Why We're Building Better Evidence Tools for the EHCP Process
A deeper insight into the education system
At Lowercase, we keep hearing the same story from families and schools. The child clearly needs more support, but nobody can show it in a form the system will accept.
The evidence problem
An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) can transform a child's education, but getting one depends on proof. Local authorities look for records of what school has tried, how the child responded, and professional assessments that back it up. Families often hold pieces of this puzzle in email chains, paper folders and half-remembered conversations. Schools hold other pieces. Rarely does anyone hold the full picture in one place.
The clock is unforgiving
The SEND Code of Practice and the SEND Regulations 2014 set clear timescales. The local authority has up to six weeks to decide whether to assess. Anyone asked for advice should provide it within six weeks. The whole process should take no more than 20 weeks from the request.
In practice, many families wait far longer. Leeds City Council, for example, reported an average of 54 weeks to issue a plan as of September 2025. Delays like this are often made worse by evidence that is missing, undated or scattered across many sources. Every gap gives the process another reason to stall.
Where technology can help
We don't believe technology should replace professional judgement. Our aim is to remove the friction around it. That means:
• One organised record: concerns, interventions, outcomes and reports kept together and clearly dated.
• Clear timelines: so families and schools can see where a request stands against the statutory deadlines.
• Structured, accessible information: designed for parents and educators, not just specialists, and built with SEND needs in mind, because many families navigating this process have SEND themselves.
• Sharing on your terms: evidence that can be passed to professionals without repeating the same story to each new person
What guides our approach
Families and practitioners should shape what we build from the start, not be consulted at the end. Our claims should be backed by evidence, especially in a sector that has seen plenty of overpromising. And no tool can fix long waiting lists or under-resourced services. Better organisation helps, but it works alongside investment in the system, not in place of it.
A moment of change
The Schools White Paper of February 2026 proposes significant SEND reform, but no changes to the support given by EHCPs will begin before September 2030. Until the law changes, the SEND Code of Practice 2015 still applies. Families need practical help now, and clear, well-kept evidence is likely to matter whatever the future system looks like.
Our aim
Every child with SEND deserves support that arrives on time and reflects who they really are. If we can make the evidence side of that process clearer, faster and less exhausting, we will have done something worthwhile.
If you're a parent, school or professional who would like to help shape what we build, we'd love to hear from you, please get in touch.