SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy 2025 to 2030 Summary

During 2025, we worked with children, young people, parents, carers, and partners including education settings, health, and care professionals to jointly develop our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Strategy. We gathered feedback through consultations, surveys, face-to-face engagement, and SEND focused events across the borough.

Our approach is guided by three principles:

• we work together for a good life. Children, young people, and their families are at the heart of the way we work. We treat one another with dignity, empathy, and curiosity to discover what a good life looks like, focusing on what matters not just what's the matter
• nothing about us without us. The views of children, young people and families inform decisions about their lives, the planning, delivery, and commissioning of services
• inclusion matters. Children and young people are supported to live an ordinary life

Children, young people, and their families are at the heart of everything we do. We want every child to grow up safe, supported, and able to achieve their best.

If you would like an easy read version or a copy of the full Strategy document, email: localoffer@stockton.gov.uk

If you would like to ask any questions please complete our online form.

Contact the Local Offer team

Stockton-on-Tees should be a great place to grow up, where children and young people are protected from harm and supported to be the best they can be in life. Wherever possible, they should be supported in their local community. We follow the law that protects children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring we do the right things for them and their families.

Being as healthy as possible

• access to health services at the right time
• support for mental health, healthy eating, and exercise
• training for staff in schools, health, and care

Success looks like: Children and young people know how to stay healthy, get help when needed, and enjoy fun ways to be active.

What children and young people tell us is important to them:

• being able to keep fit and healthy and maintain a healthy weight
• having opportunities to exercise regularly
• to learn about and eat the different foods that keep them healthy
• that they receive support for their mental health when they need it and have time in school to be able to regulate themselves when they need to
• that they know about the things that are bad for them (including drugs, alcohol, and vaping)

What parents and carers tell us is important to them:

• being physically healthy is important, but opportunities can be difficult to access
• eating healthily can be difficult for children due to sensory needs and limited diets. It is important to have more advice and support around this
• being happy, their children's mental health is the most important thing for them. It can be difficult to access timely support for mental health needs
• there needs to be more training for healthcare staff around SEND
• the impact of the internet and social media, parents worry about the effect of this on their children
• it is difficult to find out about and receive support for sensitive issues including child to parent violence

Our commitments as a local area partnership:

We will:

• train and support our workforce across education, health, and social care to ensure they have the skills to understand and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND
• work with our education, health, and social care services to deliver healthy lifestyles information and education for our children and young people with SEND
• implement the i-Thrive Framework for system change, as an integrated, person centered and needs-led approach to delivering mental health services for children, young people and families, which will include services that are trauma-informed and can provide trauma focused interventions
• work together to develop our needs-led approach across the whole system of care to provide support at the right time and improve the waiting times for access to specialist health assessments and support

The difference this will make to children, young people, parents and carers:

I will:

• understand how to have a healthy lifestyle and receive local services to keep me healthy when I need them
• have the best physical and mental health that is possible for me
• know what it means to have good mental and physical health and the people around me will support me when I need them to
• be able to choose from a range of ways to be physically active in my local community

Friends, family and community

• clubs and activities that welcome everyone
• clear information about what's available
• safe and fun places for families

Success looks like: Children and young people feel included, safe, and confident in their communities.

What children and young people tell us is important to them:

• being able to spend time and do things with their whole family
• having good relationships with friends and family
• there should be more clubs and activities that they can attend
• sometimes they feel like they belong in their communities, but often activities are not available to them, or they do not feel confident trying them
• sometimes they do not feel safe when they leave their homes

What parents and carers tell us is important to them:

• being able to attend and receive services and take part in activities as a whole family is important. Having children with different needs and ages can make this difficult
• for their children to take part in inclusive activities alongside their peers. Social connections are vital for their children's wellbeing
• for more support groups to be available for parents
• for their children to have somewhere to go that they could access as individuals
• travel and cost can be an issue to get to and take part in activities that are inclusive
• they do not always feel it is safe for their children to be out in their local community on their own

Our commitments as a local area partnership:

We will:

• work with our community groups, culture, and leisure services to help make local spaces, clubs and activities inclusive and welcoming for children and young people with SEND
• enhance our Local Offer website and expand how we share information so that children, young people, parents, carers, and professionals can easily find the right support, in the right place, at the right time
• amplify the voices of children, young people, parents and carers in decision making by increasing their participation and how we work in co-production. This includes refreshing and embedding our Co-production charter across the local area
• develop our market position statement and sufficiency strategy to include SEND provision, to ensure that there are enough local specialist and mainstream places that meet the needs of our children and young people

The difference this will make to children, young people, parents and carers:

• there will be activities that my family and I can do together
• i will feel that I belong in my community
• i will be with my friends and make friendships in spaces where I feel safe
• i will know what is available for me and my family in Stockton-on-Tees
• i will feel safe and be able to travel on my own to places locally 

Getting ready for independence

• learning life skills like making choices and travelling safely
• support for transitions from school to adulthood
• opportunities to prepare for jobs and independent living

Success looks like: Children and young people feel confident, safe, and ready for the future.

