Tower Hamlets 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.

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: Tower Hamlets

Name of Integrated Care Board: North-East London ICB

Local SEND Reform Plan SRO: Lisa Fraser (Director of Education)

Signatories

Role Name Signature Email contact Date

Local Authority

Steve Halsey

Chief Executive Stephen.Halsey@towerhamlets.gov.uk 19/06/2026

(Ceo)

Integrated Care Board (ICB) Dr Nnenna Osuji n.osuji1@nhs.net 17/06/2026

Chief Executive

Director of Children’s Services Steve Reddy Steve.Reddy@towerhamlets.gov.uk 18/06/2026 Chair of the SEND Improvement

Board (SIB)

ICB NHS Sro Luke Burton Luke.burton1@nhs.net 17/06/2026 SEND ICB NHS Place An appointment to this role has

Director

been made but the person will not be in post until 1st July (under new organisational structure) Local Authority Chief Financial

Richard Ennis

Officer Richard.Ennis@towerhamlets.gov.uk 18/06/2026 (CFO/Section

151 Officer)

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

.

Tower Hamlets is a diverse, urban borough with high levels of deprivation, strength in mainstream inclusion and long-standing partnership working across education, health and social care. The system has made progress in key areas, including improved EHCP timeliness, strong inclusive intent in schools, and increasing alignment to national SEND and AP reforms. However, rising demand, increasing complexity of need, variable confidence in SEN Support, workforce pressure and growing financial strain have highlighted the limits of a system that still relies too heavily on statutory processes to access support.

Where we are now The system is developing in maturity, with strengthened governance, improved data use, and more consistent partnership working. There is strong evidence of collaboration across education, health and social care, alongside improving EHCP timeliness and enhanced early years pathways. Mainstream inclusion is a key strength, with over 70% of children with EHCPs educated in mainstream settings, supported by the Inclusion Framework, outreach from specialist settings, and capital investment in specialist inclusion bases and inclusive environments. However, challenges remain. Demand continues to rise, creating financial pressures and a High Needs deficit. There is variability in the quality of inclusive practice, waiting times for therapies and assessments remain too long, and there is still reliance on statutory processes. Confidence in the system is not yet consistently strong, and communication and co-production require further strengthening.

Where we want to get to (next 3 years)

• A more inclusive 0–25 system

We will strengthen mainstream provision, so more needs are met earlier and locally, reducing reliance on EHCPs and specialist placements. Inclusion will be consistent across settings, supported by strong partnerships and integrated working.

• Improved workforce capacity and capability

We will develop a more coordinated, skilled workforce across education, health and social care, with a shared training offer and improved access to specialist expertise, particularly in Speech and Language Therapy and neurodevelopmental pathways.

• Increased confidence in the system

Children, families and partners will experience a more transparent and consistent system, with stronger co-production, clearer communication, and improved access to support without escalation.

• Financial sustainability and value for money

Earlier intervention, improved sufficiency planning, and better alignment of commissioning and investment will stabilise the High Needs system and ensure resources are used effectively.

Tower Hamlets’ reform journey will be delivered through a partnership-wide shift from escalation-led support to earlier, needs-led intervention. Over the next three years, the local area partnership will strengthen ordinarily available provision, embed Experts at Hand as a clear route to multidisciplinary advice and support, expand local inclusive capacity through specialist inclusion bases, and targeted capital investment, and use shared data to improve commissioning, sufficiency and accountability.

Success will be measured through a defined set of baseline and target indicators, including slower growth in EHCP assessment requests, improved attendance and participation for children and young people with SEND, reduced NEET rates for young people with SEND, reduced reliance on out-of-borough and independent placements, improved access to specialist advice in mainstream settings, and stronger parent, carer and young person confidence. Through implementation of our reform plan and the Experts at Hand model we expect that demand for specialist therapies will decrease, with reduced referrals to specialist SaLT and OT over time. We also expect average waiting times for ASD diagnosis to reduce over the next 3 years in response to additional investment in clinical capacity and improved neurovariance pathways.

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

Our ambition is to be an inclusive borough where every child and young person is heard, valued and supported to belong, achieve and thrive. Our SEND system will be fair, effective and financially sustainable, using evidence-based practice and managed commissioning to align funding with need, secure value for money and reduce high-cost placements. Support will be early and local wherever possible, with more children and young people supported in inclusive mainstream provision close to home, alongside quality specialist support when required.

Early identification and timely support We will identify needs early, respond consistently and prevent escalation, slowing the growth rate of EHC needs assessments resulting in an EHCP over three years. Graduated, evidence-led support will adapt as needs change and attendance of children and young people with SEN, with a part time timetable will improve, with clear pathways and well-planned transitions from early years into adulthood.

A local and inclusive system The proportion of children and young people with EHCPs educated in mainstream settings will remain high. Specialist provision will work alongside this through multi-agency working and improved access to Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy across mainstream settings.

Fairness, outcomes and partnership We will reduce inequity and variation by improving consistency, reducing SEND tribunal appeals, lowering the proportion of young people with SEND aged 16–25 who are NEET and reducing reliance on statutory processes.

This vision will be delivered through shared leadership across education, health and social care, with schools, settings, families, young people and partners working together to create a fair, consistent and financially sustainable SEND system.

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 Social Care.

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.

Local blueprint for the

Where we are Where we will be in the next 3 years

next 3 years

Strengthening inclusion

Our current context – practice and outcomes

In 3 years’ time

across education

The Local Area SEND Inspection in June 2025 confirmed that weaknesses identified at the previous inspection had been successfully addressed. Inspectors noted that children and young people with SEND are “genuinely noticed and valued”.

Children and young people will receive the right support at the right time, achieve positive outcomes and move successfully into adulthood with confidence, independence and opportunity. We will achieve this through:

settings

Our universal offer which will ensure strong ordinarily available provision and inclusive practice across mainstream schools and settings. The Inclusion Framework will be fully embedded practice across the borough. This will be aligned with National Inclusion Standards.

A high proportion of children and young people with EHCPs are educated in our mainstream maintained schools and academies (71.4%) which means that pupils benefit from learning alongside their non-SEND peers. Spend on independent and out of borough special school provision is low. We are in a good position to take the reforms forward.

All schools and settings are signed up to an Inclusion Charter for 0- to 25-year-olds, co-produced with all partners including, the ICB, Post 16 providers and parents, which supports collective responsibility for inclusive practice.

Strong overall attainment and attendance for pupils with SEND compared to national peers and children make consistently good progress from low starting points in Reception.

A comprehensive SEND workforce development programme that will maximise synergies and best value across other national reform programmes (including the Universal / Universal Plus workstream for Families First and Best Start Family Hubs). The programme will ensure there is a well-connected cadre of professionals working across the range of agencies in the borough who understand the borough’s profile and needs; the programme will respond to national shortages in key professions, particularly Speech and Language therapists.

Children and young people with SEND in Tower Hamlets are less likely to be excluded from school than nationally.

SEND demand is rising despite a falling overall school- age population. EHCP numbers are projected to increase from 9% to 16% of the school-age cohort by the end of the decade. Pressures are driven by autism, SLCN and SEMH, with emerging SLD needs.

Increasing SEND demand has created pressure on the High Needs Block, which currently has a deficit of approximately £35 million.

The system-wide support offer will be mapped, embedded and well understood by schools, settings and families via a comprehensive Local Offer; there will be increased confidence amongst education practitioners and parents in an effective mainstream inclusion system that meets common and growing needs earlier and more effectively.

EHC Coordinators engage confidently with families and seek to resolve concerns informally, prior to any

EHCP timeliness is improving and currently stands at 59%. Early engagement with families regarding mediation and tribunals has been strengthened by a system of weekly triage and supported more effective resolution in many cases; nevertheless, tribunal numbers are rising.

Early support for mainstream inclusion (ordinarily available provision) has been a focus with the introduction

of our Inclusion Framework and close working with seconded SENCOs to embed this with schools. However, the quality of OAP and SEN Support remains variable across schools and settings; more confidence is required for mainstream settings to support needs at an earlier stage.

request for formal mediation. This approach will have strengthened collaborative working relationships with parents and carers. Formal mediation is reserved for cases where agreement cannot be reached through these initial discussions. Where mediation is requested, effective triage is undertaken to assess whether the matter can be resolved without proceeding to the formal mediation process.

Schools will have easy access to Experts at Hand and evidence-based support. A comprehensive continuous professional development package will draw on expertise across the partnership and will include the DfE’s RISE programme and local behaviour hubs. This will enable settings to develop greater capability and confidence to meet locally understood needs at an early stage; learning and best practice will be shared across the system to raise standards for all. (See next building block)

Outreach work from Phoenix special school is helping mainstream schools, particularly in the primary phase, support children with increasingly complex needs locally thus reducing reliance on specialist places.

The Local Offer has been refreshed. A better awareness of existing support services and pathways is still required. Transition points can prove challenging.

The quality of speech and language therapy support for school-age children is a concern.

The local authority has recently led a review of specialist deaf provision; a review of SEMH provision is now underway.

The SEND Transformation Team will have dedicated programme management and business analyst resource. This will enable data to be centrally coordinated and analysed to identify schools or phases needing deeper workforce support.

The Tower Hamlets Inclusion Framework was developed to support mainstream settings. It outlines strategies to support children aged 4 to 16 years with SEND in the classroom. Our framework was co-produced with representatives from schools, educational psychologists, children’s social care, SENDIASS and health. Our Early Years settings follow inclusion and participation standards outlined in the EY Foundation Stage Framework.

The SEND Transformation Team will support the development of local area inclusion dashboards, designed in collaboration with schools and settings, with data from health, social care, and SEN informing a transparent monitoring system. This resource will sit alongside the Experts at Hand offer as a well- established support/challenge structure.

