Our plans for SEND

Leicester's commitment to supporting children and young people with SEND is focused on mutual collaboration, child-centred planning, and ensuring that social, health and education services across the city are joined up in the best way to support children and families. Children, young people with SEND and their families tell us what matters is to have the right support in the right place at the right time without having to struggle to understand what is available and to find out how to get the best support.

In our consultations with children young people and families across the city, this centres around gives us a focus on the four main priorities of being responsive, effective, inclusive and efficient.

ONE: Being responsive through coproduction, participation, and communication

• The participation of children, young people and their families is central in the planning, commissioning, and reviewing of SEND services
• Information advice and services including the Local Offer should be readily available and provide useful information so that children, young people and their families know where and how to access support
• Children, young people and their families should have greater choice and control. We will promote independence throughout our services, processes and practice. This will include for example the use of personal transport budgets, independent travel training, personal budgets

TWO: Being effective and appropriately managing increasing levels of demand and need in SEND

• Early identification of need for children and young people is a priority and the interventions should be accessible and effective within all settings
• Education Health and Care Plans in Leicester City should be forward-looking and coproduced in partnership with health social care, children, young people and their families to deliver positive and meaningful life outcomes
• We continue to seek opportunities to improve outcomes for children and young people not only in their education, but also in their social care, health, wellbeing, independence and in their preparation for adulthood
• Our approach aims to provide support that meets the needs of each child or young person, and ensures that they are supported to achieve their full potential

THREE: Being Inclusive, ensuring inclusive practice and provision

• Inclusive practice is being relaunched for all schools through the best endeavours and reasonable adjustments framework. This will enable schools and professionals to support and challenge practice to ensure children and young people with SEND are included in school life
• We promote the use of Assistive technology to support children and young people with SEND within schools settings and to develop their skills for independence
• We want to make sure the right specialist provision is available locally to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND

FOUR: Being Efficient through partnership working and best use of resources

• We will make sure SEND Joint commissioning priorities are clear and delivered in partnership, through the effective use of resources. Working closely with health, we will support young people transitioning into adulthood including those over the age of 19
• Children, young people will be successfully supported in their transition into adulthood through our Preparing for Adulthood strategy. This will also align with the NHS Transforming Care priorities for children and young people with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism to be supported in our communities
• We will closely monitor funding for the High Needs Block in Leicester City to make sure it is effective, well co-ordinated and focussed on achieving the best possible outcomes for Children and young people with SEND