Step 8 of 8
Legal & advocacy support — free first
Real free help exists for exactly the kind of form-filling and process support people often pay for.
If you've been quoted or have already paid around £100 for help filling in EHCP-related forms, that's most likely an independent SEN advisor or advocate -- a private, unregulated market charging roughly £50-£150/hour. Worth trying the free options below first; they cover much of the same ground.
- SENDIASS -- statutory, free, and independent of the council; a service exists in every local authority area. Explicitly helps with understanding paperwork, form-filling, and preparing for meetings.
- IPSEA -- free advice line, free template letters for nearly every stage of this process, and a free Tribunal Support Service if it gets that far.
- SOS!SEN -- free helpline plus monthly walk-in advice sessions, including help preparing appeal documents.
- Contact -- free helpline, and a directory of local Parent Carer Forums for peer support and local knowledge.