There is clear evidence of support and challenge for schools. THEP, our school improvement provider, has led peer assessment activities on inclusion.

The local authority currently has limited resource to hold mainstream schools to account. Education dashboards include SEND data but not systematically at school or setting level; this limits the local authority’s ability to both support and challenge.

Education capital projects and sufficiency

HNPCA will have been used efficiently, and to rigorous assessment and monitoring standards, to deliver new places and inclusive environments.

Support for young people preparing for adulthood has been strengthened through initiatives including Young Work Path, SEND apprenticeships and supported internships.

There will be at least 5 additional specialist inclusion bases, for children with autism or SEMH.

There will have been an expansion of Phoenix special school places for children with autism with

Our participation in the DfE Delivering Better Value programme has supported some earlier intervention approaches across education, health and social care, particularly within early years services.

approximately 125 additional places and a satellite class. The demand from parents for independent special school places will have reduced.

Increased specialist places in mainstream schools, in accordance with the SEND Reforms, will reduce the expected trajectory of the number of additional places needed at Phoenix but expansion of Phoenix of at least 125 places will still be required.

Systemised data analysis is required to identify schools or phases needing deeper workforce support; there is a need to combine training with coaching, modelling and constructive challenge.

The current mainstream universal SEMH support offer is variable, with training uptake limited by school capacity. Analysis through whole school audits and peer support is needed to identify and address training needs, leveraging the Rise programme and local Behaviour Hubs (Swanlea, St Paul’s Way and Mulberry Shoreditch) for broader training access.

The second phase of the specialist classroom programme will have been reviewed, and more schools will have joined the programme.

88% of schools will have school funded inclusion bases by 28/29.

Options to address AP capacity issues (including a distributed model (expanding primary AP, individual tuition, and separate provision for medical/mental health needs) or a single delivery model (replicating the free school with partnerships) will have been reviewed and a direction of travel agreed.

Education capital projects and sufficiency

Education has identified and provisionally allocated c.£4.8m to invest in SEND capital across schools, focused on enhancing existing inclusion provision, creating new specialist inclusion spaces, and improving accessibility across the school estate. This programme has generated strong engagement, with over 75 bids received and 65 approved, benefiting 34 schools across the borough. This positions the council well in terms of SEND reform expectations.

The Council’s sufficiency strategy prioritises mainstream- based solutions to reduce dependency on out-of-borough placements and independent specialist provision. HNPCA investment has been explicitly aimed at developing inclusion and specialist inclusion bases, and adaptations to classrooms to support inclusion.

Quality is safeguarded through alignment with DfE BB104 standards, the local SEND Inclusion Framework, and multi-disciplinary assessment of bids and feasibility. Clear expectations are set on type of need (ASD, SEMH, SLCI, SLD), level of complexity and curriculum alignment.

Falling rolls across early years, primary and (from 2024/25 onwards) secondary phases have resulted in

increasing surplus capacity, with some areas projected to exceed 20% surplus. This creates opportunities to repurpose under-used classrooms for inclusion and specialist inclusion bases without new-build provision.

All bids for capital to support inclusion are subject to joint assessment by SEND, School Place Planning and FM/Technical Services, ensuring that changes to teaching space align with borough-wide sufficiency planning

A shortfall of 260 specialist places was identified in the sufficiency strategy of 2023. These are primarily in autism. There is an increasing demand from parents for places in special schools for autism, particularly our outstanding special school, Phoenix.

To alleviate this demand, 3 provisions have been established, all within existing school sites:

• Pilot primary specialist inclusion bases for autism in 2

schools

• Satellite classes managed by Phoenix in a mainstream

primary and secondary school for children on Phoenix’s roll. This gives pupils the opportunity of education in a mainstream environment and releases places at Phoenix.

• Specialist Classrooms in 22 schools, to increase to 34

in 2026/27. These classrooms cater for 10 children with autism on the highest funding bands, supported by Phoenix outreach teachers and speech therapists. Staff in the classrooms are trained by Phoenix and have buddy support from Phoenix staff. Some of these children would have been referred for a special school place without such provision.

Despite these mitigations, there remains considerable demand from parents for a place at Phoenix school. Phoenix does not have capacity as it is also popular with pupils from neighbouring local authorities. Parents unwilling to accept a mainstream place go to Tribunal or seek a place in an independent school for autism.

Our Early Education and Childcare Service leads a sufficiency assessment programme, aligned with the SEND service and school sufficiency data collections.

This provides a system-wide understanding of provision for children aged 0–4 with SEND. Analysis considers the availability and accessibility of universal early education and childcare and capacity to meet complex and emerging needs. Intelligence is drawn from funding data, school and SEND information, provider engagement and place-based insight from Best Start Family hubs and Public Health.

A trial Early Years specialist inclusion base for 2-to-4- year-olds was established in 2025 within a primary school nursery. A multi-agency Early Years Inclusion Panel considers referrals. This identifies children who may need a special school or specialist mainstream inclusion base in future. Some children have progressed so well that they have moved to a mainstream classroom. The learning has helped us refine our offer and work more collaboratively with Family Hubs and integrated family support.

In the next two years we will establish at least one more specialist inclusion base. Through EaH we will fully coordinate health, social care and education teams to better identify and forecast need, increase family participation in the hubs and take up of early learning. SEND specialists within the four Family Hubs will facilitate this development.

Access to specialist

Access to specialist support

Access to specialist support – Experts at Hand

support and local

The SEND Reforms sit alongside national programmes of work being delivered in the borough, including Best Start in Life, Families First and NHS Neighbourhoods.

Specialist support for education settings will be accessed through the Tower Hamlets Experts at Hand model. This model builds on collaboration within existing locality arrangements for early years, schools and post 16 settings and incorporates lessons learnt from the national AP Taskforce initiative which involved our pupil referral unit.

placements

Tower Hamlets benefits from a wide range of specialist input provided by different professionals. These are delivered through core service offers, alongside traded services to schools and, where appropriate, time-limited pilot schemes.

In our Experts at Hand model:

Early years settings will align to Experts at Hand through existing Family Hubs structures. Each of the 4 existing early help localities will have a 0.5 Early Education SEND Specialist based in the Best Start

Our system-wide, integrated approach to locality-based models currently in place for Family Hubs with Best Start in Life work and the footprint for Tower Hamlets

Neighbourhoods in health provide a good template by which to develop our Experts at Hand model.

Family Hub to facilitate the join up between early years and the schools’ local area partnerships (LAPs).

Early intervention in the early years was a focus of the DBV programme through the development of under-fives advice protocols, the Early Years Inclusion Panel and the integrated Early Years Speech and Language Therapy model. ICB investment in therapies for the under 5s and collaboration in Family Hubs and Best Start in Life have resulted in stronger early years networks.

Schools will access the Experts at Hand offer through the 8 existing local area partnerships (LAPs) which will be re-energised; these groupings will consist of around 10 primary/secondary schools. One lead convener school will be allocated resource to provide credible system leadership. Each LAP will have a 0.5 specialist post, either therapies or Educational Psychologist, to provide multi-disciplinary team leadership.

Our Early Education and Childcare service works in partnership across the early years system to support early identification and intervention. This is delivered through close collaboration with health, specialist SEND services and community organisations, enabling providers to access expertise, advice and support pathways as early needs are identified.

Post 16 settings will access the Experts at Hand offer through alignment with existing Neighbourhood health offers. There will be one system convener with allocated resource for Post 16 based at New City College.

Family Hubs and system conveners will be supported by a central team (the SEND Transformation Team) based in the local authority.

Partnership working with the health visiting service is being strengthened to support providers, promote shared understanding of child development and encourage earlier engagement with families.

The Experts at Hand approach in Tower Hamlets will:

mean that settings and providers will work in smaller networks, under the leadership of a convener, with access to their own bespoke Experts at Hand multi- disciplinary team.

The local authority administers SEN Inclusion Funding (SENIF) and will distribute early years early intervention funding directly to providers to support a graduated approach and timely, needs-led intervention.

allocate budget resource to convener (lead) schools and the college. This resource will support data analysis and commissioning arrangements for a local bespoke Experts at Hand offer.

Schools’ shrinking budgets mean that take-up of traded offers is declining, for example in behaviour and attendance. Nonetheless, schools need access to specialist support. Reliance amongst some schools on school funded private SaLT reflects the need for greater availability of easily accessible school age SaLT resource.

be monitored and tracked by a central SEND Transformation Team based in the local authority which will support convener schools with data analysis, including locality dashboards; this work from the centre will support the partnership’s accountability, quality assurance mechanisms and workforce development as it will report to the SEND Improvement Board; the central team will be best placed to disseminate learning from approaches across the partnership.

A survey conducted with key stakeholders - including parents, carers, education, health, social care and partner organisations - asked what type of specialist support would make the biggest difference in supporting children and young people earlier and more effectively. Analysis confirmed that, overall, speech and language therapy is most in demand, rated most highly by early years, primary and special school professionals, with secondary, early help / social care and health professionals all citing

ensure professionals within multidisciplinary teams will not be limited to educational psychology, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy; teams can

educational psychology as their top choice. This aligns with our thinking regarding the initial mix of EaH professionals and our weighting towards SaLT specialist roles in year 1.

include specialist teachers, early years inclusion advisors, attendance and inclusion officers, behaviour support, sensory support, learning advisory support.

The remaining budget will be held by the SEND Transformation Team who will work with the LAPs, Family Hubs and post-16 to develop proposals for pilot multi- disciplinary projects in their local areas in year 1, with the learning from these informing service designs in years 2 and 3.

