Rochdale Local SEND Reform Plan 2026

Local SEND Reform Plan

Developing a Local SEND Reform Plan is an important first step for local areas to set out how they will lay the foundation for reform, and design an approach tailored to their local context. A shared plan which focuses on co-designing the local approach as system partners and with children, young people and families will help foster collective responsibility for delivering the reforms.

It is critical that all system partners, including health, education and childcare settings, work together to design and deliver the Local SEND Reform Plan, under the local authority’s leadership. It is also crucial that representative family carers e.g. the local Parent Carer Forum, are involved in the development of the plan.

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The expectation is that this plan is discussed, agreed, and signed off at your relevant SEND Governance Board. As a minimum, the plan must be formally signed off by the Local Authority Chief Executive (Ceo), the Integrated Care Board (Icb) Chief Executive, the Local Authority Director of Children’s Service (Dcs), the Integrated Care Board NHS Place Director, and the Local Authority Chief Financial Officer (Cfo/Section 151 Officer). We encourage other colleagues and partners who have contributed to also review and sign-off the plan, particularly early years, school, college and trust leaders.

Name of Local Authority: Rochdale Borough Council (Rbc) Name of Integrated Care Board: Heywood Middleton and Rochdale, part of Greater Manchester Icb Local SEND Reform Plan Sro: Charlotte Mitchell, Assistant Director Schools and Inclusion

Signatories

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Executive Summary

A brief summary of your local system ‘change story’ – your local context, where you are now, where you want to get to in the next 3 years, how you know you are succeeding and how you will know you have achieved your vision for the next 3 years. Please include a brief qualitative summary. This summary should also include your assessment of current and forecast performance against the headline metrics.

Please structure your ‘change story’ using the following aims:

• Build a 0-25 system where children and young people receive support to achieve and thrive through (a) more inclusive settings and
• stronger local partnerships
• Improve capacity and capability of the mainstream and specialist workforce to identify and meet need

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• Improve confidence of children, families, and stakeholders in reform and readiness of the system
• Stabilise finances and improve value for money

Greater Manchester (Gm) partners across education, health and care are committed to a consistent, collaborative approach to delivering SEND reform across all ten localities through a joined-up, sustainable system with strong governance, commissioning and delivery mechanisms to maximise shared resources, reduce duplication, and improve outcomes and experiences for children, young people, and families.

Rochdale operates as part of Gm and has strong foundations for inclusive education, underpinned by committed schools, skilled professionals and a shared moral purpose through Raising Rochdale. There is recognised expertise across schools, trusts, the local authority and health, alongside innovative practice in early intervention, inclusion support and meaningful co-production with families. Strong relationships and a willingness to collaborate are evident, creating a positive culture for improvement. These strengths provide a solid platform on which to build further system coherence and impact. Please see appendices: 1. Rochdale’s Change Story, 2. Rochdale Cdc Case Study, 3. Raising Rochdale Video, 4. What works in SEND Co-production Case Study and 5. Rochdale’s Best Start in Life Plan.

A range of further deep dives into Rochdale’s effective practice can be found in the appendices: 6. Sendap and Dbv Test of Change, 7. SEND Advice Service Impact Report 2026, 8. Transition Funding, 9. Rochdale’s Journey in Transforming Speech and Language and 10. Alternative Provision Taskforce.

However, the Local Partnership Maturity Assessment highlights that the system does not yet work consistently well for schools or families. While there has been significant progression in local authority and health integration, and increased collaboration between schools, the system does not yet operate as one. Effective practice exists, but it is not always connected, sustained or scaled across the system. Education governance and SEND leadership are not sufficiently aligned at a strategic leadership level, leading to fragmentation, variability and uneven access to support. Inclusion can therefore feel complex, reactive and difficult to navigate, with needs escalating when earlier, coordinated intervention could have prevented this.

Although Rochdale is data rich, shared intelligence is not yet routinely used to support early identification, targeted action or longer-term sustainability planning. Workforce development activity is extensive but fragmented, making it harder for schools to access, prioritise and embed learning systematically. Confidence among children, young people and families in the system is variable, particularly where communication is unclear or support feels inconsistent. Financially, continued reliance on statutory processes and high-cost specialist provision places significant pressure on schools and the local authority, reducing capacity to invest upstream in prevention and mainstream inclusion.

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In three years, Rochdale will operate as a confident, joined-up education and inclusion system, where responsibility for children and young people with additional needs is genuinely shared across education, the local authority and health. Governance arrangements will be aligned, decision-making will be transparent and timely, and accountability for inclusion will be collective and clearly understood at every level.

Mainstream schools will be well equipped, confident and consistent in meeting a wide range of needs inclusively. Ordinarily available provision will be clearly defined, accessible and well supported, including through digital tools, assistive technology and responsive specialist advice, reducing dependence on statutory escalation. Data will be used proactively to identify emerging need, target early support and inform sufficiency planning, shifting the system from reactive firefighting to planned, preventative intervention.

Children, young people and families will experience a predictable, relational and trustworthy system, with co-production embedded as standard practice. Clear communication, shared ownership and intelligent commissioning will support financial sustainability, enabling reinvestment in local, inclusive provision and a system defined by belonging, shared responsibility and ambition for every child and young person.

Section 1 – Vision and Goals

• What the local area partnership is trying to achieve?

Please set out your goals for your local system. These should be clear, aligned to the vision set out in the Schools White Paper, small in number and measurable. These goals should include clear reference to:

• Outcomes for children
• Confidence of parents, carers and young people in the system
• Management of finances to secure value for money

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Rochdale’s vision is to create a cohesive, inclusive SEND system where every child and young person is:  Supported to achieve and thrive in their school and local community  Has the right help at the right time and in the right place  Has their needs met without crisis escalation In Rochdale children and young people with SEND will achieve their full potential, their unique needs will be identified early, they will belong in inclusive mainstream settings and supported via experts at hand and strong team around the school partnership arrangements, if and when required. By 2029, children with SEN support needs will:  Be educated by skilled and inclusive professionals and achieve positive outcomes.

 Attend and participate successfully in education in a mainstream setting close to their home, friends and community.

