EHCP Speech and Language Therapy: Getting Speech Services Specified and Quantified in Section F

Why Section F Is the Battleground

In England, children with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) access support through SEN Support at school level or through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The EHCP is where the real fight happens — and within the EHCP, Section F is where speech therapy either gets delivered or disappears.

Section F specifies the special educational provision the local authority must arrange. In L v Clarke & Somerset County Council, speech and language therapy was treated as educational provision when needed for the child's education. That means it belongs in Section F when it is educational provision, rather than being listed only as health provision in Section G.

Local authorities know this distinction. They also know that vague wording in Section F is functionally unenforceable. That's why the most common tactic isn't refusing speech therapy outright — it's writing Section F so loosely that the provision is technically present but practically meaningless.

What "Specified and Quantified" Actually Means

Under Section 21(5) of the Children and Families Act 2014, health or social care provision that educates or trains a child is treated as special educational provision. The SEND Code of Practice (paragraph 9.69) says that Section F provision should be detailed, specific, and quantified. In practice, it means Section F should state:

• Exact hours and frequency: "30 minutes, twice weekly" — not "regular speech and language therapy input"
• Delivery model: "1:1 direct therapy delivered by a qualified Speech and Language Therapist" — not "access to SLT as needed"
• Who delivers it: A qualified SLT, a specialist teaching assistant trained and supervised by an SLT, or both — specified, not assumed
• Setting: In school, in a quiet therapy space, push-in during lessons — whichever is clinically appropriate
• Group size (if group): "Groups of no more than 3 children" — not "small group" left undefined

Phrases to reject in any draft EHCP:

• "Access to speech and language therapy as required"
• "SLT advice and support to school staff"
• "Regular monitoring by speech and language therapy services"
• "Input from SLT as appropriate"

Each of these phrases means the local authority can deliver zero direct therapy and technically comply with the plan. None of them is specified and quantified.

Getting Speech Therapy onto the EHCP in the First Place

If your child doesn't have an EHCP and their speech needs exceed what SEN Support at school can provide, you can request an EHC Needs Assessment. The local authority has 6 weeks to decide whether to assess and must notify you in writing. If they refuse, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

During the assessment, push for a comprehensive speech and language evaluation. The NHS SLT service may provide an assessment, or you can submit an independent private SLT report. The assessment report should quantify the child's needs in measurable terms — standardized test scores, speech intelligibility percentages, language sample data — and recommend specific provision.

When the draft EHCP arrives, scrutinise Section F line by line. If speech therapy provision is vague, respond during the period of at least 15 calendar days for representations with specific amendments:

Replace "access to SLT support" with: "30 minutes of 1:1 direct speech and language therapy delivered by a qualified Speech and Language Therapist, twice weekly during term time, targeting [specific goals]."

Appealing to the SEND Tribunal

If the local authority refuses to issue an EHCP, refuses to assess, or issues an EHCP with inadequate Section F provision, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). The tribunal can order the local authority to:

• Carry out an EHC needs assessment
• Issue an EHCP
• Amend Section F to specify and quantify speech therapy provision

Tribunal appeals are free to register. You don't need a solicitor, although organisations like IPSEA and SOS!SEN provide free legal guidance. The tribunal looks at evidence — SLT reports, school records, progress data, the child's actual needs — not at the local authority's budget constraints.

Key evidence for a speech therapy tribunal appeal:

• Independent SLT report specifying recommended provision in quantified terms
• School SENCO reports showing what SEN Support has been delivered and whether it's sufficient
• Progress data demonstrating that current provision hasn't produced expected progress
• Comparison with the SEND Code of Practice showing where the EHCP falls short of statutory requirements

Beyond England: Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

The EHCP system applies to England only. Scotland uses Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs) and Additional Support Needs legislation. Wales has Individual Development Plans (IDPs) under the Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Act 2018. Northern Ireland uses Statements of Special Educational Need under the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, as amended by the Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 and Act 2016, with a statutory assessment framework similar to England's legacy statement system.

In each system, the core advocacy principle is the same: speech therapy provision must be specific enough to be enforceable, and parents have appeal rights when the provision is inadequate.

The Speech-Language & Apraxia IEP Toolkit includes cross-jurisdictional translation covering UK EHCP Section F requirements, Canadian provincial IEP structures, and Australian DSE/NCCD frameworks — so parents outside the US have the specific statutory references and provision wording for their own system.