Bracknell Forest Local SEND Reform Plan 2026

Annex A: 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: Bracknell Forest Council : - Bracknell Forest Council

Name of Integrated Care Board: - Thames Valley ICB

Local SEND Reform Plan SRO: - Grainne Siggins - Executive Director: People

Signatories

Role Name Signature Email contact Date

Chief Executive Officer - Bracknell Forest Council

Susan Halliwell Susan.halliwell@bracknell- forest.gov.uk 18/06/2026 Chief Executive Officer - Thames Valley Icb Ceo Dr Nick Broughton nick.broughton1@nhs.net 18/06/2026 Chief Nursing Officer Sarah Bellars Sarah.bellars@nhs.net 18/06/2026 Executive Director People (DCS) – Bracknell Forest Council Grainne Siggins Grainne.siggins@bracknell- forest.gov.uk 18/06/2026 Executive Director: Resources (Section 151 Officer) – Bracknell Forest Stuart McKellar Stuart.mckellar@bracknell- forest.gov.uk 18/06/2026 Director for Children, Mental Health, and Learning Disabilities NHS Thames Valley ICB Tracey Faraday-Drake t.faraday-drake@nhs.net 18/06/2026 Assistant Director Education and Learning Duane Chappell 18/06/2026 Duane.chappell@bracknell- forest.gov.uk Head of Transformation, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and All – age Neurodiversity Ali Woodiwiss 18/06/2026 a.woodiwiss@nhs.net

Executive Summary

We are committed to delivering a sustainable, inclusive 0–25 SEND system that enables children and young people (CYP) to achieve, thrive and feel a sense of belonging. Our change story reflects a system that has already embarked on purposeful reform and is now focused on accelerating improvement, while strengthening confidence and trust among families, partners, and the wider workforce.

We benefit from effective partnership working, strengthened governance, and robust quality assurance processes, all underpinned by a clear strategic direction aligned to national SEND reforms. Like many local areas, we continue to face rising levels of demand and increasing complexity of need. This is reflected in continued growth in Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, pressure on specialist placements, workforce capacity challenges, and sustained financial pressure within the High Needs Block (HNB), both in the medium and long term.

Over the past two years, we have made tangible progress. Governance arrangements have been strengthened, the quality and consistency of EHC plans have improved, and local specialist provision has been expanded. We have begun to reshape services to prioritise early intervention, inclusion, and value for money. Performance against key indicators is stabilising, particularly in relation to EHC plan timeliness. Moderate growth in EHC plans during the 2024/25 academic year reflects strengthened decision-making, robust data cleansing all in line with the Safety Valve programme.

Over the next three years we aim to deliver a confident and inclusive SEND system where needs are identified early and met effectively. We will embed a coherent, locality- based system rooted in inclusive early years settings, schools, colleges and post-16 pathways. This will form a responsive and graduated offer supported by strong partnerships, including an enhanced role for MATs, ensuring needs are met locally. Building sufficiency and local capacity, more CYP will be supported within mainstream reducing reliance on special schools and out-of-area placements.

Through the Experts at Hand (E@H) model, staff across mainstream and specialist settings will be equipped with the skills, confidence and support needed to meet needs earlier and more effectively. Clear graduated responses, consistent practice, and timely access to specialist advice will be embedded through targeted training, shared expertise, and effective deployment of specialist roles.

CYP and families will experience a system that is more transparent, consistent and responsive. Co-production will be embedded as standard practice, with feedback actively shaping improvement. As trust and confidence grow, complaints and tribunal activity will stabilise and eventually reduce.

There is a clear and active programme to stabilise the HNB and move towards a balanced position over the long term, financial pressures remain significant. Activities aligned to the SEND Reform Plan are expected to improve outcomes and reduce reliance on high-cost independent provision, but their full impact will take time.

Success will be improved inclusion and outcomes, stabilised EHC plan growth, sustained statutory performance, increased local provision, reduced tribunal activity, and a narrowing DSG deficit. It will be reflected in a confident and collaborative system that delivers better experiences and long-term sustainability for CYP and their families.

Section 1 – Vision and Goals

• Inclusive provision: CYP access learning environments where needs are identified early and met effectively.

o Annual increases in mainstream school attendance for cohorts with SEND, improved academic progress metrics and improvements in pupil belonging and wellbeing (captured by annual school surveys).

Early identification/intervention: CYP receive the right help at the earliest stage.

o A reduction in crisis referrals to specialist services, decrease in statutory EHC na and reduced rates of anxiety-based absence

Confident and skilled workforce: Practitioners are skilled in delivering high-quality, inclusive teaching, resulting in better day-to-day experiences for CYP.

o Percentage of school staff completing core SEND training, LA Qa audits and Ofsted gradings that explicitly evidence consistent, inclusive practice.

Local provision and pathways: CYP have their needs met in local provision.

o Increase in the proportion of SEND pupils placed within suitable local settings, reduction in unplanned school moves or permanent exclusions, higher rates of sustained education, employment/ training at post-16.

Transparent, trusted decision-making: Families experience clear, timely, and fair processes.

o Performance against statutory timescales and improvements in family confidence reported through the annual local area SEND survey.

Financial sustainability: Resources align with improved outcomes.

o Tracking HNB expenditure to show a shift in investment toward early intervention services. - Impact and System Trust: CYP achieve their potential within a calmer, more confident SEND system.

o Stabilised EHC Plans demand, reductions in formal complaints, tribunal, and positive satisfaction scores collated from co-production feedback.

Section 2 – Strategy

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

Glossary Throughout the document we use the following terms:

➢ Support Base or Inclusion Base describes a designated area within the mainstream education setting that supports pupils with special educational needs (SEND or with an EHC plan) who require specific time-limited interventions to support their SEND needs. Pupils will spend the majority of their time with their mainstream class and would access the base for specific interventions as advised by the E@H team. Pupils may also access the base on an ad hoc basis depending on individual needs for example high anxiety. The aim Bracknell Forest’s send reform plan is to support local education settings to increase the support and inclusion base capacity to meet the needs of more children with SEND locally without the need for an EHC plan. ➢ Special Base or Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) describes an area of the education setting that is already commissioned by the Local Authority as a specialist place for children with specific specialist needs and an EHC plan. Pupils who are placed in an SRP attend their mainstream class for a significant amount of their timetable (but not greater than 50%). The Local Authority has a capital investment plan to increase the number of Specialist Bases to reduce the use of costly out of area independent specialist schools and transport. ➢ Education Settings refers to early years settings, maintained schools, (MATs) and post-16 providers including AP. ➢ High Needs Place Capital Allocation (HNPCA) a government grant calculated annually based on a number of demographic factors to allow local authorities to invest in place generation for pupils with SEND.

In order to best address the local context in Bracknell Forest we have structured our strategy directly around the core minimum requirements to ensure absolute alignment with the Department for Education’s reform agenda and to provide a transparent framework for accountability.

Building Block 1: Experts at Hand (E@H) (See Appendix 1)

Core minimum requirements are labelled (see Appendix 3)

Local blueprint for the next 3 years

Where we will be in the next 3 years

The enablers will be: Where we are

How we will know we are succeeding:

A clear offer and who it’s for:

A clear offer and who it’s for: Where we are:

A clear offer and who it’s for: How we will know we are succeeding:

The enablers will be:

• (CMR11) There is a defined 0–25 E@H offer available to early years, schools (including MATs), post-16 and out of area mainstream further education settings attended by local young people.
• Access based on need, and with support without an EHC Plan.
• There is a clear “this is what you can expect” statement for settings and families (what E@H will and won’t do).

Where we will be in the next 3 years:

Shared ambition for early intervention and inclusion is strong in the borough but there are gaps in provision and over-reliance on EHC plans and costly placements and transport.

A new E@H service to complement and enhance existing services across the partnership will allow us to successfully include an increasing number of children and young people at SEND support at their local education settings.

In addition to existing services the E@H offer will be designed to complement and enhance the existing universal offer, and not all support will sit within E@H - some support will be part of the strengthened universal offer and wider early intervention system (see Universal Offer building block 2).

The E@H concept will be fully co-produced and will clearly articulate a distinct offer sitting between universal support and statutory processes with clear operational boundaries.

Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. (See Appendix 2) Co-designed operational boundaries. Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. A needs-led pathway sitting in the middle tier.

(CMR2) The local authority proactively co-produced the ‘Experts at Hand’ model on behalf of the Local Area Partnership following a series of workshops attended by the full range of partners (including health, PCF, LA staff, education settings, MATS, Early years, Early Help) that took place during February and March 2026.

(CMR3) E@H is a clearly articulated, well-understood 0– 25 offer, sitting confidently between universal provision and statutory processes. Education settings, families, and partners understand when and how it should be used.

(CMR11) Support reaches local young people with SEND attending out of area mainstream FE settings ensuring equitable provision regardless of placement decisions through reciprocal arrangements with other LA partnerships

(CMR 3) E@H is needs led rather than diagnosis and assessment driven. Its focus is capacity building across education settings in order to meet the needs of more children at SEND support locally.

(CMR3) The E@H offer alongside existing services demonstrates system-level change by increasing education-setting capability over time.

(CMR3) The E@H offer will enhance skills and expertise across the education landscape in the early identification for children and young people’s special educational needs avoiding escalation. A new multi-disciplinary workforce to complement and enhance existing arrangements:

A new multi-disciplinary workforce to complement and enhance existing arrangements: Where we are:

A new multi-disciplinary workforce to complement and enhance existing arrangements: How we will know we are succeeding:

The Child Development Centre (CDC) provides a strong potential hub. This will provide a formalised hub and spoke operating model with a single co-ordination point, co-location of staff, clear triage arrangements plus borough wide deployment mechanism.

Specialist expertise (EPs, OTs and SALTs, specialist teachers) exists and is valued, but current capacity is exceeded by demand. Workforce is not ‘needs’ led, or configured around advice, coaching and rapid problem-solving in settings.

The current EP Service is primarily resourced to meet the requirement to deliver EHC Needs Assessment advice and offers only a small, traded offer schools can purchase and a limited core (free) offer.

In terms of access to OTs and SALTs there is a

(CMR1) Delivery is Local Authority-led, operating in partnership with the ICB through a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Service Level Agreements (SLA) to assure performance and joint funding. - (CMR7) There is an established pooled team (and commissioned network including OT and SALT) co- ordinated from the Child Development Centre (CDC), including: - Educational Psychologists (EPs) and specialist teachers as core E@H capacity. - Health professionals - speech and language therapists (SaLT) and occupational therapists (OTs). - Outreach support from high-quality special schools/AP providers/post-16 as part of the capacity-building approach.

The enablers will be:

A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. A pooled multi-disciplinary workforce. Capital investment to develop the CDC into a 0-25 SEND hub.

commission already in place CYPIT that spans across the three East Berkshire authorities that is valued by education settings but does not have sufficient capacity to meet needs according to data evidence of the number of children at SEND support attending local settings.

Education settings can access specialist advice around SEMH, Autism and cognition and learning from central LA led teams, but these are also partially traded services making access variable.

No formal framework exists for structured AP commissioning or specialist outreach beyond Cranbury College who is commissioned for S19 Exclusion support or risk of.

We maintain a vetted list of AP providers for schools, supported by established quality assurance processes and non-school AP standards. A dedicated forum for school and AP leaders is active, focusing on shared practice and the implementation of the three-tier model. Commissioned services (Cranbury College) currently manage permanent exclusions and provide initial support for Tiers 1 and 2 of the AP models. The LA Access to Education (A2E), medical S19 service, is co-located with Youth Hub Services. We have formally notified the market of our intention to move toward a robust, structured AP commissioning framework. As part of strategic procurement planning, providers will be evaluated to ensure sufficient choice is available to deliver the three-tier model.

- Local Authority SEND advisory teachers and support workers. - (CMR4) A collaborative recommissioning of Alternative Provision (AP) that aligns with the national three-tier model that integrates Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces (APST) to embed multi-agency experts, including mental health practitioners and youth workers, directly into the 'E@H' delivery model through the hub and spoke system. - Workforce capacity is aligned with the enhanced universal and targeted offer. - (CMR1) (CMR26) Best Start Family Hub inclusion officers are integrated into the pathway to bridge early years identification with E@H triage. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

(CMR1) A fully operational hub-and-spoke model is embedded. The E@H team are co-located at CDC, which functions as an effective hub, coordinating triage, deployment, quality assurance and support across the borough with consistent shorter response times than were in place prior to the new team existing. This is the optimal approach for Bracknell Forest as it leverages existing infrastructure and unifies fragmented health and education services under a single accountability structure.

(CMR1) (CMR9) (CMR10) Performance is assured via the SEND Education Partnership Board against metrics defined in the ICB MOU.

(CMR6) High-quality specialist outreach is formally commissioned from local special schools and APs, moving beyond ad-hoc arrangements.

(CMR26) Best Start Family Hub inclusion officers work alongside the E@H team to catch early years’ needs.

(CMR7) The additional capacity E@H provides

contributes to a stable, joint education and health workforce delivers E@H alongside the EPS and Child and Young Person Integrated Therapies (CYPIT) and other service providers with clarity of offers to ensure the maximum coverage for children with SEND support.

(CMR3) (CMR7) Alongside new recruits to the E@H service, permanent existing staff from CYPIT and the EPS work across both services to ensure the E@H offer enhances existing services. CYPIT and E@H are integrated and provide complementary offers to education settings to provide timely access to Health and Education professionals (Ep, Ot, Salt, specialist teachers) based on assessed local need.

(CMR11) The E@H offer complements and enhances existing services - Education settings can access specialist advice around SEMH, Autism and cognition and learning from the E@H offer - advisory teachers, lead professionals, special school and AP outreach to provide timely access to education professionals to meet the needs of CYP at their local schools.

(CMR5) A comprehensive AP framework is in place, providing education settings with a diverse range of quality-assured, safeguarding-compliant options tailored to specific needs, beyond provisions designed for S19 requirements, and are fully aligned with the 3-tier model of support. AP commissioning will be dictated by rigorous needs-analysis and sufficiency planning. This ensures that the framework evolves alongside the local SEND and AP landscape rather than remaining static. Where Alternative Provision capacity is constrained and not available to meet local needs, we will work with neighboring authorities to access their vetted APs and spot purchase as needed. This will ensure pupils’ needs are met at the earliest opportunity and without delay.

(CMR7) Council teams and schools will operate under clear, streamlined guidance for accessing provision, ensuring pupils receive support at the earliest opportunity, with an expectation that schools will tailor their curriculum to appropriately meet needs in the majority of instances.

(CMR5) The system will move beyond simple placement to focus on the impact of multi-agency intervention, with the APST model fully matured as a core component of the borough's inclusive alternative provision offer ensuring equitable access to all services, support and provision. Simple access routes and fast response. Access to professionals and timelines:

Simple access routes and fast response. Access to professionals and timelines: Where we are:

Simple access routes and fast response. Access to professionals and timelines: How we will know we are succeeding:

LA Specialist Support Services (Autism, Support for learning, SEMH) utilise a central referral form, however, this does not include the other LA or any health services (Ep, Salt, Ot, Mhst, Early Help, CYPIT, AP etc.)

No single, simple access route currently exists for early, non-statutory expert input. Delays and multiple referral routes contribute to late intervention for children and young people.

Access to support relies heavily on schools initiating contact, meaning less proactive settings often miss out on early intervention.

The local offer details the full range of SEND support services, but there are some duplications and gaps in provision.

The EPS trade with only a percentage of schools.

CYPIT can be reached through its new contact line but there is a waiting list for demonstrations of interventions in education settings

- (CMR7) A single request route for education settings into the

The enablers will be:

hub (light-touch referral form, clear criteria) that makes it clear whether a child or young person’s need would be best met by E@H or other existing services and creates a system that allows for timely access to health and education professionals for early years, schools, MATs and post 16 colleges and settings. - (CMR7) A triage panel (weekly/fortnightly) combining

A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials. A coordinated single request route. Flexible multi-agency support lines.

education + health to decide the right response quickly and provide timely access. - “Right support, right time” pathways: advice line, consultation,

in-school visit, short intervention block, or signposting to targeted/specialist routes. - (CMR7) The E@H team will have defined target response

times of 5 working days so education settings access support at the earliest stages before needs evolve to crisis levels. - These measures will be monitored through governance

arrangements to ensure timely and equitable access. - (CMR11) the E@H triage process, monitoring requests from

settings and out of area reciprocal arrangements alongside data-led targeting (identifying settings with high numbers of commonly occurring needs for example or high numbers of vulnerable CYP) ensures support is not disproportionately accessed by the most proactive schools. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

(CMR8) Following the co-production of a detailed year 1 implementation plan, recruitment approach and identification of success metrics, the E@H team and hub and spoke model are fully operational and having a demonstrable impact for children and young people with SEND in the borough.

(CMR3) The hub and spoke model and detailed mapping of services allows for close collaboration between E@H with existing network so E@H can increase the reach and increase the number of children and young people at SEND support who are having their needs met at their local schools without the need for an EHC plan or specialist school placement.

(CMR7) A single, simple (referral form) access route for education and health professionals who are part of the E@H team and other services that already exist as part of the universal offer is embedded and used consistently.

