Why EHCP Assist exists
Councils run the EHCP process on case management systems built for the job. Most parents run it from memory, a shoebox of letters and a spreadsheet if they are lucky. That gap is why winnable cases get lost to a missed deadline nobody was tracking. EHCP Assist gives you the same kind of system, for free.
The problem: deadlines nobody is tracking
Every stage of an EHC plan has a legal deadline attached: 6 weeks to decide whether to assess, 20 weeks to issue a final plan, set windows to appeal. Councils track these on internal case systems. You get a stack of letters and the hope that you remember what happened when. When a deadline slips quietly, you lose the leverage that comes with a clear breach, and sometimes you lose the case.
What EHCP Assist is
EHCP Assist is a tool that reads your dates and tells you which deadlines apply, when they are due, and whether the council has met them, with the exact regulation behind each one. The freedeadline checker covers this today, alongsideguides that walk through each stage of the process. A paid case tool, tracking your whole file rather than just the dates, is coming in September.
What EHCP Assist is not
EHCP Assist is not a law firm and we do not give legal advice on your individual case. What we give you is legal information: the dates and the rules that apply to everyone in the same position. For advice on your specific case, IPSEAand your localSENDIASSgive free, individual advice, and we recommend you use them alongside this site.
England only
EHC plans are English law, set out in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Regulations 2014. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run different systems with different names and different rules, so EHCP Assist does not cover them.
Your privacy
The deadline checker runs entirely in your browser. The dates you enter are never sent to us or stored anywhere outside your own device. Read the full detail in our privacy policy.
Who is behind this
EHCP Assist is built by a small team who went through the legislation, the SEND Code of Practice and the regulations line by line, so the checker's dates match what the law actually says rather than what is commonly assumed. If you want to get in touch, see ourcontact page.