Understanding EHCP flags

EHCP flags are observations raised by SENVault when it analyses your child's Education, Health and Care Plan. They highlight areas of the document that may be legally problematic, insufficiently specific, or inconsistent with your uploaded evidence.

What triggers a flag

SENVault reviews the EHCP against established legal standards, primarily the SEND Code of Practice and case law, and looks for common problems that parents, advocates, and solicitors encounter in disputes.

Flags are raised when SENVault identifies:

Vague or non-specific language: Phrases like "access to support as appropriate" or "provision will be reviewed" do not constitute legally enforceable provision. The EHCP Code requires provision to be specific, detailed, and quantified.

Unquantified provision: If Section F describes therapy support without stating frequency, duration, and who will deliver it, this is a flag. "Speech and language therapy" is not sufficient; "45 minutes of direct SALT intervention per week, delivered by a qualified SALT" is.

Section B/F disconnect: If Section B (Needs) describes a need that is not addressed by any provision in Section F, this is flagged as a potential gap. Unmet needs in Section F are a common ground of appeal.

Evidence inconsistency: If your uploaded reports describe a need the EHCP does not acknowledge, or describes it as less significant than the professional evidence suggests, this is flagged for your review.

Missing statutory content: Certain sections have required content under the Code. If they are absent or appear incomplete, SENVault will flag this.

What a flag looks like

Each flag shows:

• Section: which part of the EHCP it relates to (e.g. Section B, Section F)
• Excerpt: the relevant text from the EHCP
• Issue: a plain-English description of the problem
• Severity: advisory, moderate, or significant
• Suggested action: what you might want to do about it

Flag severity levels

Advisory: worth noting, but not necessarily a strong legal challenge. Often relates to wording that could be strengthened or evidence that is not fully represented.

Moderate: an area where the EHCP appears to fall below the standard required by the Code. Worth raising at annual review or in correspondence with the LA.

Significant: an area that may constitute a legal deficiency and could form the basis of a First-tier Tribunal appeal. Always review significant flags with an advocate or solicitor.

Working through your flags

From the EHCP Tracking section, open your active EHCP and select the Flags tab. You can:

• Review each flag and read the detail
• Add notes: your own context, or the response from the LA
• Mark as reviewed: to track which you have worked through
• Dismiss: if a flag does not apply in your child's context