Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Strategy Launch - Frequently Asked Questions
Why launch a new SEND strategy now?
Our previous co-produced SEND strategy ran from 2021 to 2023. With a refreshed partnership and vision, now is the right time to set clear priorities for improving services and outcomes. Needs are increasing and becoming more complex, so this strategy ensures we listen to families, plan ahead, and use resources effectively to help children and young people reach their potential.
How will commitments in the strategy turn into action?
An action plan underpins the strategy, supported by a governance structure that holds partners accountable. Progress will be published and regularly reviewed with families to ensure changes make a real difference. Engagement across education, health, and social care is built in, and partners are committed to delivering priorities.
What is the plan to increase Secondary Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) places, especially for children and young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs?
We are addressing gaps through:
- a scrutiny review by the Children and Young People Select Committee
- capital projects to remove barriers for schools
- renewed expressions of interest from secondary schools in spring
- alignment with national SEND reforms expected in the upcoming White Paper
Increasing places is a key priority for the next 12 months.
What role has the Parent Carer Forum played in developing the strategy?
The Forum has been involved from the start, attending meetings, shaping priorities, and ensuring family voices are heard through surveys, social media, and consultations. Forum representatives sit on strategic and operational boards, promoting transparency and partnership working.
Will the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process become simpler and less stressful?
We know the process is complex. Locally, we have:
- simplified decision letters and added clear next steps
- introduced person-centred planning meetings before the 20 week process
- offered SEND support meetings at decision points
- gathered feedback from families to inform improvements
Further changes may follow national reforms in the White Paper.
How is the Local Authority supporting early intervention in schools?
Early intervention is critical, and evidence shows outcomes improve when support starts early, especially before age 6. To make this work, we use a multi-agency approach, including:
- training and support from occupational therapy, speech and language, behavioural consultation, counselling, and social stories
- the Inclusive Education Framework, which provides clear guidance from Early Years to Post-16
collaboration with health and social care colleagues to ensure schools have practical recommendations to implement support without delay
How is the SEND team managing the increase in Education, Health and Care Plan applications?
We recognise the rise in requests and want to reassure families and schools that the legal tests and thresholds remain unchanged. We are:
- strengthening local SEND support through the Inclusive Education Framework
- appointing a dedicated SEND Support Lead
- working closely with schools to identify needs earlier and review provision before escalation
Our aim is to provide clarity on good practice and bring in support earlier so children get help without delay.
Data shows that early intervention is key and it is paramount that it's implemented in schools before the age of 6 years to be successful. To support schools, is there a Holistic approach such as supply training and support from different agencies?
Early intervention for all of our children and young people is critical, and the evidence strongly supports that outcomes improve when support starts early. To make this work in schools, we agree a multi-agency approach is essential. That means not just one type of intervention but coordinated input from multiple disciplines.
As part of Inclusive Education Framework, which has clear guidance from Early Years, all the way up to Post-16, we have closely worked with health and social care colleagues including speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. This is to ensure there are clear recommendations for all identified needs for schools and settings to implement from the earliest opportunity prior to requesting external support. This will ensure there is no delay in supporting the needs of children in an educational setting.
The SEND Local Authority team are receiving a larger amount of Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications, how is the SEND team tackling this? I hope this doesn't make the process harder for the parents and schools to obtain the EHCP for the children especially the ones waiting for diagnosis or transitioning schools. How are children and families who are trying to navigate the system now going to be supported?
We recognise the increase in EHCP requests and want to reassure families and schools that the legal tests and thresholds for assessment remain unchanged. What we are doing is strengthening our local area response at SEND support level. This includes using the Inclusive Education Framework (IEF), appointing a dedicated SEND Support Lead within the SEND Service, and working closely with schools to help them identify needs earlier and review provision at SEND Support before escalation. Our aim is to be clearer with schools about what good practice looks like prior to an assessment request and to bring in our support earlier, so children get the help they need without delay.
What high needs support or changes are in place in the strategy? The strategy seems much more general covering children who can access mainstream events, education, healthcare etc. and still very little across the borough for high needs.
We are committed to meeting the needs of all children and young people and are prioritising getting every child into the right place with the right support. In line with national direction, this means placing a strong emphasis on mainstream inclusion wherever possible, while ensuring that children with the highest and most complex needs can access dedicated, specialist provision when required. Our five-year strategy includes an annual review of the action plan, and we will continue to monitor and adjust our position to make sure it reflects both local needs and best practice.
What are the plans to review and improve lack of specialist places for those children who need something more specialist than the Additionally Resourced Provisions (ARP) provide in Stockton-on-Tees?
We recognise the need for more specialist places in Stockton-on-Tees for children whose needs go beyond what our ARPs can provide, and this is a clear priority within our SEND Strategy. Our Market Position Statement sets out our current sufficiency picture and informs our planning. We are working corporately to use data and intelligence to identify gaps and explore all available options to increase capacity, including new specialist provisions and expansions where needed. While mainstream inclusion remains a key principle, we know that for some children, particularly those with significant social, emotional, and mental health needs, lack of specialist places remains an issue and we are actively working on securing solutions to this as a service priority.
Are things going to change in relation to waiting lists, timescales and schools attitude to attendance of children with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (ESBA)?
We are expanding the Anxious Pupil Unit so there's more capacity for outreach, assessment, and short-term intervention from Year 5 onwards, which will help reduce waiting lists and keep children engaged with attending education. Alongside that, we're rolling out ESBA Horizons borough‑wide. This gives families and schools a shared framework to spot the early signs, agree graduated, evidence‑based interventions, and track impact, so we can collectively intervene earlier rather than waiting for needs to escalate. We are also publishing our "Anxious About School" guidance in Spring 2026.
Is Holidays Are Fun (HAF) available for children with SEND who are not eligible for free school meals?
The HAF guidance, issued by Department for Education, published in March 2025 states that the HAF Programme is for children aged from reception to year 11. Local Authorities are asked to ensure that the offer is available for all children in receipt of benefits related free school meals, but local authorities do have the discretion to use up to 15% of their funding for children who are not in receipt of benefits related free school meals.
In Stockton-on-Tees we align our discretionary element with our local priorities and our wider eligibility includes:
- children and young people from low-income households who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but who do receive Universal Credit
- looked after children
- children and young people supported by Social Workers or Help and Support Staff
- young carers
Our discretionary places are approved on a first come first served basis and are in high demand.
In Stockton-on-Tees our HAF programme is fully inclusive. We have SEND specific providers, but all our providers are required to complete the SEND accessibility checklist which is displayed on the booking system. Find out more information about HAF.
What is the role of the new transitions team?
The Transitions Team is a new team which includes a Transitions Lead and two dedicated Transition social workers. The team is available to provide guidance on transitions to adulthood for young people, parents, carers, and professionals via TransitionsTeam@stockton.gov.uk.
Initially, support will focus on young people who have an allocated social worker with a completed assessment within the past 12 months. Working collaboratively with the current social worker, the team will undertake a comprehensive transitions assessment and assist with planning. In addition, they will review all transition pathways, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) requirements, and Continuing Healthcare (CHC) eligibility criteria to ensure a clear, structured plan and access to appropriate services at age 18.
