Norfolk's three-year plan to strengthen SEND support is published
Huge thanks to all of you who have contributed to the creation of Norfolk's Local SEND Reform Plan, which was submitted to the Department for Education on Friday (19 June), and is now published for families and partners across the county to read.
As many of you may know, it's a three-year plan, which the Government required all areas to create, to improve how children and young people with SEND are supported across early years, schools and further education.
Our plan for Norfolk has been co-ordinated by Norfolk County Council, with Norfolk and Suffolk's Integrated Care Board, and shaped through engagement with children and young people, families, education settings, the NHS and the voluntary sector.
It sets out a shared approach across education, health and care, with a focus on earlier identification of need, stronger inclusion and improved support within mainstream provision and was formally endorsed by Norfolk's Local Inclusion Partnership.
Much of the approach and content is the direction of travel we've been taking for some time as part of the Local First Inclusion programme.
What's new is that this plan is the first phase of the Government's national SEND reforms. It focuses on changes that can begin now, ahead of future national legislation.
For education settings, the plan focuses on building confidence, capability and capacity to meet a wider range of needs. Over the next three years, Norfolk will:
- Expand support available to mainstream schools through the £5.9m 'Experts at Hand' funding (subject to Government approval). This provides access to additional specialist advice and support for staff aligned to our existing SEND and Inclusion Support Model
- Strengthen our 'Team around the School' approaches, to support earlier identification and coordinated responses to need
- Increase peer-to-peer support between schools and trusts through Zone Inclusion Partnerships, enabling the sharing of effective SEND practice
- Conclude implementation of our three-tier Alternative Provision strategy, developed with secondary schools, to support children at risk of exclusion. This includes 16 new social, emotional and mental health bases and centres, local partnership planning meetings and targeted outreach
- Continue the capital programme to expand specialist provision; by 2028 doubling the number of Specialist Resource Bases (SRBs) (in mainstream schools resulting in around 40% of primary and over half of secondary hosting this provision. To date around 85% of children have remained in mainstream education as a result of this support.
- Roll out a consistent framework based on positive relationships and a nurture approach across all settings
- Complete the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams to all schools by 2028
In particular, for early years and post-16, the plan will:
· Expand our SEND and Inclusion Support model across all the age ranges, including access to additional specialist advice and support.
- Align with the Best Start Family Hubs programme
- Support improved participation, with a target for 95% of 16 and 17-year-olds to be in education, employment or training
Sara Tough, Executive Director for Children's Services at Norfolk County Council, said the plan is focused on supporting staff as well as improving outcomes:
"This plan is about helping children and young people get the right support earlier, so they can succeed in their education.
It is designed to strengthen inclusion in mainstream settings while giving staff the confidence, tools and support to meet a wide range of needs."
Partners across education and health have emphasised the importance of joined-up working and early intervention to reduce pressure on specialist services and improve day-to-day support in settings.
Read the full plan here - select the Reports tab at the top