 Feel a sense of belonging and value within their school and communities  Have increased access to support when required  Attend schools consistently and progress into adulthood with skills, independence and access to education, training, employment or meaningful occupation.

Children and young people with SEND, and their families will be supported by trusted professionals, who lace them at the centre of decision making and offer timely support, at the right time and in the right place when required.

Our Goals:

• Improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND: Needs will be identified and supported earlier resulting in:
• Improved attendance
• More children educated in mainstream settings
• Improved attainment at school
• Reduced suspensions and exclusions.

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• Increase confidence of parents, carers and young people: Families will experience a more responsive and transparent system, evidenced by:
• Improved levels of parental satisfaction
• Increased confidence in mainstream provision
• Improved timeliness of EHC processes.
• Secure financial sustainability and value for money: Services will operate within a sustainable financial framework, resulting in:
• Reduced spend on independent and out of area provision
• Increased investment in mainstream inclusive provision
• Stabilisation of the high needs’ deficit trajectory
• Delivering support and service within the financial envelope.

Section 2 – Strategy

• Where the local area partnership expects to be in the next 3 years

A description of what your local system would look like in the next 3 years in line with the national vision set out in the Schools White Paper and set within the context of where you are starting from as a local system.

In particular, as commissioning system partners, you should reflect on and agree what your fully fledged Experts At Hand Offer model should be and how this will be deployed via mainstream settings and providers (including those not based in your area – e.g. further education colleges attended by your young people) to build their capacity as well as identify and meet the needs of children and young people earlier and without the need for a statutory assessment for Education, Health and Care.

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To help you fully consider the scope and scale of change required, you may find it useful to structure your response using these 4 building blocks of an inclusive system, reflecting on what is working well in your system, what you are most worried about, what needs to change, and how the enablers will help you achieve your 3 year vision.

When summarising where your local area partnership currently is, please include an assessment of where you are in reference to the core minimum requirements above and how you bridge the gap, making reference to and attaching additional documents that provide underlying evidence for your summary.

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• Access to specialist support and local placements

Where we are now: Rochdale has developed a more coordinated early help and specialist offer through the SEND Advice Service and Local Inclusion Support Offer (Liso), which are starting to function as a single front door and multidisciplinary triage system. These provide earlier intervention and reduce escalation to statutory processes. The system includes a broad integrated offer (Family Hubs, Rans, Ep service, AP pathways), but access routes remain inconsistent and not fully understood by schools. While some initiatives (e.g. Dale Futures AP, Apst, Balanced System) are demonstrating positive impact, they are currently limited in scale or reliant on time-limited funding. What is working well: SEND Advice Service beginning to streamline access and navigation Liso model enabling multidisciplinary early discussion and intervention Reduction in therapy waiting lists and targeted AP interventions What needs to change: Clear, consistent single front door for all services Scaling successful pilots across all neighbourhoods Improved clarity and understanding in schools about accessing support Enablers status: Strong integrated commissioning framework in place Proven models tested but not yet fully embedded or sustainable Need to align funding and scale through Experts at Hand 3.System leadership, partnership collaboration and co- production Where we are now: Rochdale has strong foundations in system leadership and partnership working, with the SEND Alliance and Sendap Change Programme strengthening shared accountability, governance, and a common language of inclusion. The borough is recognised for co- production, including being a What Works in SEND case study area. However, leadership across the system remains somewhat disjointed,

• Access to specialist support and local placements

Where we will be in 3 years: See Appendix 11. Experts at Hand Change Story Rochdale will operate a fully integrated, easy-to-navigate system with a single front door through the SEND Advice Service, aligned to neighbourhood-based Local Inclusion Support Offer (Liso) panels. All children, families, and schools will have timely access to coordinated, multidisciplinary support through Experts at Hand. Early intervention and prevention will be the norm, with targeted and specialist input deployed swiftly to prevent escalation. Proven models (e.g. AP pathways, Ep early intervention, Balanced System therapies) will be scaled borough-wide and sustainably funded. Sufficiency will be strong across all phases, including early years, mainstream, specialist, and post-16 provision. What will define success:

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Clear, equitable, and consistent access routes understood by all

Reduced waiting times and earlier support delivery

Decreased reliance on high-cost and out-of-area placements Enablers in place:

Experts at Hand fully operational across all neighbourhoods

Integrated commissioning aligned to JSNA intelligence

Sustainable funding model aligned to what works

• System leadership, partnership collaboration and co-

production Where we will be in 3 years:

See Appendix 12. Current and Revised Governance Structures and NHS Gm SEND Governance June 2026. Rochdale will have a fully aligned, high-functioning partnership system with shared governance across education, health, local authority, and communities. A co-produced Belonging Strategy

particularly with insufficient education representation in key partnerships. While co-production is strong at a strategic level (e.g. Parent Carer Voice, SEND Ambassadors), it is not yet consistently embedded at all levels or connected into school-level practice. What is working well: Strong Sendap Change Programme driving system alignment Established co-production structures with families Positive national recognition for practice What needs to change: Stronger alignment and cohesion across partnerships Greater leadership and engagement from education sector A “golden thread” linking strategic co-production to practice in schools Enablers status: Governance and partnership structures established Cultural shift towards shared ownership underway Requires strengthening of connectivity and representation

• Encouraging inclusive culture and behaviours

Where we are now: There is a clear cultural shift towards inclusion across Rochdale, supported by shared language, investment programmes, and workforce development. The Sendap programme and associated initiatives (e.g. Inclusion Toolkit, Titus platform, workforce training across trusts and LA) are helping to build confidence and capability. However, cultural change is not yet consistent across all settings. Multiple access points, differing approaches between trusts and services, and variable understanding of inclusion mean that practice is not yet fully aligned. While there is strong appetite across the system to unify approaches, this has not yet been fully realised. What is working well: Strong appetite and commitment to inclusion across partners Workforce development offer in place Emerging shared language and tools What needs to change:

will underpin all activity, with clear, jointly owned outcomes and accountability at every level. Co-production will be embedded from strategic decision-making through to practice in schools and neighbourhoods, with a strong “golden thread” linking Parent Carer Voice, SEND Ambassadors, and school-level engagement. Education providers will be fully represented and active within system leadership structures. What will define success:

