Children, young people and families across Somerset are set to benefit from further improvements to SEND support after the Department for Education approved Somerset’s SEND Reform Plan.
The plan focuses on providing support earlier, improving inclusion in mainstream education and making it easier for families to access the help they need.
A key part of the plan is Somerset’s new Experts at Hand model, which will bring additional specialist staff into early years settings, schools and colleges. These teams will work alongside practitioners to help identify needs earlier and provide support closer to home.
The approval will also support the expansion of specialist support in mainstream settings, additional Specialist Inclusion Bases, and more opportunities for young people as they prepare for adulthood.
The plan has been developed with schools, health partners, Somerset Parent Carer Forum, children and young people, and other members of the Somerset SEND Partnership. Together, they will continue to shape and deliver the improvements over the coming years.
Alongside this work, Somerset continues to improve information and support available through the SEND Local Offer. Families can now access a clearer, step-by-step EHCP pathway, information about phase transfers, current average waiting times and increased access to online forms. The EHCP Standards Group is also sharing updates on improvement work, including changes to medical advice and Preparing for Adulthood in annual reviews.
Work to deliver the improvements is already underway, and further updates will be shared as plans progress.
Find out more about improvement work on the Somerset SEND Local Offer: Somerset SEND Local Offer.
