Invision360's online EHCP audit tool at Bracknell Forest

100% of new EHC plans audited in first two months.

Bracknell Forest local authority needed a more efficient and standardised way of auditing the quality of their EHCPs to make sure that improvement plans were having an impact.

Head of Children’s Support Services at Bracknell Forest Council, Kashif Nawaz, discusses how Invision360's online EHCP audit tool is resolving that challenge.

“Piloting the Invision360's online EHCP audit tool meant stepping away from the ‘norm’ and putting our trust in a new system and way of auditing.”

Key benefits:

• Introduces a robust quality assurance framework
• Informs what 'Good' EHCP's look like
• Simple to use, online and step-by-step process
• Simple to coordinate and implement LA wide
• Establish consistency and remove subjectivity from quality assurance

Ease of use

“The first time I used Invision360's online EHCP audit tool, I was incredibly impressed. It is extremely easy to use.

Not only is it simple to access, the points of reference have been carefully considered. When an auditor uses the tool, they’re mindful of the benchmark criteria at every step. Even professionals not engrained in daily frontline services are able to use the tool effectively.

“Invision360's online EHCP audit tool quickens the entire process. With Invision360's online EHCP audit tool, it’s far quicker because it takes auditors through the process step-by-step. Helpful prompts are there to inform what a ‘Good’ EHCP looks like, and what good in each section of plan should look like, which has given us much needed clarity when auditing plans.”

For greater visibility

“Using Invision360's online EHCP audit tool, we audited 100% of new EHCPs in May and June. This provides reassurance that plans are meeting the short, medium and long term needs of children and young people, and if not, why they are not."

Removal of subjectivity

“For us, Invision360's online EHCP audit tool has removed individual subjectivity from the quality assurance process. There are no front-loaded questions as prompts – every instruction remains factual and informative. This has been incredibly important for us to gain an accurate unbiased ‘view’ of EHCP planning.”

Informing improvement plans

“In terms of service improvements, we now have a great understanding of what ‘Good’ looks like. We’re clear on what we need to do, especially with improving our evidence base. Using the audit tool, we’re able to pinpoint where there are gaps in quality assurance. Not only this, we’re also able to identify partnership gaps with health and social care.

“Our colleagues in social care are now trained on how to use the tool, which means we’re able to focus on where improvements can be made in EHCPs for those children who also have a social worker. This is so that we can close the loop and make sure children and their families have the support they need.”