We’ve been talking a lot in recent months about work we’re doing to review the way that funding is allocated to children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans, (EHCPs).
It’s because the current system for deciding how much funding a child receives does not always work as well as it should.
Families and schools have said that the current system is inconsistent, with decisions varying between children’s schools or panels.
They say that it’s hard to understand why one child gets one level of funding and another doesn’t.
And they say the current system can lead to long waits, appeals and confusion.
We’ve appointed experts, Peopletoo, an independent organisation with years of experience in helping local authorities across the country to improve the way we work, to review our current EHCP banding framework.
Here’s a recap on what we’re doing, why, what we’ve done so far, what parents and carers have told us so far, what we’re going to do next, and what change families should see as a result.
What is the banding framework and why are we reviewing it?
- Devon County Council has asked Peopletoo, an independent organisation working closely with the Council, to support a review of how funding is allocated to children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). This is called the EHCP ‘Banding Framework’, and it’s how decisions are made about how much top-up funding (Element 3) a child receives, based on their needs.
- The banding framework is the tool that links a child or young person’s level of need to a typical level of support and funding (sometimes known as Element 3 top-up funding). Each “band” represents a general type or level of need and is designed to fund the kind of provision that would usually be required to meet those needs.
- The framework is designed to make funding decisions fair, consistent, and transparent, so that children with similar levels of need receive similar levels of support — no matter which school or setting they attend.
- It’s not about putting children in boxes. Every child is different – but the framework helps make sure that decisions are made fairly and based on what works for children with similar types of needs
- Families and schools have told us that the current system:
- Feels inconsistent — decisions vary between children, schools, or panels.
- Isn’t clear or transparent — it’s hard to understand how decisions are made or why one child gets one level of funding and another doesn’t.
- Is outdated and isn’t fit for purpose – the current framework was developed several years ago and no longer reflects the way schools and services work today
- The aim of this review is to develop a modern, needs-led framework that everyone can understand and trust – one that is clearer, fairer, and more aligned with how education and support are delivered today.
What we’ve done so far
- Listening and discovery: Over summer we held online workshops with parents and carers, surveyed families and met with Parent Carer Forum representatives to learn from your experiences. We heard that 68 % of parents don’t understand how decisions are made and 83 % feel decisions are inconsistent. The clearest message from parents and carers was a request for transparency, simplicity and fairness.
- Co designing the framework: We have drafted a new needs led banding framework, guided by the feedback and priorities we heard from parents, carers, schools and other partners. In October we held more workshops, bringing together parents/carers, schools and council staff to test the draft, telling us what they like and what they’d like to be improved.
What you’ve told us
- Transparency is key: Families want to know how decisions are made, how funding amounts are calculated and what support their child should receive. The current lack of clarity breeds mistrust and forces parents to fight for information. Many of you said that publishing the banding framework would help you understand more about how your child should be supported.
- Consistency and fairness: You asked for a system that applies the same criteria to all children and is moderated so that different case officers reach similar decisions. Many parents shared experiences of inconsistent outcomes and delays.
- Needs led, not provision led: You largely supported a framework that describes a child’s needs rather than the hours of support provided, and that recognises “spiky” profiles where needs vary across domains.
What we’re going to do next
- Refining descriptors: We will be considering all feedback collected at the workshops, determining how this can be used to develop and strengthen the descriptions within the framework. We’ll refine the language to be as simple and clear as possible.
- Testing the draft with a moderation exercise: We’ll evaluate a sample of real EHCPs with the new framework in early November to check the consistency of the draft framework, identifying if the same cases are evaluated similarly by different people.
- Revising funding values against the new banding framework: To set funding values for each band, we will use a tried and tested costing method that draws from real Section F provision. For example, by calculating the provision costs of all the EHCPs determined to be a Band 3 in the moderation exercise, this can inform the amount of top-up funding that Band 3 needs to provide.
- Considering what supporting information is required: We will consider the content on the Devon Local Offer, ensuring it clearly explains how EHCP funding decisions are made, what the different bands mean, and what families can expect at each stage of the process. This will help make the system more transparent and easier to navigate for parents and carers.
What change will I see as a result of this work?
- Children and young people will benefit from more consistent, fair, and needs-based decisions about their support – ensuring resources are targeted where they make the biggest difference.
- Families will have a clearer understanding of how decisions about support and funding are made, helping to build trust and reduce confusion.