Local Offer news

We have recently reviewed our Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) format and layout, incorporating guidance from Ofsted and learning from SEN and Education Law, with the aims of making the Brent EHCP more child centred, and more user friendly for families and people who support the child or young person. Following collaborative scrutiny of our current EHCP, we have made visual and structural improvements to the format. We are now consulting with parents, carers, via Brent Parent Carer forum, schools via our SENCO forum and health and social care partners to seek valuable feedback.

A few details of some of the proposed changes are below:

• section A has been amended to reflect improvements in how we gather and present the child’s voice, ensuring the child’s views, interests, hopes, and wishes for the future and their family’s views provide a guide for support to be provided.
• section B has been presented on one page, to provide an overview of the child’s strengths and Special Educational Needs; this page is a succinct overview and could act as a valuable one-page-profile, if desired, when a child attends wider settings in the community.
• sections E and F have been brought together on one page to improve the links between outcomes, needs and support, ensuring a thread runs through these sections and providing a format that facilitates specific and clear provision to be detailed linking to each outcome.
• annexe A has been amended and improved to provide a document for schools to break down outcomes into smaller, manageable steps and record these to show progression towards broader outcomes throughout the year and at Annual Reviews.

Once feedback has been gathered and the new improved format agreed, this will be published here on the Local Offer.

Find more information about annual EHC reviews. 

The Delivering Better Value in SEND programme (DBV in SEND) is aiming to support local authorities and their local area partners to improve the delivery of SEND services for children and young people whilst working towards financial sustainability.

55 local areas, including Brent, have opted to participate in the initiative and are being supported to identify the highest impact changes that can be made to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND, and to optimise the use of finances.

You can find out more about this programme by visiting the DBV website

The 25x25 Challenge is encouraging young people with Special Educational Needs (SEND) to experience 25 cultural experiences by the age of 25.

From going to a concert, visiting a gallery or taking part in a community event, share your memorable experiences with us at 25x25challenge@brent.gov.uk and we’ll post to our Instagram account.

Local Authorities have a duty to produce a Short Breaks Statement so that families, carers and young people understand the services that are available, the eligibility criteria for these services, and how the breadth of services have been designed to meet the needs of the families in Brent.

In co-production with parents, carers and young people during 2022, and a public consultation process, Brent Council has published a short breaks statement which describes the types of short breaks available to young people with SEND.

• View the 2023 Short Breaks Statement
• View the eligibility criteria for the Disabled Children Young People Service 0-25

To support people who join a team working with Children and Young People that may have Special Educational Needs in Brent.

Download the Send Support in Brent Booklet

Following Brent’s local area revisit of special educational and disabilities (SEND) provision in May 2019 by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), inspectors have said that local area leaders have made sufficient progress to improve each of the serious weaknesses identified at the initial inspection in May 2017.

Read more about the inspection and our plans

You can now download and read our current SEND strategy. This is an important document, which helps guides the support we offer and has been shaped by parents, carers and young people.

Earlier this year the government launched a call for evidence seeking views on what should be included in the Down Syndrome Act 2022 guidance to ensure better access to education, health, care, and housing services. The consultation includes specific questions aimed at children and adults with Down’s syndrome, their families, professionals, and people with other disabilities and conditions.

A reminder that the consultation closes on 8 November.

Local authorities must ensure there are sufficient good school places for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

Brent has been given £2.89 million of funding from the government between 2018 and 2021 to create new school places and improve existing facilities for children and young people with SEND, in consultation with parents and providers.

Find out more about this plan