SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2025 to 2030
Strategy Action Plan
Introduction
This Partnership Action Plan has been developed to track the delivery of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy. It will be updated annually with short and medium-term actions.
The Action Plan is monitored via the SEND Partnership Board. The board's organisations lead on activities within the Plan.
Clear measures have been identified for each action. These will be monitored alongside the Partnership Dashboard/data report.
Feedback from Children and young (CYP) with SEND and their families is critical to showing success in improving the experience. The Annual FACT Bucks parent/carer survey and service-specific user feedback will determine how well the local area is achieving its vision and aspirations.
The 4 priorities of the strategy are:
- Early support and inclusion
- Education sufficiency
- High support needs
- Preparing for adulthood
Download the Action Plan Priorities [PDF, 500KB]
This document may not be accessible.
Outcome
Children with SEND and their families will have their needs met at the earliest opportunity. Preventing escalation of need where possible. They will be able to easily access a wide range of effective support to help them achieve positive outcomes and lead fulfilling lives.
| Action | lead agency | Roles responsible | Due date | Short/medium term action | Success measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Action 1.1 Embed resources created by CYP for settings to support them in developing inclusive environments |
Shout Out for SEND/schools and settings |
Youth Participation Worker/SENCos |
December 2025 |
Short |
Resources disseminated. 50% of settings using resources. |
Action 1.2 Further develop SENCo networks and champion roles to support workforce development. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Service/schools and Early years SENCos |
SEND and Inclusion Strategic Lead/ SENCos |
July 2026 |
Short |
Percentage increase in SENCo confidence in supporting CYP with SEND (baseline by July 2025). |
Action 1.3 Launch and embed Universal Provision (UP) resources in mainstream settings to support inclusion. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Service/Schools and settings |
SEND Inclusion Strategic Lead/SENCos |
Launch - September 2025 Embed - September 2026 |
Medium |
UP document published. Percentage of schools report increased confidence in delivering UP (baseline by September 2025). |
Action 1.4 Identify opportunities to further develop SEND provision across the Family Hubs Network (FHN). Promote the partnership early support offer. |
Family Hub Network |
Early Help Service Partnership Manager |
September 2026 |
Medium |
13% of the FHN organisations have a focus on SEND CYP (in line with SEN support national average). Percentage increase in the number of programmes delivered across the FHN for SEND (baseline by September 2025). |
Action 1.5 Articulate and promote a coordinated early support offer to families and professionals. ensuring needs are met at the earliest stage. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Improvement and communications teams/Integrated Care Board (ICB) |
Head of SEND Sufficiency and Service Improvement/Designated clinical officer/Service Improvement Business Partner |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Early Support Offer comms campaign delivered. Number of channels/platforms to promote offer increased (visibility increased). |
Action 1.6 Develop training and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for the wider workforce. This is across all ages to support professionals to meet a range of needs. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Service and Early Years/Integrated Care Board (ICB) |
SEND Inclusion Strategic Lead/Designated Clinical Officer/Early Years SEND Access and Inclusion Manager |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Training/CPD programmes delivered across partnership. 30% increase in staff confidence in supporting CYP evidenced by course evaluations. |
Outcome
There will be enough high-quality education provision to meet the continuum of SEND educational needs. This includes:
- post-16
- mainstream
- Additionally Resourced Provisions (ARPs) and units
- specialist and alternative provision
| Action | Lead agency | Roles responsible | Due date | Short/medium term action | Success measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Action 1.1 Publish demand and placement forecasts annually to enable the partnership to plan services in line with local need. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Service |
Head of SEND |
Annually in September |
Short |
Forecasts published |
Action 1.2 Create high-class provision in Buckinghamshire and appropriate support to reduce the need for CYP with high support needs to be placed in out of county settings. |
Buckinghamshire Council |
Director of Education and inclusion/Service directory, major projects |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Number/percentage increase in the number of places/support for CYP with high support needs |
Action 1.3 Develop a sustainable model of delivery that ensures there are sufficient places in Buckinghamshire for CYP with SEND to meet future forecast over the next 5 to 10 years. (Mainstream, specialist, additional resourced provision, units, alternative provision including post-19) |
Buckinghamshire Council |
Director of Education and inclusion/Service directory, major projects |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Forecasting activity completed. Business case developed across the partnership |
Action 1.4 Identify opportunities to further support inclusion and transitions across all settings. This includes exploring models of delivery in secondary provision. |
SEND Taskforce |
Director of Education and inclusion/Head Teachers |
September 2026 |
Medium |
SEND Taskforce workplan delivered |
Outcome
Agencies will work together to ensure that children and young people (CYP) with high support needs or wider vulnerabilities receive timely, appropriate and integrated support.
