A regularly reviewed, three-year plan to improve SEND provision in Staffordshire has been submitted to the Government.
Involving Staffordshire County Council, parent and carer representatives, the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board, early years providers, multi-academy trusts and further education providers, the plan is the official response to Government proposals to reform the SEND system.
An initial submission had to be made to the Department of Education within 10 weeks, with a second deadline of mid-June for final revisions.
Janet Higgins, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Education and SEND, said:
This plan sets out how we are going to work together to improve support for children and young people with SEND.
It goes beyond structural reform to a change in the partnership culture ensuring children, their parents and carers are included in plans for their children and our communication with parents and carers is more timely and regular.
It builds upon what we were already embracing in Staffordshire, including moving towards earlier intervention, education closer to home and putting support in place for mainstream schools to use without having to wait for formal processes to be completed.”
The plan focuses on earlier support and a more consistent standard of services across Staffordshire, with a timetable for the first 12 months and a delivery plan for the second and third years.
Progress will be reviewed regularly, with the Parent Carer Forum part of that process.
Government policy is for fewer placements in specialist, or independent, schools away from a pupil’s home.
The intention is to educate more children and young people in mainstream schools in their home communities, with those schools having access to the support they need without delays.
Janet Higgins said:
We know from what parents and carers have told us that, where possible, they want their children close to home and educated alongside their friends but with the right support in place.”
Plans already in place to improve provision in Staffordshire include:
- a new special school for SEMH and autism for 220 children;
- a new primary pupil referral unit;
- investing in more support in mainstream schools so young people get the help they need;
- five projects to increase capacity within special schools by 135 places;
- a parent forum in each part of the county.
Once the plan is approved by the Department for Education, the Government will pay 90 per cent of debts up to April 2026 arising from SEND overspends caused by demand outstripping funding in the last decade.
In Staffordshire’s case that amounts to £90 million but still leaves a debt of £10 million plus expected overspends this year, as demand for services exceeds funding from central government.
Janet Higgins added:
Successful delivery of SEND support rests upon the provision of sufficient funding from central Government to meet demand and that will remain a key issue as we implement this plan.
Schools, early years providers and health partners all have a vital role to play if we’re going to get this right for children.”