(CMR11) The LA proactively monitors local inclusion data (e.g., attendance drops, suspension spikes) to trigger E@H outreach. This guarantees equitable access based on objective need, ensuring quieter or less proactive settings receive necessary interventions.

(CMR11) Triage is timely, proportionate, and transparent, and most support is delivered early. There is a clear process in place for requests for support that do not meet E@H thresholds can be passed on to other services through flexible multi-agency support available

in the local area so that more SEND children can have their needs met at their local mainstream school.

(CMR11) Requests for support from E@H will also be monitored to make sure that support is not disproportionately accessed by the most proactive education settings.

(CMR11) Reciprocal cross-border arrangements with the other Berkshire boroughs will be negotiated to ensure that Bracknell Forest children and young people who attend education settings out of area will be able to access the support they need. Capacity building in mainstream:

Capacity building in mainstream: Where we are:

Capacity building in mainstream: How we will know we are succeeding:

The enablers will be:

Currently support is more focused on individual cases, diagnostic pathways and assessments, than on sustained capacity-building and systemic practice change in mainstream settings. This limits system-wide impact and sustainability.

CMR3) E@H enhances existing service offers by adopting a consultation, modelling and coaching approach for education settings including demonstrating inclusive teaching strategies and interventions for commonly occurring needs such as SEMH, SLCN, autism etc. In addition, practical changes to classroom/environment and routines building whole-school consistency through embedding the new national inclusion standards. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Consultation, modelling and coaching-led practice.

(CMR3) The LA will no longer operate primarily as an emergency intervention when children and young people are at crisis point. The service will work on an early intervention model thus moving away from a current model which has with an over focus on EHC needs assessments. Instead, E@H and wider partnership will function as strategic consultants and coaches. Education settings will have the internal capability to model, adapt, and refine their own inclusive practices, reducing reliance on external referrals for commonly occurring needs and diagnoses.

(CMR3) Mainstream schools across the LA will have a greater understanding and be able to identify earlier the needs of CYP with:

- Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) - Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) - Autism and neurodivergent profiles

(CMR3) Rather than outsourcing these needs, classroom teachers will routinely deploy proven, inclusive teaching strategies and targeted interventions as part of their standard high-quality teaching offer Alignment to the new DfE graduated approach and the new national inclusion standards:

Alignment to the new DfE graduated approach and the new national inclusion standards: Where we are:

Alignment to the new DfE graduated approach and the new national inclusion standards: How we will know we are succeeding:

• (CMR7) E@H provides an enhanced offer alongside existing

services. It sits mostly in Targeted/Targeted Plus support reinforcing the Assess–Plan–Do–Review cycle in education settings.

The Graduated Approach is understood but applied inconsistently across education settings. Thresholds for accessing specialist input are not consistently clear, contributing to variation and unnecessary escalation.

There is a Bracknell Forest Graduated Approach Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) Guide that was renewed in 2025 but isn’t yet used consistently across all education settings.

There has been some use of whole education setting SEND audits to identify emerging need trends, but this is inconsistent.

Parent carers’ confidence in the SEND support their children receive is variable. There is an over reliance on the need for EHC statutory routes as being the only way to access support.

The enablers will be: A shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. Aligning the layered, Graduated Approach.

- There is a clear “when to use E@H” guidance for education settings so it doesn’t become a duplicate referral route. - E@H support is system change focused and needs led rather than solely for named individual children and young people. - Equitable, data driven offer based on identification of emerging need trends rather than on demand from education settings. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

(CMR7) The Bracknell Forest co-produced Graduated Approach is applied consistently across education settings and partners in Health, with closer integration of services and clear thresholds for Universal, Targeted, Targeted Plus and specialist support across the partnership.

E@H aligns with the Graduated Approach and is routinely used, alongside existing services such as CYPIT and the EPS, at universal. targeted or targeted plus levels to enhance the existing offer, preventing unnecessary escalation to specialist assessments. Clear, accessible communication of the offer is embedded.

Educational settings and the local partnership have a shared vision of the Graduated Approach and report greater clarity and confidence in the system.

Through good quality co-production, families report increased confidence and clarity in how support is accessed without the need for reliance on statutory routes. Joint working with health (ICB) as standard practice:

Joint working with health (ICB) as standard practice: Where we are:

Joint working with health (ICB) as standard practice: How we will know we are succeeding:

Strong multi-agency collaboration supports safeguarding and statutory plans. Systemic projects are co-designed using data from partners (CAMHS, Public Health).

The ICB and LA are engaged in jointly co-designing neuro-divergent strengths and needs toolkit, shifting away from a clinical diagnostic pathway with the aim to reduce waiting lists and enhance early intervention support in education settings.

Lessons learned from the successful joint ICB and LA Pins project are being used to inform inclusive practice across all education settings in the partnership.

The ICB and LA are developing a local area SEND dashboard to support them with understanding pressures across the system and solving the problems that arise from having separate caseloads and waiting lists including CYPIT waiting lists and CAMHS, Neurodiversity and the Dynamic Support Register and SEND EHC statutory needs processes.

Joint operational leadership and agreed workflows between LA and health partners.

Shared problem-solving rather than parallel waiting lists where possible (e.g., joint consultations, integrated plans).

Targeted services (e.g. CYPIT, EPS, MHST, Early Help) will be further developed as a strong and accessible middle tier, with clearer, faster pathways and close integration with E@H and other professionals to reduce escalation of need. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

The enablers will be:

A shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. Integrated Care Board (ICB) alignment. Integrated LA and ICB SEND digital data dashboard.

(CMR1) The joint area ICB and LA SEND dashboard provides data to inform a shared vision and priorities across the partnership.

The ICB and LA neuro-divergent toolkit is in place, so needs are identified earlier and appropriately with the effect of reducing waiting lists.

Pins SEND audits are routinely used across education

settings to support the development of inclusive practice.

Continued investment in workforce capacity will ensure increased coverage of need. Alongside the E@H central team, the EPS and CYPIT and other partnership services will continue to be commissioned to provide support. E@H enhances the offer through joint consultations and reduces health waiting lists for direct therapy or diagnosis and over-reliance of EHC statutory needs assessments.

(CMR1) In addition, the E@H team will work closely with the MHST teams as their offer is rolled out to all schools, and with the new Best Start in Life Family Hub inclusion officers. The various teams will work closely together at different levels of the graduated approach, with distinct offers, to ensure maximum coverage of need and clearer, faster pathways to reduce waiting lists.

Operational integration is strong, with shared working the norm for E@H referrals. Families experience services as significantly more joined-up than at baseline so that increased numbers of children and young people with SEND are included at their local school. Governance, quality assurance and accountability:

Governance, quality assurance and accountability: Where we are:

Governance, quality assurance and accountability: How we will know we are succeeding:

SEND governance has been strengthened. A new Education Partnership Board is established, and the E@H governing body will report to the new partnership board which will include the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for both the ICB and the Local Authority.

The E@H workstream is due to start meeting weekly and its first task is to define operational governance, QA standards and performance oversight of the E@H offer including timelines, equitable access across education settings and KPIs.

(CMR9) (CMR10) (CMR32) An E@H governance group with LA, Parent Carer Forum, health and early years, school, MAT and post-16 representation, linked to the SEND partnership governance. The governance group is part of the wider governance structure (see visual in Appendix 1 Experts at Hand) and ultimately reports to the named SRO and has budget and funding oversight.

(CMR10) (CMR42) Qa processes: timeliness, consistency, equity of access to the E@H for education settings across the borough, and outcomes tracking including monitoring timely access to requests for

The enablers will be: A stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Centralised hub-and-spoke governance. The E@H governing body.

support. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

(CMR9) (CMR10) (CMR35) (CMR34) The E@H service is governed by a group including education setting leaders, PCF, and other partners. The E@H service will report to their governing body quarterly. The MOU dictates clear accountability and escalation routes. This shared governance approach (LA, Health, education settings) will shift responsibility towards education settings so they can become self-improving and demonstrate the leadership required to take a shared ownership of all the children and young people with SEND across Bracknell Forest rather than just for the students who attend their setting or MAT.

(CMR34) Through an established Education Partnership Board, and E@H governing body, MATs, Early Years Settings, and Further Education providers are active voices in the determination and implementation of consistent local practice.

(CMR36) E@H is fully embedded within the SEND partnership governance. Clear accountability, quality assurance, and escalation routes are in place, with regular oversight and learning to feed back into system improvement. There is a single named LA-based SRO. Outcomes, impact and sustainability measures (what we data are we going to track):

Outcomes, impact and sustainability measures (what we data are we going to track): Where we are:

Outcomes, impact and sustainability measures (what we data are we going to track): How we will know we are succeeding:

• (CMR7) Timelines: time from request to triage, and triage to

first contact, impact and outcomes are monitored to ensure rigorous early response times are adhered to.

• Assessment of local need such as analysis of inclusion

indicators: attendance, suspensions/exclusions, reduced part-time timetables plus other data such as deprivation indexes, and improved engagement data will be gathered to

System pressure and financial risk are well understood, but there is limited data on the impact of early, non-statutory intervention or on escalation.

No robust, centralised database exists to track non- statutory request-to-contact timelines across early years, schools, and post-16 settings. Data exists but is held in within different service areas.

The enablers will be: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Robust timeliness tracking and metrics.

The baseline of schools and MATs actively working together to support the children and young people across the borough is limited as there is no system in place for this.

The gap in attendance, suspension, and exclusion metrics between pupils with additional needs and their peers remains variable across the borough’s 38 settings.

(CMR17) There is currently a plan in place to ensure there are sufficient specialists, and support places across the borough. A comprehensive desktop estate survey has identified prospective sites with surplus gross internal floor area (GIFA) capacity across our 38 schools (See Appendix 4 - Sufficiency - Inclusion and Specialist Base Programme Initial Findings), and physical verification visits are ongoing meaning that data-driven site viability and multi-academy trust (MAT) site allocations will soon be formalised to curb our current dependence on out-of- area placements (see sufficiency building block).

ensure that the children and young people with the greatest need are targeted for support by the new E@H team.

• Escalation reduction: fewer crisis referrals; fewer requests

driven only by lack of earlier support; slower growth in EHCP demand where appropriate.

• Placement/sufficiency impact: increased attendance at

suitable placements, increased local area capacity, strengthened mainstream capacity to manage needs due to early interventions and embedded inclusive practice, needs met locally wherever possible resulting in reduced reliance on out-of-area placements at high cost.

• Equity of access. Track requests for support from settings

and ensure that the support is provided for children and young people with the most significant needs.

• Tracking of access demographics to prove equitable

distribution among settings. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

(CMR7) Robust monitoring proves E@H usage prioritises actual need over demand. Data confirms out- of-area FE settings and less proactive schools are receiving equitable support.

(CMR1) The establishment of a borough wide cluster through the central hub and spoke model and the governance structure will utilise outcome and impact data through support and challenge to develop and embed a shared ownership of all the children with SEND across the partnership whereby education settings support each other to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND locally.

(CMR8) There will be robust monitoring processes in place to monitor usage of E@H by education settings that will be analysed against local data and type of special educational needs to ensure that actual need is prioritised over demand and access to the E@H service

is equitable and fair and meets the needs of the CYP with SEND in Bracknell Forest.

(CMR11) Monitoring of times to access support from initial requests in place to ensure support is early and timely.

E@H is recognised as a practice improvement mechanism, with evidence of increased numbers of children and young people having their needs met at their local mainstream settings because of the increased coverage provided by the E@H team, sustained changes in classroom practice, SEND leadership, and an overall inclusive culture.

Mainstream education (including MATs), early years, and post 16 settings and AP demonstrate significantly improved confidence and capability in meeting the needs of children at SEND support because of the new E@H offer that complements existing support arrangements (CYPIT and the EPS).

The local area can evidence earlier intervention, reduced crisis demand, and improved inclusion, indicators through increased coverage of SEN need provided by the E@H team. While high needs pressures remain, E@H contributes demonstrably to slower growth in EHC Plans' demand and reduced use of costly transport and improved value for money.

(CMR17) The increase in specialist places capacity through increased mainstream places in new inclusion/support bases across the borough means a reduction in the need for costly out of area placements and costly transport.

Enablers Summary:

Enabler 1: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system

• What will be done: The partnership will co-produce clear operational criteria for the 0–25 E@H service so that both settings and families share an identical understanding of the full range of support across the partnership.
• How it will be achieved: We will partner with the Parent Carer Forum, to draft and publish a transparent "what you can expect" statement outlining the service's boundaries. This relational approach ensures families navigate a collaborative, less adversarial process, building confidence in accessing non-statutory support early.

Enabler 2: Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities (utilising data/digital solutions)

• What will be done: The partnership will position E@H firmly within the targeted middle tier, basing support strictly on emerging need trends as evidenced by the SEND

ICB and LA data dashboard, rather than ad-hoc settings demand.

• How it will be achieved: Guidance will be provided to SENDCos to align E@H with Targeted/Targeted Plus levels of the graduated approach, reinforcing the Assess-

Plan-Do-Review cycle. Joint workflows with health partners will integrate services (CYPIT, EPS, MHST, Early Help) to reduce parallel lists and ensure seamless, non- diagnostic support pathways. Enabler 3: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance

• What will be done: The local area partnership will deploy a centralised hub-and-spoke model to govern, quality-assure, and monitor the impact of E@H interventions.
• How it will be achieved: A multi-agency governance group with health, education, and PCF leaders will oversee performance. This group will strictly monitor timeliness from initial request to first contact, ensuring rapid response metrics are met before school difficulties escalate into crises.

Enabler 4: A focus on high-quality delivery of essentials

• What will be done: A single request route will be established and multi-agency triage panel to deliver fast, fluid, and proactive education setting interventions.
• How it will be achieved: A single-entry request form will feed into a weekly/fortnightly joint education and health triage panel. The team will deploy a fluid pathway of advice lines, virtual consultations, or in-school blocks, matching schools to the right tier - including multi-agency Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces (APST) to support successful pupil reintegration.

Enabler 5: A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce

• What will be done: The partnership will pool and reconfigure a multi-disciplinary team to transition from solely individual, assessment-led tasks to also focus on

mainstream capacity building.

• How it will be achieved: The core team of educational psychologists, advisory teachers, and support workers will be co-located with commissioned health professionals

(SALTs and OTs). This blended workforce will adopt a predominantly consultation and coaching stance with school staff alongside some need-based support for individuals, modeling classroom-based adaptive strategies and interventions, SEMH, and communication needs to embed inclusive practice across education settings. Enabler 6: Capital investment

• What will be done: The existing Child Development Centre (CDC) will be developed to become a 0-25 SEND centre of excellence acting as the Hub where the new E@H team will be co-located.
• How will it be achieved: Capital investment from the high needs place capital allowance (HNPCA) will be utilised for building adaptations.

12.5% of children in Bracknell Forest currently have their needs met at SEND support

Children are supported to have needs met at SEND support Year 1 - 12.5% Year 2 - 13.2% (@Jan 29 census) Year 3 - 13.9% (@Jan 30 census)

More children will have their needs met at SEND support.

Building Block 2: Universal Offer

Core minimum requirements are labelled (see Appendix 3)

Local blueprint for the next 3 years

Where we are

Where we will be in the next 3 years

The enablers will be:

How we will know we are succeeding:

Defining a shared definition and what is meant by a ‘Universal Offer’:

Defining a shared definition and what is meant by a ‘Universal Offer’: Where we are:

Defining a shared definition and what is meant by a ‘Universal Offer’: How we will know we are succeeding:

The enablers will be: Shared vision and evidence informed priorities. Establishing a value-based common vocabulary. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Distributed Local Area Accountability. Digital solution for sharing the local offer

• (CMR20) There is a clear, co-produced and regularly

reviewed, borough-wide standard setting out the core universal provision expected in all education settings for all children and young people, including those with emerging SEND needs. Aligned with the national inclusion standards.

• It is the norm to see embedding High Quality Inclusive and

adaptive teaching strategies as the primary response to SEND, rather than over-reliance on EHC statutory processes. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

There is a Bracknell Forest co-produced guide to Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) that is used inconsistently. To address this the Universal Offer will be formalised as a partnership-wide Universal Offer Agreement for Bracknell Forest, setting out the core inclusive provision that children and young people aged 0–25 should ordinarily expect across early years settings, schools and post-16 providers.

The Universal Offer Agreement will be co- developed through the new Education Partnership Board and associated working

The local area will be explicit that the Universal Offer is the foundation of inclusion. Experts at Hand and other

groups with representation from maintained schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, early years providers, further education, health partners and the Bracknell Forest Parent Carer Forum.

The Universal Offer Agreement will be informed by current needs-based data, local performance information, lived experience and emerging national inclusion standards.

The Universal Offer Agreement will be signed off through the local partnership governance structure by the local authority, health partners and education representatives, and will be refreshed on a regular basis so that it remains responsive to changing patterns of need, evidence and learning from implementation.

targeted services will strengthen and support the foundation, but they will not replace the expectation that all settings deliver high-quality inclusive practice as part of their core offer. This distinction will help education settings and families understand what support should be available without the need for an EHC na or a diagnosis.