Our 14-19 Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) service is moving to a full 14-25 model from September 2027 when PfA outcomes will be embedded from Year 9 through annual reviews and transition planning.

The PfA service currently leads on post-16 transfer, destination tracking, annual reviews for young people at risk of placement breakdown, and coordination of post-16 and post-19 provision. The service works closely with partners including Workpath, youth justice services and adult services around transitions.

The pilots will be agreed with the convener and the central SEND Transformation Team and may be extensions of existing pilots, or newly identified opportunities for multi- disciplinary team development in the locality.

The Tower Hamlets Experts at Hand model will strengthen and better co-ordinate current pathways through:

Tower Hamlets has strong supported employment pathways, including 5 DFN Project Search programmes and in house SEND apprenticeship opportunities.

drawing on local knowledge and learning from pilots, traded services, and qualitative feedback to ensure support is responsive to the needs of our children

The Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce (APST) model has been effective in Tower Hamlets for some time with some positive impact on reducing youth crime and improving attendance and attainment locally, though national data is less conclusive. The emphasis is on multidisciplinary teams and early intervention under the 3 tiers: outreach into mainstream, interim provision with reintegration, and specialist AP for longer-term or Key Stage 4 students. Alternative provision in Tower Hamlets is structured around outreach, interim provision with reintegration, and specialist AP for longer-term or Key Stage 4 students, following the APST model. Where multidisciplinary teams (including therapies, youth justice, social care, and community safety) are in place they are embedded. Tower Hamlets’ AP provision is currently judged as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.

building on partnership working to develop a multidisciplinary approach that enables coordinated specialist input across universal, targeted, and specialist levels, supporting timely and proportionate use of resources.

co-producing delivery models with existing providers of specialist input to ensure integrated, well-understood pathways with agreed eligibility criteria.

maintaining ongoing review of the model to ensure demonstrable effectiveness and value for money through self-evaluation.

Experts At Hand will enable easily accessible support in Best Start Family Hubs and educational settings; professionals and parents will have alternatives to expensive and time- consuming referrals to specialist community health services.

Local placements

Our core strategy over the past 18 months has been to increase specialist capacity within mainstream settings through inclusion and specialist inclusion bases, and environmental adaptations funded by HNPCA. Investment focuses on bridging the gap between standard resource

ICB community health therapy contracts will be aligned, delivered through Barts, to support our EaH model, reorienting

bases and special schools, particularly for pupils with Autism, SEMH and SLCN, and for emerging SLD needs.

delivery from individual referral pathways towards group- based and whole-group-based advisory models.

Capital works target the suitability of the physical environment—sensory rooms, de-escalation spaces, adapted classrooms, accessibility upgrades and therapeutic areas—aligned to BB104 standards and the local SEND Inclusion Framework. This approach reduces future pressure by enabling pupils to remain local, lowering reliance on out-of-borough placements.

Experts at Hand in Tower Hamlets will have well understood aims around:

• Universal provision

upskilling knowledge and skills of workforce; empowering early years providers, schools, and colleges to think differently to meet needs

The council remains committed to engaging constructively with parents, carers, schools, providers and elected representatives. Decisions on the future use of education sites will continue to be informed by SEND sufficiency needs, educational suitability, value for money and long-term sustainability.

supporting settings to create enabling inclusive environments that meet a broad range of needs

reducing reliance on specialist intervention by strengthening everyday practice, including self-service tools to identify and respond to speech and language needs without a specialist referral; VERBO will be embedded as part of the universal offer.

Due to the non-delivery of a planned free school, there will be AP capacity issues in the next three years. Options include a distributed model (expanding primary AP, individual tuition, and separate provision for medical/mental health needs) or a single delivery model (replicating the free school with partnerships). A proposal paper will go to the strategic group in July, informed by the SEMH review to include funding allocation.

• Targeted provision

drawing on expertise in localised multidisciplinary teams to provide specific recommendations and advice;

working with education settings to implement bespoke recommendations, including consideration of existing specialist services available;

Tower Hamlets is the most densely populated borough in the country and is geographically small. There is no rurality factor. Local variation of school place sufficiency demands is addressed through forecasting within the six school place planning areas.

modelling specialist strategies and providing themed, needs-based training to clusters to build longer-term capacity.

We aim to maintain children in their local schools. Clearly, this significantly reduces transport costs. Tower Hamlets is a small borough so for those in special schools or low incidence inclusion bases (e.g. BSL dependent) ease of transport rather than distance is considered. In a recent review of deaf resource bases, children who lived further from one resource base had shorter transport times than those who lived nearer simply because of traffic configuration.

• Specialist provision

providing holistic, time-limited specialist input beyond what is realistic or reasonable within existing provision, this includes goals spanning multiple professional objectives, training staff to deliver programmes, and delivering time-limited, goals-based interventions (directly and/or indirectly).

Specific attention will be made to transitions.

In 2025 we opened an Early Years Intervention (Inclusion) base for 2–4-year-olds and recognised the issues for parents who did not live in that part of the

For out of area mainstream and further education settings we will look at where there is a case for an ‘out of area’ network

borough. We therefore co-produced a transport agreement with parents and the school whereby parents could either have a personal budget or a day travel pass. If they choose the pass, this means that they accompany their child to the base but have the freedom of the travel pass for the rest of the day.

and multi-disciplinary team based on numbers, or whether an integrated approach with the place-based offer will provide equitable access to services.

The Experts at Hand offer delivers group level specialist support which improves the provision and outcomes for children in local mainstream settings, enhances the skills of the workforce through expert capability and increases parent and carer confidence. As a result, the rate of EHCNA requests will reduce.

We aim to reduce travel times and travel costs, but we particularly strive to enable our children and young people with SEND to be as independent as possible and use public transport safely. We have a well-established independent travel training programme and promote the use of personal budgets for travel.

Access to specialist support - Post 16

In 2025/26, 1,460 CYP were referred to NHS-funded Barts Health Community OT and SaLT services for support for communication and OT needs. Currently in Barts Health community therapies service, the average waiting time from referral to first clinical contact across SaLT, OT and physiotherapy is under 10 weeks and the therapies team is meeting the NHS target of 80% of waits to be less than 18 weeks; the vacancy rate in Barts Health children's community OT team was 25% in April 2026 which gives cause for concern.

Through collaborative working with schools, post 16 providers and the expanded function of the 14-25 Preparing for Adulthood team creative solutions will have been identified to strengthen post-16 pathways, with an increased offer at entry level / level 1 which is effectively supported by timely, effective specialist support through the Experts at Hand MDT approach.

This will have reduced reliance on out of area placements. The multidisciplinary pool includes educational psychologists, specialist teachers, therapists, and experts matched to post-16 need such as behaviour support, mental health input, job coaches and youth workers. Post 16 specialist support will also be provided from our specialist autism college and our learning advisory team.

NHS NEL has approved recurrent investment in Neurovariance Diagnostics Services totalling £720k because high referral volumes mean that additional community paediatrician and therapist capacity is needed to keep waiting times below 52 weeks. ASD average wait times are currently 122 weeks, with community paediatrics waiting times over 2 years.

AP

To collaboratively recommission AP provision, we will have completed a self-assessment and area review using inclusion standards, incorporating data from health, education and social care.

Areas of focus in commissioning AP in Tower Hamlets in line with the APST model will have included:

an expansion of early intervention, creating a more consistent universal SEMH offer as training uptake is currently limited by school capacity. Opportunities to utilise the Rise programme and local Behaviour Hubs

(Swanlea, SPW and Mulberry Shoreditch) for broader training access will be fully explored.

working with therapies providers to increase capacity by joint commissioning between the ICB and local authority.

developing understanding of need in mental health support in collaboration with CAMHS and MHST provider (ELFT); solutions to address gaps will have been commissioned.

Local placements

An inclusion base in every school by 2029/30 (academic year) rising from 88% in 28/29.

Second phases of specialist classrooms, started September 2026, will have been reviewed to be successful and more schools have entered the programme.

In three years, we will have a fully established neurovariance pathway delivering joint ADHD and autism assessments. This will be a fully staffed, sustainable MDT delivering increased assessment capacity (around 720 per year) and extended hours, with average waiting times reduced to 52 weeks.

System leadership,

local

Our recently refreshed SEND Improvement Board (SIB) currently meets requirements articulated in DfE guidance: it reports to the Tower Hamlets Together Board, which in turn reports to the Health and Wellbeing Board in a local governance structure; members include Director of Children’s Services, ICB representation; DSCO and DCO; parent carer forum representation; headteacher representation; early years and college provider representation; NHS representation and young people voice; it does not at present have specific oversight of AP; it has not to date had sufficient oversight of High Needs block spending and funding available through health.

Our SEND Improvement Board will meet all DfE requirements and good practice guidance identified by the Council for Disabled Children, including the appointment of an Independent Chair. Its remit will have expanded to include oversight of AP. Audit against the Council for Disabled Children’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 Toolkits will have informed this journey in Years 1 and 2 of the SEND Reform plan. The SEND Improvement Board will act as an additional scrutiny on both High Needs block spending and ICB children’s spend.

partnership collaboratio

n and co-production

Focused engagement with mainstream schools over years one and two of the Experts at Hand programme has helped to strengthen relationships both between schools themselves and with the local authority. This has underpinned a ‘culture shift’ from reliance on

The partnership’s SEND and Inclusion Strategy was launched in 2024 and its governance strengthened through the SEND Improvement Board

Joint commissioning arrangements are established in Tower Hamlets and governed by the Tower Hamlets Together Board. Delivery is currently under a variety of SLAs and MOUs between the local authority, the ICB and providers and has previously been monitored by an integrated commissioning service.

EHCPs to a system of enhanced support and challenge at universal / targeted levels. Schools and settings view themselves as equal partners in our reform journey.