Fully integrated governance with clear shared accountability

Co-production embedded at all levels of the system

Strong partnership culture driving continuous improvement Enablers in place:

Achieving Excellence Board and aligned governance structures

Neighbourhood-based leadership and partnership forums

Regular joint learning, induction, and leadership development

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• Encouraging inclusive culture and behaviours

Where we will be in 3 years: Rochdale will have a strong, consistent culture of inclusion across all partners, underpinned by shared values, language, and behaviours. Leaders and practitioners will operate with collective responsibility for all children, supported by clear expectations, aligned training, and routine collaboration. A single, coherent workforce development offer will ensure all staff have the skills and confidence to deliver inclusive practice. The system will prioritise belonging, wellbeing, attendance, and prevention, with inclusion driving decision-making at all levels. What will define success:

Consistent inclusive behaviours across all settings and services

High levels of workforce confidence and capability

Improved attendance, reduced exclusions, and better outcomes Enablers in place:

• Single access point for workforce development
• Data-driven identification of skills gaps and training needs

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• What is the local area partnership’s strategy for delivering on the above?

A brief summary of your local system’s theory of change or reform strategy. Reflect on the output of your Local Partnership Maturity Assessment Tool, particularly your Local System ‘change story.’

Rochdale’s baseline position is strong and built upon effective leadership practice and system design – see Appendix 2. Rochdale Cdc Case Study. This methodology will be replicated to co production of a new Belonging Strategy, setting out how inclusive practice, neighbourhood delivery and shared accountability and drive forward the implementation of Experts at Hand and SEND Reform. The Belonging Strategy will create a sustainable catalyst for Rochdale’s long term improvement plan. Rochdale has won 4 National Awards for this approach (Cyp Now 2022, Mj 2023, National Transformational Awards 2024, What Works in SEND Shared System Vision 2026).

Rochdale’s Experts at Hand Change Story (see Appendix 11) aspirations shifts SEND support from reactive, referral-based services to proactive, embedded expertise. Specialists now work alongside schools and families, enabling early intervention, reducing waiting times and EHCP reliance, and building mainstream capacity—creating a more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable system.

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We will begin by understanding system views, drawing on the lived experiences of schools, families, children and partners across education, the local authority and health. Through structured engagement, we will identify key challenges, strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring that all voices — including those traditionally less heard — inform our direction.

In parallel, we will review quantitative and qualitative data across education, SEND, Alternative Provision and assessment pathways. This will create a Belonging JSNA and enable us to triangulate insight, identify pressure points and surface key system themes, particularly where escalation could be prevented through earlier, coordinated support.

Using independent facilitation, and by commissioning local school improvement inclusion experts in local Mainstream and Special Schools we will bring leaders together across schools, trusts, the local authority and health to adopt a relational approach to leadership. This will create time and space to reconnect around the Raising Rochdale vision, rebuild shared intent and jointly agree a small number of shared outcomes for children, families and schools.

We will then use a logic model to agree what needs to change and what we will do differently — clarifying inputs, activities, outputs and intended outcomes across mainstream inclusion, assessment centres, SEND hubs, Inclusion Bases and Alternative Provision. Clear metrics and measures will be agreed to track progress, quality, voice, impact and system confidence over time. Governance will be redesigned, and strong programme management oversight will drive deliverables.

• Please upload a completed copy of the Local Partnership Maturity Assessment Tool.

To support the completion of the maturity assessment tool, the following engagement activities took place:

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See separate completed maturity assessment tool.

• What is the local area partnership roadmap for the next 3 years?

Reflecting on the broad timescales and expectation for deliverables set out in the Schools White Paper, key documents and core minimum requirements set out in this document, please provide a high-level roadmap for the next 3 years. Please highlight key milestones and a trajectory to the target metrics identified above, including leading indicators.

In the 2026-27 column, in particular, please reference how you plan to meet the core minimum requirements in your narrative, including details and evidence in supporting documents.

You can insert or upload supporting documents including graphics/visuals that illustrate your data trajectory.

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Measurable increase in parental satisfaction (survey and feedback)

Increased confidence in mainstream provision

Sustained high levels of co-production participation in decision-making

Improved timeliness and consistency of EHCP processes

Positive improvements in BeeWell outcomes (sense of belonging, wellbeing)

3. Financial Sustainability and Value for Money

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Reduction in EHCP request rates and slower demand growth

Reduction in Inmss (specialist placement) requests

Significant reduction in independent and out-of-area spend

Clear cost avoidance evidence linked to early intervention and inclusion

Increased proportion of funding invested in mainstream provision

Stabilisation of the High Needs deficit trajectory

System operating within the agreed financial envelope

• What will the local area partnership deliver in the first year?

Please outline the key workstreams, milestones and trajectory your local area partnership will deliver and achieve in 2026-27 as well as how you plan to spend the investment allocation that will help fund this year’s delivery. Please share key milestones and anticipated dates, success measures, cost breakdown and category. These should incorporate the core minimum requirements, be mapped to the building blocks above and should reflect a more detailed trajectory to the narrative, milestones and target metrics outlined in the 2026-27 column above.

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See also Appendix 14. Year 1 Change Journey Narrative.

• How will the local area partnership deliver the first-year plan?

Please set out how you will ensure the required capacity and capability is in place from organisational corporate functions to support implementation of the plan. This could include reference to how you plan to build or bring in project delivery capability to manage delivery against the plan, support prioritisation, and effective use of resources; and how you plan to build the capacity and capability in data and analytics to support effective tracking against the measures in the plan and reporting that informs decision making.

A robust delivery infrastructure is in place to ensure the Local Area has the capacity and capability required to implement the plan at pace and scale. At a strategic level, the existing SEND Reform Project Board will transition in June 2026 into a SEND and Inclusion Transformation Board, providing clear system leadership, oversight and accountability. This is underpinned by aligned terms of reference, defined escalation routes, and regular performance reporting, including quarterly highlight reports to the Senior Leadership

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Team and routine performance monitoring within governance forums. Delivery is further strengthened through subgroups aligned to the seven pillars of reform, who will report monthly progress via highlight reports, alongside a System Enablers Group responsible for corporate functions including Hr, finance, digital, data and communications. This ensures organisational capacity is fully aligned to delivery priorities and supports effective resource deployment.

