A recruitment agency is reviewing its adverts after coming under fire for offering schools free outsourced applications for education, health and care plans (EHCP) if they then hire its staff to support the pupils. Leaflets from Qualiteach Education Group said schools can 鈥渙utsource the most time-intensive elements鈥 of the EHCP application process to 鈥渆xperienced specialists, without incurring long-term costs鈥. Under the deal, schools would pay 拢450 to its partner, the consultancy Innovate Create Educate, which collects 鈥渆vidence and documentation鈥 to apply to the council within 30 days. The leaflet added that once EHCP funding is agreed, the school 鈥渆ngages a suitable agency professional through Qualiteach鈥. After they complete the 30 days in post, the agency would refund the 拢450 to the school. 鈥楾roubling commodification鈥 Lacey Cousins, headteacher at Hawley Primary School in Camden, said the offer 鈥渁ppears to target overstretched and vulnerable schools, exploiting systemic failures rather than addressing them鈥. She added it 鈥渞eflects a troubling commodification of statutory SEND processes at a time when schools are already overwhelmed by administrative burden, delays in specialist support, and chronic underfunding鈥. However, after Schools Week contacted the firms, they said the decision to employ Qualiteach鈥檚 agency staff was 鈥渆ntirely optional and based on the school鈥檚 individual needs鈥. This is despite an FAQ on whether the school is obliged to use the firm stating: 鈥淥nly if EHCP funding is agreed and specialist provision is required. There is no obligation prior to this point.鈥 Josh Brandon, Qualiteach鈥檚 chief executive officer, recognised the leaflet could imply it was mandatory, but 鈥渢hat was not the intention鈥. He added the marketing was designed to 鈥渋llustrate one possible pathway where, if a school chooses to use Qualiteach to support delivery of agreed provision, the 拢450 fee paid to Innovate Create Educate would be refunded so that the school is not left out of pocket. 鈥淚t was not intended to suggest a requirement or expectation, and we recognise that this has not been communicated clearly enough.鈥 They are now 鈥渞eviewing the leaflet wording and layout as a result of this feedback to ensure it more accurately reflects the voluntary nature of the arrangement and avoids any implication of conditionality鈥. Under the deal, even though schools can get the 拢450 refunded if they employ an agency worker from the firm, they would still have to pay for that support 鈥渢hrough the school鈥檚 normal arrangements using agreed funding鈥. Brandon also added that schools would still receive the refund if the EHCP application was unsuccessful, but they decided to hire a Qualiteach staff member. 鈥楽erious ethical and safeguarding questions鈥 The leaflet states the service would not replace a school鈥檚 SENCO, but support them 鈥渂y removing the most time-intensive administrative elements of EHCP applications鈥. Brandon said it was created as heads told Qualiteach about 鈥渟ignificant capacity pressures鈥. Schools Week聽has previously revealed SENCOs feeling burnt out and isolated with workload pressures.聽 But Abigail Hawkins, founder at SENsible SENCO, said: 鈥淭he EHC process encompasses far more than an administrative function; it requires a compassionate approach. It is unclear what qualifications or training this individual possesses, if any.” Cousins added the suggestion EHCP applications can be “outsourced to unknown third parties raises serious ethical, professional, and safeguarding questions鈥. 鈥淓HCP applications are legally significant, highly individualised documents that rely on deep professional knowledge of the child, sustained observation, and close collaboration with families and services. 鈥淚t also signals a profound lack of respect for the expertise and accountability of school professionals who carry statutory responsibility for these processes.鈥 Brandon said the aim was not to 鈥渞eplace professional judgement or statutory responsibility, but help schools progress applications where capacity constraints risk delaying support for pupils who clearly need it鈥. The offer came out of discussions with headteachers and visits to schools, he added. 鈥業mportance of transparency鈥 Innovate Create Educate, which said it had helped 鈥渟everal schools鈥 with the process for about two years, does not independently assess children, determine provision or make decisions about outcomes. The leaflet also called its service the 鈥渟pecialist EHCP application that boasts a 90 per cent success rate鈥. National figures proceeded with an EHCP needs assessment for just 65.4 per cent of requests.聽 Asked for more details by Schools Week, the company said the figure 鈥渟hould be defined more clearly鈥 in its communications, as it recognised the 鈥渋mportance of transparency鈥. It said that it referred to 鈥渢he proportion of supported applications that proceed through the statutory process to either assessment or the issuing of an EHCP, based on Innovate Create Educate鈥檚 historical data鈥.