Stewart Horn, Head of Children’s Commissioning, and Adrian Wisniewski Programme Manager Strategy Innovation and Planning, attended the meeting to provide the Board with an update on the Local Area SEND inspection response and the Big SEND 15-26 Plan Part 3. In summary, the Board was informed that the information being presented is the third in the series of ‘Big Plans’ for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) for aged 0 to 25.
The Board received an update on the ongoing transformation plan, which set out how partners will work together to improve provision and outcomes for children and young people. The latest iteration of the plan had been developed in response to the SEND Area Inspection carried out by Ofsted and the CQC in June 2025. The inspection reviewed the full range of SEND provision across Kirklees, including schools within the local authority, health providers, the ICB, and other partners. The findings highlighted inconsistencies in the support offered to children and young people and identified areas requiring improvement. These areas were formally set out in the inspection report and gave four areas to improve.
The Board was informed that the purpose of the update is to set out how the revised plan will be developed, what it will involve, and what will be required from partners and the wider system. The focus is on identifying how collective action across the system can deliver the changes needed to achieve the required improvements.
The Board was reminded that an initial draft of the plan had previously been presented due to the short timescale for responding to the inspectors. The revised version, containing additional detail, was brought back to further inform the Board.
The Board had previously advised that the strengths already demonstrated should continue to be built upon, and therefore the same format has been used as with the earlier Big Plans. This approach has received positive feedback from both the inspectors and the DfE and has been recognised nationally as an example of innovation and good practice.
The Board was advised that today’s item would provide a brief overview of the detail within the plan which has been fully endorsed by partners, despite the very tight timescale required to progress it. The Board was advised that this is not a new programme of work; partners have been collaborating on these priorities for a while and the current iteration builds on existing knowledge, established activity, and the feedback previously provided by the Board.
The Board was informed that a similar format to previous Big Plans has been used, because it was well?received and it provides a logical structure. The document begins by addressing an important question readers typically have regarding purpose and relevance, and this section has been kept concise. It was also recognised that although those involved in the work are familiar with it, not everyone will have a detailed understanding of what a local area SEND inspection entails, therefore this explanation has also been presented in a brief and accessible way.
A further question asked was how this plan differs from the two existing Big Plans. The first Big Plan set out the overall five?year vision, reflecting feedback from young people who felt that the term “strategy” did not resonate with them. The Big Plan Part 3 focuses specifically on the collective actions required in response to the recent SEND inspection.
Kirklees benefits from a partnership comprising of many highly committed individuals who make a positive difference every day. While the system is not without its challenges and further work is required, there is dedication across services to improving outcomes for children and young people, and the inspection findings reinforced this position.
The inspectors reported that the partnership has a clear understanding of its current strengths and areas for development, and that existing improvement activity is already under way. However, the inspection also highlighted that additional work is needed to address the identified priorities in full.
The inspection highlighted that leaders across the partnership are highly ambitious for children and that services are developed collaboratively. Inspectors were particularly positive about the role of PCAN, the local parent carer forum, noting the strong and constructive challenge it provides. PCAN’s contribution was recognised as both supportive and influential, with representatives involved not only in reviewing proposals but also in shaping the work from the outset.
The inspection also identified several key areas requiring further focus. These included, preparing for adulthood, communication, waiting times, and the quality and timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans.
In developing the report, consideration was given to feedback previously provided by children, young people, families, and partners. Stakeholders had consistently expressed that, having already shared their views, they wished to see progress taken forward. This feedback has been incorporated into the development of the associated action plans.
Stakeholders also advised against producing an extensive action plan presented as a large spreadsheet, emphasising the need for a clear and straightforward outline of what actions will be taken and the timescales for delivery. As a result, the familiar roadmap format used in earlier plans has been retained to present the information in a concise and accessible way.
A tried?and?tested format has been used in developing the plan, with the visual roadmap approach proving effective in previous iterations. Each of the four priority actions is accompanied by a roadmap that follows the same structure and presentation style, ensuring consistency and ease of understanding.
The Board was informed that the plan represents a long?term programme of work. The inspection team were clear that the issues identified are not expected to be resolved within a 6–12?month period. As such, actions have been paced sensibly, with some elements scheduled to begin in later years and others identified as requiring immediate attention.
