Introduction
The Local Offer was introduced as part of the national Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Reforms 2014 to help improve the quality of information about local services and support for children and young people with SEND and their families. Guidance states that the Local Offer should:
- provide clear, comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date information about support and services and how to access them.
- make provisions more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving children and young people with SEND, and their families, in its development and review.
Local Offer usage
September 2022 – July 2023
- Total number of page users: 27,301
- Average number of users per month: 1,833
The most looked at areas included information on types of SEND: Sensory and physical needs, the SEND Local Offer Directory and getting a SEND assessment.
- Most visited time of year: July
- Least visited time of the year: December
Celebration event
From Monday 26 to Friday 30 June 2023, Brent celebrated our SEND celebration week. A spectacular art exhibition recognising the achievements of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) took place at Brent Civic Centre.
This exhibition was delivered in partnership with schools and the Brent Parent Carer Forum. Over 200 pieces of artwork were on public display, showcasing the artistic and creative talents of children and young people with SEND. The celebration included an evening reception where certificates were presented to the children and young people for their outstanding achievements.
It also featured a fantastic performance from the Manor School Choir and an Indian drumming demonstration from Woodfield School, as well as a display of creative writing pieces and samples of music created by students. The celebration was well received by families and schools, with one parent saying, "It was so wonderful to see all the children's achievements today, including my daughter. Thank you for this event!"
Councillor Gwen Grahl, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, reflected on the event: "It was an honour to see the talent of these young people on display. I know that the artwork captured the attention of visitors to the Civic Centre and students could share this proud moment with their peers. I hope we can continue to showcase the amazing achievements of children and young people with SEND in our borough".
Read about the SEND celebration event and see pictures of children and young people’s work that featured in the exhibition.
Implementing the Graduated Approach
The SEND support team has, over the last two years, been rolling out and developing our Graduated Approach Framework in Schools. The ‘GAF’ outlines to schools a range of support that they can put in place for SEND young people, with practical examples and signposting to other services that can support them in making their best endeavours to support children and young people with SEND.
This was supported with additional workforce training and development funding via the SEND Support Fund and continues to be developed based on the needs of our Schools and settings.
We have recently updated this document after extensive work on looking at our recommendations to schools to include cost guidance and support effectiveness – enabling a school to look at these impact measures. In addition to this, we are currently providing grant funding through our ‘Inclusive Environments’ plans which will enable schools to make environmental changes to support greater inclusion of the needs of children and young people with SEND. Our team provides a range of support to schools in Brent to ensure that children and young people with SEND have the best possible outcomes, supporting schools on their journey to best SEND practice.
Find out more about the graduated approach.
Short Breaks Statement of Intent
Local Authorities have a duty to produce a short breaks statement. This means 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.
The Short Breaks Statement of Intent provides parents and carers with information about the following:
- the reason we need to have a Short Breaks Statement
- what short breaks are and what they are not
- how you can access these services
The statement is now available to read and download online from the Brent Council website. Read the short breaks statement of intent.
Launching ‘What does it mean to be Neurodiverse?’ on the Local Offer
Brent Council have worked closely with parents, carers, and young people with SEND in designing a model of support for neurodiverse young people in Brent. This aims to provide parents, carers, and young people with the opportunity to navigate the system and receive support, regardless of whether the young person has a diagnosis.
Underpinning Brent’s approach to meeting needs is the adoption of the Thrive Framework model. This is an integrated, person-centred, and needs-led approach to delivering services for children, young people and families.
Help and advice on supporting the needs of your child at all stages of their neurodiverse journey can be found on the Local Offer. This includes information about the following:
- what it means to be neurodiverse
- recognising neurodiversity
- getting advice, help and support
- guidance for supporting your child
- books and resources
- support for parents and carers
Find information about neurodiversity and the help that is available to support your child.
Person Centred Planning
Brent's person-centred planning aims to look at things from the child's perspective, allowing them to participate in planning activities and events within society. A central focus on the child can involve looking at the child's interests and the experiences they've already received and listening to their ideas.
