Bright Journeys SEND Advocacy - Louise Williams

23/07/2026

Waiting until you have all the evidence and then amending the working document will save you a lot of time, rather than amending, getting evidence, amending again, getting further evidence, amending again, etc!
Reach out if you need support.
[email protected]
www.brightjourneysadvocacy.co.uk

21/07/2026

The Local Authority should send you a working document if you are appealing sections B & F of an EHCP. If they haven't, ask them to send one to you. You will receive Tribunal Case Directions from the Tribunal which will include a deadline of when the working document with both parties' amendments needs to be submitted, but you can continue to work on it after that date. The working document is a tool to try and narrow down the key issues and either resolve the issues before the hearing or reduce the issues to be resolved at the hearing.
If you need support with amending a working document, this is a service I offer, please reach out.
Louise x
[email protected]
www.brightjourneysadvocacy.co.uk

18/07/2026

I have had some families asking if I will be closed for the Summer holidays. I am open all year round to support families, so it will be business as usual during the Summer holidays too.
If you are looking for a draft check, support with a tribunal appeal or mediation, or any other support, please reach out.
www.brightjourneysadvocacy.co.uk
[email protected]
Louise x

16/07/2026

Following on from my last post on SEND Tribunal bundle page limits, there are two simple ways to stay within your bundle page limit:
1. Prioritise. Not every document is equally important. Rank your evidence by how relevant it is and the impact it would have in the case.

Essential evidence- Reports that directly address the disputed issues (e.g. an EP report outlining needs, a SALT report recommending specific provision)
Supporting evidence - evidence that provides context, for example school data.
Supplementary evidence - evidence which may be slightly relevant but not central to the issues in dispute.
Include essential evidence in full. Include supporting evidence selectively (e.g. extracts rather than the whole report). Consider excluding supplementary evidence altogether.

2. Use summaries and extracts.
You do not have to include every single page of every report. For lengthy documents, you could include a summary page with references to the full documents. The tribunal can always request the originals if needed.

For professional reports, include the full report if it is directly relevant to the disputed issues. If only certain sections are relevant you can include an extract instead.

You can always request to go over a page limit by submitting a request for change form (SEND7) and asking the SEND Tribunal's permission.

14/07/2026

Practice Direction No. 1 of 2025 divides the bundle into different parts which have their own page limits.
Part 1: The Core Tribunal bundle (100 page limit)
Part 2: The EHC Plan and section K appendices (150 page limit) in appeals where an EHCP has been issued.
Parts 3-7 Per Party Evidence. The page limits per party vary according to appeal type:

Refusal to assess or reassess 75 pages
Refusal to issue an EHC Plan 100 pages
Sections B and F (needs and provision) 100 pages
Section I (placement or naming) 75 pages
Combined appeals e.g. B/F/I Limits are cumulative: 100 pages for B and F plus 75 pages for I, so 175 pages each party.
Cease to maintain 75 pages (plus the relevant section limits if you also appeal sections of the Plan)
Health or social care recommendation (extended appeal) 75 pages.

Carefully consider the evidence you need, prioritising evidence directly relevant to the case.

If you need more pages, you must apply to the SEND Tribunal using the Request for Change (SEND7) form explaining why additional pages are necessary. Do not simply exceed the limit as the tribunal may refuse to consider evidence beyond it.

12/07/2026

Just a reminder about the free Introduction to SEND Law training coming up on the 22nd July for parents/carers in the South East of England!

Join us for one of our virtual SEND law training sessions this July and August. Our training is delivered by a member of our legal team and is designed to help families of children and young people with SEND secure the education their child is entitled to by law.

Thanks to a donation from The Peter Harrison Foundation, we are pleased to offer our 'Introduction to SEND law' training on 22 July for free to parents and carers in the South East (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex). Please note, a £10 deposit will be payable at the time of booking and refunded upon attendance.

Book your place today: https://www.ipsea.org.uk/Pages/Events/Category/upcoming-training-events-for-parents-and-carers

12/07/2026

11/07/2026

I have heard from some parents being told by services or the local authority that they are not able to ask that a non-section 41 school is considered for their child or young person's EHCP.
This is simply not true.