Capacity issues in the system are improved with the appointment of a SEND Reform Transformation Lead. This post has responsibility for delivery on the SEND reforms; this post will be managed by the Director of Education, SRO of the SEND Reforms Programme.

Changes to the ICB means this arrangement is in the process of being replaced by a smaller place-based ICB team and strategic SEND commissioning posts, one covering the inner London NEL ICB Boroughs which will provide opportunities for strategic contractual arrangements across other areas. The new ICB team is expected to be in place in early July, and more detail on the contractual arrangements, and delivery approach will be developed under these new arrangements.

The SEND Reform Transformation Lead role leads the SEND Transformation Team which focuses on transformation, including commissioning and project management, data and performance. The team is linked into the existing local authority integrated commissioning and data teams, meaning that work across the council and wider partnership is easily joined up to include Families First, Best Start in Life and NHS Neighbourhood programmes. This strengthens the connection between strategic governance and operational delivery and quality assurance.

Inspection findings identified positive partnership relationships across services and recognised leaders’ ambition to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Governance arrangements support strategic oversight of key improvement programmes, including inclusion, EHCP timeliness, transitions and sufficiency. Nonetheless, there is variability in how strategic priorities are translated into consistent frontline practice.

The Deputy Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) and Designated Medical Officer (DMO) have added capacity to health systems and work alongside the DCO to strengthen system linkage and collaborative practices across the local area.

The SIB receives updates from the Parent Carer Forum and Our Time Youth Forum presented in rotation. The SIB receives an annual report on complaints, mediation and tribunals, benchmarked against national data and highlighting key themes, trends and learning. It also receives the annual SENDIASS satisfaction report, outlining the support requested and provided.

The success of the Experts at Hand model is tracked through local dashboards which include timeliness/uptake, provider satisfaction, family satisfaction, placement stability, re-engagement, destinations, and NEET. This information is reviewed monthly by the SEND Transformation Team and reports to the SIB by exception on a quarterly basis.

A High Needs block working group of headteacher representatives scrutinises spend on SEND in the borough and feeds into our Schools Forum, which is attended by the Director of Education (SRO).

Following a system wide mapping of the training offer in year one, a partnership multi-agency SEND offer has been developed with stakeholders (parents, schools, young people) which is effectively coordinated and promoted across the system. Local area professionals are more confident in providing effective support to pupils with SEND. Strategies around

Strategic multi-agency data and performance reporting have improved, but there is a need for better system-wide data from birth to aid need prediction for sufficiency planning and

commissioning, combining data from across health, social care and education agencies.

workforce pressures and recruitment challenges are in place, particularly around Speech and Language therapy. Practice is now consistent across services.

Performance reporting arrangements have continued to strengthen through regular use of dashboard reporting, operational review meetings and improvement planning activity. The partnership increasingly uses quantitative data and operational intelligence to monitor progress and identify pressures across the SEND system. Nonetheless, dedicated performance capacity is required to ensure that the new data return requirements are built into existing reporting structures, ensuring improved data sharing and implementing systems for routine capture of related data including numbers of school funded inclusion bases and children and young people without EHCPs accessing specialist support.

Dedicated transformation resource has underpinned improvements to data mapping across the system. This has led to an enriched picture of need at child level which enables more accurate sufficiency planning and commissioning; best value issues are therefore addressed.

Quarterly data reporting to the DfE is embedded as BAU, with system-wide data readily accessible due to robust data capture by the SEND transformation resource. Data analysis across partner agencies supports strategic planning and earlier identification of emerging pressures.

The range of health practitioners who support children and young people can routinely access EHC plans to inform their work.

A related priority from our Local Area SEND inspection focuses on enabling health practitioners to routinely access EHCPs - a multi-agency group is trialling a SharePoint based method of enabling partners to access EHCPs, with an initial focus on new plans issued each month.

The SIB receives a single dedicated insight report on parent and carer feedback, which combines intelligence from complaints, mediation, intelligence from SENDIASS, feedback from events such as Let’s Talk SEND and satisfaction with the Experts at Hand offer. This intelligence is collated thematically and acted upon by board members to improve service delivery.

Capacity within the local authority to facilitate the connection between strategic governance and operational delivery is limited. As a result, integrated assurance arrangements, including peer review and cross- partnership quality assurance activity are limited.

Transition support has been strengthened at the following key points:

The Shared and Effective principles underpinning SEND reform are evident in that schools, health partners and local authority services are increasingly engaged in partnership discussions relating to inclusion, provision planning and service improvement.

EY – Reception – Primary – Secondary: Development of ‘area’ inclusion dashboards enables analysis and identification of young people vulnerable at the point of transition. LAP conveners within the Experts at Hand model track this cohort and work with them to ensure smooth progression to schools / settings.

Communication and escalation pathways across the partnership require further strengthening to ensure operational risks, delays and pressures are identified and addressed more consistently.

Post 16: The PfA Transitions Partnership Coordinator (introduced in year one) along with the expanded (14-25) PfA Service has strengthened our multi agency approach and improved outcomes for young people as they

A ‘culture shift’ is required as we move from reliance on EHCPs to a system of enhanced support and challenge at universal / targeted levels.

The Experts at Hand delivery approach has been developed jointly between the local authority and ICB through a series of consultation meetings framed around Early Years, school-age and post-16 cohorts of children and young people. Attendees from across the system included specialist practitioners, Educational Psychologists, speech and language therapists, the DCO, social care, family hub managers, SENAR, ICB and local authority commissioners, and the virtual school.

move into adulthood. This role works across key services and with partner agencies and operates as the central point of contact for PfA transitions, supporting communication, reducing duplication, and improving PfA outcomes for young people with SEND.

The ICB’s new focus on strategic commissioning has supported strengthening transition pathways at key points across the 0-25 system with a particular focus on: community paediatrics, CAMHS, learning disability identification and adult mental health, learning disability and primary care services.

Effective pockets of workforce development and training exist across our local area, but there is a lack of overarching coordination of a system wide training offer. Professionals report it is difficult to navigate the current offer; promotion and awareness of the system wide offer need to be strengthened.

LAPs have been supported to develop an enhanced workforce offer through training from senior specialist practitioners (SaLT AP, senior EPs) and learning from pilots. This approach has increased quality and delivers savings. The traded services offer has flexed to supplement the EAH offer, as required.

For SEND capacity growth, expressions of interest for specialist inclusion bases were assessed jointly using criteria such as school leadership capacity, inclusion culture, accommodation availability and financial sustainability. HNPCA bidding processes further formalise partnership working by requiring SEND service validation, place planning approval and estates feasibility before investment decisions. This provides a clear mechanism for LAs and MATs to jointly identify viable sites and co-design provision.

Commissioning expertise provided through the SEND Transformation Team has supported LAPs to engage with the current provider market and address any needs that are unmet in the EaH offer.

Our broader system offer has been informed by strategic senior specialists and implemented following pilots undertaken in year 1. Intervention roles within our workforce have been developed, including advisory and mid-level roles (e.g. outreach services, associate health visitors, therapists, EPs, mental health clinicians, specialist and advisory teachers). This offer also includes classroom based HLTA and Therapy Assistants/apprentices and trainee EP roles. This will mitigate some of the known recruitment issues.

Work to strengthen transition pathways and support has begun but remains an area for further improvement. We know that joined up planning needs to happen earlier to ensure the best outcomes for our children and young people.

Tower Hamlets is committed to working in partnership with NHS North East London ICB to take forward the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Advanced Practitioner workforce role required as part of the SEND reform plan. The detail of the model, including seniority, scope and hosting, will be co-produced with Local Authority, Health and Parent Carer Forum partners following the June submission, reflecting the complexity of SALT provision across NEL and the strategic nature of this role.

Opportunities to develop a place-based training and development offer for local residents to train as specialist HLTAs, play workers etc have been fully explored; this offer is integral to the strategic workforce development plan. Additionally, opportunities to

develop apprenticeships for SaLT and OT have been scoped.

A review of the community health services offer carried out in year one has ensured the offer is efficient and meeting the needs of children with SEND under the new EAH offer. Additionally, it has helped us to map interfaces between SALT and EPs which has minimised duplication and clarified pathways for early support from paediatric services and neurovariance pathways.

The ICB and the local authority will have undertaken a formal joint needs-based assessment and commissioning design exercise. This will have mapped the existing health therapy workforce capacity, identifying gaps in SaLT, OT and educational psychology (EP) provision; a joint commissioning specification will be developed and agreed, with governance structures and shared accountability arrangements confirmed.

The ICB and the local authority will have moved to full joint commissioning of the EaH offer, joint performance monitoring and integrated governance. The EaH offer will be embedded as a standing element of the local SEND system, refreshed annually.

SaLT AP function has helped establish consistent, equitable, high-quality SaLT support across NEL, enabled by strong system leadership, data-driven improvement and a sustainable workforce model.

Encouraging inclusive

culture and behaviours

Our partnership is committed to co-production and there is evidence of improving engagement with children and their families, including through feedback activity linked to transition planning. A partnership Co-production Charter has been drafted and will launch in September 2026.

There is increased confidence amongst education practitioners and parents in an effective mainstream inclusion system, backed up by easy access to support (Experts at Hand) and targeted CPD alongside a well- established support / challenge structure.

There is a wide reliance within the system on EHCPs as a primary route to access funding, therapy, and specialist placements.

A Co-Production Charter (launched in year one) is embedded across the Local Area system and is benchmarked against the NHSE minimum co- production benchmark on a yearly basis. Its use in service planning, EHCP processes, and commissioning cycles is business as usual. The successful launch of the charter continues to be complemented by regular training on how to apply the accompanying toolkit across different agencies / settings.