The first priority area considered is Preparation for Adulthood, including addressing existing inconsistencies in practice. Initial work began during the autumn, including information gathering, early engagement with partners, and scoping activity.
A peer review was carried out recently with colleagues from Wakefield and Doncaster, who came in and met with a range of partners in Kirklees to examine current practice and offer constructive challenge and suggestions for improvement. The feedback has provided valuable additional insight and will inform the next stage of development work.
The second priority area relates to waiting times, particularly for health services, an issue that was anticipated and is common across local areas. This presents a significant challenge and requires careful consideration of how services will operate within the evolving ICB and NHS landscape. Close collaboration with health provider partners is essential, with those partners leading on the design and delivery of the associated actions. This approach is intended to ensure that every opportunity is taken to improve access for children and young people to the support they need.
Prioritisation work has been undertaken to identify the areas of greatest concern, particularly those with the longest waiting times. The most significant pressures were noted within Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Speech and Language Therapy. These areas will form the initial focus for improvement activity.
The Board was informed that the work is being approached from the perspective of the child rather than from the viewpoint of individual services. The focus is on how outcomes are achieved, what is in the best interests of children and their families, and how support can be structured around those needs. The plan sets out realistic expectations regarding what can be achieved within the resources currently available. The approach focuses on making improvements in line with national trajectories, rather than committing to targets that would not be deliverable.
The next priority area concerns Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Significant progress has already been made when compared with the position one to two years ago, when waiting times were considerably longer and compliance with the 20?week statutory timescale was low. The current focus is a continuation of the existing improvement programme, with particular attention on enhancing the quality of information included within EHCPs alongside the continued effort to improve timeliness. Ensuring that plans contain accurate, relevant, and required information remains a key priority.
Further work is also being undertaken to strengthen the quality assurance processes for EHCPs, including improvements to the review process. The timeliness of reviews has been an area of weakness, with plans not always revisited as promptly as required. Demand for EHCPs remains high and continues to increase, adding further pressure to the system.
The Government is expected to publish a SEND White Paper in the near future, although the potential implications for EHCPs are not yet known. As a result, current planning is based on the existing framework. Even if national changes are introduced, implementation is likely to take time, and the immediate focus therefore remains on the current statutory processes and requirements.
The Board was informed that as work progresses into the spring, a key area of focus is the improvement of information systems and information?sharing between professionals. This has historically been a challenge, particularly in ensuring that the right information reaches the right practitioners at the right time. An enhancement to the current information system is being introduced in the form of a professional portal. This will allow individuals who would not ordinarily have access to the system, such as health professionals who cannot access local authority platforms, to use an interface designed to support more effective and timely information flow.
A parent portal is also planned for future development, which will help to address some of the communication challenges that have been highlighted. Parents frequently report frustration about not knowing their position within the system, including where they are on a waiting list and what the next steps will be. The proposed portal will enable parents to log in, view progress, and access key information without the need to make enquiries by phone or experience unnecessary uncertainty.
The next area of focus is communication, which encompasses several dimensions. This includes communication between services and parents, as well as communication between professionals and partner organisations. It was noted that many individuals find it difficult to remain fully informed about developments across different parts of the system.
Work is underway to enhance communication by providing more regular updates and improving the ‘Local Offer’ to ensure that parents can access information in a single place. In addition, resources such as the ‘What Works’, in SEND guidance are being drawn upon to support the development of more effective communication and engagement approaches.
The Board was informed that in relation to monitoring progress and assessing the impact of the improvement activity, regular scheduled meetings take place with the Department for Education and NHS England. These meetings provide both robust challenge and supportive advice on the delivery of the plans. The partnership is committed to publishing public updates on progress at least four times each year and updates will be brought back to the Health and Wellbeing Board on a regular basis, as required. In addition, as SEND is a corporate priority for the local authority, progress is reported to the Executive Team every six weeks. In terms of the governance structure, the Health and Wellbeing Board sits at the top of the governance framework and serves as the ultimate oversight body for the programme.
RESOLVED:
That Stewart Horn and Adrian Wisniewski be thanked for providing an update on the Local Area SEND Inspection Response and the Big SEND 15 – 26 Plan Part 3.