Government gives green light for Doncaster plan to transform SEND support

Doncaster is set to begin a major programme of work to transform its support offer for local children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) after the Department for Education approved its three-year plan.

The plan forms part of a national programme of SEND Reform with changes taking place across England to respond to rising demand for support.

The approval of the plan is welcome news for those who have helped shape it, bringing together the experience and expertise of local schools and education settings, health partners, SEND support networks, as well as the voice of children, young people and families.

Over the next three years, the programme will work towards a core vision of providing better support, earlier and closer to home.

This will include strengthening support in mainstream schools, making it easier for them to access specialist advice and expertise in their local area, and helping more children who have the potential to thrive in mainstream education to do so, with the right support around them.

At the same time, work will take place to increase the number of specialist places over the next three years and make specialist support available closer to home for children and young people where appropriate.

The programme will also focus on recognising children’s needs earlier, bringing the services that support children and young people closer together, and making it easier for families to understand what support is available and how to access it.

Want more stories like this? Click here to get our daily newsletter

Speaking about the planned transformation, Doncaster’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, Councillor Susan Farmer said: “We know how incredibly important this is for families. The support a child or young person with SEND receives can make a huge difference to their experience of education, their confidence and their opportunities in the future, and that’s why this plan matters so much.

“This is an incredible opportunity to genuinely improve the way SEND support works in Doncaster, so families can have greater confidence that their child is getting the right support, at the right time and in the right place. That goal is at the very heart of our vision for this work.

“We don’t want to shy away from the fact that families have often found it difficult to find the right support, and their voices have been a huge part of shaping the plan and will continue to be heard and embedded right across the programme.

“This will be a real Doncaster team effort to make sure the support we develop works for the people who need it, and that the work delivered as part of this plan translates into real, positive outcomes for our young people and their families”.

Residents are being encouraged to sign up to a dedicated SEND newsletter to stay up to date with the plan and opportunities to be involved. More information about the local SEND reform plan and how to sign up to the SEND newsletter can be found at www.doncaster.gov.uk/doncastersendreform