Ordinarily Available Provision, the SEND Reform Plans, and the Fonagy Independent review

The Fonagy Independent review  into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism: final report brought the expected headings…

ADHD and autism could be at risk of overdiagnosis - so what needs to change?

ADHD and autism at risk of over-diagnosis, says government review

But we know that’s not the problem. And when you read the articles, that’s born out.

“We made a mistake in placing support behind the door of a diagnosis,” Professor Fonagy told ITV News. “Support should not be conditional on a medical diagnosis.”

By Rebecca Barry

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-08/are-too-many-people-being-diagnosed-with-adhd-and-autism (opens in a new tab)

Abigail Ampofo, of charity YoungMinds, said: "For years, young people have told us they feel blamed for their mental health or accused of making it up. We hope this review goes some way to show them their distress is not their fault and the systems around them are failing."

By Nick Triggle

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkg7n1ypj24o (opens in a new tab)   

Within local authorities, you support your SENCOs and teachers to support learners. 

It’s clear from the draft SEND Reform Plans that many councils are looking at how to improve this support. Many of them mention their Ordinarily Available Provision docs.

One solution to this has come from the DfE Change Programme.

While Pop Pop Studio was working with Leeds and Calderdale councils we built a “living” directory of best practice expectations, across Universal and Areas of Need. In essence, this is the Ordinarily Available Provision docs, in an easy to use format, that stays up to date.

Read the Transforming mainstream inclusion support through authentic co-production case study, written by the teams that ran the programme.

The result is, we can take recommendations from the Fonagy report, and add them to our OAP docs without needing to wait for an updated PDF. We can email links to these new resources straight to SENCOs, who can start to consider them in their planning. This is what the Experts at Hand service will be able to support, too.

What to do

If you’re looking at how to improve the understanding and use of your council’s OAP and Inclusion docs, send a copy over to me (just reply to this email) and I’ll make a digital demo for you.

You can read more at https://poppop.studio/belong/

PS The app also has a multi-year SEND and Inclusion Audit and Action plan, which will help schools identify need, and LAs deliver what’s truly needed, locally.