The plan is full of 'access to' and 'opportunities for' — and no hours
You won the plan — and Section F reads like a horoscope. 'Access to adult support.' 'Opportunities for social skills development.' No hours, no staff ratio, no named professional input. That wording isn't just unhelpful; case law says it's unlawful.
Phrases to look for on your letter: “access to” · “opportunities for” · “regular support” · “as appropriate”
Why this is an appealable position
Provision in Section F must be specific and quantified — hours, frequency, staffing, who delivers it and with what qualification — because a plan is enforceable only if you can tell whether it's being delivered. Courts have said this for decades, yet vague plans remain routine because specific provision costs money. A contents appeal asks the Tribunal to turn each vague line into a deliverable one.
Your position is strongest when
- Section F uses hedge-words with no numbers
- Provision recommended in the assessment reports appears diluted or missing in the plan
- Delivery already varies term to term because nothing is pinned down
Evidence to gather now
- The plan, with every unquantified line highlighted
- The assessment reports whose recommendations were watered down
- Records of what is actually delivered week to week
Your first move
Table it: each Section F line → what the reports recommended → what specific wording you seek (hours, ratio, professional). That schedule becomes your appeal working document.
Build my SEND appeal pack — £11.99Answer plain-English questions about the decision and your child, and get Tribunal-ready grounds in minutes — matched to the right HMCTS form, SEND35 or SEND35A.
Common questions
Can we appeal just the wording if we're happy the plan exists?
Yes — contents appeals (Sections B, F and/or I) are a standard route, and specificity is one of the most common and successful requests.
How does your council compare?
Refusal rates vary wildly between councils — England's average is 26.4%, but some councils refuse over 60% of assessment requests. Look up your council's refusal rate — it's context the Tribunal never sees but you should know, and free specialist advice is available from IPSEA (ipsea.org.uk).
Where these rules come from: Children and Families Act 2014, Part 3 · SEND Regulations 2014.