What children and young people tell us is important to them:

Understanding what opportunities are available to them for their future:

• being able to do things independently and feeling safe
• having opportunities to learn practical skills to build their confidence in managing daily routines independently
• being part of social groups to encourage confidence and a sense of belonging are essential for independence
• being focused on aspirations and future careers - some children and young people can struggle to know what they want for themselves in the future

What parents and carers tell us is important to them:

• for children and young people with SEND to be valued members of society
• for children and young people to receive tailored support to develop their independence
• individual support that recognises the diverse needs that children and young people have, which helps them reach their potential
• for children and young people to have equal access to activities, experiences and support that prepare them for independence

Our commitments as a local area partnership:

• we develop clear pathways that equip young people with confidence, skills, and opportunities to develop independence across all areas of their life including travel, decision making, daily living and employment
• we will ensure all our children and young people experience well planned transitions at all phases through to adulthood, which are informed and led by their views and wishes
• we will maintain a rigorous focus on support and intervention in the early years that build the foundations of communication and social interaction

The difference this will make to children, young people, parents and carers:

I will:

• have the skills to help me look after myself and take part in activities for daily living
• feel safe when I do things independently in my local community
• be able to live as independently as possible in the future

Having a good education, employment and training opportunities

• equal chances to learn and succeed
• schools that provide the right support
• collaboration between education, health, and care

Success looks like: Schools are places where every child feels happy, included, and able to do their best.

What children and young people tell us is important to them:

• being included and feeling that they belong within their school community
• having friends and being part of a group in school
• taking part in activities that make learning exciting and meaningful - art, reading, PE, school trips
• supportive teachers and being able to access calm or quiet spaces when needed
• feeling confident in their school environment and having trusting relationships with the adults that support them and their peers
• receiving certificates, awards, and positive reinforcement to boost their confidence and motivate them.

What parents and carers tell us is important to them:

• equal opportunities - every child and young person has the right to education and employment, irrespective of their needs or disabilities
• good transitions - the transition to different school phases can be challenging for SEND children and young people
• schools support children to reach their potential and provide support to overcome barriers and gain confidence, self-worth, and life skills
• earlier intervention and sustained efforts to meet the needs of children and young people
• consistency - parents and carers have inconsistent experiences with schools and the support they provide

Our commitments as a local area partnership:

We will:

• work with our education settings to embed inclusive approaches to education, so that all children and young people with SEND receive education that enables them to reach their potential
• further develop and embed a response across health, social care and education that provides early intervention and prevention of Emotional School Based Avoidance
• expand and enhance the range and quality of Alternative Provision and put in place pathways of multi-agency support that help children and young people successfully reengage with education
• further develop the range of local mainstream and specialist provision, training and support that meets young people's aspirations and promotes meaningful pathways into adulthood
• work together to identify and implement evidence-based approaches to supporting attendance and reducing suspension and exclusions

The difference this will make to children, young people, parents and carers:

• i will feel happy and have a sense of belonging in my education setting or workplace
• i will know what I want to achieve and will be supported by the people around me to reach my potential
• i will have fair and inclusive educational opportunities
• i will have friends and a network of support in my education or workplace setting
• my educational and training achievements will be recognised and celebrated

How we will deliver

• annual action plans to achieve our goals
• twice-yearly updates to our Self Evaluation Framework
• ongoing listening to children, young people, and families through forums, engagement events, and feedback processes
• regular updates so you know what's happening, including a 'You said, we did' approach

What is the local area partnership?

It brings together education, health, and social care services, children, young people, parents, and carers—all sharing responsibility for commissioning, managing, and delivering arrangements for children and young people with SEND aged 0 to 25 and those who may require Alternative Provision (AP).

Why do we have a strategy?

To set out the commitments we are making to improve the lives of children and young people with SEND and AP in Stockton-on-Tees.

How was the strategy developed?

Through co-production with children, young people, parents, carers, and partners, using consultations, surveys, and engagement events.

How will we know the strategy is making a difference?

A yearly action plan will detail delivery, milestones, and measures. We will continue listening and provide regular updates. We will continue to listen to the views of children, young people, parents and carers through a range of methods including:

• our Youth Forum
• our continued partnership with the Parent Carer Forum
• engagement events throughout the year
• learning and feedback from the EHCP (education, health and care plan) process

As well as listening, we commit to a 'you said, we did' approach and communicating with our children, young people, parents and carers to provide regular updates about the progress we are making.