Little Nellies · For legal professionals
Placement and provision analysis for SEND cases
Provider information and proposed provision need to be considered against the child or young person’s needs. This page explains the placement-related analysis already included in our EHCP Evidence Pack, rather than advertising a new standalone placement service.
An evidence-led comparison
The current EHCP Evidence Pack includes brokerage, at least two provider profiles, provision analysis and comparison with the plan. For an instructing solicitor, the purpose is to make the relevant evidence and unanswered questions easier to understand.
The distinction between a provider’s description of its offer and evidence of what can be delivered for a particular child matters. Availability, admissions decisions, funding arrangements and the actual provision on offer may change. Relevant facts need to be checked for the proposed instruction.
Analysis should identify its sources and limitations. A profile is not a guarantee of a place, an offer of admission or a promise that a local authority or Tribunal will name the setting.
Useful questions for the instruction
- Which needs and proposed provision are central to the dispute or decision?
- What does the current or draft EHCP say, and what evidence supports the requested changes?
- What information is available from the providers, and which points need confirmation?
- Are the compared options addressing the same needs and assumptions?
- What is outside the practitioner’s expertise or cannot be resolved from the documents supplied?
A defined contribution to the case
The solicitor should set the legal and procedural context, including the matters in dispute and any directions. Our contribution is the agreed professional evidence or preparation work. It does not replace a solicitor’s advice about placement tests, appeal grounds or legal submissions.
Where the underlying evidence has not first been reviewed, an Evidence Review may be a useful starting point. If detailed assessment, provider profiles and provision analysis are required, discuss the Evidence Pack and confirm whether its scope fits the case.
A working document is a separate task: it records proposed changes to EHCP wording. A placement comparison does not automatically include negotiation, drafting the working document or attendance at the hearing.
Questions about placement analysis
Can you guarantee a suitable school place?
No. Provider profiles and analysis do not guarantee availability, admission, funding or a particular Tribunal outcome. Any live placement information must be checked.
Can I instruct only the provider comparison?
Ask us to confirm. The published Evidence Pack is the existing service basis for the work described here. A separate instruction, deliverables and fee require agreement.
Does this include educational psychology or therapy assessment?
Not unless that specific professional input is expressly agreed and an appropriately qualified practitioner is available. A social-care assessment or provision comparison should not be presented as another profession’s assessment.
Related services and guidance
Official sources
The statutory and Tribunal references below concern England. They provide context for the instruction; the instructing solicitor remains responsible for legal advice and the conduct of the case.
Discuss a professional instruction
Tell us your firm, the type of evidence needed, the case stage and any relevant deadline. We will confirm whether the instruction fits our expertise, who would undertake it, the scope, fee and availability before work is agreed. Do not send a bundle or identifying information about a child through an initial general enquiry. Ask us to agree a secure route for case documents.