SEND support in Staffordshire
What support is available?
SEND support in Staffordshire is provided by a range of organisations, including:
Staffordshire County Council
We are responsible for:
- Supporting mainstream schools to meet the needs of children with SEND
- Issuing and reviewing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
- Managing home-to-school transport for eligible children
NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board
They provide:
- Autism support services
- Sensory support services
We work closely with early years settings, schools, colleges, and health and care professionals to ensure joined-up support.
How to access SEND support
If your child is struggling at school, their school will work with you to identify what support is needed. This is called the Graduated Approach and includes two stages:
- Assess, Plan, Do, Review
- Enhanced Assess, Plan, Do, Review
If your child needs more help than the school can provide, the school may request an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA). If the assessment shows that your child has significant needs, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be created.
EHCPs are reviewed every year to make sure they still meet your child’s needs.
The Staffordshire SEND Local Offer
The Local Offer is your one-stop shop for information about services and support for children and young people aged 0 to 25 with SEND.
You can find information about:
- Early years and childcare
- Education and training
- Health and wellbeing
- Social care
- Travel and transport
- Preparing for adulthood
- Money and benefits
- Support groups and organisations
- Policies, forms and referral guidance
Visit the SEND Local Offer on Staffordshire Connects.
SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy for Staffordshire 2026 to 2029
The Staffordshire SEND and Alternative provision strategy 2026 to 2029 sets out how we will work together with Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Integrated Care Board to improve support and services for children and young people in Staffordshire.
The strategy was developed through engagement, co-production and consultation with parents, professionals, the NHS and school representatives in the county.
Read our SEND Strategy and learn more about how it was developed and what our priorities are.
Co-production in Staffordshire
In 2022, we launched the Staffordshire Co-production Promise. This sets out how we work together with children, young people, families, and professionals to design and deliver better support.
“Those providing support share power by working with those receiving support at every step, so the help provided is as good as it can be and makes life better.”
Read the co-production promise on the Doing Our Bit website.
Contact us
If you have questions about:
- Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA)
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
Phone: 0300 111 8007 (option 2, then option 2)
