£2.2 million boost for Central Bedfordshire's special education reform plan
A government funding boost for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform in schools and better access to professional expertise could improve pupil experience and ease the pressure on parents.
About £2.2m of government finance is due to be made available to Central Bedfordshire Council, during the first year of the programme.
A proposed ‘experts at hand’ model will give schools and education settings more coordinated access to specialist professionals, according to a CBC statement.
This will include educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, mental health practitioners, occupational therapists, SEND advisory teachers and parent navigators, said the local authority.
“These professionals will work closely with schools to identify emerging needs, provide specialist advice and help put support in place before difficulties escalate.
“CBC’s local SEND reform plan aims to merge improvement work with schools, health services, families and other partners into one programme, which is designed to provide children with the right support at the right time,
“The ringfenced funding will support the development of ‘experts at hand’, workforce capacity, programme management and partnership delivery.”
Independent Flitwick councillor Gareth Mackey explained: “It’s vital every child and young person with SEND receives the right support as early as possible, closer to their local community, and helping them thrive in their school.
“We know that families can find the SEND system difficult to navigate, while demand on services continues to grow. These reforms won’t deliver change overnight, but they provide an important opportunity to build a more inclusive, responsive and sustainable system in the coming years.”
Director of SNAP parent carer forum (PCF) Kirsty Green said: “We welcome the commitment to improving support for children and young people with SEND.
“We look forward to continuing to work with partners by sharing the experiences and perspectives of parent carers, as the reforms are implemented.”
The reform programme concentrates on four main areas:
- developing and implementing ‘experts at hand’;
- improving alternative provision and supporting more children to return successfully to mainstream education;
- strengthening the involvement of children, young people and families in the design and delivery of services;
- recruiting, developing and retaining a skilled SEND workforce.
Central Bedfordshire has more than 4,480 active education, health and care plans (EHCPs), with the number of plans having increased by 157 per cent since January 2019, added the CBC statement.
“Progress will be monitored through performance measures, quality assurance and feedback from children, families, schools and practitioners.”
Executive member for children and families councillor Mackey told CBC’s executive: “This provides us quite an opportunity to access government finance, after quite a process with changing guidance all the way through.
“We’re looking at £2.2m in the immediate future,” he said. “It also contributes to the government’s plan of reimbursing 90 per cent of our high needs deficit fund, which could end up being around £56m.
“This really gives us an opportunity to push the way we’re moving in a policy direction, so that means early intervention and more SEND in mainstream (schooling).
“We need what’s called our ‘experts at hand’ programme to achieve this, with schools having access to named individuals. All experts aim to reinforce the ability of schools to deliver the plan as we go forward.”
Deputy executive member for the education portfolio and Independent Barton-le-Clay and Silsoe councillor Liz Childs described it as “an exciting opportunity,” saying: “This should reduce some of the stress for their parents, who’ll have easier access to expert professionals.
“The children will feel more integrated and not be separated from their friends at school. Some travel enormous distances each day. If we can get that reduced, it’s going to be so much better for their welfare and mental wellbeing.”
The executive unanimously approved that councillor Mackey and CBC’s director of children’s services Amana Gordon can allocate and distribute funding received through the ‘experts at hand’ programme.