Parents do not always have confidence in an inclusive system. Support is not always provided at the earliest point possible. Parents are not yet conversant with the expectations of support that schools need to provide as part of the Inclusion Framework.

Co-ordinated communication across the SEND system needs to be strengthened. This includes ensuring consistent and joined-up promotion of the new joint Local Offer and raising awareness of how engagement and feedback have shaped changes in a more accessible way (you said we did).

Parents understand the Inclusion Framework and what schools should be providing at ordinarily available provision and SEN support levels.

Schools and settings will involve families routinely in discussions relating to support and outcomes for children and young people through their commitment to the fully embedded Co-production Charter

Across the SEND system (education, health, early help, social care), co-production is active and improving, with strong structures for engaging parents, carers, and young people but it is not yet fully embedded or consistent.

There has been a move away from reliance on statutory assessment as the only way to securing specialist support and placement.

The local authority currently provides mediation services through KIDS London SEN Mediation Service. Parents and young people shape SEND mediation by choosing to

Parents are more aware of how their feedback has shaped system change (you said, we did).

participate and defining the issues to be discussed. Their perspectives are then heard directly in a confidential, independently facilitated meeting that ensures balanced participation and jointly agreed outcomes.

A strategic approach to SEND communication enables clear messaging across the system helping us to communicate our vision and raise awareness of opportunities, initiatives, good practice and sources of information such as the Local Offer.

Metrics on mediation and appeals to tribunal are captured in the SIB Performance Report which is reviewed by the SIB on a quarterly basis.

Silo working has reduced as professionals are now more aware of related initiatives and opportunities across the system.

Success measures

Baseline (25/26) (outline the baseline for your success measures reflecting where you are now – these should be drawn from the metrics in the data template)

Target Metrics (28/29) (outline the target metrics that will demonstrate you have achieved the vision summarized above – these should be drawn from the metrics in the data template)

A slower growth rate in EHCA requests that lead to an EHCP

Current and projected number of all ECHNAs that result in an EHCP

723 741

Based on a calendar year (e.g. 26/27 is calendar year 26)

Data source: LBTH data return (table 12)

Reduced NEET rates for YP aged 16-25 (SEND cohort)

11.2% 10.5%

Based on a calendar year (e.g. 26/27 is calendar year 26)

Data source: NCCIS Reduced proportion of pupils with a part-time timetable because of SEND needs 79.5% 74.5% Data source: LBTH Pupil Access and Inclusion All mainstream schools to have school funded Inclusion Bases by 2029/30 58% 88% Based on academic year Data source: LBTH SEND Service A slower growth rate in proportion of appeals to SEND tribunal demonstrates i ncreasing parental confidence 0.7% 0.9% Proportion of appeals to tribunals Data source: LBTH data return (table 20) Mainstream schools / settings / provision have increase d access to Education Psychologists/SaLT/OT strengthening inclusion across education settings.

Ep: 18 Ot: 28.5 SaLT: 62.5

Ep: 8.5 Ot: 14.66 SaLT: 34.21

Current and planned workforce FTE – SLTs, OTs and EPs

Based on financial year Data source: LBTH data return (table 15)

Reduced average wait for ASD diagnosis 122 52

Average wait (weeks) for diagnosis

Data source: NEL local data

Reduced referrals to specialist SaLT and OT

Average number of referrals

1460 Under 1000

Data source: NEL local data

• 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.’

The Tower Hamlets local area partnership will transform SEND provision by shifting the system toward earlier, inclusive and needs-led support, reducing reliance on statutory escalation and improving outcomes for children and young people. The partnership’s theory of change is that sustainable improvement will only be achieved if mainstream settings are enabled, supported and confidently held to account to meet needs earlier, with specialist expertise deployed around schools rather than accessed primarily through EHCP processes.

The local change story reflects a system with strong foundations, including high levels of mainstream inclusion, improving EHCP timeliness and well-established partnership working across education, health and social care. However, rising demand, increasing complexity of need and variable quality of SEN Support highlight the limits of an escalation-led system. The strategy therefore prioritises a deliberate culture shift away from EHCPs as the primary route to support, toward a trusted graduated response underpinned by consistent ordinarily available provision and timely multidisciplinary input.

Delivery is driven through a clear reform strategy: embedding the Inclusion Framework across all settings; implementing an Experts at Hand model to provide equitable, early access to education, health and social care expertise at SEN Support stage; strengthening workforce confidence through coordinated training and coaching; and expanding local capacity through inclusion bases, specialist inclusion bases and targeted capital investment. Improved system data and a dedicated analyst function will support smarter commissioning, sufficiency planning and accountability.

Delivery will be organised through four linked reform workstreams: strengthening inclusion across settings; improving access to specialist support and local placements; strengthening system leadership, partnership and co-production; and embedding inclusive culture, behaviours and shared accountability. Each workstream will have named leadership, clear milestones, agreed success measures and escalation routes through the SEND Transformation Programme Board and SEND Improvement Board. The maturity assessment confirms strong foundations but highlights the need to move from developing partnership practice to mature, consistently embedded system delivery, underpinned by shared ownership, transparent data and clearer accountability across education, health and social care.

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

See attached file:

• LBTH Maturity Assessment Tool - 05.06.26 (V2)
• 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.

Cross-Cutting Enablers

Capital: Investment across Early Years, mainstream and FE to expand inclusive provision, inclusion and specialist inclusion bases.

Workforce: SEND training entitlement, coaching model, MDT expansion.

Data & Digital: Integrated dataset, dashboards, improved decision-making.

Complete first QA cycle of all existing Specialist Inclusion Bases.

Expand specialist outreach model as Experts at Hand offer is scaled up. Build up base of Specialist Outreach Teachers to support triage and allocation.

Expand specialist autism base provision at secondary level.

Review recommendations from SEMH review and agree priorities for improvement – including expanding SEMH capacity.

Confirm provider to deliver new AP provision and scope curriculum.

Continue to increase specialist capacity within identified mainstream settings using capital funding.

Identify location for additional special school places for children with Autism.

Develop a borough-wide post-16 and post-19 pathways model and map through the PfA partnership.

Restructured PfA (0-25) Service improves co- ordination of transition processes into post-16 education and training.

ICB and local authority undertake formal joint

priority areas to test and refine ahead of scaling up.

Recruit SaLT, OT and EP professionals to support pilot Experts at Hand offer.

Map future Experts at Hand area networks (early years-, school-, and college- groupings)

Develop outreach delivery model as part of Experts at Hand, with tiered support offer. Explore developing capacity of local specialist settings.

Recruit and commission Advisory Outreach Teachers to support Experts at Hand pilots.

Strengthen existing QA of Specialist Inclusion Bases with EP and specialist teacher expertise.

Expand Specialist Inclusion Base provision (Christchurch provision and Phoenix specialist classrooms) and progress plans to expand satellite provision.

Progress plans to expand specialist autism places at secondary level.

Complete SEMH review; assess local pathways and arrangements for workforce development, outreach and continuous support for settings against White Paper requirements.

Agree chosen AP expansion model through the FAP panel; scoping and procurement processes initiated.

more SEN young people benefitting from strengthened local opportunities.

Most mainstream schools have a school funded inclusion base.

Referrals to specialist OT and SaLT will be below 1,000 CYP a year which will evidence that a graduated support offer is in place at all ages.

Fully established neurovariance pathway delivering joint ADHD and autism assessments, with average waiting times reduced to 52 weeks.

directly to the SIB (see governance visual).

SEND Transformation Team undertakes data mapping, identifying opportunities for data combining across the system.

Map existing system-wide training offer. Work with stakeholders to identify gaps and prioritise training needs in line with reforms and local need.

Introduce, facilitate and support collaboration within proposed Experts at Hand early years, school, and college networks with a particular focus on transition relationships.

Develop Experts at Hand offer to strengthen transition points across all phases. Identify dedicated contacts for each pilot group to track cohorts of children vulnerable at the point of transition.

Recruit to Deputy Designated Clinical Officer (DDCO) and Designated Medical Officer (DMO) roles

Local authority traded service providers work alongside the SEND Transformation Team to develop EaH model.

Senior SaLT, OT and EP roles (as strategic senior specialists) work with the SEND Transformation Team and LAPs to deliver consultation/advice and assessment as part of the Experts at Hand offer.

is scaled up. Embed a network of dedicated transition contacts working collaboratively across phases in their networks.

Implement tiered workforce, including strategic specialists, mid- level intervention roles (outreach, associate roles and delivery roles (HLTAs, therapy assistants, trainees)

Launch training pipelines and local workforce development, particularly targeting local residents.

Use commissioning to address gaps in EaH offer via external providers.

Begin realignment of traded services to complement EaH.

Develop and implement a single, consolidated parent and carer insight report that draws together all feedback channels.

Embed processes to ensure themes are analysed consistently and acted upon, with clearer links between insight, decision-making and service improvement.

14-19 PfA) service moves to a full 14-25 model.

and DMO, working alongside the DCO.

LAPs operating with a fully enhanced, trained workforce.

Senior specialists shift to strategic oversight and complex case support.

Integrated system pathways (Salt, Ep, paediatrics, neurodevelopment) embedded.

Traded services flex to supplement gaps in EaH.

Commissioning fully embedded to manage market and unmet need.

Deliver improved outcomes, reduced duplication, and cost efficiencies.

Place-based training and development offer for local residents embedded.

Fully transition to a single, high-quality insight report that replaces multiple separate updates to the Board.

