North Somerset: co-developing the EHCP Agent
How one council turned a 95% rise in EHCP demand into better plans, faster — by co-designing an AI tool with the caseworkers who write them.
A 95% rise in demand — and only 38% of plans completed on time.
North Somerset Council saw the number of new EHCPs issued nearly double in four years: from 221 in 2020 to 432 in 2023 — a 95% increase, with 34% growth in the final year alone.
In 2022, just 38.2% of EHCPs were completed within the statutory 20-week timeframe. More than half of children and families who needed support were waiting longer than they should have been.
The council recognised the urgent need for a new approach — one that would help caseworkers produce high-quality plans more efficiently, meet statutory deadlines, and get children the right support at the right time.
Built by caseworkers, for caseworkers
What sets this project apart is how closely the EHCP Agent was shaped around real-world practice. North Somerset’s SEND caseworkers weren’t consulted after the fact — they were embedded in the development from day one.
Weekly feedback sessions with frontline staff ensured the tool integrated into daily workflows, met professional standards, and preserved the vital role of human judgement. Key refinements focused on the structure of EHCP outputs, council-specific template requirements, and identifying where AI should stop and caseworker expertise should take over.
The result: a practical, caseworker-led solution that reduces time spent on initial drafting and allows professionals to shift their focus back to families.
Better plans, faster — across the whole team
The introduction of the EHCP Agent delivered tangible improvements across four areas:
Time saved
Reduced drafting time means less pressure on staff and budgets. Caseworkers spend less time writing and more time working with families.
Quality & consistency
Plans are now more standardised and better reflect children’s needs. Caseworkers spend less time drafting and more time quality-assuring plans.
Earlier support
Reduced delays mean children get the right provision at the right time, enabling them to achieve their full academic potential.
Staff wellbeing
Significantly reduced administrative burden has improved team morale and sustainability, helping to address the pressures of growing caseloads.
Now fully embedded across the service. No EHCP in North Somerset is written without the tool. Every plan benefits from the speed, quality, and consistency improvements it provides.
One day. Your team, your data. No commitment, no cost.
From EHCP drafting to wider SEND transformation
Following the successful rollout, North Somerset committed to fully embedding the EHCP Agent across all plan writers. The ambition is clear: every EHCP benefits from AI-assisted drafting.
Beyond EHCPs, the council and Agilisys are exploring how AI can support SEND teams further — working directly with caseworkers to identify additional opportunities for improving services and outcomes for children and families.
North Somerset is also sharing best practices with other councils, demonstrating the impact of the EHCP Agent and supporting wider adoption of AI in SEND services across the country.
This is what responsible, practitioner-led innovation looks like: technology that empowers caseworkers to deliver better outcomes, not technology that replaces professional expertise.
See how this could work in your council
A free AI Prototyping Day gives your team a working prototype built on your real processes — in a single day.
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30-minute live demo. See the output quality, the speed, and whether it’s worth piloting in your council.
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