(CMR22) (CMR23) A clearly defined, enhanced universal offer is embedded that supports early years, mainstream (including MATs) and post-16 education providers to meet commonly occurring and growing areas of need.

(CMR21) (CMR32) (CMR34) Through an established Education Partnership Board, early years, mainstream (including MATs) and post-16 education providers continue to be active voices in the determination and implementation of consistent local practice and strengthening of the universal offer.

(CMR22) (CMR24) A strengthened Universal Offer, combined with group level specialist support through Experts at Hand and other targeted services, will reduce escalation by enabling more children and young people to have their needs met effectively at an earlier stage in their local mainstream setting. Over time this will help reduce avoidable movement into specialist pathways, particularly where escalation has been driven by inconsistent inclusive practice, delayed intervention or lack of confidence in mainstream support.

(CMR 22) A strengthened Universal Offer will contribute to a reduction in the number of children requiring more specialist provision away from their local community, including placements associated with significant travel assistance requirements.

(CMR23) Mainstream teachers will be confident, equipped, and held accountable for delivering ordinarily available provision (OAP), shifting the culture so that

every teacher is a teacher of a child or young person with SEND.

(CMR23) Classrooms are naturally inclusive, with proactive sensory and cognitive adaptations deployed routinely so that more children and young people have their needs met at their local education setting. A Bracknell Forest framework of Ordinarily Available Provision in line with the DfE national Inclusion Standards:

A Bracknell Forest framework of Ordinarily Available Provision in line with the DfE national Inclusion Standards: Where we are:

A Bracknell Forest framework of Ordinarily Available Provision in line with the DfE national Inclusion Standards: How we will know we are succeeding:

That covers the four broad areas of need, clarifying the expectations on schools of best endeavours and inclusive practices. Where will we be in the next 3 years:

A Bracknell Forest framework for Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) has been in place for a number of years now. There is increasing evidence that education settings are developing their own universal offer in line with the BF OAP guidance. However, the universal offer is applied inconsistently across and within education settings.

Strong SENCOs exist in the borough, but inclusive practice is not yet embedded consistently across all staff and all schools.

The enablers will be:

Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. A skilled and confident workforce. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials. Embedding the Graduated Approach.

(CMR20) The Bracknell Forest OAP guidance will be aligned with the new national inclusion standards and delivering OAP will be core and consistent across all SENCOs and education settings so that the needs of children and young people with SEND support can be met without the need for EHCPs. Shared responsibility and ownership will be enhanced through formal sign off from all parties listed including the Parent carer Forum.

A simple and accessible pathway of support for educational settings.

Inclusion strengthened across all educational settings including early years, mainstream (including MATs) and post 16 providers.

Targeted services seeing fewer inappropriate referrals because educational setting support lower level SEND needs effectively.

Consistent early identification and support through application of assess, plan, do, review (APDR) in every setting:

Consistent early identification and support through application of assess, plan, do, review (APDR) in every setting: Where we are:

Consistent early identification and support through application of assess, plan, do, review (APDR) in every setting: How we will know we are succeeding:

A Graduated Approach concept (APDR) is understood. However, implementing the Bracknell Forest Graduated Approach practice is variable. Practice can differ between different education settings.

Early identification is patchy; needs are often flagged only when behaviour escalates or academic gaps widen significantly.

The local area is aligning its early years universal offer with the Best Start in Life (BSiL) programme and Family Hub development. Post- 16 providers offer a range of support for young people with SEND, however there is inconsistency in the implementation of Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) and inclusive practice across settings.

Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) outcomes have been incorporated into EHC Plan documentation and are being phased into practice across the SEND system.

Information, advice and guidance on post-16 pathways is available through the Local Offer and the annual Preparing for Adulthood Roadshow, although further development is required to improve consistency and accessibility.

A review of post-16 transition arrangements has been completed, including engagement with young people, families and professionals, and recommendations are being developed to

(CMR23) Systematic, low-level screening in early years and primary settings to catch speech, language, and cognitive delays before they require targeted intervention.

(CMR23) The assess, plan, do, review (APDR) cycle is embedded into everyday practice to support children and young people at the earliest opportunity. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

The enablers will be:

Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. Data-Driven Early Identification. A shared culture of professional curiosity. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials. Targeted support deployed "at place".

(CMR22) (CMR24) Early intervention will be strengthened through a clearer and more consistent universal offer and graduated approach across the local area that is understood by all partners including families.

(CMR 22) (CMR24) The strengthened Universal Offer will improve the baseline support available in mainstream settings so that more needs are identified and responded to early through ordinarily available provision, adaptive teaching, evidence-based intervention and timely review through Assess–Plan– Do–Review cycle. This will sit alongside, but remain distinct from, wider early intervention services such as family hubs, early help, mental health support, therapies and the Experts at Hand offer. Together these layers of support will enable needs to be addressed earlier and more effectively, reducing avoidable escalation to statutory assessment, crisis response and specialist placement.

(CMR 23) (CMR24) A range of evidence-based interventions will be delivered, modelled and reviewed, (e.g. NELI4, attention autism, Colourful Semantics, Paths, Homunculi Approach, MeLSA, ELSA – see Appendix 1 E@H for full list of examples) leading to

strengthen transition pathways.

Strategic forums and partnerships are in place to improve employment opportunities for young people with SEND, including the Berkshire SEND Employment Forum, Careers Leaders Forum and the DWP-funded Youth Employment Hub.

Multi-agency arrangements are in place to support transition into adulthood, including the Approaching Adulthood Panel and the Post-16 Activity Group.

Collaboration with supported internship providers and partners has strengthened understanding of local supported internship pathways, informed improvements to transition and exit planning, increased promotion and awareness of opportunities, and supported the development of a Bracknell Forest Council Supported Internship Programme.

improved outcomes for children and young people, including an increased percentage achieving a good level of development (GLD).

(CMR25) Early identification is systematic and embedded, ensuring needs are met at the lowest possible level and there are sufficient early years SEND placements available based on data evidencing the current sufficiency position across mainstream early years places. Specialist early years places and identified local gaps for children with complex needs are continuously reviewed as part of our statutory sufficiency duty. (see sufficiency building block for full details).

(CMR26) Families experience a more joined-up system, with clearer pathways, improved communication and timely access to the right support through the alignment of Early Years SEND services and BSiL.

(CMR25) Data from childcare sufficiency assessments, the Early Years SEND and Inclusion Team, and partners will help identify and address gaps in mainstream provision for children with complex or emerging needs.

(CMR25) Outreach, targeted inclusion support, provider development, and allocations from the Inclusive Early Years Fund will secure sufficiency.

(CMR 25) (CMR 26) (CMR27) The area will deploy Best Start Inclusion Practitioners (BSIPs) to establish a hub- and-spoke model linking Family Hubs, early years providers, and the Child Development Centre to strengthen early intervention.

(CMR26) Following Section 23 health notifications, BSIPs and practitioners will deliver evidence-based interventions to improve outcomes for children at risk of delay, promoting earlier identification and coordinated specialist advice.

(CMR24 )The partnership’s revised Special Educational

Needs Inclusion Fund (SENIF) process provides timely financial support aligned with the graduated approach. This meets needs early, reduces reliance on EHC needs assessments, and sustain mainstream inclusion.

(CMR27) Reviewing the transition process with early years leads will improve cross-border and local transitions, ensuring reception classes receive accurate developmental data.

Beyond the early years, the local area will expand the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme and school-age childcare to provide inclusive access to out- of-school activities that support the development and social inclusion of children with additional needs.

(CMR26) Early identification and intervention in the early years will be strengthened through the Best Start Inclusion Practitioner (BSIP) roles.

(CMR26) There will be stronger links between family hubs, health visiting, early years providers and the Child Development Centre (CDC), and the use of evidence- based interventions and earlier specialist advice where required. This will enable children with emerging needs to receive support earlier, improve readiness for school and reduce preventable escalation before statutory processes are considered.

(CMR27) Transitions from early years into primary school will be strengthened through a more consistent transition process across the local area, including earlier information-sharing, the timely use of section 23 notifications, direct contact with receiving settings, and access to specialist advice where a child’s needs indicate this is required.

(CMR27) Children will begin school with a clearer understanding of their need, agreed support arrangements and stronger continuity between early

years and school provision.

(CMR24) More children with SEND achieve positive early developmental outcomes with improved progress from their starting points, and the gap in outcomes between children with SEND and their peers is reduced.

(CMR28) For post-16, the enhanced Universal Offer will support a stronger PfA pathway by clarifying what inclusive support should be available within local mainstream and specialist post-16 settings. This will strengthen pathways to adulthood by supporting young people’s access to education, training, employment and supported internships.

(CMR28) (CMR29) Improving the information flow between education, health, social care and employment support, supported internships and training providers, and ensuring that transition planning begins early and is consistently applied, will further strengthen pathways to adulthood by clarifying pathways into and out of post-16 settings, informed by consistent information flow and timely, effective specialist support

(CMR 28) (CMR29) Young people and families will have clearer information about pathways into and out of post- 16 provision, including further education, supported internships, employment routes and adult services, so that transitions are less fragmented and better aligned to aspirations and need and more young people will be supported to access suitable education, training, employment and supported internships.

(CMR 29) (CMR30) (CMR34) Some Bracknell Forest young people attend provision outside the borough, the local area will work with post-16 partners, including out- of-area mainstream colleges where local young people are placed, to improve consistency of support pathways and access to specialist advice. This will include

ensuring that the (CMR34) (CMR30) E@H model and wider partnership arrangements are developed with post-16 partners and, where appropriate, through cross- border collaboration. The aim is that post-16 providers form part of the same inclusive local system, rather than operating separately from it.

(CMR29) Stronger post-16 pathways will support improved participation in education, training and employment, reduce placement instability at key transition points, and contribute to a more coherent 0–25 pathway for young people with SEND. Universal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) /induction training offer for all partners:

Universal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) /induction training offer for all partners: Where we are:

Universal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) /induction training offer for all partners: How we will know we are succeeding:

There are many examples of high-quality training and induction available to education setting staff, LA workforce and health employees but there isn’t a consistent CPD offer across the partnership that embeds inclusive practice across the partnership.

The PINS project whole SEND audits gave us data about existing classroom practice and gaps.

Training packages on inclusive classroom practice were developed as part of PINS but have not been widely disseminated.

The Educational Psychology Service run thematic workshops and follow up problem- solving workshops for interested staff on topics such as neurodiversity, mediated learning, inclusive practice but these sessions are not delivered consistently across the whole authority.

Classrooms and other learning environments are designed proactively to manage cognitive load and accommodate sensory needs as standard practice, without requiring specific diagnoses.

Building on learning from the PINS project which included whole setting SEND and sensory audits of education settings.

(CMR20) Enhanced universal offer includes well evidenced early intervention approaches and interventions that education settings are trained in and confident in using.

(CMR20) A whole-system (education settings, social care, early help, health services) induction and training development offer (CPD). Where we will be in the next 3 years:

The enablers will be:

Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Empowering SENCOs as strategic middle leaders. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Whole-system multi-agency induction. Evidence-based continuous upskilling Peer associates and reflection.

(CMR20) The strengthened Universal CPD Offer will focus particularly on the most commonly occurring and growing areas of need in Bracknell Forest, including speech, language and communication needs, autism, and social, emotional and mental health needs.

(CMR23) Across all phases, settings will be supported to use agreed, evidence-based approaches as part of ordinarily available provision, including early language and communication programmes, autism-informed classroom practice, relational and trauma-informed approaches, and practical strategies to support emotional regulation, participation, executive functioning and adaptive learning.

(CMR23) The intention is not to create a menu that only specialists can deliver, but to equip and upskill the mainstream workforce to apply these approaches confidently and consistently as part of day-to-day teaching and pastoral practice.

(CMR23) Over the three-year period this will be reinforced through a shared CPD and induction offer, the refresh of Bracknell Forest’s Ordinarily Available Provision guidance, partnership quality assurance, and support from special schools, health partners and Experts at Hand where additional modelling, coaching or problem-solving is required.

(CMR23) The strengthened Universal Offer will become the main route through which settings improve their ability to meet predictable and emerging need earlier, reducing over-reliance on individual referral routes and specialist escalation.

(CMR22) The workforce and wider partnership will be capable and trained to meet frequently occurring and emerging areas of needs. Knowledge and expertise about appropriate, evidence-based interventions to meet commonly occurring speech and language, autism spectrum or social, emotional and mental health needs will be consistent across the partnership.

(CMR22) As a result, there is a reduction in the volume of referrals to targeted services because education settings

are more skilled in meeting the needs of SEND children and young people by core classroom practice. Empowering parents and families:

Empowering parents and families: Where we are:

Empowering parents and families: How we will know we are succeeding:

The enablers will be:

• Transparent communication so parent carers know exactly

what foundational support their child will receive without needing an assessment or label. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

Parents are confused about what basic support their child or young person is entitled to without a diagnosis, leading to early frustration, a breakdown in trust, and an adversarial push for EHC Plans

There are long waiting lists for medical diagnoses and some inappropriate requests for therapy (CYPIT, CAMHS, MHST for example) because some families think this is the route to acquire additional support in education settings.

Not enough parent carers are involved in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings and are unclear about the impact of APDR processes.

Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Moving beyond late-stage consultation to genuine co-production. Rebuilding parental trust through transparency. Expanding diverse representation continuous feedback loops for under- represented groups.

Children, young people and their families can access support earlier at their local education setting through the enhanced universal offer.

The Parent Carer Forum will have a distinct role in both design and review of the universal offer.

MAT leaders and school representatives will help define what high-quality inclusive provision should look like in practice across different phases and settings, while the Parent Carer Forum will contribute to the wording, accessibility, expectations and review of the agreement so that it is meaningful to families as well as professionals.

(CMR20) We will ensure the universal offer is jointly owned across the partnership including parent carers and CYP rather than seen as a local authority document alone.

Parent carer’s trust and confidence in the system will increase through the universal offer being clearly articulated and delivered consistently across education settings so more children have their needs met locally and there is a reduction in unnecessary EHC needs assessment requests.

Parent carers are consistently involved in the new Individual Support Plan (ISP) review meetings and are clear about the APDR processes that support their child to be included at their local education setting.

Increased parent carer trust and confidence in the system will be clear from the reduction in requests for EHC needs assessments, a reduction in inappropriate referrals to therapies and/or E@H and a reduction in requests for diagnoses, as more children with SEND will have their needs met through the universal offer.

Governance and quality assurance:

Governance and quality assurance: Where we are:

Governance and quality assurance: How we will know we are succeeding:

The enablers will be: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance: Unified statutory governance routes. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials. Environment wide sensory and cognitive adaptations. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Open-book partnership SEND local area data dashboards.

No robust partnership wide quality assurance mechanism exists to monitor universal provision equity across the local area although work is in progress to rectify this.

Oversight of the SEND reforms will sit within the SEND partnership governance framework, with the Education Partnership Board, SEND Improvement and Assurance Board (SIAB) and relevant operational groups providing leaders with support and challenge and monitoring.

The universal offer will be governed as a partnership priority. This universal offer remains jointly owned across education, health and the local authority and that progress is visible through established governance routes.

Quality assurance will include a co-produced inclusion self-assessment framework, routine audit activity, performance monitoring and the use of partnership data to understand consistency, equity and impact across the local area. This will include consideration of how universal provision is reducing avoidable escalation, strengthening confidence in

Standardised audits to ensure that schools and settings are applying the universal offer consistently. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

(CMR31) The enhanced universal offer is central to Bracknell Forest’s financial and sufficiency strategy and is governed as a partnership priority. By improving the quality and consistency of support available through the universal offer, and by using group-level specialist input to build capacity across settings, the partnership expects more need to be met locally, fewer children and young people will require high-cost out-of-area solutions, and less transport dependency over time.

Universal offer development will be monitored not only through workforce and quality measures, but also through indicators such as EHC na demand, SEN support prevalence, exclusions, attendance, placement patterns and travel-related pressures.

Education settings are held accountable through monitoring by the local area partnership.

Robust QA processes are in place to ensure equity of universal provision across the system.

mainstream settings and contributing to wider outcomes such as attendance, exclusions, SEN support prevalence, requests for statutory assessment, placement patterns and travel pressures.

Enabler Summary:

Enabler 1: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system

• What will be done: Bracknell Forest will establish a system-wide approach to co-production, positioning families as equal partners in designing and improving the

Universal Offer.

• How it will be achieved: The partnership will embed co-production principles across services, requiring providers to publish family feedback. Officers will capture the

voices of post-16 learners and underrepresented groups within settings. This transparent dialogue will deliver clear, parent-facing pathways outlining baseline classroom support to rebuild trust and reduce EHC Plan demand Enabler 2: Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities

• What will be done: The partnership will align all local stakeholders behind a single definition of the Universal Offer, embedding an evidence-based, strengths-focused

culture.

• How it will be achieved: The Education Partnership Board will ratify universal standards and mandate a common vocabulary focused on the "child" to eliminate agency

silos. Special schools will be funded as pedagogical system leaders to drive mainstream outreach. Multi-disciplinary working groups will use early data trends and vulnerable children metrics to deploy the most appropriate interventions, e.g., speech, language, and cognitive screening tools via Early Help and Family Hubs, identifying needs at the lowest possible tier Enabler 3: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance

• What will be done: Bracknell Forest will distribute system leadership and statutory accountability for the Universal Offer across the partnership, sharing operational and

financial risks.

