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Welcome to Nottinghamshire’s SEND newsletter. The newsletter brings you news and information on special educational needs and disability in Nottinghamshire.
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SEND outcomes for children and young people agreed
The Nottinghamshire SEND Partnership Assurance and Improvement Group (PAIG) has agreed the outcomes for the new SEND strategy which will be published later this summer.
The outcomes have been agreed following a survey with over 550 responses and a series of SEND strategy engagement events which over 280 people attended.
The outcomes are as follows:
- I need to be listened to and heard.
- I need to be the healthiest I can be.
- I need to be safe and feel safe.
- I need to be accepted and valued by people I trust.
- I need to be prepared for my future.
- I need to enjoy life and have fun.
Preparing for adulthood event success
The second preparing for adulthood event of 2023-24 was the first Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council partnership event.
The event aimed to raise awareness of the services available to support young people who have education, health and care plans (EHCPs) as they grow older.
More than 162 young people and over 30 service providers attended, from further education providers, council services, to day-service providers and the Nottingham City Independent Travel Training Team.
Feedback from parents/carers and young people was positive. Some attendees found services that they weren’t aware of previously, while one young person told us that they found the event "incredibly inviting, informative and supportive".
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Department for Education and NHS England’s review
The Department for Education and NHS England’s recent stocktake to review progress made by the local area partnership’s Priority Action Plan and the SEND improvement activity recognised that progress is being made.
Feedback included that the partnership has matured, with stronger collective leadership of the improvements needed across the county. While there are still improvements required, the review highlighted a specific areas of improvement, including:
- Recognition that ‘professionals remain dedicated and committed to improving provision and outcomes for children and young people with SEND’
- ‘Clear senior corporate interest and engagement’
- ‘Leaders working more collaboratively’
- Recognition of the improvements in statutory EHC timescales the ‘increase in resource to support EHC needs assessments’ and the ambition to continue to improve further
- Improvements in ‘co-production with families and young people’ and the steps taken to include more local families
We are committed to continuing to focus on doing the best we can for all children, young people and their families.
Tell us what you think
Our dedicated email address for the SEND improvement programme (send.improvement@nottscc.gov.uk), is checked daily and emails are shared with the most appropriate colleagues that can help with queries.
The email address can be used to:
- Ask questions about the SEND improvement programme.
- Provide feedback on your lived experiences of SEND services or provision.
- Or to let us know if you would like to be involved in SEND improvement activities.
The local area partnership also uses the email address to communicate with parents, carers and other key stakeholders about what we are working on with SEND improvements.
Disability access fund payment changes
Disability access fund (DAF) is designed to help children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) access early years places.
Your child’s early years provider could get a yearly payment if they are a registered provider offering a free early education place for a three or four year old who receives disability living allowance (DLA).
The payment is rising to £915 from April 2024, when it will also be available for eligible two-year-olds.
If you think your child may be eligible for this additional funding, please speak to your child’s early education provider.
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Have your say - SEND parent/carer survey
We are seeking the views of parents and carers who access special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services for their children and young people aged 0-25.
Your feedback is essential to enable us to develop services and provision, and this survey has been developed with the Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum (NPCF).
The feedback and views we receive will be shared with the Nottinghamshire SEND Partnership Assurance and Improvement Group (PAIG), and will be used to shape future education, health and care services and provision. The PAIG leads on the co-ordination of services for children and young people with SEND in Nottinghamshire and parents and carer representatives.
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New SEND school approved for Mansfield
A new school in Mansfield for children with special educational needs and disabilities is to be built after planning permission was approved.
It will be constructed on the former Ravensdale School site and will have capacity for up to 160 pupils across the seven to 19 years age range. The school, expected to open next year, will provide a specialist learning environment for children with social, emotional, and mental health needs and is part of a wider programme to create up to 490 additional SEND school places by 2026.
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Preparing for adulthood and transition health website
The preparation for adulthood and transition health website has been created to support young people who are starting their journey through adolescence as they move from children’s to adults’ care services.
The site offers a wealth of information about services, signposts to national and local services, alongside more general help and information. It is aimed at helping young people to feel able to become more independent, to know where to find information and to feel more prepared for the future.
Give it a view today.
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Egg-citing Easter holiday activities
Find a range of dedicated activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities on the local offer website. See what’s on offer under ‘things to do’ or ‘school holidays and holiday activities and food (HAF) programme’.
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SEND partnership improvement board meetings
The SEND partnership improvement board was set up to oversee SEND improvement activity in Nottinghamshire. Meetings take place every month and are chaired independently by Dame Christine Lenehan, formerly Director Council for Disabled Children.
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