A dedicated Transformation Programme function is established, including a Transformation Programme Manager and programme team funded through transformation resources. This provides structured programme management, including milestone tracking, risk and dependency management, prioritisation, and benefits realisation, ensuring delivery remains on trajectory. Clear workstream ownership is in place, with senior accountable leads for each area, supported by strengthened leadership capacity through key roles including the Designated Education Officer, Head of Belonging and Co-production Lead.

Capacity is further enhanced through a whole-system service redesign (0–19), bringing together Early Years, SEND, Education and Post 16 under one Inclusion Umbrella. Team Around the School will be mapped via existing resources and enhanced with the ‘Experts at Hand’ model delivered through multidisciplinary, neighbourhood-based teams. Progress will report into Neighbourhood Partnerships to align community assets. This approach maximises the use of existing resources, reduces duplication, and enables targeted early intervention aligned to need, improving overall system efficiency.

Significant focus is placed on strengthening data and analytics capability to support delivery and decision-making. Investment in Business Intelligence capacity and digital infrastructure will deliver Power Bi dashboards, integrated data systems and a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). This enables real-time tracking of key measures, including attendance, exclusions, SEN Support and EHCP demand. Data will be routinely triangulated with qualitative insights from co-production activity, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of performance.

Critically, data is embedded within governance, enabling a closed intelligence loop where performance information informs decision- making, prioritisation and resource allocation. This ensures early identification of risk, targeted intervention, and continuous improvement.

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Together, this approach demonstrates strong project delivery capability, corporate alignment and data maturity, ensuring the Local Area has the capacity, discipline and intelligence required to deliver the plan, optimise resources, and achieve sustained improvements in outcomes, confidence and financial sustainability.

8. Other funding Local Authorities.

Block Transfers: If you have made a block transfer (Schools Block to High Needs Block) for 26-27, please set out how your plans for this funding align with the activities outlined above.

The original intention of the block transfer was to help to maintain balance within the High Needs Block. As pressures have increased, it now serves as an un-hypothecated contribution to slightly mitigate against the overspend.

Capital: We have announced at least £3 billion in high needs capital between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to support children and young people (Cyp) with SEND, or those requiring alternative provision (AP). This funding is intended to support place delivery across the full 0-25 age range, including early years and post-16. We expect funding to support the following outcomes: a. Inclusion at the core of high needs sufficiency strategy, resulting in more children and young people with SEND accessing suitable places in mainstream settings, across all phases of education b. Every child or young person who needs a place in an inclusion base can access one c. Fewer children and young people with SEND needing to travel a long way to access a suitable placement d. Improved suitability of the mainstream estate to support children and young people with SEND, with adaptations to improve inclusivity and accessibility of the physical environment

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We also welcome innovative uses of high needs capital to drive inclusion, for example, investment in assistive technology for use in mainstream settings.

Please outline your strategy for how this funding will meet the outcomes above, with reference to the core minimum requirements and other workstreams in this reform plan where appropriate. We would like to see detail around your plans to increase capacity for inclusion bases (formerly known as SEN units, resourced provision and pupil support units – Su/Rp/PSUs), such as schools, colleges or early years providers identified, engagement with relevant settings and trusts, and target cohort of needs.

If your plans include increases to places in special schools or specialist post-16 institutions, please include a clear rationale, showing the need that is being met, and why it cannot be met through other types of provision, such as inclusion bases.

If you are receiving additional capital funding to replace one or more planned special or AP free schools, please set out how this funding will meet need in your area, and plans for engaging relevant trusts in your sufficiency planning.

Rochdale’s High Needs Capital Strategy sets out a clear, inclusion-led approach across the 0–25 age range, fully aligned to SEND reform principles. Capital investment is deliberately prioritised to ensure that mainstream provision is the default, with targeted development of inclusion infrastructure enabling earlier intervention, improved accessibility, and reduced reliance on specialist placements.

The strategy demonstrates strong evidence of increasing capacity within mainstream settings. Rochdale has already moved from 3 to 11 formal Inclusion Hubs since 2022, alongside significant expansion of internal pupil support units (PSUs) and SEN Hubs (satellite hubs ran by Special Schools) in mainstream provision. Building on this, the LA has a clear and deliverable pipeline:

 Two new primary hubs opening in 2026 and two further planned for 2027  Expansion of existing secondary hubs, including schemes increasing capacity fourfold  Development of SEN hubs in additional secondary schools to ensure borough-wide coverage  Continued rollout of “Enhanced SEN” mainstream adaptations (36 schemes already delivered), with further phases planned.

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The strategic ambition is to ensure equitable access to inclusion bases, with two primary hubs per neighbourhood and a hub in each secondary school. These are designed as integrated, needs-led provisions, with a particular focus on speech, language and communication needs in early phases, alongside Semh and autism where required.

Crucially, these provisions are not standalone specialist units. They operate as part of a whole-school, system-wide model, aligned to Experts at Hand and neighbourhood teams, ensuring they build mainstream capability and support reintegration, rather than create parallel pathways. This directly contributes to increased SEN Support, reduced exclusions, and slower EHCP growth that Rochdale has demonstrated over the last 3 years.

The strategy does include re-provision of special school and AP capacity to replace unsuitable and expensive leased accommodation. The special school re-provision will replace generic special places with accommodation for children with the most complex autism. Rochdale continues to see high numbers of autistic children being placed in expensive specialist independent placements. The AP reprovision is aimed at improving attendance and reducing NEETs through the reprovision of accommodation designed for vocational teaching.

A significant strength of the strategy is its focus on improving the suitability of the mainstream estate, directly aligned to the Accessibility Strategy. Investment includes:  Adaptation of physical environments (sensory spaces, therapeutic areas, accessibility improvements)  Creation of flexible assessment and intervention spaces within schools  Expansion of assistive technology, including a borough-wide lending library supporting inclusive practice These investments enable schools to meet a broader range of needs confidently, reducing escalation and supporting children to remain in local mainstream settings.