• How it will be achieved: Executive governance will sit within the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board (SIAB), which connects to the Health and Wellbeing Board

and designates the Executive Director of People as SRO. Through the model, MAT CEOs and maintained headteachers will share responsibility for local inclusion standards. At the setting level, regular forums will protect SENDCos from casework, upskilling them to act as strategic coaches. Senior leaders will physically verify surplus estate capacity against GIFA (gross internal floor area) criteria to map local resources. Enabler 4: A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials (data/digital solutions)

• What will be done: The partnership will secure a consistently applied baseline of High-Quality Inclusive Teaching, establishing the Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR)

cycle as the primary response to SEND.

• How it will be achieved: We will distribute co-produced inclusion standards and self-assessment framework to guide daily classroom modifications. Classrooms will be

proactively designed to manage cognitive and sensory loads as a standard, removing the requirement for a diagnosis. The Experts at Hand (E@H) Central Hub at the Great Hollands Child Development Centre will run a weekly multi-agency triage panel to deploy specialist practitioners (EPs, OTs, SALTs) directly into education settings to model adaptive teaching following robust universal delivery of Ordinarily Available provision as core. The effectiveness of these inclusion efforts will be monitored by tracking the self-assessment framework data to ensure that the modelled adaptive teaching translates into sustained, independent classroom practice. Enabler 5: A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce

• What will be done: Bracknell Forest will implement a robust learning system to build the long-term confidence, capability, and stability of the mainstream workforce.
• How it will be achieved: We will launch a mandatory cross-service induction programme to reinforce shared inclusive values for all new staff from day one. Continuous professional development (CPD) will deliver evidence-based training in high-frequency needs like autism (e.g., AET guidelines, Elsa, Melsa etc). Peer associates will cascade training and reduce workforce churn, supported by a live digital dashboard tracking inclusion metrics to coordinate support.

Enabler 6: Capital investment

• What will be done: The existing Child Development Centre (CDC) will be developed to become a 0-25 SEND centre of excellence acting as the Hub where the new E@H team will be co-located.
• How will it be achieved: Capital investment from the high needs place capital allowance (HNPCA) will be utilised for building adaptations.

minimum co-production benchmark, celebrating the value of co-production, identifying improvement actions, and reviewing routinely to strengthen consistency and impact.

(CMR 38) Through a coordinated participation strategy, the voice of children and young people and their families will be evident within service design and improvement.

(CMR 38) Young people’s voice will be captured additionally and separately from their parent carers using a suitable variety of tools including surveys, group and 1:1 discussions, structured participation in consultations and commissioning, and a SEND Youth Parliament .

(CMR 38) Young People will be able to explain how their voices have demonstrably influenced change and that they feel a genuine partner in the local area.

(CMR 37) Active engagement with a breadth of Parent Carers from across the partnership will be routine without single reliance on the PCF to be the vehicle.

(CMR 37) (CMR 38) All services will be required to actively obtain feedback from young people and their families on the quality of services and publish how feedback leads to service improvement.

(CMR 37) Strategic co-production is the default. The PCF reviews through co-design the OAP toolkit. Education partnership and distributed system leadership.

Education partnership and distributed system leadership. Where we are:

Education partnership and distributed system leadership. How we will know we are succeeding:

• Mainstream school leaders demonstrate a
• (CMR 31) Moving from a system where the Local

The enablers will be:

clearly understood. Thames Valley ICB as the new health commissioning body for the Local Area is only beginning to form its new hierarchy, structures and culture though key colleagues remain in place.

A joint commissioning strategy is currently in development.

A joint therapy contract exists.

The local special schools (and commissioned AP) hold significant pedagogical expertise.

offer.

(CMR 31) (CMR 32) (CMR 34) A mature and embedded Education Partnership Board ensures early years, mainstream (including MATS) and Post 16 providers and the AP Sector in the local area meaningfully contribute to SEND Policy and Improvement through distributed leadership and clear governance routes, into the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board (SIAB).

(CMR34) Agreed mechanisms for engaging all schools, early years providers and post-16 settings, including out-of-area mainstream colleges attended by Bracknell Forest young people with SEND, will support collective responsibility for inclusive practice through consistent participation in governance, shared expectations, and clear routes for challenge and support.

Special Schools are formally recognised and funded as the pedagogical leaders of the system, driving the ‘Experts at Hand’ outreach model.

Further strengthening formal joint commissioning will integrate these disciplines, providing families with a unified early-intervention framework

The local special schools (and commissioned provisions) are positioned to act as formal system leaders, operating as outreach hubs to build capacity within the mainstream workforce.

Mechanisms and shared accountability for quality assurance, workforce development, commissioning oversight, and impact monitoring will be clear.

Shared data and transparency:

Shared data and transparency: Where we are:

Shared data and transparency: How will we know we are succeeding:

There is a lack of shared, transparent data; partners often debate the accuracy of the problem rather than collaborating on the solution.

A partnership SEND dashboard exists but does not yet feed from live data.

Structures exist to monitor and review our data as a partnership, but this is not yet embedded.

Using an open-book approach to local needs data, available resources, and placement sufficiency so all system partners understand the local context.

Commissioning and decision making is routinely and demonstrably grounded in an up to date, holistic evidence base.

The partnership shows a professional curiosity that leads to continuous improvement, and an agile and evolving service offer that meets local population need. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

The enablers will be: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Unified statutory governance routes. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Partnership dashboards.

Every conversation and hypothesis starts with “what is our data telling us”.

The partnership consistently challenges itself to improve performance based on ‘high support high challenge’ of all partners.

Agreed ‘triggers for action’ exist across the partnership e.g. declining performance over more than one quarter.

Governance will be strengthened so that insight from performance data and lived experience translate into action.

Leaders across the system will routinely undertake inquisitory, and support and challenge one another to drive performance improvement.

(CMR 33) A unified live SEND partnership dashboard will provide real-time insights to support strategic leadership and operational delivery. Programme management and reform assurance:

Programme management and reform assurance: Where we are:

Programme management and reform assurance: How we will know we are succeeding:

The enablers will be:

• Systems are in place for, milestone tracking,
• The Partnership does not routinely complete

Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Unified statutory governance routes.

a self-evaluation using a structured framework.

Quarterly finance reporting on DSG management plan is heard by the Bracknell Forest corporate management team.

A single SRO for the Local Area is not specifically identified.

Reporting structures for assurance of the delivery of the reform plan do not yet exist.

programme oversight, risk mitigation, and delivery reporting linked to the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board (SIAB) and wider governance structures. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

(CMR 36) A single SRO with accountability for the delivery of the SEND Reform and financial assurance in the local area is clearly identified. The role will be held by the Executive Director of People (Statutory DCS), Grainne Siggins.

Quarterly finance reporting to the Corporate Management Team (CMT) at Bracknell Forest council as the convenor and accountable body for the plan retained.

SIAB monitors the ongoing delivery of the Reform Plan against the three-year roadmap.

(CMR 31) SIAB fulfills the requirements of the local area to have a SEND and AP Partnership Board, with a reporting line into the Health and Wellbeing Board.

(CMR 33) Use of quantitative and qualitative data insights will routinely underpin tracking of partnership performance and drive system improvement. The SEND Maturity Matrix will be updated on a quarterly basis to track system progress.

The Schools Forum will provide the formal route for consultation and decision-making on DSG- related matters and maintain oversight of the financial implications of reform. Dispute resolution and relational trust:

Dispute resolution and relational trust: Where we are:

Dispute resolution and relational trust: How will we know we are succeeding:

The enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the

The Parent Carer Forum Survey reports families feeling they must "fight" or navigate

A culture of trust and psychological safety through early, proactive engagement with parent carers.

SEND decision, and their views explicitly recorded and balanced alongside professional advice.

(CMR 42) Formal mediation will continue to be offered but with the expectation it will be needed less frequently due to enhanced relational practice. This will be evident in a reduction in the number of mediations taking place as a % of appealable decisions where mediation is offered. Effectiveness of mediation and timeliness of mediation meetings when requested will continue to be measured through mediation contract performance indicators.

The culture shifts from “this child doesn’t fit our school” to “how do we adapt our school to fit this child?”

(CMR 42) A greater percentage of appeals are resolved without recourse to the hearing through pro-active disagreement resolution during the appeal process.

Enabler Summary: Enabler 1: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system

• What will be done: Bracknell Forest will establish an equal co-production partnership, moving away from late-stage consultation models to make families and young

people central to designing, reviewing, and evaluating services.

• How it will be achieved: We will formalise a multi-year SLA with the Parent Carer Forum (PCF) to stabilise their infrastructure and widen representation to

unrepresented groups. Youth engagement officers will capture the voices of post-16 learners and underrepresented groups directly within the system. Providers across legacy and newly commissioned services will be contractually required to publish how continuous family feedback actively drives service changes and improvements. Enabler 2: Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities (Utilising data/digital solutions)

• What will be done: The local area partnership will build a shared, child-centred vision across education, health, and social care to break down institutional silos.
• How it will be achieved: Multi-disciplinary working groups will embed a shared, values-based language across all borough partners. Local special schools will be

formally commissioned and funded to act as strategic, system-wide pedagogical leaders who drive mainstream outreach to share inclusive practices and build workforce capacity. Decision-making and service design will be grounded in real-time qualitative feedback from families, embedding a cross-agency culture of continuous improvement. Enabler 3: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance

• What will be done: Bracknell Forest will distribute system leadership and statutory accountability across the partnership, shifting from a model where the Local

Authority holds all financial and operational risk.

• How it will be achieved: Executive governance will sit within the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board (SIAB), bringing Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) CEOs,

Integrated Care Board (ICB) Directors, Local Authority leaders, Education Leaders across 0-25 age range and parent carers into a unified team. The Executive Director of People will serve as the single accountable Sro. Mat leaders will ensure their settings consistently share inclusive practices, staff training, and physical resources across the borough, regardless of school governance. Enabler 4: A focus on high-quality delivery of essentials

• What will be done: The partnership will secure robust programme management and quality assurance routines to ensure that the reform plan meets local population

needs consistently.

• How it will be achieved: The SIAB will put in place clear systems for milestone tracking, risk management, and delivery reporting across all partners. Leaders will use

performance data and lived experience to provide constructive challenge, inform decisions, and drive coordinated improvement. A unified live digital dashboard covering funding, inclusion metrics, and service delivery will support decisions based on a comprehensive and current evidence base.

Enabler 5: A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce (Workforce)

• What will be done: Bracknell Forest will foster a culture of relational trust and psychological safety, establishing early, informal dispute resolution as a system standard.

How it will be achieved: Early, proactive engagement with parent carers will resolve friction before it escalates to statutory thresholds. The independent Bracknell Information, Advice, and Support Service (IASS) will be fully resourced and upskilled to deliver high-quality, impartial support. Quantitative and qualitative insights from IASS staff and mediation metrics will be used to retrain the wider workforce, actively narrowing areas of disagreement, and reducing the volume of registered Tribunals.

Enabler 6: Capital investment

• What will be done: Not applicable for this Building Block
• How will it be achieved: Not applicable for this Building Block

Families feel confident that IASS provides fair and unbiased advice.

Benchmark 3.93/4 where 4 is the highest possible score – IASS post contact evaluation questionnaire

Year 1 - Does not drop below 3.5/4 as measured by IASS annual report August 2026 Year 2 - Does not drop below 3.5/4 as measured by IASS annual report August 2027 Year 3 - Does not drop below 3.5/4 as measured by IASS annual report August 2028

Building block 4: Sufficiency (See Appendix 4)

Core minimum requirements are labelled (see Appendix 3)

Local blueprint for the next 3 years

Where we are

Where we will be in the next 3 years

How we will know we are succeeding:

The enablers will be:

Robust planning methodology and estates survey:

Robust planning methodology and estates survey: Where are we:

Robust planning methodology and estates survey: How we will know we are succeeding:

The Enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials including data/digital solutions. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Capital Investment.

Identification of surplus physical estate within the borough, incorporating updated MATs building data for schools throughout the borough to give a full view of local area potential.

New provision, including inclusion bases delivered according to emerging demand, matching need to availability.

Plotted geographic gaps showing provision to ensure that the borough provision is within areas of need as much as is practicably possible, eliminating any gaps caused by semi-rural areas or

Desktop survey completed with clear priorities identified. (See appendix 4 Sufficiency - Inclusion and Specialist Base Programme Initial Findings).

School estate assessment & review underway (school visits planned for summer term 2026).

Identified a range of prospective projects to analyse viability and suitability.

Our data shows a 15% year-on-year increase

in ASD-related EHC Plans (CMR12) in the primary-to-secondary transition phase. New provisions at Edgbarrow and Sandhurst, alongside the new school planned (Forest View) will address this need directly. (CMR17).

Plans being progressed for a new specialist base to meet rising ASD needs in Primary and to ensure expertise is available to the community prior to the opening of Forest View to ensure that the right help is available to pupils with ASD sooner and avoid placements in high-cost INMSS. (CMR12)

Location of provision and planned provision is partially assessed with some geographic deficiency in secondary specialist bases identified in the south planning area.

Audit of transport commitments is underway with the initial focus on compliance, commissioning processes, appropriateness and effectiveness of resource usage.

Cost analysis of transport routes underway alongside root and branch review of personal travel allowances and IT systems. (CMR19)

Estates and construction professionals will be required to assess potential and viability of emerging schemes.

areas with changing demographics. Note: due to the high urban density, Bracknell Forest does not have explicit rurality challenges as might be found in larger LA areas. (CMR18)

In order to ensure high quality, all new inclusion bases will be subject to the Inclusion Standards QA framework outlined in our universal offer (Building Block 2). (CMR15)

In-depth transport analysis to ascertain emerging and historic transport commitments to meet legislative requirements.

Regular, structured and empowered stakeholder groups (MATs, schools, E@H resource and parents) to collectively develop and open inclusion bases in locations of both need and opportunity, utilising surplus space within the existing school estate, including opportunities created by falling rolls (if applicable) during the delivery period. (CMR16). Where we will be in the next 3 years:

Rolling estate development programme is integrated with Education Sufficiency Strategy review cycle to address emerging needs as they are detected.

More children supported locally within their communities through the development of local specialist bases

New specialist base will be opened in primary phase for ASD needs to support pupils in advance of completion of the DfE managed construction of ASD school (Forest View) to divert placements away from high-cost INMSS. (CMR12)

More children have access to a broad range of specialist places and resource bases throughout

all phases of statutory education within the borough.

A strategically located and planned inclusion base portfolio will be established, working hand in glove with the experts at hand offer to co-ordinate outreach and synergy of offer. This will correspond to both needs and geographic requirements to increase accessibility and reduce the transport burden on pupils requiring additional support.

Reduced reliance on high-cost INMSS placements to meet demand growth. By completing an ambitious number of mainstream support bases and inclusive infrastructure, we will safely divert students who would have otherwise required local special school or out-of-area independent placements. (CMR13)

Specialist provision aligned to identified needs within the SEND pupil community

Transport distances are reduced due to local placement increases and routes rationalised to improve experience for CYP and reduce costs. Travel impact assessments will have been integrated into all capital and inclusion base proposals, ensuring we can demonstrate expected reductions in journey times and distances for CYP. (CMR19)

Transport routes will be efficient, transparent and open to scrutiny. Where appropriate efficiencies are identified, such as shared transport routes will be established to new specialist bases, learning and success will be communicated and opportunities to replicate practice will be part of the review cycle.

Enhanced needs analysis to identify emerging trends in provision need:

Enhanced needs analysis to identify emerging trends in provision need: Where we are:

Enhanced needs analysis to identify emerging trends in provision need: How we will know we are succeeding:

The Enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials including data/ digital solutions. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Capital Investment.

Developing insight into new homebuilding trends locally to anticipate changing property types and population distribution in Bracknell Forest.

Additional provision (including inclusion bases) will be geographically planned through the borough with schools/MATs/community consultation at the heart of the process (Sufficiency Workstream) to minimise transport requirements and travel burdens to pupils.

Expanded place planning dataset to account for upcoming provision and align with SCAP guidance for consistent future projections.

Qualitative data acquired from key stakeholders (schools/MATs/community) will be embedded. Tested methods such as parent coffee mornings / formal events / existing networks in place. To continuously review effectiveness against stakeholder mapping.

Annual Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) is undertaken to ensure the local authority meets childcare sufficiency duties. Analysis of sufficiency of care is reported for children from 0-5 years of age, including SEND

Robust development plan established in consultation with core stakeholders (MATs, Schools, E@H) to ensure that all secondary schools and equivalent primary school

A refined planning dataset to encompass a broader range of quantitative data.

Qualitative data gathering routine to test plans and satisfaction from the community

Community designed Education Sufficiency Strategy to drive actions across the local partnership and embed innovation and collaboration into the planning process

Best Start in Life and Child Development Centre pathways established to build more robust learner profiles for SEND learners, improving needs projections.

