SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2025 to 2030
Strategy Action Plan
This Partnership Action Plan tracks the delivery of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy. Since October 2025, services have been working together to support children and young people with SEND and their families.
Over the last six months, this work has led to clear improvements.
We are now pleased to share a six‑month update to the Strategy Action Plan. This revised plan reflects:
- the progress achieved to date
- the learning gathered through engagement, discovery activity and inspection
- the new and emerging priorities that will guide our next phase of improvement
The action plan is overseen and driven by the SEND Partnership Board. Different services are responsible for different actions.
Each action has clear measures, which are checked using shared data and reports.
Feedback from children and young people with SEND and their families has been a key part of the development.
We use feedback from the FACT Bucks parent and carer survey, as well as feedback from services.
This helps us understand what is working and what needs to improve.
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, 521KB]. 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 revised Universal Provision guidance across mainstream settings to support inclusion |
Buckinghamshire Council SEND Service, Schools and settings. |
SEND Inclusion Strategic Lead/SENCOs |
September 2026 |
Medium |
UP document published. Percentage of schools report increased confidence |
Action 1.2 Identify opportunities to develop SEND provision across Family Hubs |
Family Hub Network |
Early Help Service Partnership Manager |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Percentage increase in programmes delivered |
Action 1.3 Articulate and promote a coordinated needs-based early support offer to families and professionals to ensure needs are met at the earliest stage |
SEND Improvement, Communications, and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) |
Heads and Designated Clinical Officer |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Comms campaign delivered; increased use of channels). |
Action 1.4 Develop training and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for the wider workforce across all ages to support professionals to meet a range of needs |
SEND Service, Early Years, Integrated Care Board |
SEND Inclusion Lead and/or the Designated Clinical Officer |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Training delivered; 30% confidence increase. |
Action 1.5 Implement the Education Health Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) recovery programme to reduce waiting times and ensure stakeholder communication across the process |
SEND Improvement |
SEND Inclusion Lead |
July 2026 |
Short |
Increased percentage of EHCNAs completed within 20 weeks. |
Action 1.6 Continue to embed quality assurance mechanisms that monitor and strengthen decision making, standards of EHCNAs, new plans, and annual reviews |
SEND Improvement |
Senior SEND Development Officer |
Ongoing |
Medium |
Increased percentage of EHCPs, decision making and casework graded as good or outstanding. |
Outcome
There will be sufficient high-quality educational provision to meet the continuum of SEND 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 Council 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 Director, Major Projects |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Percentage increase in the number of high needs places |
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 |
Directors |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Forecasting is completed. Business case is developed. |
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 |
Directors |
September 2026 |
Medium |
The workplan is 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 Improve communication, and information sharing between social care and SEND |
SEND Improvement, Social Care |
SEND Inclusion Lead, Children’s Social Care Locality Manager |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Increased percentage of good quality social care sections in EHC plans |
Action 1.2 Analyse data/case examples where intensive intervention led to positive outcomes |
SEND Service |
Head of SEND |
June 2026 |
Short |
Analysis completed |
Action 1.3 Create guidance in relation to Continuing Care/Continuing Health Care support in school setting |
SEND Improvement |
Head of Service, Integrated Commissioning/FACT Bucks rep |
June 2026 |
Short |
Guidance completed and shared |
Action 1.4 Analysis of young people in specialist provisions to inform Adult Social Care planning |
Adult Social Care |
Director of Adult Social Care – Operations |
June 2026 |
Short |
Analysis completed |
Action 1.5 Work with stakeholders to co-produce a short breaks offer that meets the needs of all children, young people, and their families |
Commissioning, FACT Bucks |
Heads |
September 2027 |
Long |
Monitoring shows increased utilisation and positive outcome |
Outcome
Young people will be able to access a range of suitable post-16 progression routes and, where necessary, support for independence, 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 Further develop and promote the supported internship offer in line with local need |
SEND Commissioning |
Heads |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Sustainable model 75% of internship places are filled |
Action 1.2 Deliver against recommendations from the community inclusion workshops to enable young people to access community activities. |
FACT Bucks, SENDIAS, and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) |
Designated Clinical Officer, Team Leaders |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Recommendations are delivered |
Action 1.3 Support the aspirations young people with SEND (in year 9 and upwards) by improving good practice around annual reviews and Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) |
Schools, SEND Service |
SENCOs, Head of SEND |
September 2026 |
Medium |
Quality Assurance (QA) activity reflects PfA planning in EHCPs (year 9 upwards) |
Action 1.4 Produce a resource for young people and their families that supports transitions YP with SEND in year 9 and above approaching transitions to include travel training and mentoring support |
SEND Improvement |
SEND Sufficiency Manager |
April 2026 |
Short |
Participation and completion rates for travel training/mentoring Improved transition indicators (start of course attendance, retention) |
Action 1.5 Map housing options available for young people with SEND in Buckinghamshire and create simple guidance to help them (and their families) find the right housing for their needs |
SEND Improvement |
Senior SEND Development Officer |
May 2026 |
Short |
Publication/use of Housing Options Guide; engagement metrics Increased early housing discussions recorded in reviews/plans |
Our progress
Since we launched the SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2025 to 2030, we have been working together to make improvements.
What we have done together
- Resources made by children and young people are used to help schools be more inclusive. Their real experiences are helping to shape practice in settings.
- Strengthened SENCO networks and champion roles. This gives staff more peer support and helps build skills across the county.
- Updated and relaunched the Universal Provision (UP) document. This sets clearer expectations for inclusive practice in all settings. Work to fully embed this will continue through the 2025 to 2026 school year.
- Worked closely with families who have higher support needs. Through workshops and reviews, we listened to their experiences. What we learned has helped set new priorities for this area of work.
- Improved planning for young people moving into Adult Social Care. We have secured more support in this area to keep this work going.
- Completed an early review of the short breaks offer. We gathered views from families and other partners. We are now working together to design a new short breaks strategy.
- Linked SEND employment work into the Council’s Skills Strategy Board. This helps make sure Preparing for Adulthood work fits with wider jobs and skills plans.
- Commissioned the Connect2Work provider to begin work with employers. This helps create more inclusive job opportunities before the programme starts in April 2026.
- Held community workshops for families and young people. Their views have been built into the Preparing for Adulthood workstream.
- Improved how annual reviews are carried out. Two training webinars were held in March 2026. Two more training days are planned for June 2026 for secondary and post‑16 providers.
These actions show our shared commitment to inclusion and working together.
We will continue to share updates as this work moves forward.