The power of facilitated EHCP moderation sessions

The Ofsted framework places significant emphasis on the local area partnership's approach to the development, oversight, and quality assurance of EHCPs. For senior SEND leaders who have already invested in Invision360's EHCP QA module, there's an opportunity to unlock even greater value through our facilitated moderation sessions.

Why moderation sessions matter

Achieving consistency in EHCP auditing is one of the most persistent challenges facing local authorities. When auditing plans independently, variations in interpretation and grading are inevitable. But these discrepancies don't just represent a quality assurance concern, they impact the ability to demonstrate robust improvement practices during Ofsted inspections.

Our facilitated moderation sessions directly address this challenge by bringing auditors and multi agency staff together to explore "what does good look like?" for your specific local authority context. Using the moderation features built into the Invision360 EHCP QA module, these sessions create space for the discussions that drive genuine consistency and a cohesive approach to ‘what good looks like’.

Guided, collaborative, actionable

What sets our moderation sessions apart is the side-by-side view within the module which allows your teams to see exactly where different groups have diverged in their judgements, section by section.

Key benefits for your Local Authority

Simple to run sessions: Your team simply selects the plan and gathers your auditors and multi agency staff, we handle the facilitation, structure, and delivery. No need to design the session, create materials, or navigate difficult conversations about grading differences.

Immediate insight into trends: Within a single session, you'll identify themes and inconsistencies in judgements, creating clear next steps for training and development.

Evidence for continuous improvement: We provide summary slides after the session, giving you concrete evidence of your quality assurance journey to present during Ofsted inspections or to stakeholders.

Genuine multi-agency learning: By leading group discussions that bring health, social care, and education professionals together, we facilitate peer learning opportunities that strengthen the multiagency approach to quality improvements.

The strategic value: A Head of Service perspective

Wendy Young, Head of Service – Inclusion & Special Educational Needs & Disabilities at Bury Council, has seen firsthand how moderation sessions transform local authority practice. When asked about investing time and resources in these sessions, she's clear about the impact:

"I'd say the biggest benefit is the clarity and consistency it brings to EHCPs. When teams take time to moderate together, they build a shared understanding of what 'good' really looks like, not just in theory, but in practice."

For Wendy, the collaborative approach goes beyond achieving consistency. It fundamentally strengthens the quality of plans and outcomes for children and young people:

"Bringing people together from education, health, and social care helps build a shared understanding of what good support really looks like for children and young people with SEND. It's not just about having a common vision, it's about making sure everyone's on the same page, combining their expertise to shape better, more joined-up plans. That shared understanding also helps ensure the EHCP itself is legally compliant, clearly reflecting the child or young person's needs and meeting statutory requirements."

From inconsistency to robust quality assurance

The difference in practice is tangible. Wendy explains how moderation sessions have changed the way her teams identify and address quality issues:

"In the past, auditors might have had different ideas about what made an EHCP 'good enough.' One might accept vague outcomes, while another expected more detail. That led to inconsistency and missed opportunities to improve quality. Through moderation sessions, auditors have built a shared understanding not just of what good looks like, but also of how plans are graded. Everyone's working to the same standards, applying the criteria in the same way. That consistency means quality issues are identified more confidently, feedback is clearer, and EHCPs are robustly audited."

Feedback from local authority partners

The impact of these sessions is best captured in the voices of professionals who've participated:

"I enjoyed engaging with colleagues from different areas of the partnership to share challenges and experiences."

"It was very informative and I found it useful to moderate an EHCP with colleagues and know that we had the same or similar views on what was within the EHCP."

"Working with colleagues to discuss a case was helpful. We had a good discussion, and I learned a lot for future audits. I also appreciated hearing from others with different experiences, such as in care or health."

"Really valuable to discuss this specific EHCP and the reasons for different perceptions. It helped to identify some points of challenge in the process."

"Provides a collaborative opportunity for colleagues to come together to share expertise, thoughts and knowledge of EHCPs."

"The opportunity to discuss the process and use of the module was helpful. We shared thoughts about the individual EHCP and our responses. It was great to have the opportunity to think about our LA forms and the questions we are asking parents/carers, C/YP and professionals when collating information for the EHCNA process. It's so much more powerful to work face to face with colleagues."

The next steps:

We've designed the process to be as seamless as possible for busy SEND teams:

1. Express interest: Contact your Customer Success lead to discuss dates that work for your team
2. Identify participants: Select participants with a multi-agency lens where possible
3. Choose your format: Decide whether a virtual (3 hours) or in-person session (3-4 hours) best suits your needs
4. Select a plan: Choose an EHCP that will be audited and ensure it's available to participants
5. Leave the rest to us: We’ll will run the session, provide module refreshers and demos where needed, split auditors into breakout groups (4-5 per group), and bring everyone together to examine the data and identify areas for further exploration at the end.
6. Post session: We’ll distribute a feedback survey to gather insight into participants experience of the session along with summary slides.

If you're already benefiting from the EHCP QA module and want to see a multi agency approach to improving consistency, collaboration, and Ofsted readiness, a moderation session could be your next strategic move.

Contact your Customer Success lead today or complete our contact us form to explore how we can tailor a session to your local authority's specific needs and priorities.