Early Identification and Intervention to Better Support Children and Young People’s Therapy Needs

Why are we doing this now:

• an Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Local Area Inspection was completed in Buckinghamshire in March 2022
• the need for a single local area strategy for meeting the therapy needs of Children and Young People in Buckinghamshire was identified
• therapy provision for Buckinghamshire children is currently delivered in different ways. This can make it difficult for parents and carers to know who to access support from
• the demand for therapy support in Buckinghamshire has been increasing since 2018 (CIT Contract Monitoring Information 2017 to 2022.) Physiotherapy has not been as affected in the same way but there has been an increase in the complexity of children’s needs
• the number of students with EHCPs with a primary need of Autism has increased since 2015. There has also been a rise in areas of complex need that need a high level of specialist support

Prioritising support to children with statutory, high-level, or urgent needs has led to other children not receiving support at the earliest opportunity, resulting in an increase in their needs. This has a negative impact and places more pressure on Children and Young People and their families.

The annual SEND surveys 2021 and 2022 undertaken by FACT (Families and Carers Together) Bucks and Buckinghamshire SENDIAS, and feedback from families and professionals working within the SEND system, showed this.

This impact:

• reduces children’s ability to take part in education and daily activities
• negatively affects children's mental health
• effects unmet needs on the family as a whole

It affects therapist capacity as less early intervention leads to a higher level of support and more therapist resources needed; a cycle this strategy seeks to break.