Check how much of your child's EHCP provision was not delivered
Put in what Section F of the EHC plan says and what actually happened. The shortfall appears as you type, with the Ombudsman's usual remedy range and a letter to the council, already written. For England. Nothing to sign up for, nothing leaves your browser.
In the US, with an IEP? Use the IEP Service Minutes Calculator instead.
One line per provision in Section F
Speech and language therapy, OT, 1:1 support, a specialist teacher: whatever Section F lists separately, count separately. Each one is owed on its own.
The letter to the council, already written
It goes to the council, not the school, because the legal duty is the council's. Fill in the dates and the names in brackets, check the figures against your own records, and keep a copy of what you send.
Where the numbers come from
You need two figures for each line: what Section F specifies and what was delivered. The first is in the plan. The second is the one that takes asking for.
- Section F of the plan
Each line of special educational provision, written as something like “2 hours of speech and language therapy per half-term” or “15 hours a week of 1:1 support”. That is the amount owed. What anyone said at a meeting does not change it; only an amended plan does. - The school's or therapist's records
Timetables, provision maps and therapy session notes show what actually happened. Ask for them in writing, for a set period. If they are not shared, a subject access request under UK GDPR must normally be answered within one month. - Annual review paperwork
Reports for the review often mention a vacant therapy post, a reduced timetable or sessions that stopped. Useful when the records are slow to arrive. - Your own notes
What your child tells you, what staff mentioned, the weeks you know the therapist was off. Not proof on its own, but it tells you which weeks to ask about.
Why count it at all
Missed provision rarely arrives as a decision. A therapist leaves and the post stays empty for a term, 1:1 hours get used to cover a class, sessions quietly move to “when possible”. Each one is small on the day, which is how a year goes by before anyone adds them up.
Counting turns a worry into a figure. “I don't think he's getting his therapy” can be reassured away. “9 of the 24 hours of speech and language therapy in Section F were delivered between September and December” has to be answered, in writing.
Questions people actually ask
Who is responsible when Section F is not delivered: the school or the council?
The council. Section 42(2) of the Children and Families Act 2014 says the local authority must secure the special educational provision specified in the plan. It can arrange that through a school, academy or therapy service, but the duty stays with the council, and the courts have described it as absolute and non-delegable. That is why the letter this tool writes goes to the council's SEND team, copying the school if you want to.
The council says it could not find a therapist. Does that excuse it?
Not in law. The duty is to secure the provision, not to try. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has repeatedly found councils at fault where provision was missed because of staff shortages or commissioning problems. A shortage may explain the gap, but it does not remove the duty to fill it.
Section F just says 'access to' or 'regular' support. Can I still use this?
Only for the parts that are specific. The SEND Code of Practice (9.69) says provision should normally be quantified: what, how much, how often, and by whom. Vague wording is hard to enforce, so the fix for that part is the plan itself, at the annual review or through an appeal to the SEND Tribunal. Count what is quantified, and note what is not.
Will I get compensation?
Maybe, but it is never automatic. If you complain and the council does not put things right, the Ombudsman can investigate. Where it finds fault that caused a loss of educational provision, its guidance says it will usually recommend between £900 and £2,400 per term, depending on the impact on the child, plus making up the missed provision where that is still possible. The range shown by this tool is that guidance, not a promise.
How long do I have?
Complain to the council first, using its complaints procedure. If that does not resolve it, you can go to the Ombudsman, normally within 12 months of when you became aware of the problem. Do not wait for a perfect record: a letter with your best figures, sent now, starts the clock working for you.
Does this work in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. This tool follows the law in England. Wales uses Individual Development Plans under the Additional Learning Needs Act 2018, Scotland uses Co-ordinated Support Plans, and Northern Ireland still uses Statements. The arithmetic still works anywhere, but the letter and the Ombudsman figures are English.
Is this legal advice, and does anything I type get sent anywhere?
No to both. It is arithmetic and a letter template, not advice about your case. For that, your local SENDIASS service is free and impartial, and every council area has one. Nothing you type leaves your browser: there is no account and no server, so copy the letter somewhere safe before you close the page.