Capital investment is fully aligned to wider reform workstreams, including workforce development, co-production and data-led planning, ensuring that physical capacity is matched by specialist expertise and system capability.

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9. System partner and stakeholder engagement, and co-production.

Please outline how the local area partnership plans to engage system partners and stakeholders to develop and implement the plan – include planned engagement with schools and early years settings, alternative providers, Fe and post-16 providers (including those your young people attend that are not within your local area), Parents and Carers and children and young people with SEND, with reference to the core minimum requirements. Consider changing roles and responsibilities in the context of the Schools White Paper and how you work collaboratively to manage the transition. Please indicate where additional support is required to engage partners or stakeholders - senior officials at the Department for Education will be available to contribute to summer term events with education leaders and parent carer forum leaders.

Engaging the system meaningfully in delivering SEND and inclusion reform requires clear leadership, structured engagement, shared ownership, and sufficient capacity to work differently. From Year 1–3, Rochdale will implement a comprehensive, phased and proactive engagement plan, embedded alongside a redesigned delivery structure aligned to the seven pillars of the Local Partnership Maturity Assessment and the Raising Rochdale vision. A dedicated Communications Lead will join the System Enablers group and champion the Communication and Engagement Strategy aligned to the Raising Rochdale Belonging Strategy.

A full-service restructure of business-as-usual functions will align leadership, accountability, and expertise to each pillar, ensuring a purposefully organised workforce with clear responsibilities for driving inclusion. A joint LA–Health leadership role will strengthen integrated commissioning, ensuring alignment across education, health and care and enabling rapid access to advice, challenge, and intervention through Teams Around the School and Experts at Hand.

Dedicated system leaders will be explicitly aligned to the maturity pillars, with shared objectives and collective accountability, repositioning the LA as a proactive system steward. This will build system confidence alongside this, a clearly structured engagement programme from Year 1-3 will ensure stakeholder involvement is embedded and sequenced through listening, co-design, implementation feedback and continuous improvement.

Comprehensive and Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement

The engagement plan covers all key stakeholder groups through tailored approaches:  Children and young people, parents and carers through voice networks, co-design workshops and regular neighbourhood listening events

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 Schools, trusts, early years, alternative provision and post-16 providers (including out-of-area settings via Virtual school, Designated Officer Networks, Nwadcs, Gm SEND Networks) through leadership forums and networks of practice  Virtual School and services supporting cared for and care-experienced children to ensure alignment for vulnerable groups  Health and social care partners through integrated commissioning structures and joint governance

Community and voluntary sector organisations via neighbourhood partnerships

Focus will be given to engaging seldom-heard and underrepresented groups, through targeted outreach, accessible communication methods, and community-based engagement activity to ensure equity of voice.

Embedded Co-production and Decision-Making

Engagement is led by a dedicated Co-production Lead, but critically, co-production is embedded across all workstreams, informing service design, delivery and evaluation. Lived experience is systematically captured, analysed and triangulated with performance data, creating a closed feedback loop where insight directly informs governance, prioritisation and resource allocation.

Managing Change and Transitions

Clear mechanisms are in place to support role changes and system transitions, particularly through the implementation of neighbourhood delivery models. Structured communication plans, workforce engagement sessions, and leadership development forums ensure change is collaboratively owned, clearly understood, and consistently embedded across the system.

Innovative and Data-Driven Engagement

Innovative engagement approaches will broaden participation, including:  Digital platforms and real-time feedback tools  Peer networks and communities of practice  Accessible and youth-friendly participation approaches

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This is supported by strengthened data and analytics capability, including Power Bi dashboards aligned to the plan, enabling real-time tracking of outcomes, triangulation with stakeholder voice, and transparent reporting through governance.

10. Risks and Mitigations

What are the key risks that could affect the successful implementation of your Local SEND Reform Plan, and what mitigation strategies are in place to manage these risks? Please include a maximum of 5 risks with impact and likelihood Rag for each risk. See Annex C for suggested risk matrix.

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11. Dependencies

Please detail the key areas of the local area partnership’s proposed SEND future state and roadmap that may be impacted by wider reforms nationally and locally and outline how you will manage these. We expect these will include but not be limited to:

• NHS reforms
• Local Government Re-organisation
• Reforms to Children’s Social Care
• Best Start in Life, including Family Hubs
• Best Start in Life Strategy

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• Curriculum and Assessment Review

The Children and Young People’s Partnership (Cypp), Directorate Plan and SEND Reform future state and roadmap have been developed to remain resilient and align to system reform. Over the next two years, all plans will be overseen through strong system leadership. The Children’s Senior Management Team (Csmt) and Wider Leadership Team (Wlt) will hold a shared priority to deliver a single, joint SEND Reform Plan, underpinned by clear governance, shared accountability and adaptive, outcomes-focused implementation

NHS reforms continue to influence Children’s Services nationally. But in Rochdale, long-standing shared budgets, roles and joint commissioning arrangements provide a strong foundation. A new Strategic Lead for Children’s Health will sit within the local authority and work closely with the Icb to ensure that reforms maintain a neighbourhood health focus, improve the timeliness of health advice within EHC processes, and sustain jointly commissioned therapeutic models such as the Balanced System, Neurodiversity Hub and Dynamic Support. These arrangements will mitigate risks linked to changes in Icb structures or leadership. Oversight of the SEND Maturity Matrix will sit with the Integrated Care Partnership Committee alongside Cabinet, with support from Greater Manchester Icb. The established SEND Alliance will oversee shared performance frameworks, while flexible workforce models, including Experts at Hand, and joint pathway redesign will help manage capacity pressures and protect statutory duties.

Children’s Social Care reforms, including the expansion of Families First, will further strengthen multi-disciplinary working for vulnerable learners. Neighbourhood Experts at Hand teams will be co-located with Family Help Teams, enabling more coordinated support for learners with additional vulnerabilities. Joint data dashboards will align inclusion, SEND and vulnerability indicators so that resources can be targeted more effectively and duplication reduced. Clear escalation routes and shared decision-making will support timely responses, while coordinated workforce development across SEND, Early Help and Social Care will promote consistent practice, improve understanding and reduce siloed working.