Complete transport review with refined procurement and policy to align with community need, efficiency and enhanced parental collaboration Where we will be in the next 3 years:

Clearer pathways for children and young people at transition

Clarity on Forest View ASD school build schedule from DfE allowing for effective planning. Projected opening in September 2029.

Consistent, reviewed and scrutinised data set available to core stakeholders within the local area partnership through the Education Sufficiency Group, including MATs and other key local stakeholders to guarantee engagement in joint planning. (CMR14)

Routine qualitative data capture cycle established and annually reviewed against objectives to measure success.

Sufficiency Strategy is in public consultation. Review cycle set to coincide with SCAP return submission and will be ratified prior to September 2026, incorporating strategic developments from the SEND Reform Plan

Education Sufficiency Group has been established and has met 5 times since inception. This will be expanded to use the strength of this group to solidify partnership working in SEND provision development, including infrastructure adaptations to support E@H.

AP forum (separate school leaders and AP leaders’ forums) is well attended and has met 3 each since inception. Links to emerging local needs and best practice/value sharing form part of the core remit of this forum to ensure aspirational commissioning based on pupil needs and re-integration.

Emerging communication plans in place for stakeholder engagement through development of the Education Sufficiency Strategy.

Initial place planning workshop took place on 23/04/26 with planned bi-annual repetition.

Institutions) to ensure a need-led approach to development.

With only one physically established post-16 FE setting (B&W College) within the borough, links will be forged with a formalised support base model operating to support a wider range of learners with SEND. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

Current and relevant Education Sufficiency Strategy is in place with meaningful annual review by the Place Planning Group.

Education Sufficiency Group will grow to encompass all core stakeholder groups, a representative from each locally operating MAT and to include parent groups and Diocese representatives who were historically under- represented

Membership and stakeholder reach for the AP forum will be extended to encompass regional stakeholders such as MATs and neighboring authorities where appropriate.

Route of governance established and working well for Education Sufficiency work.

SEND community engagement grows to encompass stakeholders beyond PCF colleagues to reach a wider range of needs and viewpoints.

Improved and regularly audited data quality to enhance decisions, allowing for educational pathways to meet needs. Data, where appropriate, shared with local partners such as Schools and MATs to allow cross-border interdependencies to be acted upon.

PFA / Post 16 sufficiency Assessment:

PFA / Post 16 sufficiency Assessment: Where we are:

PFA / Post 16 sufficiency Assessment: How we will know we are succeeding:

The Enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Capital investment. A focus on high-quality delivery of essentials including data/digital solutions.

Cross service post 16 group established to identify and support local provision needs and data analysis to drive decision making.

Pathways, premises and capital funding options identified when available to support the primary needs of the local SEND post 16 community of learners.

PFA framework commenced, cross service partnership being undertaken to deliver the principles; this will be a gradual phased approach to meet the needs of the CYP and deliverables.

Cyclical evaluation of premises options for delivery of SEND dedicated post 16 provision established.

Development of SEND provision for post 16 CYP learners within borough through the Education Sufficiency Strategy and Post 16 plan.

Strengthened core offer evolving to meet primary needs across varying educational pathways.

PFA outcomes will be embedded within provision and services with collaboration from education and learning and social care.

The PFA Multi-Agency Framework: Formally embedding PFA principles across transition planning to ensure capital allocations support employment preparation and localised community inclusion, actively managing the balance of out-of- area Further Education placements. Where we will be in the next 3 years:

Progression of post-16 pathways and provision developed with local partners, subject to availability of space, funding and need.

Strengthened practice and PFA strategic goals fully embedded across provisions and services.

Enabler 1: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system What will be done: Bracknell Forest will position parent carers and young people as equal design partners within the long-term place-planning process.

How it will be achieved: We will expand the established Education Sufficiency Group to integrate diverse parent networks and the Parent Carer Forum directly into capital review cycles. Routine qualitative feedback loops, including school-based workshops and parent coffee mornings, will be used to test project choices before capital is committed. Services will contractually demonstrate how family insights have actively shaped the location, delivery, and suitability of local builds.

Enabler 2: Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities

What will be done: The partnership will develop a holistic, forward-looking local evidence base to drive needs-led place development across the borough.

How it will be achieved: We will combine early identification trends from the Great Hollands Child Development Centre (CDC) and housing growth metrics to construct robust early learner profiles. Multi-disciplinary working groups will use this data to map upcoming trends, allowing the local authority to predict and mitigate capacity challenges before primary-to-secondary transition bottlenecks occur.

Enabler 3: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance

What will be done: Senior leaders will distribute strategic oversight and shared responsibility for capital sufficiency across the local area partnership.

How it will be achieved: The Place Planning Group—including Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) executives and maintained school heads—will co-ordinate physical estate surveys to identify surplus space across our 38 schools. This distributed leadership framework will empower setting leaders to share ownership of local place creation, moving from a model where the Local Authority holds all operational risk.

Enabler 4: A focus on high-quality delivery of essentials including Data / Digital solutions What will be done: Bracknell Forest will secure a strategically aligned local estate portfolio, delivering geographic equity for inclusion bases and home-to-school travel.

How it will be achieved: We will launch a community-designed Education Sufficiency Strategy to map and open inclusion bases in areas of high demand. HNPCA grants will fund physical adaptations at Sandhurst, Edgbarrow, and an identified primary school (subject to viability assessment and formal approval +30 places), minimizing out-of- area dependencies. Concurrently, an in-depth home-to-school travel review will refine local procurement policy to create efficient, shared travel routes to these new provisions. Data will be tracked with technology focused on shared access to all core stakeholders to enable consistent, collaborative decision-making.

Enabler 5: A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce

What will be done: The cross-service workforce will leverage integrated datasets to embed independent pathways and Preparation for Adulthood (PFA) principles across local post-16 offerings.

How it will be achieved: A multi-disciplinary team spanning Education, Learning, and Adult Social Care will assess borough premises options to expand dedicated post-16 pathways within our single local college. Staff training will focus on embedding the PFA framework into everyday practice to manage out-of-area Further Education placements. All capital choices will remain strictly anchored in statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014.

Enabler 6: Capital investment

What will be done: The existing Child Development Centre (CDC) will be developed to become a 0-25 SEND centre of excellence acting as the Hub where the new E@H team will be co-located. A five-year plan of mainstream adaptations using annual HNPCA grants as the primary funding source will be made to the local school estate. This will be developed with key stakeholders (Schools, MATs, local community partners, Experts at Hand) to generate a network of specialist and support bases throughout the schools’ network, encompassing Early Years settings and post 16 providers. Maximum advantage will be made of surplus school estate to maximise impact of investment.

How it will be achieved: Capital investment from the high needs place capital allowance (HNPCA) will be utilised for building adaptations.

• EHCP growth 2028 – 7.2%
• INMSS growth 2028 – 0.6%

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

Our maturity assessment identified strong partnership commitment, positive relationships across agencies and a shared ambition to improve outcomes for CYP with SEND. However, it also highlighted increasing demand for specialist provision, rising complexity of need, pressure within statutory processes, inconsistent experiences of inclusion across mainstream settings and growing reliance on high-cost placements.

In response, our strategy focuses on moving from a reactive system to one built on early identification, inclusion, shared accountability and targeted specialist support so that more children and young people can remain successfully in local mainstream education settings.

Improving our use of data is strengthening the partnership’s understanding of patterns of need, areas of demand and pressure points across the system. This enables the partnership to align improvement activity with local need so that resources, commissioning and workforce development are targeted more effectively.

Through the Universal Offer and E@H, schools and settings will receive clearer pathways of support, improved access to specialist multi-agency expertise so that staff confidence and capability increase, CYP receive support earlier and needs are less likely to escalate to crisis point.

Continuing to improve our governance arrangements will ensure shared accountability, oversight and challenge so that progress can be monitored consistently, barriers escalated quickly and decisions informed by shared data, quality assurance activity and lived experience.

Increasing local specialist capacity, enhanced outreach and strengthened inclusive practice will reduce reliance on independent and out-of-area placements over time so that CYP can remain closer to their families and communities in a financially sustainable SEND system.

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.

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

Please see maturity matrix attachment in paper pack

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

Local roadmap for the next 3 years

Building Block 1 – Experts at Hand (E@H)

Synopsis - Experts at Hand Strategy and road map for the next 3 years Year 1 of the E@H programme will focus on establishing the core delivery model and building workforce capacity.

Key priorities include: · Establishing the hub function and multi-disciplinary triage process. · Implementing a single access route for all settings. · Recruiting to key roles across Educational Psychology, therapies and specialist support. · Developing operational protocols for triage, allocation and delivery. · Engaging all education settings through structured planning meetings. Success will be measured through: · Coverage across settings. · Timeliness of response. · Volume and type of support delivered. Years 2 and 3 will focus on scaling the model and embedding system-wide capability. Equitable access for all education settings will be achieved through: · A structured programme of engagement with all education settings, including termly multi-agency planning meetings. · A needs-based prioritisation approach, using local data to guide allocation of support. · Proactive identification of settings requiring additional support. · Monitoring of demand patterns to ensure that access is not driven solely by the most proactive settings. This approach ensures fair and consistent access aligned to need.

Overall, accountability for the delivery of the E@H programme sits with a single Local Authority Senior Responsible Officer (SRO), who provides operational leadership and is accountable for delivery across the Local Area Partnership.

Governance arrangements for E@H are aligned with wider partnership governance and include: · Oversight through the SEND Partnership Board · Joint accountability with health partners through Integrated Care Board representation

·Regular reporting of performance, delivery and financial monitoring Clear escalation routes are in place to address risks and performance issues.

Formal arrangements for Integrated Care Board participation and sign-off will be secured through existing partnership governance mechanisms.

2026/27 2027/28 2028/29

Local roadmap for the

next 3 years

Building Block 1 – Experts at

Hand (E@H)

Identify local area needs from existing data sets such as the early years and schools’ sufficiency plan, SEND needs assessment data, post 16 data to outline the hub and spoke offer.

Use the data to develop the E@H offer to ensure maximum coverage, equitable access, and ensure the service focus is on the commonly occurring needs.

Co-produce clear E@H offer so education settings, partners and families are clear which service to request support from. E@H focus will be systemic, and needs led and will include some individual support as required.

Monitor usage of the E@H service to ensure equitable access.

Draft an explicit operational boundary framework separating core universal support from E@H targeted input. This will clearly define low-level strategies that must be delivered via the

Continue to refine and update the finalised E@H Offer in line with the universal offer and local area needs data.

Continue to refine operational pathways with health and partners based on Year 1 mapping. Continue to co-produce the map of the wider network (Health, AP, social care, Early Help, Early Years BSiL etc.) and implement and establish close working relationships to avoid gaps and duplication in service delivery to support the needs of SEND children and young people locally.

Continue to monitor equitable usage of the E@H service alongside the wider network.

Partner with the Parent Carer Forum to co-design and publish a parent- facing public guidance toolkit and digital campaign. This will ensure families understand the non-statutory entry/exit points and feel secure utilising early support without an

Formally re-evaluate the E@H Core Offer against updated MIME and sufficiency data to address shifting borough trends.

Reposition the central offer so that it becomes self-sustaining and focuses on high- complexity systemic needs. The central offer will become self-sustaining due to the appointment of permanent staff whose posts will continue beyond the end of the grant. By year 3, the E@H central team will have created a strong foundation for cultural change across education settings through embedding inclusive approaches through capacity building so the system will be able to become self-sustaining.

Implement formal cross-border communication and support pathways with out-of-area Further Education (FE) colleges attended by local young people, ensuring Bracknell Forest learners receive consistent, non-statutory specialist input regardless of where their setting is geographically located.

Conduct a comprehensive borough-wide capability review, comparing Year 3 request

A clear offer and who it is for

The enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Co-designed operational boundaries. Shared vision and evidence- informed priorities. A need-led pathway sitting in the middle tier.

Partner with LA commissioners and the ICB to develop clear streamlined guidance and a transition plan for high-impact grant roles into the long-term base budget structure.

Ensure Best Start Family Hub integration is fully mature, seamlessly catching early years needs before primary school transition.

Mature the APST model as a core component of the inclusive AP offer.

Review regional contracting routes and shared expertise agreements to ensure they effectively mitigate local capacity constraints.

become ‘experts in inclusion’ and can act as E@H associates in Year 2 who can provide support for other Bracknell Forest education settings (peer to-peer support model).

Establish joint clinical governance and shared casework frameworks across the local authority, special school, and health teams.

Review the impact of the commissioned specialist outreach from special schools and APs, adjusting the framework as needed to align with the three-tier model.

Launch the new AP framework. Where local alternative provision capacity is constrained, use regional partnerships to spot-purchase from vetted out-of- borough providers, ensuring pupils receive timely support.

across the partnership. E.g. the PINS project, CYPIT offer, Educational Psychology Service offer, Early Help. E@H offer will enhance existing services and work closely in partnership with, for example, CYPIT and the EPS and Best Start in Life Inclusion officers. The services will work alongside each other but also together when appropriate.

• Centralise the E@H team who will be co-

located at the Child Development Centre (E@H will sit at the centre, and all other existing services sit on the spokes. e.g. E@H will directly support Best Start in Life Family Hubs and other existing services and close relationships with existing pathways will be maintained to ensure the E@H offer is unique and appropriate to meet local needs at a systemic level.

• As the Best Start in Life programme

develops, Best Start Inclusion Practitioners will form the early years element of this hub and spoke model, linking Family Hubs, early years providers, the Child Development Centre and the wider Experts at Hand offer.

• Establish a unified 'Team Induction

Program' to create a shared multi- disciplinary language and culture (moving from clinical models to systemic coaching models).

• Define the 'Associate' Competency

Framework—the specific skills inclusion

base ‘leads’ or SENDCos must demonstrate to graduate to E@H Associate status in Year 2.

Formally commission structured outreach via SLAs with high-quality local special schools and Alternative Provision (AP) to deliver targeted capacity-building.

• Integrate Best Start Family Hub inclusion

officers directly into the multi- disciplinary E@H triage pathway to bridge early years identification.

• Initiate the collaborative

recommissioning of Alternative Provision to align with the national 3- tier model, integrating best practices from Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces (APST). Enhance regional partnerships to share AP expertise and vet neighbouring authorities' APs to prepare for local capacity constraints. Simple access routes and fast response

Develop a multi-disciplinary (MDT) E@H team triage approach to enable early, timely access to a universal, targeted and targeted plus support from health and education professionals that is structured to meet local needs as evidenced by data trends rather than being based on demand/access limitation to ensure equity and equality of access.

The EPS and CYPIT offers are adjusted to ensure that the two services are not duplicating and work together.

Implement multi-professional E@H

• Begin weekly triage hub meetings so

that support is timely.

• Roll out the termly E@H multi-agency

system level SEND focused meetings with all education setting leaders so that mainstream education settings understand the E@H service offer and remit who feed intelligence of their settings need, which in turn inform E@H service development and offer.

• Implement a 'Warm Handover'

protocol-ensuring that when a request is triaged, the specific specialist assigned makes contact with the

Use 2-year trend data to automate 'low-risk' triage—allowing schools direct access to specific toolkits or workshops without needing a full E@H review.

Consider full integration with Early Help and Social Care 'front doors' to ensure a 'no wrong door' policy for families.

Embed proactive data-led targeting as business-as-usual, demonstrating equitable distribution of support regardless of school request volumes.

The enablers will be: A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials. A Coordinated single request route. Flexible multi-agency support lines.

classroom practice.

Establish baseline tracking for access demographics to prove equitable distribution among settings (including out-of-area FE and less proactive schools).

Success measures for E@H building block (as above in the blueprint section)

0 schools or settings provide a rating Year 1 - 80% of SRPs/inclusion bases report support was helpful, timely and their understanding of what to do to meet the needs of children at SEND support increased Year 2 - 75% of education settings (incl SRPs) report support was rated good or better Year 3 - 100% of education settings (incl SRPs) report support was good or better.

Satisfaction and Confidence of the E@H offer

Education settings report higher levels of confidence in their ability to meet the needs of children at their local school

Local roadmap for the next 3 years

Building block 2 – Universal Offer

Synopsis – The universal offer strategy and road map for the next 3 years The Bracknell Forest Universal Offer will be a partnership-wide agreement, co-developed and regularly refreshed with schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, early years settings, post-16 providers, health partners and the Parent Carer Forum, and informed by needs-based data and lived experience. It will define the core inclusive provision that should ordinarily be available across the local area, strengthen early intervention and mainstream confidence, and support settings to meet the most commonly occurring and growing areas of need more effectively. In doing so, it will work alongside Experts at Hand and wider early intervention services to reduce avoidable escalation, improve local inclusion and reduce longer-term reliance on specialist out-of-area provision and travel.

The Bracknell Forest Universal Offer will be the foundation of an inclusive 0–25 SEND system. It will set out, in a clear and consistent way, the core provision that children and young people with SEND should ordinarily expect in early years settings, schools and post-16 providers before the need for specialist or statutory escalation. It will be designed as a partnership-wide agreement rather than a local authority document alone, and will be co-developed with education settings, Multi-Academy Trusts, health partners, the Parent Carer Forum and other stakeholders using current needs-based data, lived experience and the emerging national inclusion standards. The Universal Offer will be formally refreshed over time so that it remains responsive to local needs, emerging evidence and the lessons learned through implementation.

