Local SEND Reform Plans · 40 documents asked · 37 answered · 3 not stated · run 11 September 2026
What does this council say about tribunals, mediation and reducing disagreement with families, and what targets does it set?
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Ask for a surveyAlmost every council describes the same basic approach: strengthen SENDIASS and mediation, resolve concerns earlier and locally, and use complaints/mediation/tribunal data as a proxy for family trust. Most also say they will monitor SENDIASS's perceived independence, since several councils (Bury, Cambridgeshire, Staffordshire, South Gloucestershire) flag that families sometimes doubt mediation advice is truly independent.
Several councils give hard numbers. Bromley targets cutting tribunal appeals from 2% to 1% by 2029. Shropshire sets a staged tribunal-rate target (0.7 to 0.6 to 0.5 to 0.4) and complaints falling from 10 to 6 to 2 per month. Somerset reports tribunals already falling (448 to 294) and mediation rising (123 to 367), with a 10/20/30% year-on-year reduction target. South Tyneside projects tribunal appeals rising to 82 by 2028 before falling to 75 by 2029, alongside a 20% mediation increase and 10% conversion-to-tribunal reduction. Hounslow, Cumberland, Barnsley, Leeds and Isle of Wight also set specific percentage or numeric targets. Cambridgeshire and Kingston notably admit numbers may worsen before improving, citing transition pressures or slow mediation (up to 18 months).
Some councils stand out for detail without firm targets: Cornwall and South Gloucestershire give rich process/outcome data (resolution rates, timing, certificate numbers) but no fixed goals. Hertfordshire and Nottingham describe structural reforms (moving mediation into SEND teams, a new Dispute Resolution Group) rather than numbers. Richmond and Oxfordshire explicitly say targets are still to be finalised.
Many councils (Coventry, Harrow, Brighton and Hove, Wigan, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton, East Sussex) commit only to qualitative aims like "fewer disputes" or "increased confidence," without numeric targets.
Bristol, Rochdale and Solihull are silent on this question entirely.
Not stated: Bristol, Rochdale, Solihull.
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The question was put to each document on its own, using up to six of its most relevant pages. Page numbers in the table link to the document itself.
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Bristol, Rochdale, Solihull
Every document's answer
Barnsley
Barnsley aims to reduce tribunal activity from a baseline of 3 to ≤2 annually, alongside reducing complaints and escalations p24. It tracks "reduction in complaints, mediation, and tribunal activity" and volumes of complaints/mediation/tribunal requests as key performance measures across workstreams p40. The council links this to strengthening inclusion, embedding specialist support in mainstream settings via the Experts at Hand model, and improving parent/carer confidence, aiming to reduce escalation to statutory processes (pages 17, 25).
Bath and North East Somerset
The council aims to resolve issues locally through co-production, early help and independent SENDIASS advice before escalation, with disputes progressing through locality groups, the SEND Reform Board, then the LAIP, and finally the SRO if unresolved—expected to happen "very rarely" p13. Independent mediation will be commissioned and monitored for timeliness, uptake, resolution rates and "the proportion of cases resolved without progression to tribunal" p13. No specific numeric tribunal-reduction target is stated; the plan also commits to a "refreshed and transparent mediation and escalation process" focused on preventing escalation p20.
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole
The council notes improved relational practice with families, supported by a trusted SENDIASS service, effective mediation and Early Dispute Resolution, though co-production and mediation currently remain "mainly reactive" rather than proactive (page 8, page 11). It commits that "in three years' time, the local area will resolve the majority of SEND concerns at the earliest possible starts, with fewer cases escalating to formal routes," embedded through stronger learning loops and quality assurance p11.
Brighton and Hove
The council will keep mediation and dispute-resolution arrangements under review, monitoring timeliness, resolution rates and user feedback, and will address parental concerns about the perceived independence of mediation advice p10. SENDIASS continues providing independent information and advice on rights and resolution pathways p10. Mediation timeliness, resolution rates and user experience feed into service quality monitoring on the inclusion dashboard, alongside a goal of reducing needs escalating to EHC assessment p32. No specific numerical tribunal/mediation targets are stated.
