Built by families who lived it. The first platform of its kind.
The Autizma COP Guide exists because our founders went through the system with no map — and decided to build one for everyone who comes next.
Our story
This platform began as lived experience. Our founders sat in Court of Protection hearings for their own family, kept notes on everything that confused them, and turned those notes into the guide they wish they had been handed on day one.
It is built by Autizma, a community interest company, so the mission is locked in: free, accessible, plain-English help for families, funded sustainably by the professionals who serve them.
Honest note: we say "first of its kind" based on our own research — we have not found another platform combining lived-experience Court of Protection guidance, case tools and a verified directory. If you know of one, tell us; we would rather be accurate than loud.
Why now, and why us
Thousands of families, no map
Every year families enter the Court of Protection with no idea how the process works, what forms they need, or what professionals mean. Until now there was no single, plain-English place to find out.
Lived experience at the core
This app was built by parents and families who have been through the Court of Protection themselves — not by a law firm or a software company guessing what families need.
Trust and safeguarding by design
Objective tone, pseudonyms only, GDPR-first data handling, verified directory listings and clear not-legal-advice labelling throughout.
A genuine category first
As far as we are aware, this is the first platform to combine lived-experience Court of Protection guidance, practical case tools, accessibility-first design and a verified professional directory in one place.
The claim, and the proof behind it
Why we say this is the first app of its kind
We only make the claim because we looked hard for something else first. Here is exactly what we checked, what we found, and how to tell us if we are wrong.
What we searched
UK app stores, Google and Bing searches for Court of Protection apps, guides and toolkits, the Charity Commission register, Companies House, and the resource lists published by the main mental capacity and autism charities.
What already exists
Excellent free guidance from GOV.UK, the Office of the Public Guardian, advocacy charities and law firm blogs — plus paid case-management software built for solicitors. All of it is either information only, or professional-only.
What we could not find
No single product that combines plain-English pathways for families, working case tools (forms, bundles, deadlines, evidence), accessibility-first and neurodiverse design, and a hand-verified professional, care and housing directory.
How we keep it honest
The claim is reviewed whenever we refresh the directory. If someone shows us a product that does all four, we change the wording — accuracy matters more to families than marketing.
Questions people ask us about this
How it sustains itself
Free for families
Core guidance, checklists and form pathways stay free for families — that is the point of Autizma building this.
Paid directory & advertising
Verified solicitors, advocates, care and housing providers pay for listing tiers and vacancy spotlights. Paid placement is always labelled and never presented as a recommendation.
Licensing, training & partnerships
Team licences for law firms and advocacy organisations, training/CPD, white-label licensing, and partnerships with charities, local authorities and funders.
Get involved
We are looking for funding partners, solicitors and advocacy organisations for pilot licences, care and housing providers for the verified directory, and charities who want to co-brand the guide for their own families.