Demonstrate measurable improvements in services driven by feedback, with streamlined processes and strong co-

A slower growth rate in EHCA requests that lead to an EHCP

Current and projected number of all ECHNAs that result in an EHCP Based on a calendar year (e.g. 26/27 is calendar year 26) Data source: LBTH data return (table 12)

724 732 741

Reduced NEET rates for YP aged 16- 25 (SEND cohort)

11% 10.8% 10.5%

Based on a calendar year (e.g. 26/27 is calendar year 26)

Data source: NCCIS Reduced proportion of pupils with a part- time timetable because of SEND needs 78% 75.5% 74.5% Data source: LBTH Pupil Access and Inclusion All mainstream schools to have school funded Inclusion Bases by 2029 / 30 58% 70% 88% Based on academic year Data source: LBTH SEND Service A slower growth rate in proportion of appeals to SEND tribunal demonstrates increasing parental confidence 0.8% 0.8% 0.9% Proportion of appeals to tribunals Data source: LBTH data return (table 20) Mainstream schools / settings / provision have increased access to Education Psychologists/SaLT/OT strengthening inclusion across education settings.

Ep: 13.5 Ot: 20.66 SaLT: 45.19

Ep: 15 Ot: 25.66 SaLT: 54.5

Ep: 18 Ot: 28.5 SaLT: 62.5

Current and planned workforce FTE – SLTs, OTs and EPs

Based on financial year Data source: LBTH data return (table 15)

Reduced average wait for ASD diagnosis

Average wait (weeks) for diagnosis 122 90 52 Data source: NEL local data

Reduced referrals to specialist SaLT and OT

1460 1200 Under 1000

Average number of referrals Data source: NEL local data

• 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.

See attached files:

• LBTH visual summary of Experts at Hand model in response to question 6
• LBTH breakdown of 2026_27 transformation spend in response to question 6

2026-27 Local delivery plan Q2 Q3 Q4

Responsib le lead per workstrea m – accountabl e for the delivery of the workstream and the identified outcome.

Milestones per workstream What key milestones will enable you achieve your targeted trajectory

Target trajecto ry per workstr eam Where do you expect your data to be?

Milestones per workstream What key milestones will enable you achieve your targeted trajectory

Target traject ory per works tream Where do you expect your data to be?

Milestones per workstream What key milestones will enable you achieve your targeted trajectory

Targe t trajec tory per work strea m Wher e do you expec t your data to be? Strengthening inclusion across education settings

Workstream outline – mapped to building block Outcome - what you want to achieve with this workstream Success measures – how you measure progress drawing on metrics from the accompanying data template

SEND Reform Transforma tion Lead

Relaunch Inclusion Framework alongside an emerging menu of continuous professional development opportunities facilitated through existing local authority teams in our Learning Advisory and Educational Psychology teams.

Drip-feed approach through comms so that schools are supported to recognise that the Inclusion framework is an essential tool that supports improving practice.

Workstream 1:

Map Inclusion framework against national Inclusion Standards. Scope continuous professional development required to move the Inclusion framework into regular classroom practice.

Ensure consistent inclusive practice

Increased confidence in an effective mainstream inclusion system that meets common and growing needs earlier and more effectively.

Scope opportunities to augment continuous professional development opportunities for schools from across the wider partnership.

Develop an approach with comms to celebrate best practice in inclusion and positive outcomes for children and staff.

Begin scoping Inclusion Charter linked to the LBTH Inclusion framework through co-production with all partners across education (including FE), health, social care and youth services

Workstream 2:

SEND Reform Transforma tion Lead

Appoint ‘Challenge Role’ (potentially an ex headteacher) to provide challenge and coaching to senior staff in mainstream

Finalise QA Policy and confirm peer review approach.

Design local support / challenge function for inclusion in mainstream schools / settings.

Strengthen system challenge and QA

Effective local QA systems embedded

Finalise job specification and advertise for ‘Challenge Role’ ex HT

schools on inclusion and work alongside Learning Advisory Service and SENAR.

Use Educational Psychologist expertise to fully evaluate existing Specialist Inclusion Bases (the Phoenix specialist classroom provision); agree QA mechanisms for Specialist Inclusion Bases moving forward.

Develop QA policy with schools / settings against requirements of the National Inclusion Standards.

Explore the impact of existing peer review mechanisms through our school improvement provider THEP; scope approach to extending and improving peer review through the Experts At Hand model.

Success measures for building block

362 543 724

A slower growth rate in EHCNA requests that lead to an EHCP

Access to specialist support and local placements

Workstream 3: Establish EaH Model

SEND and Education Strategic Commissio ning Manager

Re-establish and formally confirm the 8 Local Area Partnerships (LAPs) (primary/secondary), identifying one convener school per LAP

LAPs, supported by the SEND Transformation Team, develop proposals for Year 1 MDT pilots, including EaH pilot funding (for more detail on anticipated pilot spend see data return assumption information, ref. table 15)

Agree and launch local MDT pilot projects in each LAP (extensions of existing pilots or new models)

Increased confidence in an effective mainstream inclusion system that meets common and growing needs earlier and more effectively. Strengthened system-wide support offer is mapped,

Deploy MDTs using locality dashboards to prioritise support

Agree role, responsibilities and resource allocation for convener schools to

Proposals to include: Begin early years focused pilots, facilitated through Best Start Family Hubs

Focus (EY, schools, post-16)

embedded and well understood by schools, settings and families.

• Target cohorts

provide credible system leadership

Support convener schools to:

• Capacity assumptions

Drive Year 1 priorities locally

Establish the SEND Transformation Team, including transformation and commissioning capacity

Links to Family Hubs and neighbourhood health

Build relationships and shared ownership across settings

Appoint / allocate:

0.5 specialist MDT post per LAP (Therapies or Educational Psychologist) with a 0.5 flex as needed (total of 5 FTE roles)

Agree governance, decision-making and reporting arrangements between LAPs, SEND Transformation Team and partners

Embed post-16 Experts at Hand arrangements through the college convener

Plan to scale up EaH offer in year 2 using intelligence on gaps, with agreement to expand support in identified areas.

0.5 Early Education SEND Specialist in each of the 4 Best Start Family Hub localities

Define initial success metrics (coverage, scale, access, timeliness)

Undertake in-depth mapping of existing support landscape to understand baseline support currently available to mainstream schools and settings.

8 school age system conveners (lead schools)

Post-16 system convener (college)

Explore cross-borough collaboration via ICBs to address workforce shortages and value for money

Align with system reforms (ICB restructure, Families First)

Complete system-wide service mapping and needs analysis across specialist provision.

Work with health, social care and ICB partners to review

pathways, identify duplication and gaps.

Agree action for strengthening support via the Experts at Hand offer.

Develop local inclusion dashboards for tracking success of the Experts at Hand model as pilots are implemented (see also workstream 6)

Workstream 4:

Head of Pupil Access and Inclusion SEND Reform Transforma tion Lead

Complete and report on SEMH review.

Using intelligence from SEMH review agree recommendations to strengthen local pathways and arrangements for workforce development, outreach and continuous support for settings.

Develop specialist outreach delivery model as part of Experts at Hand, with tiered support offer; explore developing capacity of local specialist settings.

Expand AP, specialist outreach and provision

Progress plans to expand satellite provision by scoping sites with a focus on capacity created in sites with falling rolls.

Needs are met locally Recruit 0.5 Specialist Advisory Outreach Teachers per LAP to support development of outreach offer under Experts at Hand pilot areas.

Specialist Advisory Outreach Teachers in post.

Progress plans to expand specialist autism places at secondary level.

Procurement process for new AP provision begins. Partners invited to bid to deliver provision.

Scope and initiate feasibility processes to identify appropriate spaces for AP expansion.

The local authority will continue to deliver our programme with 4.8 million investment into enhancing existing provision to create specialist provision and improve accessibility.

Continue delivery of priority capital schemes with the stated ambition of ensuring that in 3 years every school will have an inclusion base, focusing on:

Undertake detailed feasibility and design for priority schemes (particularly specialist inclusion bases and inclusion bases) in Tranche 2 of our Education Estates strategy with a focus on delivering 5 specialist inclusion bases for autism

adaptation of existing classrooms into inclusion spaces

Expand Specialist Inclusion Base provision

partnership working across education, health and social care, ensuring that support is coordinated around the young person. Produce a partnership plan to increase viable and effective local education and training options.

intervention and investment in local placements.

Agree a stronger identification process of young people aged 16– 25 who are at risk of becoming NEET. Improve referral pathways into specialist advice and support. Review availability of suitable local placements so that young people can move into education, training or supported provision without delay.

Workstream 6: Establish an integrated and sustainable neurovariance pathway

Commissio ner led with two main providers: ELFT and Barts Health

Begin deploying £720k Neurovariance Diagnostics Services investment.

New staff fully in post and increasing diagnostic and paediatric capacity.

Consolidate increased capacity and embed 6-day ASD clinics.

Scale ASD assessment model to deliver higher throughput (toward 720 per year).

Optimise MDT working and role allocation to improve efficiency and diagnostic quality.

Appoint additional ASD diagnostic and community paediatrics staff.

Children and young people benefit from reduced waiting times for ASD diagnosis

Launch initial phase of shared front door with ELFT (from Sept 2026).

Start implementing ASD pathway redesign (move toward 6-day working).

Success measures for building block All schools to have school funded inclusion bases by 2029 / 30

58% 58% 58%

Reduced NEET rates for YP aged 16-25

11.10% 11.05 % 11%

Mainstream schools / settings / provision have increased access to Education Psychologists/SaLT/O T strengthening inclusion across education settings.