Bromley
Bromley's tribunal appeal rate is currently 2%, "indicating continued parental challenge and system pressure" p20. The council aims to strengthen co-production, communication and accountability to improve trust, reducing tribunal rates "from 2% to 1%" by 2029, alongside reductions in complaints and mediation (page 5, page 21). It targets year-on-year improvements in parent, carer and CYP confidence, and consistent co-production embedded across all partners p21. Improved partnership working is expected to support earlier resolution of concerns, reducing reliance on complaints, mediation and tribunal processes p14.
Bury
Bury plans to establish clear mediation and disagreement resolution pathways, improving early communication with families to mitigate and reduce escalation p13, and will develop mediation routes within pathway design for clarity p19. SENDIASS will be reviewed against minimum service standards in 2026/27, with independence safeguards published and mediation communications explaining SENDIASS's independence from LA decisions p21. Success measures include the number of mediation requests scaled per 100 EHCNA requests and the proportion of mediations subsequently resulting in tribunal p25.
Cambridgeshire
The council treats "Tribunal" as a "backstop" p66, warning EHCP appeals "may temporarily rise" during transition p66, and commits to ensuring SENDIASS and mediation give accessible, independent support p66. It aims to reduce parents needing formal complaint/appeal routes p34 and tracks tribunal appeals as a KPI proxy for dissatisfaction: 54 in 2025, projected 57 in 2026/27 and 58 by 2028/29 p72.
Cornwall
Cornwall's tribunal rate is currently 2.3%, below the national 3.2% p47. The plan strengthens dispute resolution via a SEND Resolutions and Solutions Officer, System Navigators, a three-stage panel model, clearer recorded rationale, routine Way Forward meetings, and strengthened mediation and legal triage, with SENDCO involvement in Stage 1 panels from June 2026 p47. System Goal 6 targets reduced complaints and disputes and increased family confidence, with impact measures co-produced with the Parent Carer Forum and young people p7.
Coventry
Coventry does not set specific tribunal or mediation numerical targets in these excerpts. Instead, it commits to rebuilding family trust and reducing disputes through stronger co-production, clear "we said/we did" feedback loops, and consistent responses to concerns p25. Progress will be evidenced by "fewer avoidable disputes" and increased confidence in pathways and support while waiting p4. Related goals include year-on-year increases in family confidence, published quarterly co-production audit trails, and termly "we said/we did" updates p6, alongside clear escalation routes and governance-led course-correction p10.
Cumberland
Cumberland notes families currently report variable experiences, limited transparency and low confidence, with complaints and disputes reflecting concerns about transparency and timeliness (page 19, page 20). The council commits to maintaining clear, accessible mediation pathways, monitoring timeliness and resolution rates, and using insight from complaints, mediation and tribunal activity to drive improvement p19. It sets a specific target that complaints, mediation requests and formal disputes will reduce by 30% by 2029 p20.
Dorset
Dorset already has early resolution pathways, including mediation, disagreement resolution and "next steps" meetings with locality SEND workers, plus a Family Support and Advice Line and SENDIASS, designed to reduce escalation to formal processes or tribunal (page 22, page 23). It plans to strengthen consistency of these pathways across all localities, ensuring mediation is clearly communicated and consistently offered, with "next steps" meetings standard for all EHC needs assessment decisions p23. The refreshed SEND performance dashboard will track dispute resolution rates, though no numeric target is given p23.
Durham
Durham plans to track "reductions in tribunal and complaint activity" as a progress measure p6, with Year 2 aiming to demonstrate "reductions in escalation and increased satisfaction" p6. Success indicators also include "reduced tribunal escalation" alongside improved attendance, exclusions and NEET rates p3. Overall, families should experience "reduced need for escalation" through clearer pathways and consistency p2. By 2028/29, the target is at least 80% of parent carers reporting confidence in the system p2.
