Innovation in Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) - Introduction

West Berkshire has been successful in its application to be part of the Delivering Better Value Programme in Special Educational Needs and Disability(SEND) in conjunction with Department for Education (DfE) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

DBV is a national programme, working with 55 Local Authorities in total that aims to support councils and their local area partners to improve the delivery of SEND services for children and young people. It will be delivered over one year (2024-2025) and West Berkshire has received a grant of £1 million from central government, which will form a core element of the work already underway to transform the way we deliver SEND services to children and their families in West Berkshire.

This includes refreshing our SEND and Inclusion Strategy, streamlining and improving the services we deliver and creating new opportunities for innovation in SEND in West Berkshire.

To achieve this we know that :   

Collaboration is key, with your neighbours, partners and the children and families you support.	The child or young person must remain at the centre of everything we do.
Funding is a challenge and as such routes to financial sustainability should be a key priority to be considered throughout the planning.	We must listen to the challenges from the perspective of those receiving support from the system.

Through consultation and co-production with children, young people, parents, carers and our Local Area Partners - our innovation in SEND programme of work (encompassing the DBV Programme) will to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND by improving timely access to services, interventions, and funding.

This is a transformational piece of work which will provide a significant legacy for the future.

Follow this blog for progress on our innovation in SEND journey.
 

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