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years provides statutory guidance relating to part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. This is regarding the need for a stronger focus on the participation of children/ young people and their parents/ carers in decision making at both individual and strategic levels.
The use of person-centred approaches provides the opportunity to fulfil these principles. A person-centred annual review provides an opportunity to engage directly with children/ young people by putting them at the ‘heart’ of the process. All schools across the borough should use this approach to annual reviews. Guidance is provided to support the process. Further information on the person-centred approach can be found on the Local Offer. This includes a booklet for parents/carers and children and young people. Training will take place at Brent’s SENCO forum in the Autumn Term, further training in the spring term will be available and this is combined with 14+ transition training for parents and SENCOs.
25 x 25 Challenge
In 2023 Brent launched the 25x25 Challenge, an exciting opportunity for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who live in Brent and are aged between 16 to 25 years old.
The 25x25 Challenge aims to encourage these young people to participate in 25 activities by the age of 25, across Brent and London. A key part of the challenge is to attend events with others and have fun. Whether it's with friends, family, classmates, clubs, or as part of a larger group, the goal is to create memorable and special experiences. As part of the 25x25 challenge in 2023, young people have enjoyed an evening at the Kiln Theatre and visited the Brent Museum at Willesden Library, furthering their cultural experiences.
The Young Brent Foundation works with organisations and delivers focused support and activities, which feed into this challenge. There has been a range of activities which young people with SEND have been involved in. For example, young people have developed their culinary skills through a ‘Ready Steady Cook’, experienced being out on the water through canoeing sessions, there’s been a community disco at the Wembley Ark co-living apartments, gardening projects at The Village School, art-based activities held at Barham Park Community Complex for the Village school and music appreciation with Street Fusion. Alongside these activities, Young Brent Foundation was also involved in the various activities managed and delivered by The Jason Roberts Foundation in sports and the arts.
Local Offer Steering Group
In the school year 2022-2023, Brent designed a Local offer steering group. The purpose of establishing the Local Offer Steering group is to oversee the development of the Local Offer, ensuring it meets our statutory requirements and the needs of parents and families. The Steering Group has identified some priority areas for review and development 2023-2024. This includes content on the Health and Wellbeing and Social Care sections, as well as updating Events on the Local Offer and making navigation through the Local Offer easier. We will work with parents and carers to review and develop this area and we are working in partnership with key partners from Health and Social Care as well as Brent Parent Carer Forum.
Accessing the wider community
Brent is now looking forward to 2024 and the expansion of the Brent Council grant funds to support third sector organisations to deliver inclusive and targeted youth activities. More details will be available on the Local Offer and in SEND Newsletters.
The Community Grant Fund launched on 15 September and closed on 12 November 2023. A share of up to £1million will be available across Brent for community projects that support the regeneration of the borough. Funds can be used for a physical infrastructure project, supporting the local community through initiatives such as improving buildings/spaces or a social infrastructure project, supporting the local community through initiatives such as children and young people clubs and dementia cafes.
Previous projects funded by Community Grants (NCIL) have included youth projects, refurbishments of libraries and community centres, tree planting, cultural space and playground equipment. We are in the process of grant application and look forward to hearing in 2024 what will come out of these applications and what has been agreed.
We are consistently updating our Local Offer Directory and ‘What’s on/events’ page with details of events or activities for children and young people with SEND, and their parents and carers, in Brent.
Continuing to work with parents, carers, children, and young people with SEND in Brent
Moving forward in 2024, the Inclusion Service will develop a Youth Forum for young people with SEND, aged 14-25 years. We will be working with young people to find out the best ways to communicate with them, gain their views on the SEND strategy and develop some in person information and support events. If you are a young person interested in taking part, please get in touch with us by emailing brentyouthzone@brent.gov.uk
Brent Council will continue to work with families and young people in Brent to expand our offer and services. We will continue to work with Brent Parent Carer Forum supporting their monthly forum meetings where families can express their views and help identify changes to improve the experiences of families and children with SEND in Brent. Up to date information will be available through the Local Offer and our termly newsletters.
View information and contact details for Brent Parent Carer Forum.