Best Start in Life and Family Hubs present a significant opportunity for early identification and intervention. Rochdale currently has 17 Family Hubs, strong early years offer, high childcare take-up and sustained neighbourhood youth services. Early Years and Family Hub SEND offers will be brought together to improve consistency. Family Hubs will form a core part of the SEND early intervention system, embedding SEND screening, advice and support within universal and targeted provision. Clear pathways, shared data arrangements and co-production with families will ensure accessibility and equity.

The Best Start in Life Strategy will increase investment across the 0–5 system, prioritising early identification and targeted SEND support. Experts at Hand will complement this offer to ensure system flow and consistency. SEND is fully embedded within Best Start objectives, delivery plans and governance, aligning outcomes, commissioning and performance, and reinforcing prevention and inclusion from the earliest years.

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Curriculum and assessment reform may impact inclusive practice and demand for SEND support. To mitigate this, Rochdale will strengthen shared system leadership with schools and trusts, aligning LA support, outcomes and quality assurance. This will support inclusive curriculum design and assessment practices aligned with emerging national expectations.

See Appendix 15. Internal Schools and Inclusion Team for Redesign.

See Appendix 12. Current and Revised Governance Structures and NHS Gm SEND Governance June 2026.

Section 3 – Monitoring and Evaluation

• How will the local area partnership know delivery is on track?

Please set out how you will monitor and track progress referencing:

• Monitoring tools and processes - the specific tools, systems, and data you will use to track delivery milestones and measure the

impact on outcomes.

Some Local Area Partnerships hold data in a central SEND operational dashboard. This is used by teams on a weekly basis to identify trends in demand or inform conversations with local school or setting leaders.

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In some Local Area Partnerships, a view of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is reviewed monthly by a SEND Board to take decisions on prioritisation, resourcing and delivery of services informed by regular data.

Please set out how you will use data to track demand (e.g., EHCP applications for assessment), Service delivery (e.g., Speech and Language Specialists deployment; places created), Service quality (e.g., parental satisfaction) and outputs (e.g., pupil attendance; pupil exclusions)

• Feedback and adaptation mechanisms - what feedback loops and stakeholder input you will use to review progress and adjust

your approach.

Progress against the three strategic goals will be monitored through a comprehensive and integrated performance framework, combining real-time data, programme delivery tracking, robust project management oversight, and stakeholder feedback. This ensures both delivery milestones and system outcomes are consistently measured, reported, and used to drive continuous improvement.

A strong Transformation Programme Management Office (Pmo) will provide delivery grip and assurance. The Pmo will utilise structured tools including detailed delivery plans, milestone trackers, risk and issue logs, dependency mapping, and benefits realisation frameworks. Each workstream will have a named accountable lead, with progress reported through monthly RAG-rated highlight reports, escalation routes, and oversight through the SEND and Inclusion Transformation Board and Senior Leadership Team. This ensures clear accountability, early identification of risks, and effective prioritisation.

Goal 1: Improve Outcomes for Children and Young People with SEND Progress will be tracked through a defined set of outcome and leading indicators, monitored via Power Bi dashboards, SEND operational dashboards, and workstream reporting. Key measures include:  Attendance and persistent absence  Suspensions and exclusions

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 Percentage of Cyp with SEND educated in mainstream  Gld, Attainment outcomes and Neet Post 16 rates  System effectiveness will be assessed through early intervention indicators such as:  SEN Support levels  Access to Ep, SaLT, Ot and Semh services  Use of Alternative Provision and part-time timetables Performance will be reviewed through monthly operational meetings and quarterly governance reporting, enabling timely intervention where performance deviates from trajectory.

Goal 2: Increase Confidence of Parents, Carers and Young People Confidence and experience will be monitored through both quantitative and qualitative indicators, including:  Parent/carer satisfaction surveys and pulse feedback  BeeWell outcomes (belonging and wellbeing)  Confidence in mainstream provision  EHCP timeliness, tribunals and complaints Co-production will be tracked through:  Participation levels and diversity (including seldom-heard groups)  Engagement in voice networks and co-design activity  Evidence of stakeholder influence on decisions (captured through governance audits) Regular listening events and engagement activity will ensure continuous feedback, triangulated with performance data to inform service improvement.

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Goal 3: Financial Sustainability and Value for Money

Financial performance will be monitored through aligned demand, cost and efficiency indicators, including:  EHCP requests and assessment rates  Spend on independent and out-of-area placements  High Needs Block position and deficit trajectory  Cost per pupil and spend distribution Efficiency will be tracked through:  Increased utilisation of mainstream provision  Reduced reliance on high-cost placements  Cost avoidance linked to early intervention These will be monitored through financial dashboards, Dsg reporting systems, and benefits realisation tracking, aligned to programme delivery.

Integrated Monitoring and Feedback

Rochdale will integrate performance data, financial monitoring, and stakeholder feedback. The redesigned SEND operational dashboard will provide a single view across education, health and care, used regularly by teams to identify trends, manage demand, and support engagement with schools.

Data will track:  Demand: EHCP requests, referrals, AP usage  Delivery: workforce deployment and inclusion places  Quality: parental satisfaction and process timeliness

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 Outcomes: attendance, exclusions, attainment and Neet

Adaptation and Continuous Improvement

Formal feedback loops include co-production forums, school engagement, and practitioner insight. Where monitoring identifies risks or underperformance, adaptive responses—including resource reallocation, commissioning changes, or service redesign—will be implemented through Pmo oversight.

Continuous feedback: Formal feedback loops will include co production forums with parents, carers and young people; Regular engagement with school leaders through locality and neighbourhood arrangements; Practitioner feedback from frontline staff and service leads.

13. Reporting to DfE

Using the attached data template, the local area partnership is required to provide quarterly data returns to DfE against selected key metrics. DfE will, in turn, provide quarterly data reports with visualised analysis and benchmarking that will support your local delivery, monitoring and evaluation. This will include data the department holds on Attendance, Exclusions, and Unauthorised absence.

