SEND Local Offer Annual Report 2025 to 2026
Next steps
Looking ahead, 2026 will focus on embedding the new Local Offer brand, ensuring that the values of empathy, clarity and reassurance shape the tone, navigation and visual identity across all pages and pathways, as set out in the Local Offer brand. This includes delivering redesigned user‑journey layouts, enabling parents, young people and professionals to access the right information at the right time, following the natural steps they take when seeking help.
2026 will also bring a new homepage design, creating clearer entry points and stronger visual anchors that reduce cognitive load and align with accessibility standards highlighted in the compliance audit. The homepage proposal sets out new blocks, such as:
understanding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- parents and carers
- children and young people
- professionals
- strategies, policies and plans
- "you said, we did" and latest updates
Stockton-on-Tees will continue exploring AI integration, the development of a twenty four seven AI‑powered chatbot (SENDi robot).
A major focus for the year ahead will be a full brand relaunch delivered in partnership with the Communications Department, using coordinated campaigns to raise awareness, drive traffic, and open up more dialogue with families, young people and professionals, which emphasise awareness building, stronger storytelling and targeted engagement with key audiences across Stockton-on-Tees.
The Local Offer will also become an integral pathway within the Children's Services Front Door project which will be the main access point where families first seek SEND advice, raise concerns or request support. Embedding the Local Offer into this early‑help gateway ensures that families receive clear, accessible information from the very start of their SEND journey, reducing delays, improving signposting and helping them understand what support is available before a referral is made.
Finally, these developments sit within Stockton-on-Tees growing culture of continuous improvement, supported by better use of analytics, user‑journey insights, accessibility audits and the new Local Offer Working Group, which brings partners together to co‑produce improvements, share evidence and shape a coherent, user‑friendly Local Offer.