The purpose of the Universal Offer is to strengthen the confidence and capability of the mainstream system so that more needs are identified early and met effectively in local settings. It will do this by clarifying expectations for inclusive provision, refreshing Ordinarily Available Provision, improving the consistency of Assess–Plan–Do–Review, and equipping the workforce with practical, evidence-based approaches to meet the most commonly occurring and growing areas of need. It will sit alongside, but remain distinct from, targeted and targeted plus support such as Experts at Hand, therapies, mental health support and wider early intervention services. This distinction is important, because the Universal Offer is intended to become the consistent baseline across the local area, while targeted services strengthen and support that baseline rather than replace it.

By strengthening the Universal Offer, the local area partnership expects more children and young people to have their needs met earlier and more effectively within their local mainstream setting, reducing preventable escalation into statutory assessment, crisis response and specialist placement. Over time, this will improve inclusion, confidence, and outcomes, while also reducing avoidable pressure on sufficiency, transport, and the High Needs Block.

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Local roadmap for the next 3 years Building block 2 – Universal Offer

In year 1, the partnership will co- produce and agree to a formal Bracknell Forest Universal Offer Agreement with schools, MATs, early years settings, post-16 providers, health partners and the Parent Carer Forum.

The agreement will set out the core inclusive provision expected across the system, clarify how this links to Ordinarily Available Provision, targeted support and Experts at Hand, and establish a shared basis for training, quality assurance and future review.

Year 1 activity will also strengthen the early years and post-16 elements of the Universal Offer so that transition points, cross-phase information-sharing and pathways into adulthood are clearer and more consistent.

Co-produce a borough-wide standard universal offer and full inclusion charter and strategy for Bracknell Forest education settings with schools, MATS, post-16

• Launch and publish the Bracknell Forest

Universal Offer across the local area partnership, hardwiring its expectations into all education settings admission and welcome packs.

• Use the Universal Offer to reduce escalation

by making expectations for ordinarily available provision explicit, strengthening confidence in mainstream support, and linking settings earlier to group-level specialist advice where needed. In year 1 this will lay the groundwork for more needs to be met locally and for reducing longer- term pressure on out-of-area placements and travel assistance.

• Formally evaluate the Bracknell Forest

inclusion charter to ensure if matches the new DfE National inclusion Standard framework.

• Establish an ongoing review and

strengthening cycle of the Universal offer, so it continues to support mainstream schools to support more children at SEND support.

• Update the local offer based on two years of

impact data

• Transition the Universal Offer into the

statutory Individual Support Plan (ISP) infrastructure.

A shared definition of what is meant by ‘Universal Offer’

The enablers will be: Shared vision and evidence informed priorities. Establishing a value-based common vocabulary. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Distributed local area accountability. Digital solution for sharing the local offer.

providers, early years settings and the parent carer forum (PCF) to adopt and support all education settings to develop their own inclusion policies.

Formally brief, the partnership workforce on the new universal offer. Run a pilot window with a selection of education settings and MATs (the schools with SRPs and inclusion bases E@H will be supporting in yr 1) to test the offer. Co-produce a Bracknell Forest Framework for ordinarily available provision in line with the DfE national inclusion standards

Embed ‘inclusion’ - in class, high quality inclusive and adaptive teaching strategies as the primary response to SEND rather than Teaching Assistant led interventions outside of class.

Integrate OAP compliance metrics directly into standard local authority setting- improvement visits and performance conversations to address pockets of non- compliance.

Devolving OAP monitoring to E@H associates.

Review and update the Bracknell Forest Graduated Approach Ordinarily Provision guidance to reflect the new DfE standards of universal, targeted, targeted plus and specialist support.

Develop a collaborative non-punitive peer-moderation process to evaluate education settings implementation (a self-assessment framework).

• Co-produce inclusion standards for whole

school classroom practice, so that classrooms including routines are designed to proactively manage cognitive load and accommodate sensory needs as standard without the need for specialist assessments or diagnoses.

• Mandate the co-produced whole-school

classroom practice inclusion standards through local authority school-effectiveness protocols and MAT partnership pledges.

The enablers will be: Shared vision and evidence- informed priorities. A skilled and confident workforce. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials. Embedding the graduated approach.

Audit current APDR proficiency and map early identification screening software packages used across health and education.

• Develop shared systemic screening tools to

identify commonly occurring needs such as speech/language and learning delays.

• Analyse the data from the newly introduced

screening tools to see if early identification rates are shifting.

• Utilise data from childcare sufficiency

assessments, the Early Years SEND and Inclusion team to address gaps in

• The strengthened universal offer will improve

baseline support available in mainstream settings. There will be strong relationships between family hubs, health visitors, early- year providers and the Child Development Centre (CDC). Transitions from early years to primary school will be strengthened through a more consistent transition process.

• Utilise data trends from the systemic

Consistent early identification and support through Assess Plan Do Review (APDR) process in every setting

Deliver standardised training for all Early Years, mainstream school and post-16 setting staff on high-quality, legally compliant Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) cycles.

The enablers will be: Shared vision and evidence- informed priorities. Data-driven early Identification.

Align the early years universal offer with the BSiL programme and Family Hib development so that more children have their needs at local nurseries and pre-schools.

A shared culture of professional curiosity. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials. Targeted support deployed "at place".

mainstream provision for children with complex or emerging needs

• Model, deliver and evaluate the impact of

evidence-based interventions leading to improved outcomes for children including an increased percentage achieving a good level of development (GLD).

• Pilot the revised SEN Inclusion Fund

(SENIF) process to provide financial support aligned with the universal offer and the graduated approach.

• The improved information flow between

education, health, social care, employment support, supported internships and training is ensuring that transition begins early and is consistently applied so young people and families have clearer information about pathways in and out of post-16 provision.

• Some Bracknell Forest young people

attend provision outside the borough, the local area will work with post-16 partners, including out-of-area mainstream colleges where local young people are placed, to improve consistency of support pathways and access to specialist advice. This will include ensuring that the Experts at Hand model and wider partnership arrangements are developed with post-16 partners and, where appropriate, through cross-border collaboration. The aim is that post-16 providers form part of the same inclusive local system, rather than operating separately from it.

screening tools to dynamically adjust universal classroom environmental strategies across school clusters.

• Data from childcare sufficiency assessments,

the Early Years SEND and Inclusion Team, and partners will help identify and address gaps in mainstream provision for children with complex or emerging needs.

• Early identification including section 23

health notifications, is systematic and embedded, ensuring needs are met at the earliest possible level with the support of BSiL Inclusion practitioners.

• Continue to analyse SENIF data to ensure

the right children are accessing the financial support they need.

• For post 16 the enhanced universal Offer will

support a stronger PfA pathway by clarifying what inclusive support should be available within local mainstream settings and through supported internships and employment and training options.

• Stronger post-16 pathways will support

improved participation in education, training and employment, reduce placement instability at key transition points, and contribute to a more coherent 0–25 pathway for young people with SEND.

Align the new enhanced universal offer with PfA outcomes into EHC plans from Year 8 onwards.

Align the new enhanced universal offer with the outcomes of the post- 16 review recommendations to ensure pathways to adulthood are strengthened and more young people can access education, training, employment and supported internships including for young people attending provision outside the borough.

Improve the information flow between education, health, social care and employment support to ensure that transition planning starts early and is consistent so transitions can become less fragmented

Co-produce a borough-wide standard universal offer for Bracknell Forest with MATS, post-16 providers, early years settings and the parent carer forum (PCF).

Develop and implement a robust QA mechanism (audit tool) to monitor universal provision and equity across the local area.

Develop a tracking system to monitor specialist referrals (EHC needs assessment, SALT, and OT assessments).

Co-produce inclusive practice standards for inclusion bases, in a format of a self-assessment framework/tool.

Co-produce tools to measure children and young people’s sense of wellbeing and belonging.

Deploy the universal audit tool across all settings to generate the borough’s first comprehensive Inclusive Practice Baseline.

Devolve the oversight of inclusion base self- assessments to peer-review school-to- school partnerships, held to account by the core Governance Group

Governance and quality assurance

The enablers will be: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Unified Statutory Governance Routes. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials. Environment-Wide Sensory and Cognitive Adaptations. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Open-Book Partnership SEND local area Data Dashboards.

Local roadmap for the next 3 years Building block 3 – Coproduction and Leadership

Local roadmap for the next 3 years

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Deliver a shared definition of co-production agreed across the Partnership

Complete system wide audit of co- production practice in the local area

Through a co-production working group agree minimum standards for coproduction with all system partners partnership signed off through partnership governance.

Formulate an action plan to address gaps so that minimum co-production standard is in place across the partnership. Use NHSE guidance to support system development.

Develop a cross-agency tracking system to monitor and evidence how young people’s voices have led to change.

Agree a multi-year approach to the supplementary funding of the Local Area PCF. The MOU / SLA between the Local Area and Parent Carer Forum will be refreshed with updated KPIs.

Review how education settings will capture and use parental feedback in the

Co-production standards embedded in commissioning, policy development and service design.

Launch a SEND participation hub, identifying all engagement and co- production opportunities across Bracknell Forest, both for parent carers and children and young people.

Launch a co-production toolkit across the partnership with resources and ideas to support participation and engagement for Parent Carers and Young People based on the task and outputs required.

Implement a consistent approach to school feedback and engagement for parent carers and young people across the partnership. If not led by PCF, ensure PCF accesses insights to inform both of its strategic and parent carer support roles in the local area.

Complete an annual review conversation with the PCF as part of the MOU conversation. Reflect on progress and any risks. Agree priorities for the forthcoming year.

Establish and publish annual SEND Co-production and engagement report.

Maintain annual quality co- production assurance assessment using Maturity Matrix and NHSE Benchmark to ensure partnership retains co-production standards.

Ensure that all strategic boards have meaningful input from children and young people.

Review with PCF, improvements in parent carer engagement as a result of the multi-year approach, and what may be needed beyond year three to sustain or further

A system approach to Co-production

The enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Moving beyond late-stage consultation. Continuous feedback loops. Expanding diverse representation.

develop engagement.

future. Identify options, resources and any commissioning requirements

Identify co-production champions across the partnership for train the trainer training; set expectations for relational practice.

Establish “You sad, we did” feedback loops

Develop proposal for single partnership insights repository. Education partnership and distributed system leadership

Review and refresh terms of reference decision rights, disagreement and escalation routes for SEND governance in the Local Area.

Establish Local Area Education Partnership Board for Education Settings including Ey, Fe, and AP.

Begin engagement with out-of-area colleges attended by Bracknell Forest CYP to establish initial communication channels.

The role of Special Schools and MATs in system leadership formalised through governance structures and accountability framework.

A partnership escalation and disagreement resolution charter clearly maps the routes for system escalation of concerns and describes the behaviours expected for partners to work together to resolve disagreement informally.

Joint system leadership behaviours and shared SEND improvement priorities agreed for the partnership.

Partners are jointly held to account for 0–25 outcomes and inclusion, with corrective action agreed collectively where performance is off track.

The enablers will be: Shared vision and evidence-informed priorities. Special Schools as system leaders. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Distributed local area accountability.

Automation of version one of the SEND data dashboards has been achieved as far as possible. Limitations and constraints to further automation have been mapped. Transition toward more frequent data refreshes where live data unavailable will further explored.

Using the Reform Plan quarterly return as a start point, agree core partnership dataset, definitions, and metrics, including identification of assigned named data owners for each dataset.

Develop version 2 SEND data dashboard from prototype to “business as usual” partnership dashboard with routine reporting and action.

Leaders trained to provide constructive challenges based on data.

Decision triggers and escalation routes in place. Clear thresholds for action defined.

Agree with expected response times and escalation routes through governance.

Qualitative and quantitative feedback from parent carers and young people relating to Bracknell Forest schools form part of the partnership dashboard.

Further develop shared learning cycles: joint audits (including lived experience), thematic reviews and improvement sprints using quantitative and qualitative insight.

Shared Data and Transparency

The enablers will be: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Unified statutory governance routes. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Partnership dashboards.

Assurance obtained that IASS has skills, resources, and training required to adapt to the reforms as they go forward including any legislative change agreed.

IASS capacity kept under review to ensure changes in demand arising from the reform are manageable.

IASS feedback kept under review to ensure families continue to recognise the service as impartial.

Review and update of published information on ‘What to do if you disagree with a SEND decision in Bracknell’. Include clear explanations as to how the voice of young people and parent carers is heard in decision making, the information that is helpful to the Local Authority and how it will be used.

Develop and implement a cycle of routine audits to measure workforce confidence and feedback to inform further development of relational practice.

Measures of success of informal resolution used to inform future CPD for SEND Team

Improve individual co-production: standardize early dialogue and person- centered planning practice; measure relational trust and experience at key points in the journey including the extent to which Parent Carers and Young people have felt heard through the process.

Commence tracking % of families offered an informal resolution meeting within 15 calendar days of requesting this.

Track % of families who do not go onto appeal following an informal resolution meeting.

Annual IASS report reviewed as part of the partnership assurance process. Consistent enquiries and issues acted upon with published partnership response.

Relational practice training delivered for Senior SEND officers.

Dispute resolution and relational trust

The enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Rebuilding parental trust through transparency. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Impartial Information and Advice Support.

Local roadmap for the next 3 years

Building block 4 – Sufficiency

Local roadmap for the next 3 years Building block 4 - Sufficiency

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• Complete borough-wide needs analysis and

estates survey: validate SEND cohort forecasts (0–25), map current provision, occupancy and out-of-area placements; align to SCAP and SEND data Dashboard.

• Recognise informal resource/inclusion bases.

Collaborating with the Experts at Hand, identify aspirational provision and create a template for schools to apply to create a strategically located and planned inclusion base portfolio

• Using data from the childcare sufficiency

assessment and live case information from the CDC, assess potential primary specialist bases that can be adapted to offer EY places, if there is an identified need that cannot be managed through outreach work.

• Outline and test viability on a 3 – 5-year estate

development programme to encompass support base development, Specialist Base Development and mainstream adaptations to nurture inclusion.

• Reduce reliance on independent

placements: introduce tighter sufficiency-led placement governance and earlier locality planning at transition points (initially Y6/7, Y11) to increase local placements offered and accepted.

• Implement adaptations to allow Early

Years place development in existing provision or provision currently under development

• Complete viability on a 3 – 5-year

estate development programme (support bases, Specialist Bases Mainstream adaptations) and secure approval / project commencement on initial designs.

• Deliver additional sufficiency projects

identified and rebalancing across phases/needs according to estate development plan (support bases, Specialist Bases Mainstream adaptations)

• Demonstrable impact emerging: sustained

reduction in new high-cost independent/OOA placements and stabilised transport pressures, with improved local placement suitability and stronger attendance.

Robust needs analysis and estates survey

The Enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Shared vision and evidence- informed priorities. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials including data/digital solutions .

• A well-organised, skilled and

supported workforce.

• Capital Investment.
• Identify priority gaps by phase/need (e.g.,

ASD/SEMH/SLCN) and geography; agree a 3- year sufficiency construction roadmap (pipeline of projects) with indicative costs, timelines and dependencies that allow flexibility to account for funding uncertainty and provisional costs.

• Set up strengthened planning intelligence:

single dataset and assumptions, scenario modelling (housing growth, prevalence, cohort

• Consolidation of successful models

(including inclusion bases and outreach- enabled specialist provision).

• Continuous improvement cycle is

embedded: annual evaluation of provision mix against emerging needs, occupancy of new places vs expectation, outcomes of pupils allocated provision and value for money compared to alternative

Enhanced needs analysis to identify emerging trends in provision need

Refine enhanced needs analysis: incorporate travel/transport impact, inclusion indicators, tribunal drivers and cost curves (OOA, independent, transport) to support investment decisions and reduce high-cost growth. Assess transport needs of new placements against actual allocations. Learn and adapt policies

The Enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system .

• Review impact of initial EY place creation

for SEND and plan for further place creation if warranted.

Shared vision and evidence- informed priorities. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Capital investment. A focus on high-quality delivery of essentials including data//digital solutions.

Number of places available within Specialist Bases (secondary): 137

Number of places within Special Schools: 260 Financial Sustainability within the High Needs Block

Percentage of children currently educated in INMSS is growing at a slower rate than overall growth in EHC plans.

INMSS growth 2025 – 3.94% EHCP growth 2025 – 3.4%

Year 1

• EHCP growth 2026 – 6.2%
• INMSS growth 2026 - -3.7%

Year 2

Fewer children and young people will have their needs met within Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools (INMSS)

• EHCP growth 2027 – 7.0%
• INMSS growth 2027 – 1.3%

Year 3

• EHCP growth 2028 – 7.2%
• INMSS growth 2028 – 0.6%

5. What will the local area partnership deliver in the first year?

2026-27 Local delivery plan Q2 Q3 Q4

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

Responsible lead per workstream – accountable for the delivery of the workstream and the identified outcome.