Please use the attached data template to upload your initial data return to DfE.

See separate data template.

Section 4 – Governance

• How will the local area partnership ensure delivery of plans remain on track?

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Please outline the governance structures in place to oversee delivery. Clearly set out who is responsible for overseeing reform delivery, what each governance group or individual is accountable for, and how these arrangements ensure progress is monitored and decisions are made transparently. Please identify where the named Sro for the Local SEND Reform Plan sits within the governance structure and ensure your response incorporates the core minimum requirements.

If you have a diagram to show the relationship between these governance mechanisms, please upload this here.

See Appendix 12. Current and Revised Governance Structures and NHS Gm SEND Governance June 2026.

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Section 5 – Central Government Support

15. How can we help you?

Please outline any practical support you need from central government to implement your plan effectively.

This may include:

• Access to specialist expertise or advisory support
• Help with workforce development or recruitment challenges
• Tools or templates to support data collection, reporting, or evaluation
• Facilitation of peer learning or regional collaboration
• Support with system-level coordination across education, health, and care

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• Guidance on navigating regulatory or policy barriers

We would welcome support focused on the following areas:  Specialist advisory input on inclusion base delivery and capital sequencing, drawing on national learning and comparative insight to support timely, efficient implementation aligned to local sufficiency, place-planning and efficiency considerations.

 Workforce planning tools, skills-audit and workforce training and development offers across LA, health and schools.

 Digital and Ai support aligned to data and support for schools and families.

 Use of evidence-based needs led assessment tools such as Valuing SEND (Impower).

 Sharing of national best practice models as opportunity to learn from other areas.

 Standardised data integration templates and statistical neighbour, Gm, Northwest and National benchmarking, enabling greater consistency in reporting, more meaningful comparison across local areas and clearer tracking of progress against reform objectives.

 Removal of data sharing barriers across health and care (e.g. standardised use of NHS number).

 Facilitation of regional peer learning and school-group development, bringing together local authorities, trusts and schools to share effective inclusive practice and support scaling of delivery through collaboration.  The autonomy to test models that are aligned to place and neighbourhood working, defined by local needs rather than a one size fits all approach which will allow for coproduction and trust across parent carer community and schools.

 A professional development offer for schools that are part of smaller trusts.  This targeted national support would complement existing local delivery arrangements, reinforce strong partnership working, and help

ensure that the intentions of national SEND reform translate consistently into effective local practice and improved outcomes.

 If any additional funding available to support wider system infrastructure (outside of Rochdale) we would be happy to expand the video capability of our Titus digital platform.

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Annex B - Supporting Documents

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Annex C – Risk Matrix

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The Local Partnership Maturity Assessment Tool

Pillar 1: Co-production with parents and carers and children and young people

Pillar 2: Effective system leadership and governance

Pillar 3: Accurate understanding of needs and experiences of Cyp through effective use of quantitative and qualitative data

Pillar 4: High quality service delivery at universal, targeted and specialist levels to promote inclusion

Outreach Support to SEN Units and Inclusion Bases where required. > Allocate named officer/ therapist with targeted and specialist intervention to support Yp out of area for post-16 providers. > Support childcare providers to implement and deliver inclusive priorities.

Pillar 5: Effective Partnership working across education, health and social care

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Pillar 6: Skilled and organised workforce across local authority, education settings, health and social care

Pillar 7: Targeted and judicious use of resources including place planning, sufficiency and use of capital

Executive Summary: Local System "Change Story"

Local Area Our Conte

Rochdale is an area of significant deprivation, which impacts on the demand for services. Its SEND system has evolved from a historically fragmented position into one with clear direction and strong foundations for reform. Following a critical 2016 inspection, the local landscape was characterised by disjointed services, weak coordination across education, health and care and inconsistent experiences for children and families. Access to support was slow and outcomes were variable. x The local context is shaped by rising demand for SEND support, increasing complexity of need within mainstream settings, and national pressures on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). These pressures have been compounded by workforce constraints, particularly in specialist services and structural changes within health systems. Schools report growing frustration where demand outpaces available support. x Despite these challenges, Rochdale has developed a distinctive approach rooted in co-production, inclusion, and outcomes- based accountability. The authority has worked extensively with partners and families to define what a “good life” looks like for children and young people with SEND, ensuring that services are aligned to lived experience. This ethos, "Nothing about us without us,” is central to Rochdale’s identity. x Rochdale also faces financial constraints typical of the national SEND system, particularly limitations on using the High Needs Block for preventative work. This has required innovation, including the use of time-limited funding to test new approaches, e.g., Delivering Better Value and Sendap Change programmes . x Overall, Rochdale operates within a high-pressure but opportunity-rich environment: a system under strain, yet one that has already demonstrated the capability to lead innovation, improve inclusion and build a sustainable SEND model focused on early intervention and local provision.

Xt

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Rochdale is now in a position of significant progress, with strong foundations established for systemic reform. Over the past three years, the borough has implemented a series of coordinated initiatives that collectively shift the system toward early intervention, inclusion, and financial sustainability. x A key strength is the move from reactive, service-led provision to a proactive, outcomes-based system. Early intervention approaches, such as strengthened SEND Support, the Inclusion Toolkit and transition funding are reducing reliance on EHCPs while improving pupil experience. However, use of the Inclusion Toolkit across settings is inconsistent. Multi-agency coordination has been enhanced through the Local Inclusion Support Offer (Liso), which has supported over 400 children, many of whom would otherwise have escalated to statutory processes. x Capacity within mainstream schools has been significantly strengthened through SEN units, resourced provision and hubs, enabling more children to be educated locally. Targeted interventions, including therapeutic alternative provision and specialist taskforces, are reducing exclusions and reintegrating pupils successfully into mainstream education (81% reintegration rate). x Rochdale is privileged to have maintained its Educational Psychology Service in LA, but demand for EHCP assessments has outstripped capacity which has reduced the capacity available for early intervention and prevention. For Slt the Balanced System has been implemented in primary schools with a named lead in each, however capacity does not reach into Ey and Secondary/Post-16 and needs to increase. Dedicated Slt leadership of augmented technology is also a gap. There is no reach into settings for Ot. x Financially, Rochdale has demonstrated a strong “invest-to-save” model. These combined approaches are projected to deliver multi-million-pound savings over five years, including up to £28.6m through expanded local provision and further savings through reduced EHCP demand and improved coordination. x However, the system remains inconsistent. Implementation varies between schools, data integration is underdeveloped, and alignment between strategy and delivery is incomplete. Despite progress, demand continues to rise and waiting times for specialist services persist. There are currently approximately 4,001 Cyp with EHCPs and 5,561 with SEN Support in Rochdale (18.05.26). Confidence varies across schools and the parent community. x Rochdale is therefore best described as a system in transition: no longer fragmented, but not yet fully coherent or consistently implemented.