East Sussex
East Sussex works with an externally commissioned SENDIASS and is part of the South East Mediation Group, jointly commissioning mediation and dispute resolution services, with liaison meetings held with the Parent Carer Forum to review feedback (page 7-8). It has strengthened early resolution approaches and added capacity for earlier resolution of disputes and complaints p8. It notes EHCP timeliness delays exacerbate family dissatisfaction and increase tribunals and complaints p8. No specific numerical tribunal reduction target is given, only that there will be "the start of a reduction in complaints and tribunals" p7.
Hackney
Hackney aims to move to a "needs-led" system so families feel supported without statutory escalation, expecting a decreased proportion of cases escalating to tribunal and an 8% reduction in EHCNA request rates p8. SENDIAGS offers impartial advice on rights and mediation from an independent venue/database to build trust and support dispute resolution p63. Elsewhere, the plan sets a related target of lowering EHCP escalation by 7.8%, tied partly to national curriculum accountability reforms p68.
Harrow
Harrow will promote early resolution of concerns through SENDIASS, mediation services and local resolution arrangements, aiming to resolve disagreements "at the earliest opportunity" p72. The partnership will routinely monitor mediation requests, resolution rates, tribunal activity and outcomes, reviewing trends through governance alongside complaints and family feedback p72. Tribunal activity is reviewed alongside sufficiency and placement data, with most appeals linked to parental preference for specialist placements and local capacity challenges, informing sufficiency planning p77. No specific numerical targets for reducing tribunals or mediation are stated; improvements in family confidence are "expected to become more evident during Years 2 and 3" p59.
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire aims to resolve disputes at the earliest opportunity, moving mediation from a centralised model into statutory SEND teams to boost capacity, accountability and a faster learning loop p10. Tribunals Service capacity will increase to strengthen early resolution with schools p10. A new SEND QA Resolutions Manager and expanded QA function will track themes and embed learning p10. Year 1 success measures include: a higher proportion of disputes resolved earlier, increased mediation access, more positive family experiences, closer alignment between local decisions and tribunal outcomes, and reduced recurring complaint themes p33.
Hounslow
Hounslow currently records 125 tribunals annually (av. 10.4 per month), up from 96, and aims for "fewer tribunals" alongside a "23% reduction in complaints and dispute resolution activity" by 2029 (page 6, page 18). It targets at least 80% of families reporting confidence in the SEND system by 2029, with a baseline survey established in 2026 (page 6, page 18). Tribunal rates and mediation outcomes will be tracked via a central SEND and Inclusion Dashboard as part of "Demand and System Pressures" monitoring p39.
Isle of Wight
The council commits to strengthening dispute prevention, with SENDIASS providing independent advice and early conversations/collaborative problem-solving to reduce conflict p29. Where disagreements arise, mediation and disagreement resolution services will be actively promoted, seeking earliest resolution and reducing formal escalation p29. Complaints, mediation and tribunal outcomes will be monitored via a performance dashboard p29. Baseline tribunal activity is "102 appeals annually," with a standardised measure to be set in Year 1 p33. The target is "tribunal activity stabilised or reduced" and "tribunal escalation reduced" p51. By 2029, families should see reduced complaints, mediation and tribunal escalation p13.
Kingston upon Thames
The council notes tribunal numbers have risen and mediation "is not timely," taking up to 18 months from decision to conclusion via tribunal, with dispute resolution data still "in its infancy" p15. Its target is an increase in the percentage of cases where mediation occurs before an appeal is lodged, alongside timely formal mediation, clearer escalation routes, and an independent SENDIASS provider p15. It will also launch a single-view dispute resolution dashboard by September 2026 to track mediation trends and address disputes early p54.
Leeds
Leeds City Council aims to reduce disagreement with families by cutting the year-on-year increase in mediations/tribunals to a target of "<15% increase year on year," down from the current ">30% increase" p6. Success will also be measured through improved EHCP timeliness and quality, annual reviews in line with the national average, and families feeling heard, tracked via a PCF annual survey launching 22 June 2026 p6.