Ep: 13.5 Ot: 20.66 SaLT: 45.19

EP: Ep: 8.5 8.5 Ot: 14.66 SaLT: 34.21 OT: 14.66 SaLT: 34.21

Reduced referrals to specialist SaLT and OT

1460 1460 1460

Average number of referrals

Reduced average wait for ASD diagnosis

122 122 122

Average wait (weeks) for diagnosis

System leadership, local partnership collaboration and co-production Workstream 7:

SEND Reform Transforma tion Lead

Reset SEND Improvement Board partnership governance structure by reviewing governance arrangements using Council for Disabled Children best practice toolkit; ensure new ICB arrangements are incorporated into strategic planning.

Identify convener schools in the Experts at Hand programme; allocate resource and launch pilot Experts at Hand projects with an emphasis on transitions.

Ensure all partners including health, social care, education partners, families and young people have shared understanding around SEND reform and what it means for our local context; agree shared goals and ambitions relating to SEND Reform in Tower Hamlets.

Strengthen conditions for effective collaborative working

Mature, data driven partnership with strong, collaborative relationships.

Scope project to further strengthen data combining across the partnership, including proposals to integrate data systems across different agencies.

Source an Independent Chair for the SEND Improvement Board and expand the remit to include AP; consolidate escalation pathways; ensure mechanisms are in place to facilitate scrutiny on High Needs block spending.

Recruit SEND Reform Transformation Lead as ‘change facilitator’ to support and guide this process, ensuring

Develop a single combined parent/carer reporting format and produce first integrated insight report (pilot).

alignment with our local change story.

Engage educational settings to build consensus on the system for accessing the Experts at Hand offer, to include: the mechanism and thresholds for accessing support and agreed measures to track the success of Experts at Hand model.

Link themes to clear actions (“what we’re doing”) to enable clear ‘you said we did’ feedback loop

Identify Director of Education as SRO

Scope the remit of the Transformation Programme Board which will report directly to the SIB (see governance visual).

Undertake data mapping to identify opportunities across the system to improve our partnership’s view on the child; strengthen systems for accessing data required for the DfE return; implement an e-system to capture numbers of school funded inclusion bases.

Scope the remit of the SEND Transformation Team that will act as a central resource for the Experts at Hand programme; it will also facilitate information to the Transformation Programme Board.

Develop local inclusion dashboards for tracking success of the Experts at Hand model as pilots are implemented. Including:

Recruit to the SEND Transformation Team

Recruit to Deputy Designated Clinical Officer (DDCO) and Designated Medical Officer (DMO) roles. Agree scope of feedback for single parent/carer insight report to the SIB and agree SIB reporting cycle

- data on children vulnerable at the point of transition

- % of schools accessing EAH support

- Workforce coverage (EP/SaLT/OT reach)

- Reduction in escalation to statutory assessment

Map all current feedback / data sources

- School satisfaction and confidence measures

Use maturity matrix as a key evidence base to inform partnership improvement activities, overseen by the SIB.

Evaluate quality assurance mechanisms across the partnership and scope out plan for improvement.

Co-produce with partners, particularly schools, FE and other settings, what ‘inclusion’ data at mainstream school / setting level looks like.

Collate parent / carer intelligence using agreed themes and introduce consistent feedback templates as appropriate.

Strengthen feedback capture from engagement activity.

Workstream 8:

Transforma tion Project Manager

Analyse data for single partner agencies to identify priority gaps and duplication. Align findings with local need (ASD, SEMH, SLCN) and SEND reforms. Define core system-wide training priorities; explore opportunities to maximise synergies and best value by identifying gaps and duplication

Use the SEND Transformation Team as a central vehicle to develop a coordinated SEND training framework (core + targeted offer) and approach which meets at both single and multi-agency. Agree delivery model with partners; establish a central access point and evaluation approach. Scope an approach with partner agencies to mitigate

Agree scope and develop a simple training audit framework across partners.

Workforce Development

Conduct system-wide mapping of SEND training across education, health, and social care. Gather workforce feedback on confidence,

Co-ordinated and effective SEND training programme in place.

building transition relationships across phases.

Success measures for building block Reduced NEET rates for YP aged 16- 25 (SEND cohort)

11.10% 11.05 % 11.0 %

Encouraging inclusive culture and behaviours Workstream 10:

Manager Family Information , Advice and Support Service

Deliver formal launch of the Co-production Charter across the partnership and link roll out to other communications campaign involving Local Offer and events; ICB adopts NHSE minimum co-production benchmark.

Extend training across all partners – early years settings, education (including FE), health, social care and youth services, and the voluntary sector. Support services to apply charter in practice as part of strategic planning and commissioning Share “you said, we did” examples to build visibility and trust

Finalise Co-Production Charter and toolkit by end June 2026 with partners across early years settings, education (including FE), health, social care and youth services and the voluntary sector, including parent/carer forum, children and young people, services. Develop simple launch materials and key messages.

Embed co-production across the system

Trusted and inclusive system with parents and young people as equal partners.

Begin targeted training sessions (using training materials co-produced by parents, carers and the LA participation & co-production lead) for priority groups (schools, health, LA teams) on embedding the Co- production offer as routine practice across all the partnership.

Identify target audiences and delivery channels through corporate comms.

Transforma tion Project Manager

Develop SEND communications strategy with partners mapping existing engagement and gaps. Agree key messages, audiences, and channels

Launch SEND communications strategy. Promote clear pathways and support available without EHCPs.

Regular communications and updates (briefings, newsletters, events, social media presence). Establish two-way feedback loops including “you said, we did”.

Workstream 11:

Coordinate clear and effective communication across the system

Clear SEND messaging across the system supports culture shift away from reliance on EHCPs. Parents and young people know how their feedback has shaped changes.

(including the Local Offer)

Success measures for building block

A slower growth rate in proportion of appeals to SEND tribunal demonstrates increasing parental confidence

0.75% 0.77% 0.8%

Projected Investment Spend per quarter (specify funding source)

Q2 Q3 Q4

SEND Reform Transformation Lead (x1) £112,509

Transformation Project Manager (x1) £77,767 Commissioning Officer (x1) £60,737

Commissioning Manager (x1) £77,767

Transformation Business Analyst (x1) £72,147

Programme oversight Admin for EAH / Transformation costs (the funding source is a proportion of both)

• 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.

The local area partnership will deliver the Year 1 plan through a structured transformation approach, supported by strengthened programme management, commissioning and data capability. Delivery will be led by a dedicated SEND Transformation Team, including a SEND Reform Transformation Lead, Project Manager, Commissioning Manager, Commissioning Officer and Business Analyst, providing clear accountability and coordinated delivery across workstreams. This team will work closely with existing commissioning, finance and operational services to ensure resources are aligned, prioritised effectively and deployed where they have greatest impact. The profile for our projected investment spend for 2026/27 is £2,120,000 on Experts at Hand Direct Delivery, comprising specialist posts, convenor roles and functions and pilot projects, £248,909 on Admin for Experts at Hand, comprising peer review, inclusion challenge role and a proportion of the costs for roles within the Transformation Team, and £259,818 on Transformation Costs comprising a further proportion of the costs for roles within the Transformation Team (reflecting the split of their responsibilities with a significant proportion of time spent on EAH admin requirements). The majority of our allocation for pilot projects is to be spent on specialist posts with specific bandings (£770,000 of a total £868,100) with a flexible approach for spend of the remaining £98,100 on further specialist capacity including lower band roles that may be needed to facilitate delivery of the pilots. This brings our total spend for Year 1 of £2,628,827.00. A more detailed breakdown of the 2026/27 spend is provided in the additional uploaded document. Strong governance arrangements, including the SEND Improvement Board and Transformation Programme Board, will provide oversight, performance monitoring and escalation, ensuring progress remains focused on agreed outcomes.

Delivery capacity will be strengthened through targeted recruitment and use of specialist roles, alongside investment in the wider workforce (e.g. EP, SaLT, OT and outreach), enabling implementation of key priorities such as inclusion, Experts at Hand and workforce development.

A core enabler will be improved data and analytics capability. A dedicated Business Analyst function will support development of integrated dashboards, improved data sharing, and robust tracking against key measures such as EHCP demand, inclusion and outcomes. This will support timely, evidence-based decision making.

Co-production and communication will be embedded throughout, ensuring schools, families and partners are actively engaged in delivery.

Together, this approach ensures the partnership has the capacity, capability and governance required to deliver Year 1 priorities and support sustained system reform.

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.

Not Applicable 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 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.

Our strategy provides clear evidence that the local authority is progressing towards a fully inclusive mainstream system across the 0–25 age range. The High Needs Provision Capital Allocation (HNPCA) programme aligns with national expectations by increasing mainstream capacity and enabling children and young people with SEND to access provision within their local communities, reducing reliance on specialist placements.

The SEND Strategy (2024–29) sets out a strong, whole-system vision from early identification through to young adulthood. This is supported by an integrated place planning framework covering early years, statutory school age, and post-16 provision, alongside cross-sector governance and stakeholder engagement. Together, this demonstrates a clear trajectory towards a mainstream-led inclusive system underpinned by both policy and capital investment.

There are well-developed plans to expand capacity within mainstream settings. Capital funding is being used to create and enhance inclusive environments in schools, including sensory rooms, therapy spaces, and adapted teaching areas. A key element is the development of Additional Resource Provisions (specialist inclusion bases), particularly in secondary schools, providing enhanced specialist support while maintaining links to mainstream education.

The local authority has also introduced a structured capital bidding process, enabling schools to propose inclusion-focused projects. Strong demand for funding highlights high levels of engagement and indicates that this approach is both scalable and system driven.

Alongside this, the strategy presents a clear rationale for developing specialist and alternative provision where required. Sufficiency modelling shows a projected increase in EHCPs from around 9% to 16% of the school-age population by the end of the decade, alongside an estimated shortfall of around 125 places in the short term and 260 places longer term. Analysis identifies cohorts with needs—particularly SLD, autism, and SEMH—that cannot always be met within mainstream or enhanced provisions. Specialist expansion is therefore positioned as targeted and proportionate, with mainstream solutions prioritised wherever possible.