Are

We Now?

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Rochdale’s transformation journey reflects a deliberate shift from fragmentation to coherence. Following systemic weaknesses identified in 2016, the authority embarked on a fundamental redesign of its SEND approach beginning in 2021, supported by the Council for Disabled Children. x The starting point was a radical reframing, i.e., rather than focusing on services, Rochdale defined success through outcomes for children and families. A year-long co-production process brought together stakeholders across education, health, social care and the voluntary sector. This resulted in a shared outcomes framework and a system-wide commitment to accountability and collaboration. We would like to repeat this methodology with the development of a Belonging Strategy. x This work has achieved national recognition, receiving multiple awards and marked a cultural shift from siloed working to shared ownership. Two key priorities, i.e., (i) ensuring children are in school; and (ii) ensuring children remain close to home now anchor all decision-making. x Implementation of Delivering Better Value in SEND and the Sendap Change programme have allowed us to test and refine a range of initiatives, that are providing evidence of early intervention and changes in life trajectories. We are confident that mainstream settings can meet more need with appropriate support and that specialist expertise must be accessible rather than scarce. Not all initiatives were successful, but this iterative approach has strengthened the system’s evidence base. x A significant milestone has been the reduction in EHCP growth rates from among the highest increases to below regional comparators. This demonstrates improved demand management. x Crucially, Rochdale has moved from dependency on high-cost specialist placements toward building local capacity and prevention-focused models. This journey has laid the groundwork for the next phase: integrating these improvements into a single, coherent system.

Have

We Come From?

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Rochdale’s next phase is to turn its strong ambition for inclusion into a consistently delivered, system-wide reality. Current data highlights a system under increasing pressure: rising numbers of children awaiting EHCP assessment have led to delays against statutory timelines, impacting both outcomes and family confidence. Alongside this, there has been a notable increase in children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), reflecting growing and more complex levels of need, particularly in areas such as Asd and Semh. The provision profile also evidences challenge. A significant proportion of pupils continue to be educated in maintained and independent special schools, with independent placements contributing to rising overall spend. This trend indicates both insufficiency in local provision and limited capacity within mainstream settings to meet need earlier. Workforce constraints— particularly in Educational Psychology and Speech and Language Therapy—further exacerbate delays and restrict preventative support. In response, Rochdale aims to shift from a reactive, assessment-led system to one grounded in early intervention and inclusion. Scaling the “Experts at Hand” model will embed specialist expertise into everyday practice, reducing reliance on EHCPs as the primary route to support. Strengthened Team Around the School approaches will ensure consistent, neighbourhood-based multi- agency support for all settings. By improving data integration and rebalancing the system toward mainstream inclusion, Rochdale’s goal is to reduce delays, manage demand more effectively, and ensure more children are supported early, locally, and successfully within their communities. This is how we will measure our progress (3 year targets): > Percentage of children (SEN support) with a good level of development (Gld) at 5 years old: 2024/25: 21.4% Target: 25.0% > Percentage of pupils (SEN support) meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at KS2 for all state funded schools, local authority-maintained schools and academies: 2024/25: 23.0% Target 28.0% > Key Stage 4 - Attainment 8 at KS4 for all state funded/maintained schools and academies (SEN support): 2024/25: 27.9% Target: 33.0% > Percentage of young people (16-17) not in education, employment, or training (Neet) (SEN support): 2025: 7.4% Target: 7.0% > Permanent Exclusion rate per 100 pupils (SEN support): 2025: 0.89 Target: 0.40 We will also track attendance for children and young people with SEN support and spend against the High Needs Block.

Do We

Want To Go Next?

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Delivering this next phase will require both cultural and structural change, underpinned by targeted investment. The maturity assessment highlights that successful reform depends on aligning governance, embedding new ways of working and building system-wide consistency. x Firstly, workforce capacity must be expanded. Investment is needed to increase availability of speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, and occupational therapists, particularly aligned to neighbourhoods and education settings. This will enable the “Experts at Hand” model to function effectively and eliminate waiting times. x Secondly, funding must support prevention and early intervention. Many successful initiatives have relied on short-term funding, e.g., Delivering Better Value and Sendap programmes and are currently sustained through reserves. Long-term investment is required to secure these programmes and scale them sustainably, particularly where High Needs Block constraints limit preventative spending. x Thirdly, digital infrastructure requires further development. Continued investment in digital tools will enhance access to advice, enable remote consultations and strengthen workforce training, ensuring support is immediate and embedded. x Fourthly, system alignment is critical. This includes strengthening data integration, improving consistency across schools and ensuring that strategy translates into practice. Leadership development and co-production will remain essential enablers. x Importantly, Rochdale’s model demonstrates that investment generates returns. Early intervention, local provision and improved coordination deliver significant cost avoidance; potentially tens of millions over five years; while improving outcomes for children. x In summary, achieving this vision will require sustained, strategic investment in people, prevention and system infrastructure, creating a financially sustainable model where better outcomes and cost efficiency are mutually reinforcing. x In year one we will build upon what works and build system infrastructure and codesign a new system. In year 3 we will have a mobilised neighbourhood offer with Team Around the Schools and Experts at Hand fully aligned to Ey, schools and colleges. We will have increased our sufficiency and the confidence of teachers and parents. In year 5 we will begin to turn the curve, will have stemmed growth of EHCPs, increased the universal and targeted offer and reduced use of specialist provision.

What Will It

Take To Get

There

?

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