The Specialist Outreach Advisory Service
The Specialist Outreach Advisory Service (SOAS) is a new intervention which has replaced the School 2 School or S2S support service. The S2S commission ceased in April 2025.
SOAS provides advice and guidance to mainstream settings to support cohorts of pupils with complex needs, predominantly INDES levels 6 and 7.
SOAS will also support effective transition between education phases, with a focus on transitions in the Early Years. It has been developed following a pilot project with Norfolk special schools.
The intervention seeks to
- Improve outcomes for children and young people with complex needs in mainstream settings
- Increase inclusion for children and young people with complex needs in mainstream settings
- Increase parental confidence in mainstream provision for SEND
- Support children to remain educated locally
- Reduce the number of EHC needs assessments and plans, as needs are met with SEN Support
- Increase confidence in a setting's ability to meet the needs of children and young people with significant complexity.
After a pilot period, the service is now fully operational, with a team of experienced advisers from five complex needs and specialist settings in the county.
If your setting has a cohort of children and or young people with complex SEND for which they are seeking support, please discuss at your Team Around the School (TAS) meeting. The Team Around the School will be able to signpost support based on the cohort's needs, which may include a referral to the Specialist Outreach Advisory Service.
