Telford & Wrekin Council to lead new SEND pilot for West Midlands

The Department for Education has selected Telford & Wrekin Council to lead a programme aiming to improve the lives of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in Alternative Provision (AP).

The council will lead the West Midlands Regional Partnership, one of nine regional partnerships formed in the country by the Department for Education as part of its £70 million Change Programme Partnership.

Working alongside Department for Education, the council will provide leadership across the regional partnership to pilot the change programme, share practices and learning, and monitor the delivery progress in the partnership.

Improvements include introducing new digital requirements for local authority Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) processes, and new national inclusion standards.

Councillor Eileen Callear (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council's Cabinet Member for education, employment & visitor economy, said:

"Reform and change is needed so that the experience for families navigating the national SEND and AP system is much simpler and children's needs are supported quicker.

"Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the current SEND system can be confusing and frustrating for parents.

"We welcome this opportunity to take a leading role to make the system clearer and more straightforward, and to deliver for children and young people with SEND consistently.

"This work will help to build an inclusive system with excellent SEND education at its heart."

The news comes after Telford & Wrekin Council had been chosen to be one of the few councils in the country to be part of the Change Programme Partnership.

The Change Programme Partnership is aiming to have a robust approach to co-production that fully involves parent and young people groups, as well as other key partners such as multi-academy trusts, special and alternative provision schools, early years and post-16 leaders, and members of the Integrated Care System.

Councillor Eileen Callear, added:

“Being chosen to lead on another pilot like this just shows the strength of children services at Telford & Wrekin Council and the confidence government has in them.”

A recent Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection report noted local area partnership's current arrangements for Telford and Wrekin typically lead to positive experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and that the local area partnership is taking action where improvements are needed.

The review looked at how well Telford & Wrekin Council, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, health providers, and education settings identify, assess, and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND and improve their experience and outcomes.

Cllr Shirley Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Young People at Telford & Wrekin Council, said:

"The latest Ofsted and Care Quality Commission report outcome is a considerable achievement for Telford and Wrekin and was the highest possible outcome attainable under the new inspection framework.

"But that does not mean we won't stop improving our support to our borough's most vulnerable children in our mission to provide every child with the best possible start in life.

"Leading this partnership will ensure that Telford and Wrekin is at the forefront of vital changes that will improve the experiences and outcomes for families.

"Taking care and supporting our most vulnerable children to be healthy, happy, and safe and achieve their full potential is our priority.”