-tune the draft to maintain the personalised approach that each child  requires.  

A Practical Step Toward Meeting the PAC’s Recommendations

While the PAC’s report calls for broad structural reforms and additional resources, EHCP Plus offers a practical, immediate step that local authorities can take to improve their SEND provision. By streamlining EHCP drafting, it:

• Reduces Delays so children receive support earlier.
• Maintains Consistency across every plan.
• Frees Case Workers to spend more time with families.
• Maximises Tight Budgets by using technology to reduce repetitive tasks.

Looking Ahead

The Public Accounts Committee has issued a clear call to action: we must find ways to deliver EHCPs more efficiently and fairly, so every child can thrive. EHCP Plus aims to be part of the solution, offering case workers the technology to handle rising workloads without sacrificing quality or compassion.

If you’re interested in learning more about how EHCP Plus can help your local authority respond to the PAC’s findings, visit our website at www.ehcp.plus or get in touch with Emma emma@outcomesmatter.co.uk

Together, we can ensure that every EHCP is delivered in a timely, high-quality manner—giving children with SEND the support they deserve.

‍