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St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
Data availableNorth West
82
appeals registered, 2024 (official DfE figure)
87
appeals registered, 2025 (official DfE figure)
Data available. At least one Freedom of Information response gives real, extractable figures on tribunal appeals or outcomes for this council.
Thinking about appealing, or partway through it? These are free, independent sources of advice — not run by this site, and not run by any council.
- St Helens IASS — this council's own free SEND information, advice and support service. Every council is legally required to fund one, at arm's length from itself · 01744 673428.
- IPSEA — Free, independent legal advice on SEN law — including EHC plans and tribunal appeals.
- SOS!SEN — Free helpline and 1:1 advice specifically on preparing a SEND tribunal appeal.
- Coram Children's Legal Centre — Free education law advice line, including SEN appeals and EHC plan reviews.
- GOV.UK: appeal an EHC plan decision — The official government guide to the appeals process itself — who can appeal, mediation, costs.
Structured outcome breakdown
Structured breakdown — 2018
real, from FOI response
Resolved before hearing — 3 (60%)
Contested, council lost — 0 (0%)
Contested, council won — 1 (20%)
Partially split — 1 (20%)
Cases defended = 7 (context only, not appeals_registered). Outcomes: 'found in favour of LA: 1' (contested_and_council_won=1), 'consent order: 3' (resolved_before_hearing=3, a negotiated/consent settlement), 'upheld in part: 1' (partially_split=1). Only 5 of 7 defended cases are accounted for by these three categories; the remaining 2 cases' outcomes are not stated in this response. No explicit 'lost'/'found against LA' figure given, so contested_and_council_lost is left null.
Freedom of Information responses
Cases defended (council clarified 'defended' = proceeded to a hearing): 2017: 6, 2018: 7, 2019: 7. Outcomes: 2017 - found in favour of LA: 0. 2018 - found in favour of LA: 1, consent order: 3, upheld in part: 1. 2019 - found in favour of LA: 1, consent order: 2, decision pending: 1. Legal costs: not disaggregated from staffing costs ('Our tribunals are managed and attended by local authority staff').
Caveat: Not all defended cases are accounted for in the outcome breakdown for 2018 (5 of 7) and 2019 (4 of 7); remaining cases' outcomes not stated in the portion captured.