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Supporting parents with EHCPs, annual reviews, mediation, tribunal appeals and legally informed SEND advocacy across England.
Supporting parents with EHCPs, annual reviews, mediation, tribunal appeals and legally informed SEND advocacy across England.
Support with EHC needs assessment requests, evidence review and legally-grounded guidance for parents seeking an EHCP assessment for their child.
Detailed EHCP draft reviews identifying vague wording, missing provision and legally enforceable amendments across Sections B-K.
Strategic annual review support including evidence analysis, proposed amendments, placement concerns and legally compliant EHCP recommendations.
SEND mediation preparation and advocacy support to help parents present clear concerns regarding EHCP provision, placement and Local Authority decisions.
Legally-informed SEND Tribunal support including appeal grounds, working documents, evidence review and EHCP amendment drafting.
Tailored SEND advocacy and EHCP support for complex cases including school issues, provision concerns, communication difficulties and case strategy.
Please reach us on our enquiry form or at admin@squaredsendsupport.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.
A SEND advocate supports families navigating the SEND system, including Education, Health and Care Plans (otherwise known as EHCPs), EHC needs assessments, annual reviews, mediation, and SEND Tribunal appeals. A vital part of their role is to ensure that children and young people's entitlement to an equitable, safe and accessible education- as their right is identified in law- is able to happen in practice.
At Squared SEND Advocacy & Support, support is focused on helping parents understand professional reports, identify unlawful or vague EHCP wording, prepare evidence, drafting paperwork and ensuring that a child or young person’s needs, outcomes and provision are accurately reflected.
This may include (but not limited to!):
Support is independent, legally informed, and centred on ensuring that educational provision is specific, quantified, and enforceable.
Not always.
Many families choose to work with an independent SEND advocate for SEND Tribunal appeals, particularly where they want detailed support with evidence, EHCP wording, working documents, and preparation for mediation or hearings.
SEND advocacy can help families:
While SEND advocates are not usually solicitors, many families prefer a more collaborative and parent-focused approach to navigating the SEND process.
I would always recommend checking whether you may be entitled to 'Legal Aid' contribution for a Solicitor who accepts this. Please note that Legal Aid would not usually cover representation at a Tribunal hearing if a Solicitor firm takes on your case.
There is currently no single regulated qualification pathway for SEND advocacy in England, which can make it difficult for families to know what experience or knowledge to look for when seeking support.
Every advocate will have different professional backgrounds, training and lived experience. However, where a family is seeking support with EHCPs, annual reviews, mediation or SEND Tribunal appeals, it can be helpful to consider whether a SEND advocate has:
Families may also wish to consider whether an advocate’s communication style, approach and areas of experience align with their child or young person’s individual needs.
Some families prefer highly legalistic support, while others may value a more collaborative, neurodiversity-informed or trauma-informed approach.
When choosing a SEND advocate, it is reasonable for families to ask about:
The SEND process can feel overwhelming for many families. Finding support that feels knowledgeable, clear, and aligned with your child or young person’s needs is often one of the most important parts of navigating the process
Yes. We are based in Somerset in the South West of England, but support is available remotely for families across England.
Most SEND advocacy work can be carried out effectively by email, telephone and video call, including:
Remote support allows families to access independent SEND advocacy regardless of their Local Authority area and our families are based across the breadth of England
Yes, absolutely!
Support is available for:
This includes reviewing evidence, identifying legal arguments, preparing appeal paperwork, and helping families understand what evidence may strengthen their case.
Many families are unaware that a child does not need a diagnosis in order to qualify for an EHC needs assessment or EHCP.
EHCP provision should be specific, quantified, detailed, and enforceable.
Vague wording such as:
often creates difficulties because it does not clearly specify what support must actually be delivered.
Legally compliant Section F provision should clearly identify:
Clear and enforceable wording is essential to ensuring that a child or young person’s educational needs are properly supported in practice, not simply described within the EHCP to never be delivered as intended.
Yes.
Annual reviews are an important opportunity to identify whether an EHCP still accurately reflects a child or young person’s needs, provision, placement and educational progress.
Support may include:
This can be particularly important during phase transfer years or where a child or young person is experiencing school-based anxiety, burnout, unmet need, or placement breakdown.
Yes- of course.
Support is available for families of autistic and neurodivergent children and young people experiencing:
Professional reports do not always fully explore the functional impact of burnout or why an education setting may have become inaccessible.
Support focuses on ensuring that evidence properly reflects the barriers affecting access to education, the impact on day-to-day functioning, and what provision may realistically be required to support education safely and sustainably.
Yes.
Support is available for families of children and young people with medical needs, physical disabilities, chronic illness, and complex health conditions where those needs are impacting access to education, attendance, learning, emotional wellbeing, fatigue, mobility, sensory regulation, or day-to-day functioning.
This may include children and young people experiencing:
Professional reports and EHCPs do not always fully reflect the functional impact of medical or physical needs on a child or young person’s ability to access education safely, consistently and sustainably.
Support focuses on ensuring that educational provision accurately reflects:
This may include support in relation to EHCPs, annual reviews, medically-based placement concerns, reduced timetables, Section 19 duties, specialist provision, alternative provision, or SEND Tribunal appeals.
It is often helpful to seek support as early as possible, particularly where:
Early preparation can provide more time to identify gaps in evidence, strengthen written submissions, and ensure that important issues are addressed before deadlines arise.
However, we do appreciate that this isn't always possible for families so please don't feel that coming to us with short deadlines is a barrier- we will help if we can
If your child’s EHCP is unclear, not specific, or missing the support they need, or you have received a refusal to assess or issue an Education, Health and Care Plan, you are not alone.
Many parents seek support when an EHCP does not reflect their child’s needs, provision is vague or unenforceable, or a Local Authority has failed to follow the law.
Local Authorities have clear legal duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice. Where these duties are not met, parents have the right to challenge decisions through appeals, mediation, and tribunal.
Squared SEND Advocacy & Support provides independent, legally-informed SEND advocacy to help you:
• Understand your legal position
• Identify where the Local Authority is not meeting its duties
• Take clear, proportionate, evidence-based action to secure the right support for your child
If you have any queries or would like to learn more about our EHCP support or other advocacy services, please contact us using the button or via the email address below. We always aim to get back to you within 24 hours.
Copyright © 2026 Squared SEND Advocacy and Support - All Rights Reserved.
Squared SEND Advocacy & Support provides advice and advocacy support. I am not a solicitor and do not provide legal representation.
Families remain responsible for submitting documents and correspondence unless otherwise agreed.