Under section 38(3) of the Children and Families Act (CFA) 2014, the types of settings you have a right to request are:
- a maintained school or nursery (mainstream or special)
- an Academy (mainstream or special)
- an institution in the Further Education sector
- a non-maintained special school, and
- a section 41 school.
And yes, an independent setting is not on this list. However, you can ask your LA to consider naming a non-section 41 school and they must take into account your views, wishes and feelings, as well as your child's, which is set out in section 19 CFA 2014, as well as having regard that pupils are to be educated in accordance with the parent's wishes, as long as it is compatible with the provision of efficient training and instruction, and the avoidance of unreasonable public expenditure, as set out in section 9 of the Education Act 1996.

If you are asking for a non-section 41 school to be considered when the EHCP is in draft form ('making representations'), you should evidence that the school has offered a place and the setting is appropriate, none of the LA suggested schools can meet need or, if they can meet need, that the cost of the non-section 41 school is not unreasonable public expenditure.

An offer of a place is needed from the school, as the LA cannot make an independent setting accept a pupil with an EHC Plan, and neither can tribunal, unless there is an offer of a place.

09/07/2026

Today is World Misophonia Awareness Day.
Time to try and raise awareness of this seemingly little known and little studied neurological disorder that can seriously compromise daily functioning, socialising and ultimately mental health, causing anxiety, hyper vigilance and low self esteem.
Having personal experience of Misophonia as a parent, I have seen first hand the debilitating effects it can have and the huge impact it has on daily life for the person experiencing it and those around them.
🧡

07/07/2026

Along with the free guidance and support in my Bright Journeys SEND advocacy EHCP & SEND Facebook group for parents/carers of children with SEND, and the educational content I share, I also offer paid SEND advocacy support through Bright Journeys Advocacy. Services and prices below:
EHC Needs assessment £40 – £120
This service includes:
- support with parental EHC needs assessment requests
- EHC needs assessment request submission review (checking parent/carer’s request before submitting)
- Full EHC needs assessment request prepared by us, ready for parent/carer to submit.
EHCP and draft EHCP checks £230
This service includes:
- reading through EHCP/draft EHCP and up to 3 professional reports (additional reports at a fee of £30 each)
- cross referencing professional reports to ensure sections B and F are accurate and reflect child’s needs and professionals’ recommendations
- checking language is compliant
- checking provision is specified and quantified
Tribunal Appeal support £210 – £360
This service includes:
- support with Refusal to Assess appeals £210
- support with Refusal to Issue appeals £230
- support with Contents and/or Placement appeals (B, F and/or I) £360
Working Document support £330
This service includes:
- A case review of up to 4 professional reports*
- Cross-referencing of up to 4 professional reports with the working document
- Identification of issues in dispute and checking the wording of the Working Document for compliance
- Amending the working document using the SEND Tribunal’s standard key, in agreement with parents/carers.
- Version 2 working document ready to return back to the LA
- 1 x 30 minute support call if needed
*each additional report is £40
Please note – further support past this point of the process will be charged at £40 per hour.
Annual Review/Co-production support £40 per hour
This service includes:
- Preparation before the meeting, including a rigorous case review
- Attending the meeting (online)
- follow up call after the meeting to discuss next steps
Professional report checks £40 per report
This service includes:
- Proof-reading professional reports to ensure they are specific and quantified
- checking they contain compliant language
- If the report is to be used in a SEND tribunal, checking the report is compliant with the SEND Tribunal’s updated guidelines.
Ad-Hoc Services £40 per hour
This can include:
- Attending/advocating in school meetings (via TEAMS)
- Problem-solving calls
- Next step advice
- Mediation support
- Meeting preparation
-Support with DLA applications
- drafting complaint letters
- and more
Please note – I am not a legal representative, I do not represent clients at tribunal, but can attend and support as an advocate.
If you need support or want to check availability, please message me at [email protected]