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

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

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

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

Building block - Workstream 1 Outcome Success measure Building block - Workstream 2 Outcome Success measure Building block - Workstream 3 Outcome

Success measure Projected Investment Spend per quarter Please specify funding source for each category Example categories: Programme oversight/additional leadership capacity. Workforce Recruitment Workforce training and development Data/Digital Total Spend

Building block 1 – E@H

Outcome:

Early identification and intervention: Children receive the right help at the earliest stage, addressing needs before they impact achievement or mental health. Confident and skilled workforce: Practitioners are skilled in delivering high-quality, inclusive teaching, resulting in better day-to-day experiences for children and young

people. Financial sustainability focused on outcomes: Resources align with improved outcomes, ensuring long-term educational success and independence. System Impact and System Trust: Children and young people achieve their potential within a calmer, more confident SEND system where support is embedded at the

earliest opportunity.

Success Measures:

• Active Engagement and Embedding of the E@H offer
• E@H Reduces Escalation to Statutory Processes - 0% (baseline) reduction in EHC needs assessment requests from parent carers
• Satisfaction and confidence with the E@H offer
• Children are supported to have their needs met at SEND support

2026-27 Local delivery plan Q2 Q3 Q4

A pooled multi-disciplinary workforce. Capital investment to develop the CDC into a 0-25 SEND hub.

as outreach from existing special schools and specialist teaching staff (Max 80% of grant used for E@H recruitment of specialist and 20% for other, see detailed quarterly spend breakdown). Formally commission structured outreach via SLAs with high- quality local special schools and Alternative Provision (AP) to deliver targeted capacity- building Activity not starting until Q3 Activity not starting until Q3

0% (baseline) reduction in EHC needs assessment requests from parent carers

existing services sit on the spokes. e.g. E@H will directly support Best Start in Life Family Hubs and other existing services and close relationships with existing pathways will be maintained to ensure the E@H offer is unique and appropriate to meet local needs at a systemic level. Establish a unified E@H 'Team Induction Program' to create a shared multi-disciplinary language and culture (moving from clinical models to systemic coaching models). Define the 'Associate' Competency Framework—the

Processe s - 0% (baseline) reduction in EHC needs assessme nt requests from parent carers

CYPIT offer, Educational Psychology Service offer, Early Help. E@H offer will enhance existing services and work closely in partnership with, for example, CYPIT and the EPS and Best Start in Life Inclusion officers. The services will work alongside each other but also together when appropriate. Embed the unified E@H 'Team Induction Program' so that all staff have a shared understanding of the operating model and multi-agency culture. Potential Associates complete the 'Associate'

needs assessment requests from parent carers

specific skills inclusion base ‘leads’ or SENDCos must demonstrate to graduate to E@H Associate status in Year 2. As the Best Start in Life develops, Best Start Inclusion Practitioners will

Competency Framework and expression of interest to become E@H Associate. E@H Associates are confirmed. Initiate the collaborative recommissioning of Alternative Provision to align with the national 3- tier model, integrating best practices from Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces (APST). Further strengthen regional partnerships to share AP expertise and vet neighbouring authorities' APs to prepare for local capacity constraints. Integrate Best Start Family Hub inclusion officers directly into the multi-disciplinary

Activity not starting until Q4 Activity not starting until Q3

do to meet the needs of children at SEND support increased

timely and their understan ding of what to do to meet the needs of children at SEND support increased

Activity not starting until Q3 In year 1, a reduced offer will be in place.

Once staff are in place the new E@H team will work with their governance group to co-produce an offer of evidence- based interventions for children and young people with commonly occurring needs in our local area: speech and language, neurodiversity, mental health, and EBSA. These will be our priorities for capacity building. Establish the core criteria and

Deploy the E@H team including commissioned specialist outreach staff from local AP and special schools to model adaptive strategies and evidenced based interventions directly within mainstream classrooms. Publicise the intensive Year 2

e of the E@H offer - 40% of SRPs/incl usion bases report support was helpful, timely and their under- standing of what to do to meet the needs of children at SEND support increased .

model, and the E@H model will be adjusted as required. Co-produce a shared data tracking system for the E@H offer which will include impact measures that is available to the LA / ICB.

bases report support was helpful, timely and their under- standing of what to do to meet the needs of children at SEND support

leadership and governance. Centralised hub-and-spoke governance. The E@H governing body.

education setting, and MAT leaders, health, PCF and partners to lead and take a shared responsibility for the E@H offer to increase ownership of the SEND change programme. E@H governance group will report to the Education Partnership Board with clear reporting and escalation routes in place to support delivery. Author and sign off the formal E@H Terms of Reference (ToR) detailing the financial delegation thresholds and escalation pathways and decision making and escalation routes across the LA and the ICB. Define clear performance assurance metrics and escalation routes within the LA/ICB MOU to be governed

the E@H offer - 20% of SRPs/inclusi on bases report support was helpful, timely and their under- standing of what to do to meet the needs of children at SEND support increased.

and spoke model co-location plan and co-produce an initial E@H offer which will enhance existing referral routes within other service areas. The E@H offer will be integrated with existing services. Co-produce a formal quality assurance processes and metrics across all educational settings for the E@H offer within LA/ ICB MOU

distribution among settings (including out-of-area FE and less proactive schools). The E@H workstream and governance group will co-produce the entry and exit criteria/eligibility thresholds, so mechanisms are in place to prioritise need over demand. The governance group will monitor the use of the ‘outreach’ offer from our local special schools and registered AP provider.

check equitable distribution among settings (including out-of-area FE and less proactive schools). Use the data on entry and exit criteria/eligibility thresholds, so mechanisms are in place to prioritise need over demand. The governance group will oversee the ‘outreach’ offer for year 2 in line with local data and emerging needs.

Activity not starting until Q3 The E@H workstream and then the governance group will co-produce the size and detail of the ‘outreach’ offer from our local special schools and registered AP provider.

Building block 2 – Universal Offer

Outcome:

Inclusive provision as the core offer: Children and young people access learning environments where needs are identified early and met effectively.

Early identification and intervention: Children receive the right help at the earliest stage, addressing needs before they impact achievement or mental health.

Confident and skilled workforce: Practitioners are skilled in delivering high-quality, inclusive teaching, resulting in better day-to-day experiences for children and young people.

Success measures:

• Reduction in SALT and OT wait times for targeted assessment (Universal Offer will help support the projected reduction in wait time through enhancing the whole school approach.).
• All education settings have an inclusion policy that meets expected standards.
• E@H requests for support are appropriate (Tracked via triage meeting) the enhanced Universal Offer means less referrals will be required to E@H.
• The number of children and young people with SEND who are suspended or excluded reduces because they are being successfully included at their local mainstream education setting.
• The attendance rates of children and young people with SEND improves.

2026-27 Local delivery plan Q2 Q3 Q4

Responsible lead per workstream – accountable for the delivery of the workstream and the identified outcome.

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

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

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

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

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

Defining a shared definition of what is meant by universal offer with education settings, health partners and local authority professionals The enablers will be: Shared vision and evidence informed priorities. Establishing a value-based common vocabulary. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Distributed Local Area Accountability. Digital solution for sharing the local offer.

In year 1, the partnership will co- produce and agree to a formal Bracknell Forest Universal Offer Agreement with schools, MATs, early years settings, post- 16 providers, health partners and the Parent Carer Forum. Co-produce a borough-wide standard universal offer and full inclusion charter and strategy for Bracknell Forest education settings with schools, MATS, post-16 providers, early years settings and the parent carer forum (PCF) to adopt

The agreement will set out the core inclusive provision expected across the system, clarify how this links to Ordinarily Available Provision, targeted support and Experts at Hand, and establish a shared basis for training, quality assurance and future review. The borough- wide inclusion charter will strengthen the early years and post-16 elements of the Universal Offer so that transition points, cross- phase information- sharing and pathways into adulthood are

Formally brief, the partnership workforce on the new universal offer. Run a pilot window with a selection of education settings and MATs (the schools with SRPs and inclusion bases E@H will be supporting in yr 1) to test the offer. The borough-wide inclusion charter will support education settings to develop their own inclusion policies.

Principal Educational Psychologist and Strategic Lead for Specialist Support Services

Success Measure 2: All education settings have an inclusion policy that meets expected standards - 0% (baseline) of education settings with SRP/inclusi on bases

Success Measure 2: All education settings have an inclusion policy that meets expected standards - 33% (baseline) of education settings with SRP/inclusi on bases

Success Measure 2: All education settings have an inclusion policy that meets expected standards - 100% (baseline) of education settings with SRP/inclusion bases

inappropriate /turned-down referrals to the E@H Hub

/turned-down referrals to the E@H Hub

Audit the early years universal offer. Align the new enhanced universal offer with PfA outcomes into EHC plans from Year 8 onwards. Align the new enhanced universal offer with the outcomes of the post-16 review recommendatio ns to ensure pathways to adulthood are strengthened and more young people can access education,

Align the early years universal offer with the BSiL programme and Family Hub development so that more children have their needs at local nurseries and pre-schools. Improve the information flow between education, health, social care and employment support to ensure that transition planning starts early and is consistent so transitions can become less fragmented.

Activity not starting until Q3 Activity not starting until Q3

training, employment and supported internships including for young people attending provision outside the borough. Universal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) / induction offer for all partners

Activity not starting until Q3

Success Measure 4: Maintain the suspension gap between pupils on SEND Support/EHC Ps and students without identified SEN below the national average (7.1%) Success Measure 5: Improved attendance rates for children and young people with SEND - Attendance for children with an EHCP: 88.16%

Undertake an audit of CPD needs, gaps analysis that covers early years settings, schools and post-16 and highlights commonly occurring and emerging need’s themes. For example, SLCN, relational approaches, EBSA, mental health, Autism

Success Measure 4: Maintain the suspension gap between pupils on SEND Support/EHC Ps and students without identified SEN below the national average (7.1%) Success Measure 5: Improved attendance rates for children and young people with SEND - Attendance for children with an EHCP: 88.5% Attendance

Design a CPD / Induction programme for education setting and workforce partnership that addresses the needs and gaps identified in the analysis that focuses on the commonly occurring and emerging needs themes

Success Measure 4: Maintain the suspension gap between pupils on SEND Support/EHCPs and students without identified SEN below the national average (7.1%) Success Measure 5: Improved attendance rates for children and young people with SEND - Attendance for children with an EHCP: 89.0% Attendance for children with SEN: 91.5% Overall attendance: 94.87%

The enablers will be: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Empowering SENCOs as strategic middle leaders. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Whole-System Multi- Agency Induction. Evidence-based continuous upskilling. Peer associates and reflection.

A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Open-book partnership. SEND local area data dashboards.

SEN below the national average (7.1%) Success Measure 5: Improved attendance rates for children and young people with SEND - Attendance for children with an EHCP: 88.16% Attendance for children with SEN: 91.0% Overall attendance: 94.87%

SEN below the national average (7.1%) Success Measure 5: Improved attendance rates for children and young people with SEND - Attendance for children with an EHCP: 88.5% Attendance for children with SEN: 91.25% Overall attendance: 94.87%

Success Measure 5: Improved attendance rates for children and young people with SEND - Attendance for children with an EHCP: 89.0% Attendance for children with SEN: 91.5% Overall attendance: 94.87%

standards are published by the DfE. Activity not starting until Q3

Develop a tracking system to monitor specialist referrals (EHC needs assessment, SALT, and OT assessments).

Use data from the tracking system to inform future changes to the universal offer.

Building block 3 – Coproduction and leadership

Outcome:

Transparent, trusted decision-making: Families experience clear, timely, and fair processes, reducing stress and improving positive engagement with services.

System Impact and System Trust: Children and young people achieve their potential within a calmer, more confident SEND system where support is embedded at the earliest opportunity.

Success measures:

• Young People surveyed report that their views are taken into consideration and are told what will happen as a result.
• Leaders understand the SEND Governance arrangements in the Local Area and are confident in how to escalate concerns if needed
• Increase in early resolution of disputes
• Co-production Champions in place across the partnership
• Families feel confident that IASS provides fair and unbiased advice

2026-27 Local delivery plan Q2 Q3 Q4

Responsible lead per workstream – accountable for the delivery of the workstream and the identified outcome.

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

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

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

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

Target trajectory per workstream Where do you expect your data to be?

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

Co-Production and Leadership

Co- Production and Leadership working group Chair: SEND Improvemen t Manager Co-Chair: PCF Representat ive

Success measure 4. Co- production Champions in place across the partnership.

Success measure 4. Co- production Champions in place across the partnership. Baseline = 0

Success measure 4. Co-production Champions in place across the partnership. Baseline = 0 Trajectory = 4 Success measure 1. Young People surveyed report that their views are taken into consideration and are told what will happen as a result Baseline = 0% Trajectory = 50%

Complete system wide audit of co- production practice in the Local Area using the NHSE Benchmark.

Deliver a shared definition of co-production agreed across the Partnership Through a co- production working group agree minimum standards for coproduction with all system partners partnership signed off through partnership governance. Formulate an action plan to address gaps so that minimum co-production standards are in place across the partnership. Use NHSE guidance to support system development. Agree a multi- year approach to the

Develop a cross- agency tracking system to monitor and evidence how young people’s voices have led to change. Review how education settings will capture and use parental feedback in the future. Identify options, resources and any commissioning requirements Identify co- production champions across the partnership for train the trainer training; set expectations for relational practice. Establish “You said, we did” feedback loops Develop proposal for single partnership insights repository.

The enablers will be: Moving beyond late-stage consultation. Continuous feedback loops. Expanding diverse representation.

Baseline = 0 Trajectory = 0 Success measure 1. Young People surveyed report that their views are taken into consideration and are told what will happen as a result Baseline = 0% Trajectory = 0% Trajectory = 0 Success measure 1. Young People surveyed report that their views are taken into consideration and are told what will happen as a result Baseline = 0% Trajectory = 0% supplementary funding of the Local Area PCF. The MOU / SLA between the Local Area and Parent Carer Forum will be refreshed with updated KPIs. Education partnership and distributed system leadership. The enablers will be: Special schools as system leaders. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Distributed local area accountability.

Action commences in Q3

Success measure 2. Leaders understand the SEND Governance arrangement s in the Local Area and are confident in how to escalate concerns if needed. Baseline SEND Ops Group = 0 Trajectory = 0 Baseline Education Partnership Board = 0 Trajectory = 0

Review and refresh terms of reference decision rights, disagreement and escalation routes for SEND governance in the Local Area.

Success measure 2. Leaders understand the SEND Governance arrangement s in the Local Area and are confident in how to escalate concerns if needed. Baseline SEND Ops Group = 0 Trajectory SEND Ops = 33% Baseline Education Partnership Board = 0 Trajectory

Establish Local Area Education Partnership Board for Education Settings including Ey, Fe, and AP.

Success measure

• Leaders

understand the SEND Governance arrangements in the Local Area and are confident in how to escalate concerns if needed. Baseline SEND Ops Group = 0 Trajectory SEND Ops = 50% Baseline Education Partnership Board = 0 Trajectory Education Partnership = 50%

Education Partnership Board = 0% Shared Data and Transparency The enablers will be: Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Unified statutory governance routes. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Partnership dashboards.

Automation of version one of the SEND data dashboard has been achieved as far as possible. Limitations and constraints to further automation have been mapped. Transition toward more frequent data refreshes where live data unavailable will further explored.

Success measure 2. Leaders understand the SEND Governance arrangement s in the Local Area and are confident in how to escalate concerns if needed. Baseline SEND Ops Group = 0 Trajectory = 0 Baseline Education Partnership Board = 0 Trajectory = 0

Using the Reform Plan quarterly return as a start point, agree core partnership dataset, definitions, and metrics, including identification of assigned named data owners for each dataset.

Success measure 2. Leaders understand the SEND Governance arrangement s in the Local Area and are confident in how to escalate concerns if needed. Baseline SEND Ops Group = 0 Trajectory SEND Ops = 33% Baseline Education Partnership Board = 0 Trajectory Education Partnership Board = 0%

Data led behaviours are written into our principles of governance. Discussions should reflect on baselines, trends and implications to determine next steps.

Success measure

• Leaders

understand the SEND Governance arrangements in the Local Area and are confident in how to escalate concerns if needed. Baseline SEND Ops Group = 0 Trajectory SEND Ops = 50% Baseline Education Partnership Board = 0 Trajectory Education Partnership = 50%

Describe and agree data assurance processes – including RAG ratings and validation approaches.

Programme management and reform assurance The enablers will be:

Success measure 2. Leaders understand the SEND

Success measure 2. Leaders understand the SEND

Success measure

• Leaders

understand the SEND Governance

Establish reporting arrangements, ensuring clear alignment with the

Action from Q2 ongoing

Regular monitoring is introduced, with early identification and escalation of

55% Success measure 5. Families feel confident that IASS provides fair and unbiased advice. Baseline 3.93/4 Trajectory >3.5/4

55% Success measure 5. Families feel confident that IASS provides fair and unbiased advice. Baseline 3.93/4 Trajectory >3.5/4

confident that IASS provides fair and unbiased advice. Baseline 3.93/4 Trajectory >3.5/4

supported workforce. Impartial information and advice support.