Norfolk
Norfolk commissions an independent Mediation and Dispute Resolution (MDR) service (run by Anglia Care Trust), covering EHCP, provision, placement, health and social care disputes, with support like written statements and a 'Child's Voice' document to capture views p178. SENDIASS provides impartial, arm's-length advice to help families understand rights and mediation processes p179. The council is redesigning early resolution pathways, guidance and toolkits "to reduce reliance on formal mediation and tribunal escalation," monitoring timeliness, resolution rates, and effectiveness rather than setting a specific numeric target p27.
North Northamptonshire
The plan does not set specific tribunal or mediation targets. Instead, it aims to rebuild trust and reduce disagreement by repositioning families as equal partners, using the parent carer forum to capture lived experience p35, and shifting from escalation to early intervention via "Experts at Hand" coaching and modelling p37. Success measures include reduced time from concern to support and "improved parent and carer confidence in the system" p29, with reduced reliance on escalation driven by unmet need p37.
Nottingham
Nottingham will establish a dedicated Dispute Resolution Group, overseen by PAIG and SELG, to strengthen mediation and dispute resolution p40. Families get early signposting to SENDIASS and a commissioned mediation service (Global Mediation, via an East Midlands regional contract) for statutory disputes, with independent, impartial support (page 39, page 38). From 2026/27, mediation and dispute resolution measures join the SEND Reform dashboard, tracking mediation volumes, time to meeting, proportion resolved without tribunal, and tribunal escalation rates p40. The Dispute Resolution Group reviews this termly, escalating patterns to PAIG/SELG p41.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire plans to implement dispute resolution, mediation and escalation arrangements through locality delivery, supported by SENDIASS and the Parent Carer Forum, aiming to resolve disputes swiftly and locally wherever possible p14. SENDIASS will be expanded at District level, establishing District dispute resolution panels to address parent-school disputes quickly, while the PCF expands into district advisory groups signposting to SENDIASS for mediation, improving navigation, promoting earlier resolution, and strengthening accountability p14. No specific numeric targets or timelines for tribunal reduction are given.
Reading
The council aims to reduce conflict, complaints and tribunals through early resolution approaches p24. It highlights the SEND Resolutions Lead and IASS relationship, with feedback indicating IASS is seen as impartial and providing high-quality guidance, leading to "more timely resolutions and increased parental confidence" p16. Monitoring will track "parental satisfaction, complaints and tribunal trends" via SEND dashboards reviewed by the SEND Strategy Board, with learning from complaints, tribunals and audits feeding into service redesign p49. No specific numeric targets are stated.
Richmond upon Thames
Currently, appeals occur at 3.2% of EHCNA decisions and 2.3% of EHCP annual reviews, with a 4.62 tribunal appeal rate from mediation cases p19. Mediation is not timely, taking up to 18 months to conclude if tribunal is pursued p14. The council aims to reduce appeal percentages and sustain low mediation-to-tribunal progression, using a new dispute resolution dashboard to address common disputes earlier and reduce reliance on tribunals (page 4, page 19). Specific numeric targets are "to be set by final submission" p19, with a goal of a transparent dispute resolution protocol by 2028/29 p4.
Shropshire
Shropshire aims to reduce escalation to tribunal by using PCF and SENDIASS expertise to help settings build relationships with parents and intervene early p29. It sets a tribunal rate target falling from a baseline of 0.7 to 0.6, then 0.5, then 0.4 p16. Complaints targets fall from a maximum of 10 per month to 6, then 2 p16, with an overall aim of complaints down 25% p22 and clearer, jointly monitored complaint pathways via SENDIASS p15.
Slough
Slough will track "parent carer confidence, complaints and tribunals" as a success measure, alongside EHCP growth and mainstream placement data p31. It aims for "reduced avoidable escalation into statutory assessment" and improved confidence that "support is clearer, earlier and more consistent" by 2028/29 p31. The Experts at Hand model is designed to give earlier advice and "reduce avoidable escalation" rather than act as casework substitute p32. No specific numerical tribunal or mediation target is given; final targets await data validation p31.
Somerset
Somerset reports tribunals fell from 448 (Sept 2024) to 294 (Sept 2025) and mediation rose from 123 (2021/22) to 367 (2024/25), with more cases settling before mediation, though tribunal numbers remain elevated (page 43, page 20). It plans standardised communications, early resolution processes, and SENDIASS/PCF involvement in disputes p28. Targets: reduce complaints and tribunals year-on-year by 10%, 20% and 30% from a 2025/26 baseline of 673 complaints and 284 tribunals p20.
