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Discover how Stoke achieved a 56% increase in Gold graded EHCPs by moving beyond auditing as a compliance activity.
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When Stoke-on-Trent City Council decided to bring EHCP writing in-house, the team saw an opportunity to do more than simply change a process. They wanted to raise the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans across the city, create a shared understanding of what good looks like, and build a quality assurance approach that could drive continuous improvement.
With over 4,000 plans in the local area and growing, it was quite a task set!
Working in partnership with Invision360, Stoke has transformed the way it measures, monitors and improves EHCP quality. By combining local expertise with purpose-built SEND technology, the council has created a quality assurance model that is delivering measurable results while strengthening practice across the wider SEND system.
Like many local authorities, Stoke had quality assurance processes in place before introducing the Invision360 EHCP QA Module. However, quality monitoring was largely driven through annual reviews, spot audits and professional judgement.
Emma Abbotts, Team Manager for SEN Assessment and Monitoring, and Jane Garland, SEND Compliance Officer explain:
"Prior to the Invision360 partnership, auditing was undertaken through a combination of senior leadership spot checks, annual review monitoring and professional judgement. While there were examples of good practice and compliance checks in place, there was no consistent audit framework or standardised grading methodology that could be applied across the service."
The council didn’t want to just identify quality issues. Emma and the team wanted to create a scalable, consistent and inclusive approach.
"The main gap was around training and the confidence in knowing what a good EHCP looks like."
As Stoke needed better visibility of quality, robust reporting, and a framework capable of supporting long-term EHCP quality improvement.
The search for a solution began and following a West Midlands SEND leadership meeting, where Stoke first saw Invision360’s quality assurance modules in action the appeal was immediate.
"We were looking for a system that could provide consistent auditing criteria, robust reporting functionality, quality benchmarking and the ability to identify trends across our EHCP cohort. The Invision360 EHCP QA module provided all of these elements.”
But technology alone wasn't enough.
Stoke was looking for a partner that understood the realities of SEND services and could evolve alongside their improvement journey.
"Invision360 was chosen as a partner not just for the technology but because of the commitment due to supporting us in a partnership. They committed to compiling presentations, listening to feedback on the modules and ensuring it was a two way approach to continuously enhancing their technology through customer feedback and focus groups.”
Since implementing the Invision360 EHCP QA Module, Stoke has fundamentally reshaped the way quality assurance is delivered.
The council has a multi-agency SEND Quality Assurance Group comprising representatives from health, social care, educational psychology, SEND leadership teams and the Inclusive Learning Services Team Manager. This ensures quality is assessed through education, health and care perspectives, and promotes shared ownership of quality across the local area.
Internally, auditing responsibilities have expanded, increasing both capacity and consistency.
"The auditing process has been restructured with the Compliance Officer now leading on the further development of quality."
The authority has introduced half-termly in person moderation sessions, bringing auditors together to review plans, discuss differences in interpretation and agree quality standards.
"The sessions bring together auditors to review and discuss audited plans, allowing us to challenge differences in interpretation, agree standards and maintain consistency in the application of the criteria."
The result has been a growing confidence among auditors and practitioners, supported by a clear framework that removes ambiguity around what good practice looks like.
One of the biggest changes has been Stoke's ability to move beyond auditing as a compliance activity and use insight as a driver for improvement.
The Invision360 EHCP QA Module provides real-time reporting and analysis, allowing teams to quickly identify trends, strengths and areas requiring additional support.
"The availability of real-time data has transformed our approach to quality improvement. We now have access to evidence that helps us understand precisely where improvements are being made and where further work is required."
Rather than relying on anecdotal feedback, the SEND team can now use objective audit evidence to shape training, moderation and development activity.
"Audit findings have informed targeted training and development activity. Where themes emerge through auditing, these become the focus of staff development sessions, guidance updates and moderation discussions."
This means improvement activity is directly linked to evidence and impact can be tracked over time.
As Jane explains:
"Rather than relying on anecdotal feedback, we can use audit outcomes to inform discussions with teams, identify priorities and measure the impact of interventions over time."
The impact of this approach is already visible.
⬆️ Between Q1 and Q2 2026, Stoke achieved a 25% increase in Silver graded EHCPs.
⬆️ By Q3, the authority had also recorded a remarkable 56% increase in Gold graded EHCPs compared with Q1.
These improvements have been driven by a combination of targeted learning, moderation and feedback informed by audit data captured in the module.
"A key factor in improving outcomes has been our commitment to moderation and shared learning. By bringing auditors together regularly, we have developed a consistent understanding of quality and reduced variation in auditing decisions."
Importantly, findings aren't left within the quality assurance process.
"We have shared findings directly with case officers, using audit evidence to provide targeted feedback and training. This has helped staff understand what high-quality EHCPs look like in practice and contributed to the significant increase in both Silver and Gold graded plans."
The benefits extend far beyond the SEND team.
Real-time reporting has strengthened conversations with senior leaders and strategic partners, providing objective evidence of progress and supporting collective ownership of improvement.
"The reporting functionality has significantly reduced the amount of time required to gather and analyse audit data. Previously, information had to be collated manually from multiple sources.”
"We are now able to quicky and easily present objective data and clear evidence of progress to senior leaders and strategic partners, which has increased confidence in our quality improvement programme and strengthened discussions."
One of the most significant changes has been the development of a shared understanding of quality across the service.
“Staff now have much greater confidence in identifying the components of a high-quality EHCP and understanding how plans should be outcome-focused, person-centred and compliant with statutory requirements."
“The auditing process has encouraged reflective practice and created regular opportunities for professional discussion about quality.”
For Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the biggest lesson has been that quality assurance works best when it becomes a catalyst for learning rather than a compliance exercise.
The Invision360 EHCP QA module has provided the framework, consistency and visibility needed to support that transition, while the partnership approach has helped ensure the system evolves alongside local priorities.
Reflecting on the journey, Emma offers this advice to other local authorities:
"We would encourage local authorities to view quality assurance as a driver for improvement rather than simply a compliance exercise. Invision360 has provided us with a clear framework, robust data and the ability to measure progress over time. It has helped us develop a shared understanding of what high-quality EHCPs look like and has given us confidence that our improvement activity is based on evidence.”
“The support from the Invision360 team has also been invaluable. They have been responsive, open to feedback and willing to adapt the system to meet local needs. For authorities looking to improve consistency, strengthen multi-agency quality assurance and use data more effectively, Invision360 offers a practical and scalable solution that can support meaningful and sustainable improvement.”
Stoke's journey demonstrates what's possible when SEND expertise, robust quality assurance and purpose-built technology come together.
If you're looking to improve EHCP quality, strengthen consistency and use data more effectively across your SEND service, book a demo and explore how a partnership could support your local authority's improvement journey.
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