What we will do

Our mainstream schools and colleges will be more inclusive and equipped to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. We will be able to identify emerging needs with the support of those working in early help services. We want to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable learners at the earliest opportunity. By working together we will make sure we have a ‘right people, right conversation, right time’ approach. Our skilled workforce will make sure that support and need is identified as early as possible.

Our parents and carers have said:

“We agree that a partnership approach is essential for early identification of need, ensuring the approach is consistent across the service."

Our actions to deliver this are to:

• improve training and awareness for schools and council staff around child development, attachment, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language behaviour management/positive relationship and good transitions to a child’s next school;
• introduce ‘starting out’ a home learning strategy to support schools and families;
• adopt the award-winning Dingley’s Promise approach to support children with more complex needs to access mainstream provision. We will work with them to provide more early support for parents of children with SEND to help increase confidence levels around mainstream attendance;
• improve data sharing and collaboration with partners to improve early identification of need;
• deliver a children and young people mental health transformation programme;
• improve universal, targeted and specialist support for speech, language and communications;
• implement the speech and language therapy (SALT) service transformation plan;
• deliver the partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) initiative;
• introduce a special educational needs coordinator advice line.

What will be different?

More of our children with EHCPs will attend mainstream schools with a full range of support. You will have access to up to date and useful information to support your decisions though an advice line and updated information on the local offer website.

Progress to date

Dialogue is starting around new SALT provision, Dingley’s Promise and new ideas around improvement initiatives for inclusion. Our local area early year SENCOs will continue to lead this work and there are early signs showing that this work is beginning to meet need earlier and support children.

BCP Council is working with schools to identify actions to ensure help at an earlier stage. A new early help strategy has been produced which provides a clear and consistent approach to this. BCP Council is currently in the process of reviewing its funding bands with schools to determine how the system can better reward inclusive behaviour of schools and educational settings.

More progress has been made - Dingley's Promise has been launched and is already demonstrating impact - read more here.

Return to the How we are improving SEND services page