South Gloucestershire
The council reports 43 mediation meetings, 18 full and 24 partial resolutions, few impasses, only 15 Part 1 certificates (10% of referrals, among the lowest regionally), and 63 Part 3 certificates with 48% of mediations held within 30 days (page 64, page 65). It aims to explore improving mediation arrangements, with changes implemented in year 2 p65. Broader success measures include "fewer tribunals" and improved family confidence p28, alongside clarifying SENDIASS's independent role in disagreement resolution (page 62, page 123).
South Tyneside
Tribunal appeals stood at 65 in 2025 and are expected to rise to 82 by 2028 before falling to 75 in 2029, with a sustained downward trajectory thereafter p14. Mediation attendance and tribunal conversion baselines will be set in Q1 2026/27, targeting a 20% increase in mediation cases and a 10% reduction in cases progressing to tribunal after mediation p14. This is supported by stronger co-production, clearer communication, earlier resolution routes, and strengthened SENDIASS involvement, alongside a Co-production Charter and improved complaints handling (page 14, page 10, page 6).
Staffordshire
The council will review commissioning arrangements for local mediation and dispute resolution, considering how parents' and children's voices are incorporated and reviewing mediator data "to enable effective monitoring of timeliness resolution rates and effectiveness" p36. It will also strengthen SENDIASS commissioning to mitigate concerns about SENDIASS's perceived independence within mediation p39, and map decision-making, escalation and dispute resolution powers across SEND governance p41. No specific numerical targets are stated in these pages.
Stoke-on-Trent
The council notes its local mediation arrangements are currently "inconsistent" and plans to recommission the service, building in metrics for timeliness, resolution rates and effectiveness, to support earlier resolution and strengthen trust with families (page 30, page 16). Impact will be measured via annual parent confidence surveys, complaints, and tribunal rates. It sets a target to reduce tribunal rates by 1% over three years p30, though elsewhere a 1.9% reduction target over three years is cited p10.
Wigan
Wigan aims to increase parental confidence through a more responsive, transparent system, evidenced by "reduction in complaints, mediation and tribunals" and improved EHC timeliness p5. It plans to monitor complaints, mediation, LGO and tribunal trends to spot early warning signs, strengthen decision-making quality assurance, embed coproduction, and improve communication to reduce anxiety-driven escalation and legal challenge p49. No specific numeric target for tribunal/mediation reduction is stated in these pages.
Wirral
Wirral's plan prioritises reducing tribunals, strengthening communication and improving partnership working, with dispute resolution and escalation reduction commitments (page 83, page 82). Detailed changes to the mediation framework, including SENDIASS's role, will be agreed collaboratively during early implementation, as more coproduction time was needed (page 83, page 82). Rather than fixed numeric targets, the plan commits to maintaining metrics tracking tribunal rates, waiting times and stakeholder confidence within its success measures framework, alongside monitoring complaints and tribunal data as indicators of system confidence (page 83, page 20).
Wolverhampton
The council aims to increase family confidence and achieve a "reduction in complaints, disputes and tribunal activity" by 2029 p3. It plans to clarify and agree partnership-wide dispute resolution arrangements, including statutory SEND mediation and escalation processes, to resolve disagreements early and reduce avoidable delay p17. Progress will be tracked partly through tribunal activity and parental confidence measures p6, aiming for "decreased use of tribunal, mediation and complaints processes, with issues more often resolved earlier and collaboratively" p6.
Worcestershire
The council tracks tribunal activity as part of demand data to see whether earlier intervention is reducing escalation, alongside EHCP requests, assessment volumes and waiting lists p39. Service quality is monitored through complaints, mediation and tribunal learning, and parent carer feedback, checking whether support feels timely and joined-up p39. It also uses learning from complaints and dispute resolution as feedback loops with families to improve delivery p39. No specific numeric targets are stated in these excerpts.
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