Free Canary SEND Toolkit: Getting the EHCP Right, From Draft to Final (2026 Edition): Guide, Working Document Template, Letters and Mediation Planner
An EHC plan is only as strong as its wording. If your child’s needs are missing from Section B, or the provision in Section F is vague, it can be very hard to make sure they actually get the support they need. Yet families are rarely told how to check a plan properly, or how to keep pushing for changes once it’s been finalised.
This toolkit takes you through it step by step, from the first draft plan through to mediation and, if you need it, the SEND Tribunal. It covers:
Your rights at draft stage, including your 15 days to respond, asking for more time, and asking for a meeting.
Reviewing Sections B, F, E and I. It shows what good wording looks like and when flexibility is appropriate.
What counts as evidence, and why there’s no simple hierarchy of reports.
Setting out your proposed changes in working document format, with footnotes and comment boxes and the tribunal’s key, using the method I use in my own casework.
What a final plan means. It is enforceable from day one, and challenging it doesn’t mean rejecting it.
Challenging after an annual review, including when the council decides not to change the plan.
What to do if the final plan or decision letter is late, and the deadlines the council must meet.
What to do if the council offers to look at a final plan again, without losing your right to appeal.
Using mediation strategically, and getting what’s agreed in writing with dates.
Appealing, including the SEND35 form, long waits for hearings, SEND7 requests and how the working document can lead to a consent order.
What happens if an annual review falls while your appeal is waiting for a hearing.
What you can do if the council doesn’t follow a Tribunal order.
What the proposed SEND reforms could mean. None of them are law yet.
What’s included
A 42-page guide (PDF)
A working document template (Word), with worked examples
A letters pack (Word) with 8 editable letters
A mediation planner (Word), with an action log and deadline tracker
This toolkit is based on my years of supporting families with their EHC plans, my legal training with IPSEA, and my own experience as a SEND parent. It explains the law in England in general terms and is not legal advice about your individual situation.
All Canary SEND toolkits are free. If you’ve found this one helpful and are able to, you can add an optional contribution at checkout to help keep them free for every family.
How to download
When you check out, you’ll be asked for your name, email address and address. Squarespace’s checkout requires an address even for free downloads. I don’t use it for anything other than keeping a record of your order. You’ll also be asked to tick a box confirming the toolkit is for your own family or personal use.
Once you’ve checked out, your download links will appear on the next page. You’ll also get two emails: one confirming your order, and one with your download links. The links expire after 24 hours, but clicking an expired link will send you a new one. If the emails don’t arrive, please check your spam or junk folder first. If you still have any problems, get in touch at info@canary-send.co.uk.
Free for families and individuals. Professionals and organisations, please get in touch before using it.
An EHC plan is only as strong as its wording. If your child’s needs are missing from Section B, or the provision in Section F is vague, it can be very hard to make sure they actually get the support they need. Yet families are rarely told how to check a plan properly, or how to keep pushing for changes once it’s been finalised.
This toolkit takes you through it step by step, from the first draft plan through to mediation and, if you need it, the SEND Tribunal. It covers:
Your rights at draft stage, including your 15 days to respond, asking for more time, and asking for a meeting.
Reviewing Sections B, F, E and I. It shows what good wording looks like and when flexibility is appropriate.
What counts as evidence, and why there’s no simple hierarchy of reports.
Setting out your proposed changes in working document format, with footnotes and comment boxes and the tribunal’s key, using the method I use in my own casework.
What a final plan means. It is enforceable from day one, and challenging it doesn’t mean rejecting it.
Challenging after an annual review, including when the council decides not to change the plan.
What to do if the final plan or decision letter is late, and the deadlines the council must meet.
What to do if the council offers to look at a final plan again, without losing your right to appeal.
Using mediation strategically, and getting what’s agreed in writing with dates.
Appealing, including the SEND35 form, long waits for hearings, SEND7 requests and how the working document can lead to a consent order.
What happens if an annual review falls while your appeal is waiting for a hearing.
What you can do if the council doesn’t follow a Tribunal order.
What the proposed SEND reforms could mean. None of them are law yet.
What’s included
A 42-page guide (PDF)
A working document template (Word), with worked examples
A letters pack (Word) with 8 editable letters
A mediation planner (Word), with an action log and deadline tracker
This toolkit is based on my years of supporting families with their EHC plans, my legal training with IPSEA, and my own experience as a SEND parent. It explains the law in England in general terms and is not legal advice about your individual situation.
All Canary SEND toolkits are free. If you’ve found this one helpful and are able to, you can add an optional contribution at checkout to help keep them free for every family.
How to download
When you check out, you’ll be asked for your name, email address and address. Squarespace’s checkout requires an address even for free downloads. I don’t use it for anything other than keeping a record of your order. You’ll also be asked to tick a box confirming the toolkit is for your own family or personal use.
Once you’ve checked out, your download links will appear on the next page. You’ll also get two emails: one confirming your order, and one with your download links. The links expire after 24 hours, but clicking an expired link will send you a new one. If the emails don’t arrive, please check your spam or junk folder first. If you still have any problems, get in touch at info@canary-send.co.uk.
Free for families and individuals. Professionals and organisations, please get in touch before using it.