Norfolk sets out three-year plan to improve SEND support

Norfolk has published a three-year plan to improve support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Norfolk Local SEND Reform Plan has been developed following extensive engagement with children and young people, families, schools, early years settings, colleges, the NHS and the voluntary sector.

It sets out a shared approach across education, health and social care, with a focus on earlier support and a more inclusive system where the vast majority of children can flourish in mainstream education.

The plan responds to a Government request for all areas to submit a Local SEND Reform Plan by 19 June. It focuses on support that can be introduced now, ahead of national legislation which will bring further change.

Over the next three years, Norfolk will:

• Expand support for mainstream schools through the £5.9m 'Experts at Hand' funding available if the Government accepts the plan - Experts at Hand is the specialist advice offer available to schools
• Create additional wraparound support to early years settings and further education providers aiming for 95% of 16 and 17-year-olds to be in education, employment or training.
• Further strengthen 'Team around the School' support to mainstream schools to help identify and meet needs earlier
• Through existing Zone Inclusion Partnerships across Norfolk's 15 school and community zones, increase peer-to-peer support between schools and trusts to share strong SEND practice
• Roll out a new three-tier approach developed with secondary schools to create improved support for children at risk of exclusion through 16 new social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) bases and centres, Local Partnership Planning meetings and targeted outreach
• Complete rollout of mental health support teams to all schools by 2028
• Aim to reduce waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments to 18 weeks by 2028
• Continue the capital programme to expand specialist provision, and by 2028 double the number of Specialist Resource Bases (SRBs) in mainstream schools resulting in around 40% of primary schools and over half of secondary schools hosting this provision. To date around 85% of children have remained in mainstream education as a result of this support.
• Roll out a framework focused on positive relationships and a nurture approach, that supports consistent and inclusive practice across all settings.

The plan builds on work already underway through the council's multi million pound Local First Inclusion programme to transform SEND education.

If approved by Government, the plan could see 90%, around £195m, of the council's historic Dedicated Schools Grant (SEND) deficit repaid.

Sara Tough, Executive Director for Children's Services at Norfolk County Council, said: "We know the current system is challenging for families. This plan is about helping children and young people get the right support earlier, so they can succeed in their education.

"It will strengthen inclusion in mainstream schools, support staff and improve outcomes for all children as well as increasing the confidence, capability and capacity of professionals across the system.

"But it will only succeed with the right national support, including funding, workforce capacity and consistent regulation."

Mark Knight, Chair of Family Voice Norfolk, said: "Family Voice Norfolk supports the proposed plan to implement new systems set out by the Government and the continuation of the work across the county towards improving the experiences and outcomes for our children and young people who have SEND.

"The current system is broken. Families have lost confidence in it. With the right support behind Norfolk's plan, we are hopeful for positive change for children, young people and their families."

Lisa Nobes, Executive Director of Nursing, NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board (ICB) said: "As health partners, we fully support the SEND reforms' ambition to strengthen inclusive capacity within education settings, recognising that children and young people achieve better outcomes when support is provided early, holistically, and close to home.

"By working alongside education colleagues, we can bring clinical expertise into everyday environments, enabling timely intervention and reducing escalation to specialist services.

"This collaborative, system-wide approach ensures that education settings are confident, supported, and equipped to meet a diverse range of needs."

Carolyn Ellis-Gage, headteacher of Parkside School, Norwich and member of the Norfolk Local Inclusion Partnership said: "We welcome Norfolk's new Local SEND Reform Plan. We are highly positive about services working closer together, which will ensure children get the right, holistic support much earlier.

"This plan will give school staff the confidence and tools to meet a wide range of needs. It strengthens inclusion in mainstream schools and supports specialist provisions to continue their highly specialist work appropriately.

"However, to truly work, this local plan must be backed by the right national support, funding, and staffing. With that backing, we are genuinely hopeful for positive, lasting change for Norfolk's families."

Demand for SEND support continues to rise in Norfolk, particularly for SEMH needs. Too many children are missing education and confidence in the system is mixed.

The plan has been developed at pace in response to national timescales and has been shaped by engagement with families and partners, including 17 sessions held between March and May.

It has been endorsed by Norfolk's Local Inclusion Partnership and agreed under a Special Urgency Notice ahead of the Government deadline. It will be presented to Cabinet on Monday 29 June.

The full plan is available here, select the Reports tab across the top. Decision Details: Norfolk's SEND Reform Plan