Insights

Demand for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) is rising fast. In England, there are now over 638,000 active EHCPs and numbers grow every year.

The six principles of safeguarding – Empowerment, Prevention, Proportionality, Protection, Partnership, and Accountability – are more than just a checklist. They’re the ethical backbone of adult safeguarding practice, especially under the Care Act 2014 and the Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) framework.

When you’re managing pressure from every direction – tight budgets, growing backlogs, and ever-changing regulatory demands – it’s only natural to ask tough questions before bringing in external support.

It ensures that those eligible receive fully funded care, covering everything from residential care to complex medical support. However, for local authorities and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), navigating the assessment and appeals process can be a resource-intensive and complex challenge.

We’ve been working with a particular local authority since senior managers recognised high caseloads had been leading to unavoidable drift and delay. Equinox was asked to provide a specialist court team in summer 2021.

Equinox was founded in direct response to the challenges our clients face.