| Action | Lead agency | Roles responsible | Due date | Short/medium term action | Success measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Action 1.1 Complete discovery activity to understand the experience of families with high support needs. Develop an action plan to progress improvements. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Improvement/FACT Bucks/Integrated Care Board |
Senior SEND Development Officer/FACT Bucks rep/Designated Clinical Officer |
October 2025 December 2026 |
Short Medium |
20 Audits completed by October 2025. Findings report has informed new actions. Action plan developed (December 2026). |
Action 1.2 Improve transition planning for young people eligible for adult services through increased Adult Social Care (ASC) attendance at annual reviews. |
Buckinghamshire Adult Social Care |
Head of Service Early Resolution |
December 2025 |
Short |
ASC attend 75% of annual reviews for young people aged 16 to 17 with SEND who would likely to be eligible for ASC support. |
Action 1.3 Complete a review of short breaks, including family engagement to inform commissioning of a new short breaks offer. Commission new offer. |
Buckinghamshire Commissioning and Procurement Hub/FACT Bucks |
Head of Service, Integrated Commissioning/FACT Bucks rep |
October 2025 (review) |
Short |
Review completed. New officer commissioned (date TBC). Service user satisfaction of above 90% (TBC). |
Action 1.4 Analyse data on young people placed in high-cost independent settings to inform the type of provision/courses developed as part of sufficiency activities. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Improvement |
Head of SEND/SEND Development Officer |
September 2025 |
Short |
Analysis completed and fed into sufficiency workstream. |
Outcome
Young people will be able to access a range of suitable post-16 progression routes and support for independence where necessary, starting at the earliest opportunity. Transitions to adult services will be smooth and effective.
| Action | Lead agency | Roles responsible | Due date | Short/medium term action | Success measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Action 1.1 Develop a sustainable SEND Employment Forum model. This aims to increase employment opportunities for young people, including work experience. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Improvement/Buckinghamshire Skills Board/Employers |
Head of SEND Sufficiency and Service Improvement/Skills Partnership Lead |
March 2026 |
Short |
Sustainable model created. Increased number of disability confident employers (skills strategy measure). |
Action 1.2 Further develop and promote the supported internship offer in line with local need. |
Buckinghamshire SEND Commissioning |
Head of SEND Sufficiency and Service Improvement |
September 2026 |
Medium |
75% of internship places are filed. |
Action 1.3 Review and extend local and community support provided to post-16 young people transitioning in to adult social care (ASC). |
Buckinghamshire Adult Social Care |
Service Director, Adult Social Care Operations |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Number of young people supported via a new approach (baseline by September 2025). |
Action 1.4 Deliver against recommendations from the community inclusion workshops to enable young people to access community activities. |
FACT Bucks/SENDIAS/Integrated Care Board |
Designated Clinical Officer/FACT Bucks Rep/SENDIAS Team Leader |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Recommendations delivered. |
Action 1.5 Work with young people to develop resources that support their peers to be involved in Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) planning. |
Shout Out for SEND |
Youth Participation Worker |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Resources developed and shared. |
Action 1.6 Support settings to embed PfA discussions within Annual Reviews through promotion of published guidance and resources. |
Schools and settings/Buckinghamshire SEND Service |
SENCos/Head of SEND |
September 2026 |
Medium |
QA activity reflects PfA planning in EHCPs (Year 9 upwards). |