SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2025 to 2030
Vision, ambitions and principles
Our vision
Our vision for children and young people (CYP) with SEND is the same as that for all children in Buckinghamshire:
To build a better future for all CYP in Buckinghamshire so that they realise their potential, whatever their starting point is.
We want to ensure that:
- CYP feel safe and are protected from harm.
- Children, young people, parents and carers are supported to overcome their challenges.
- CYP are happy and healthy. They have access to a diverse range of activities and opportunities to support their health and wellbeing.
- CYP have access to high-quality education and training opportunities, have good attendance at school and achieve their full potential.
We recognise that CYP with SEND face more challenges than their peers. This strategy focuses on aspiration and inclusion rather than difference.
Our ambitions
The Local Area Partnership is committed to making changes that we believe will make a real difference to the lives of:
- children,
- young people,
- and families in our SEND community.
This commitment extends to all CYP with special educational needs and disabilities. It encompasses varying levels and areas of need across the entire county. By addressing these diverse needs, we aim to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for every individual.
As a local area partnership, we acknowledge there will be challenges to achieving our aspirations. Despite this, there remains a steadfast commitment to progress. The current system provides a foundation upon which incremental improvements can be built. We can navigate complexities and continue to work towards realising our ambition by:
- Fostering collaboration among stakeholders
- Using innovative solutions
- focusing on our goals
Early support and inclusion
Embed early support and inclusion, adopting a needs-led approach. We want children, young people and their families to be supported at the earliest possible stage. We want this support not to be dependent on a clinical diagnosis. We will evaluate our success based on:
- The number of families accessing our early support services.
- The feedback we receive about their experiences.
High support needs
Understand the experiences of children, young people and their families with high support needs who use our services. Develop a consistent approach to decision-making about the support provided.
We will use a multidisciplinary team approach to ensure the right expertise informs the decisions. We will evaluate our success based on how well the support we provide for CYP meets their needs.
Education sufficiency
Develop our education sufficiency activities to provide local provision that meets the needs of CYP. This allows them to remain part of their local community. We will evaluate our success based on the number of education places we can provide for children closer to home.
Preparing for adulthood
Strengthen our approach to Preparation for Adulthood. We want to ensure there are clear pathways to access meaningful opportunities at post-16 and post-19. We will evaluate our success on:
- the number and range of meaningful opportunities available
- the quality of early planning
Service delivery
We aim to integrate and strengthen service delivery. We want the whole system to work coherently to:
- improve communication
- provide clear advice and guidance to families so they can access the right support at the right time
Local area shared principles
The following 7 principles underpin the delivery of this strategy. We will:
- Continue to seek feedback from children, young people and their families. This enables us to understand their experiences and take steps to improve them.
- Further develop co-production at all levels in line with the Co-production Charter. This includes individually, operationally and strategically.
- Support and develop the workforce so they can deliver excellence in SEND. This includes developing interpersonal skills and a learning culture across the Local Area.
- Champion early intervention, engaging families at the earliest opportunity when needs are identified. Therefore, providing the right support at the right time.
- Adopt a solution-focused approach. This approach values creativity and flexibility in meeting the needs of CYP.
- Ensure efficient use of resources. Do this by sharpening our focus on the impact and outcomes for CYP.
- Embed a culture of trust, openness and transparency. This encourages mutual support and constructive challenge.