We started with a basic list of topics for potential guidance for local authorities looking to either update their existing digital EHCP system or implement a new one.
These topics were identified through the research conducted during the discovery phase with people who use digital EHCP systems including:
- children
- families
- young people
- professionals
User experiences were mixed. Moving to digital was seen as a positive step, however, digital transformation did not always work smoothly for everyone. We identified that guidance could potentially support a smoother transition to the use of digital systems. We felt showing guidance-type content too early would be a risk. People could just review what is put in front of them. We wanted to gather other ideas and opinions before we offered solutions for users to critique.
We chose to speak with people from different local authorities and professions to understand their thoughts about digital transformation, including:
- the main challenges
- any previous lessons learned
- their ideas for how DfE can best support them
Thinking about the best approach
We chose a variety of methods to conduct research including surveys, one-to-one interviews and workshops. We wanted to gather a wide range of views and understand the current levels of digitisation within local authorities whilst also digging into the whys and other ideas.
We held user research one-to-one interviews with:
- 19 local authority special educational needs and disability (SEND) leads
- 14 Integrated care board members
- 7 Education professionals and SEND coordinators
We also spoke to 7 suppliers of digital EHCP systems.
We held workshops with SEND leads (47) and then a separate workshop with IT and digital leads (26).
We have had an amazing response from people working within the sector wanting to participate in research and workshop activities.