The strategy is further supported by a comprehensive programme to improve the accessibility and suitability of the mainstream estate. An initial £600,000 investment is set to increase significantly to approximately £4.8 million, funding adaptations such as sensory and therapeutic spaces, improved acoustics and lighting, and accessibility features including ramps, hoists, and specialist facilities. These improvements align with statutory requirements and national guidance, while reinforcing expectations that children and young people with SEND should be supported in mainstream settings wherever appropriate.

Following the decision not to proceed with a planned alternative provision free school, £6.3 million has been secured to deliver the same number of AP places. This has enabled HNPCA funding to be redirected towards mainstream inclusion and accessibility priorities, strengthening alignment between investment decisions and strategic aims.

Overall, the strategy demonstrates a clear and deliverable approach to expanding mainstream capacity, while maintaining appropriate investment in specialist provision.

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.

The Local Authority, in its strategic and convening role, has engaged partners at an early stage in developing this plan through discussion groups, workshops and consultation. This included a SIB meeting dedicated to discussing the draft matrix, data return and reform plan, providing an opportunity for members to challenge and question initial proposals. Communications from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services have ensured widespread awareness of SEND reforms, core principles and emerging local proposals. A survey was conducted to gather feedback from parents, carers, alongside education, health, social care and partner organisations testing our assessment against the maturity matrix and initial EaH proposals. As part of this exercise the draft matrix and reform plan were both published on the LBTH Family Information Hub and shared directly with key stakeholder groups, including SENCos.

This reform plan represents the start of a shared journey. It will continue to be shaped by stakeholder input, evidence and best practice. Comprehensive stakeholder mapping, including across wider reform programmes, will ensure alignment, reduce duplication and strengthen delivery.

A core element is the Co-production Charter and Toolkit, developed with parents, carers, children and partners across education, health, social care and youth services. Due for sign-off by September 2026. We will benchmark our Charter against the NHSE co-production guidance on a yearly basis to strengthen coproduction. It will be embedded through training delivered by council officers, supported by parent and young person volunteers. Annual reviews will assess impact and identify areas for improvement.

The Parent Carer Forum and Our Time Youth Forum play a central role in engagement, with representation on the SEND Improvement Board and other strategic groups. Parent and Young People’s Ambassadors provide peer-led support and contribute to service development, including influencing CAMHS pathways, youth services and the Local Offer. The Participation and Co-production Officer ensures consistent involvement of families in decision-making and supports effective forum engagement.

SENDIASS is a well-established, independent service that ensures the voices of parents and young people are heard at a strategic level. It operates in line with national standards and provides annual reporting and independent evaluation by service users. Its work is overseen by the SEND Improvement Board.

The partnership will build on strong examples of co-production, including the Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools and Let’s Talk SEND events, which have brought together families, education and health partners. These initiatives provide a foundation for deepening engagement and strengthening collaboration.

The partnership will strengthen its approach, moving from engagement activity to co-production impact. We will improve how feedback is collated and acted upon by moving towards a single dedicated insight report (received by the SIB) on parent and carer feedback, which combines intelligence from complaints, mediation, issues raised, support sought via SENDIASS and feedback from community events such as Let’s Talk SEND. “You said, we did, we are still working on” processes will be strengthened and published accessibly.

Children and young people’s views will be captured directly and separately from parent and carer feedback, including through Our Time Youth Forum, SEND Ambassadors, school-based engagement and targeted work with young people in post-16, alternative provision and preparing for adulthood pathways.

The partnership will also strengthen engagement with FE and out-of-area post-16 providers to ensure young people educated outside Tower Hamlets benefit from the local reform offer, including Experts at Hand, improved transition planning and clearer pathways into adulthood.

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.

affect the capacity of the ICB to be represented in place-based work on the Reforms including supporting commissioning arrangements, decision making and be impacted by loss of institutional memory and relationships.

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
• Curriculum and Assessment Review

The Tower Hamlets Family Hubs programme has established a strong, borough-wide early help model, underpinned by effective multi-agency working and culturally responsive, evidence-based practice. This provides a solid foundation for transition to the Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH) and Healthy Babies phase. By 2028, the ambition is for families to experience joined-up, inclusive and accessible support across BSFHs and partner services, with Best Start Inclusion Practitioners in each hub playing a central role in strengthening early identification.

Delivery is supported by a well-established structure of four Family Hub localities. These provide a strong geographic and operational framework for aligning services, and the Family Hub Pilot and Experts at Hand model will build on this, ensuring that support is locally accessible and coordinated. This approach also takes account of wider health neighbourhood arrangements, helping to maintain a cohesive delivery model across overlapping reform programmes.

The Families First Partnership Programme is a key dependency shaping the future SEND system, particularly in how families access support, how needs are identified, and how partners work together earlier. This is being managed proactively through strong governance. The Director of Children’s Services chairs both the SEND Improvement Board and the Families First Programme Board, ensuring clear oversight of interdependencies. SEND is actively embedded in the design of universal, universal plus and targeted services, including Family Help and multi- agency child protection teams, supported by the involvement of the Designated Social Care Officer.

Test-and-learn pilots launched in January 2026 are providing valuable insight into pathways, roles and decision-making. These pilots—in Family Help and multi-agency child protection teams—are informing future implementation and helping align SEND and wider social care reforms. Ongoing collaboration between SEND, health and Families First leads ensures that connections across programmes are actively mapped, supporting a coherent system and reducing silo working.

Transition to the new ICB arrangements in July 2026 is an acknowledged dependency for year 1 delivery. The Local Area Partnership is committed to ensuring continuity and will work with the ICB to confirm strengthened governance arrangements.

Youth provision, including Young Tower Hamlets and the Young Futures Hub, strengthens early identification and engagement, ensuring young people feel safe, connected and supported. Continued development of inclusive, SEND-focused youth services builds on this foundation.

As collaboration with schools deepens through SEND reform, the partnership will also remain responsive to wider system developments, including the Curriculum and Assessment Review, and their implications for standards and expectations.

To support alignment across the system, the partnership has begun mapping all reform programmes, including key stakeholders, activities and dependencies. This will help clarify roles, reduce duplication and identify opportunities for integration. This process will continue iteratively as reforms progress, ensuring that delivery remains coherent and aligned to a shared vision for an inclusive SEND system.

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.

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.

We will establish a dedicated SEND Transformation Team to deliver the Experts at Hand model, led by a SEND Reform Transformation Lead reporting to the SRO (Director of Education). The team will manage the programme budget, oversee pilot delivery and evaluation, and ensure a clear focus on impact and value for money.

Delivery will be governed through a clear programme structure, with oversight from both the SEND Transformation Programme Board and the SEND Improvement Board (SIB). The SIB, currently chaired by the Corporate Director for Children’s Services, brings together senior leaders across education, health, social care and providers, ensuring transparency, shared accountability and collective ownership of risks and delivery. Moving forward, we will seek to appoint an independent chair in line with good practice guidance identified by the Council for Disabled Children.

Strengthened joint accountability with health will be a key feature of the programme. A new ICB SEND Lead for inner North-East London boroughs will sit as a core member of the SIB, providing direct strategic alignment, oversight of health contributions, and shared ownership of system-wide risks and improvement actions. This will ensure that decision-making, performance management and risk mitigation are jointly owned across partners.

In addition, the newly established SaLT Advanced Practitioner role will sit on the SEND Transformation Programme Board. This role will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the speech and language therapy and occupational therapy elements of the Experts at Hand offer, strengthening clinical input into delivery and ensuring closer integration with ICB priorities. This creates a clear line of sight between operational delivery, programme governance and system-level health leadership.

The partnership will adopt a robust, data-driven monitoring framework to track delivery and ensure accountability across all partners, including education settings and health services. This will include:

Integrated SEND dashboards, co-developed with schools, settings and providers and bringing together education, health and social care data to provide a shared view of performance and outcomes.

• Programme and operational reporting, with regular monitoring of milestones, risks and dependencies through both governance boards.
• Quarterly DfE returns, supported by benchmarking and external analysis.
• Regular review cycles, combining real-time operational data use with formal governance discussions to hold partners to account.

Data will be used systematically to track:

• Demand, including EHCP trends and emerging need
• Service delivery, including access to therapies and uptake of Experts at Hand
• Quality, including timeliness, outcomes, and parent/carer feedback

This approach ensures that responsibility for delivery, improvement and risk is shared explicitly across the partnership, with clear routes for challenge, escalation and collective action.

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 attached file:

• 260616_Tower Hamlets SEND Data Return (Master Sheet)DATA_TEAM_V1.1_PROTECTED

Section 4 – Governance

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

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 attached file:

• LBTH visual summary of governance arrangements in response to question 14

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 social care
• Guidance on navigating regulatory or policy barriers

To support effective delivery of the SEND Reform Plan, Tower Hamlets would benefit from targeted support across the following areas: - Access to SEND transformation and commissioning advisers to support delivery of the Experts at Hand model and inclusive provision expansion. - National action to increase supply of specialist professionals (e.g. bursaries, training routes, apprenticeships) - Access to national training frameworks aligned to SEND reforms - Support to develop integrated data systems across education, health and social care - Access to forecasting tools for demand and sufficiency planning - Facilitation of regional networks and peer review to share best practice (e.g. EaH delivery) - Support for cross-border collaboration, particularly for post-16 provision - Support to align SEND reforms with wider NHS and Families First changes - Timely guidance on EaH, inclusion bases and school group models

Annex B - Supporting Documents

Annex C – Risk Matrix