Building block 4 – Sufficiency

Outcome:

Inclusive provision as the core offer: Children and young people access learning environments where needs are identified early and met effectively. Strong local provision and pathways: Children and young people have their needs met in suitable local provision, strengthening relationships and preparation for adulthood. Financial sustainability focused on outcomes: Resources align with improved outcomes, ensuring long-term educational success and independence.

Success measures:

• Children and young people have access to the right specialist provision at the right time
• Fewer children and young people will have their needs met within Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools (INMSS)

2026-27 Local delivery plan Q2 Q3 Q4

specialist bases that can be adapted to offer EY places, if there is an identified need that cannot be managed through outreach work. (Action complete in Q3) Outline and test viability on a 3 – 5-year estate development programme to encompass support base development, Specialist Base Development and Mainstream adaptations to nurture inclusion. (Action complete in Q3)

Activity not starting until Q3

Projected Number of places available within Specialist Bases

Identify priority gaps by phase/need (e.g., ASD/SEMH/SL CN) and geography;

Number of places available within Specialist Bases (primary): 73

If feasibility is demonstrated, and subject to formal approval, deliver phase 1 of The primary phase Specialist Base

Number of places available within Specialist Bases (primary): 73 on 1st September Number of places

Enhanced needs analysis to identify emerging trends in provision need

The enablers will be:

Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system . Shared vision and evidence- informed priorities. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. A focus on high-quality delivery of the essentials including Data/digital solutions. A well-organised, skilled and supported workforce. Capital Investment.

(primary): 73 on 1st September Projected Number of places available within Specialist Bases (secondary): 107 1st September Projected Number of places within Special Schools: 220

agree a 3-year sufficiency construction roadmap (pipeline of projects) with indicative costs, timelines and dependencies that allow flexibility to account for funding uncertainty and provisional costs. (Action complete in Q3) Set up strengthened planning intelligence: single dataset and assumptions, scenario modelling (housing growth, prevalence, cohort movement) with early warning indicators. Share with and seek feedback from external

on 1st September Number of places available within Specialist Bases (secondary): 107 1st September Number of places within Special Schools: 220

(ASD – site identified) to open in September 2027. (Phase 1 opening in September 2027)

available within Specialist Bases (secondary): 107 1st September Number of places within Special Schools: 220

stakeholders within the Education Sufficiency Group (Action complete in Q3)

Formally engage with local MAT leadership to ensure that ambition is aligned to ability to deliver new provision. (Action complete in Q2)

Baseline - INMSS growth 2025 – 3.94% EHCP growth 2025 – 3.4%

Secure collaborative sufficiency governance mechanisms: expand & refine Education Sufficiency Group membership (schools, trusts, PCF, post-16, health, social care) and agree calendar of key discussion. (Action complete in Q3)

Baseline - INMSS growth 2025 – 3.94% EHCP growth 2025 – 3.4%

Initial proposals for transport policy revisions to align with legislation and to begin to better reflect the emerging placements in- borough. (Action complete in Q4)

EHCP growth 2026 – 6.2% INMSS growth 2026 - -3.7%

Collaborative working within the community: Co- production & Relationships

The enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Shared vision and evidence- informed priorities. Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. capital Investment. A focus on high-quality delivery of essentials including Data / Digital solutions.

Activity not starting until Q4

Projected Number of places available within Specialist Bases (secondary): 107 1st September

Activity not starting until Q4

Number of places available within Specialist Bases (secondary): 107 1st September

PFA / post-16: complete a post-16 needs and pathways review (numbers, destinations, travel, support needs), confirm options for dedicated SEND post-16 provision (or strengthened

Number of places available within Specialist Bases (secondary): 107 1st September

PFA preparing for adulthood The enablers will be: Co-production and relationships at the heart of the system. Shared vision and evidence- informed priorities.

Stable and knowledgeable leadership and governance. Capital investment.

• A focus on high-quality

delivery of essentials including data/digital solutions.

local offers). (Action complete in Q4)

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

Delivery of the Bracknell Forest SEND Reform Plan in Year 1 will be underpinned by the targeted use of transformation funding to build the capacity and capability required to implement priority reforms at pace. This investment is aligned to the 2026/27 delivery plan and focuses on establishing the core infrastructure needed to deliver the E@H model, strengthen the Universal Offer, and progress improvements in sufficiency and co-production.

Funding is being used to create dedicated programme and project management capacity, ensuring effective coordination of the four Building Blocks and delivery of Year 1 milestones. This includes oversight of timelines, risks and interdependencies, supporting prioritisation and maintaining clear grip across partnership delivery. A significant proportion of investment is focused on workforce capacity to establish the E@H model. This includes recruitment of educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and specialist practitioners, alongside commissioning outreach from local special schools and alternative provision. This directly enables establishment of the E@H hub, single access route and triage function.

Corporate functions are being strengthened to support delivery, including additional commissioning capacity to accelerate sufficiency activity, HR support to enable timely recruitment and workforce development, and access to time-limited specialist expertise to support service redesign and market development. Investment in data and analytics is a key Year 1 priority, including development of a shared SEND data dashboard and analytical capacity to support real-time tracking of key indicators, strengthened performance reporting and informed decision-making.

These investments establish strong delivery foundations and create sustainable capacity within business-as-usual systems.

7. 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.

Bracknell Forest’s decision to transfer funding from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block for 2026/27 is driven by a combination of sustained pressures and increasing demand within the SEND system, alongside the need to invest in longer-term system reform. The High Needs Block has experienced a persistent deficit since 2019/20, reflecting rising numbers of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), increasing complexity of need and growing reliance on high-cost specialist and independent placements. Forecasts indicate that, without intervention, these pressures would continue to drive in-year overspends and a worsening cumulative deficit.

The block transfer therefore provides essential short-term mitigation to maintain non statutory services such as the autism service while also enabling targeted investment in earlier intervention and mainstream inclusion. Funding is being directed towards strengthening SEN Support, expanding in-school capacity and improving access to specialist advice, with the aim of reducing escalation to EHC Plans, and avoiding costly placements. This aligns with the local authority’s wider SEND reform and recovery programme, which focuses on building local provision, reducing out-of-area dependency, and improving outcomes for children and young people.

In this context, the transfer is not solely a deficit management tool but a strategic investment to shift the system upstream. By addressing both immediate financial pressures and underlying drivers of demand, Bracknell Forest is seeking to create a more sustainable High Needs system that delivers support earlier, locally and more effectively.

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

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

BFC made a successful case for a DfE funded ASD school (Forest View) in 2026 due to low number of special needs places in borough (11 places per 1000 pupils vs national of 19 per 1000).

Mainstream specialist base capacity is increasing, required for a cohort whose severity of need (complex ASD) cannot be adequately or effectively met within a mainstream environment, even with adaptations (CMR17). The reprofiling of timescales is currently being undertaken by the DfE; assumption of September 2029 for opening. BFC has funded a 50 planned place special school Hawthorn Academy, due for completion in spring 2027 for SEMH.

Expanding secondary specialist bases and upcoming primary specialist bases will ensure that a higher level of needs will eventually be accommodated in mainstream using surplus existing school estate (see appendix 4). An estate review was completed in 2026; this is being verified by visiting schools with surplus (GIFA) ensuring projects are assessed for viability earlier. The findings will be developed into plans in partnership with the Place Planning Group (includes MAT leaders, PCF, local school leaders).who collaboratively guide and challenge sufficiency developments. New resource bases will be developed within existing school surplus area with SLA agreements following viability assessments, allowing changes to specialism as local need develops. Opportunities to work with MATs to make good use of surplus space in schools is underway. The rapid growth of EHC Plans for ASD in years 6 and 9, (see graph below) shows there is a need to provide better support in the years building up to these plans being issued to meet needs without EHCPs. This will be supported by mainstream adaptations to allow more inclusive schools, eventually supporting the physical delivery of the universal offer. New special school places will retain pupils in-borough and without NMISS placement.

Existing informal inclusion bases are being audited to identify geographic/needs gap, working with schools to utilise spare capacity. EY providers will be assessed with CDC (Early Years Child Development Centre) to generate EY support directly in settings enabling higher needs SEND pupils to access local provision. Ideally this will create 5–10 places in a school-based nursery SEND places to enable early access to services.

The main funding capital source available is the HNPCA grant. This fund has been allocated to existing pipeline projects for 26/27 and 27/28 which are detailed in Appendix 4, delivering a growth in special school and specialist base capacity over the next 4 years as detailed below:

Future capital investment will depend on HNPCA stability at a sustained level over the next four years. In 2026/27 funds are committed to the projects detailed in Appendix 4. Section 106 contributions may contribute to the longer term; however, this takes many years to develop and is reliant on future housing developments.

Whilst geographic positioning is important to consider in minimising travel distances in-borough, due to Bracknell’s majority urban/semi-urban population, there are no rurality considerations to factor into planning as might be found in other LA areas. (CMR18).

The Bracknell Forest SEND Partnership will deliver its Reform Plan through a structured, system-wide approach to engagement and co-production, embedded within governance, commissioning and service delivery. This ensures that education, health, social care, parent carers and CYP are actively involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of services, with transparent routes to influence decision-making and shared accountability for outcomes. The Reform Plan and Maturity Matrix have been fully co-produced with partners across the multi- agency system, with a comprehensive record of engagement captured in Appendix 2.

Engagement with education providers will be systematic and sustained, building on established networks such as SENDCo forums, headteacher groups, alternative provision partnerships and post-16 forums. An all-age Education Partnership Board, alongside the Experts at Hand governance board, will ensure joint ownership of reforms and alignment with local needs. These structures are formally linked to governance so that insights from early years settings, schools, alternative provision and post-16 providers, including out-of-area settings, directly inform planning, commissioning and service design. Stronger collaboration with Multi-Academy Trust leaders will support system-wide ownership of the SEND vision and delivery plan, while peer-led mechanisms will enable education providers to influence system design. Settings will also be supported to embed co-production in daily practice through parent forums, pupil voice activity, and clear expectations set through quality assurance and workforce development.

Co-production with parents, carers and CYP will be central to delivery rather than a standalone function. The partnership will work closely with the PCF to co-design priorities and define meaningful measures of success, supported by a coordinated participation framework that aligns engagement activity and reduces duplication. Children and young people will be engaged earlier and more consistently in improvement activity, with targeted approaches to ensure the voices of post-16 learners and underrepresented groups are included. A new participation strategy, including a single voice hub for consultation and engagement, will strengthen this approach. A shared system for capturing and analysing lived experience will ensure feedback consistently informs commissioning, service redesign and quality assurance, with clear evidence of impact.

Bracknell Parent Carer Forum (PCF) has been actively and meaningfully involved throughout the development of this SEND Reform Plan and has contributed to shaping its content, approach and priorities. The PCF has worked collaboratively with partners across the system and has provided valuable insight and challenge to inform the final plan.

While the PCF is not acting as a formal signatory to this plan, not signing reflects a national position on PCF roles within the reform process, rather than any lack of local engagement or support. The PCF supports the direction and principles set out within the Bracknell Forest plan and is committed to continuing its role in engagement and delivery as the plan is implemented.

Engagement with health and social care partners will be fully integrated within joint governance arrangements, ensuring co-production is directly linked to commissioning and transformation. This will include collaborative redesign of priority pathways such as therapies, neurodevelopmental services and transitions, with shared accountability for outcomes.

Integrated performance dashboards will combine quantitative data with lived experience, enabling transparent evaluation and timely, coordinated action across partners.

Engagement and co-production will be embedded as a core system function. By aligning participation, data and governance, the partnership will ensure that the voices of children, young people and families directly shape decision-making, strengthening leadership and delivering more responsive, coherent and effective services over time.

Transparent governance will be delivered through a unified framework with clear accountability, open reporting and regular oversight via the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board.

Decision-making will be informed by both performance data and lived experience, supported by “you said, we did” feedback loops and tracking systems that demonstrate how

9.

stakeholder voice influences service design and system improvement.

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.

Risk Impact Likelihood RAG Mitigation Residual

Rag

Partnership engagement in reforms limited. Reform implementation unsuccessful Multiple independent stakeholders unable to agree new provision types to support the local environment (e.g. no MAT willing to adopt certain resource base designation) Sufficiency of local provision not in place to support the SEND reform objectives

Impact: Crisis Post mitigation impact: Moderate Demand on INMSS high cost places remains CYP do not have their needs met in mainstream CYP continue to be placed in other LA schools Continued pressure on financial sustainability of HNB Transport costs to out of local area settings remains Parental preference and tribunals continue to increase Build programme identified to meet specialist base and support base growth will not be met without capital funding assurance for 3-5 years

Pre mitigation likelihood: Above 90% Post mitigation likelihood: above 30% but less than 60%

Very Likely

Temporary provision established whilst capital build underway (College Hall). Accelerate development of local provision (Specialist and Inclusion bases within mainstream settings bases) Strengthen Mainstream Inclusion by having a clear universal offer and establishing E@H partnerships. to provide enhanced support to schools that host inclusion bases, creating E@H associates to support other schools in becoming more inclusive. New education sufficiency strategy incorporating a strategic review of the local estate reviewed annually Identify contingency plans to create more modest provision in the event of capital grant shortfall vs expectation; ensure commitments do not exceed capital funding received in-year

Possible

Risk Impact Likelihood RAG Mitigation Residual

Rag

within a graduated response, enabling earlier intervention.

The E@H model will be explicitly integrated with social care, ensuring children and families benefit from coordinated, multi-agency support that addresses educational, developmental and wider family needs. Social care partners will play a key role in co-delivery, joint planning and decision-making, particularly where needs intersect with family support or safeguarding. Governance arrangements will reflect this shared responsibility, creating collective accountability across education, health and social care for improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Dependencies

• Best Start in Life, including Family Hub

• Best Start In Life Strategy

• Curriculum and Assessment Review

The proposed SEND future state and roadmap for Bracknell Forest are designed to remain resilient within a changing national and local policy context. Wider reforms may affect delivery timescales, commissioning arrangements and workforce capacity, but the partnership will manage these through aligned planning, clear governance and active risk management.

NHS reforms remain a key dependency, particularly where changes to Integrated Care Board responsibilities or provider arrangements could affect therapies, neurodevelopmental pathways and wider 0–25 provision. To manage this, partners will maintain a single joint delivery plan aligned to NHS planning cycles, supported by formal partnership agreements that protect critical functions and clear escalation routes between senior leaders.

Local Government Reorganisation may alter future sub-regional structures and delivery arrangements. While this is unlikely to affect the earliest phases of the roadmap, the partnership will keep service standards, outcomes and performance measures consistent so that organisational change does not disrupt support for children and young people.

Reforms to Children’s Social Care, including Family Help and strengthened multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, require closer alignment between SEND, education and social care. In response, thresholds, pathways and practice models will be aligned so that families experience a single, coherent system focused on early intervention, inclusive practice and coordinated support. Workforce development and shared use of data will strengthen multidisciplinary practice and improve oversight of demand, risk and outcomes.

Best Start in Life, including Family Hubs, is central to the partnership’s ambition for early identification and prevention. SEND support will be embedded within Family Hubs through integrated health visiting, early years, speech and language therapy and social care pathways. This will provide families with a clear and accessible front door, promote timely identification of need and reduce reliance on statutory processes through earlier targeted intervention.

The Best Start in Life and wider developments in inclusive practice also create important dependencies for local implementation. The partnership will respond by strengthening the Universal Offer so that all settings have clear expectations for inclusive teaching, adaptive practice and early identification. This will support consistent practice across education, health and social care and improve access to the graduated response.

These dependencies will be overseen through robust multi-agency governance. The SEND Improvement and Assurance Board will maintain a joint risk register, monitor cross- system impacts and, where necessary, reprioritise resources or adjust delivery approaches to ensure continued progress and system stability.

•

Section 3 – Monitoring and Evaluation

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

Monitoring, Feedback and Adaptation Cycle

We will implement a clearly phased, layered “review and adapt” cycle from Year 1 (first two quarters) of the SEND Reform Plan, ensuring monitoring arrangements are established early and embedded consistently across the partnership.

Operational monitoring (weekly/fortnightly – live from Q1 Year 1) A central SEND operational dashboard will be introduced from the outset, bringing together real-time data across demand, delivery, quality and outputs:

• Demand: EHCP requests, conversion rates, tribunal activity and SEN Support trends.
• Service delivery: Timeliness of EHCP processes, deployment of Expert at Hand and specialist services, number of interventions and responsiveness of access routes.
• Service quality: Compliments/complaints, casework feedback, closure-call satisfaction and consistency of the Universal Offer.
• Outputs: Attendance, exclusions and placement stability.

Weekly and fortnightly reviews of live feedback (case notes, family contacts and community intelligence) will provide a rapid “test and learn” loop, enabling immediate adjustments to access, responsiveness and service clarity so barriers are removed quickly.

Tactical improvement (monthly – in place by end of Q2 Year 1) A structured monthly cycle will triangulate:

• Survey data (parents/carers, CYP, providers)
• Quality assurance (audits, moderation and compliance checks)
• Service performance (timeliness, throughput and capacity)

This will assess whether demand is changing, services are being delivered at the required scale, quality is improving, and outputs (e.g. attendance and exclusions) are strengthening. Findings will be validated through Parent Carer Forum (PCF) engagement and practitioner networks. A single, system-wide action log will track actions, owners, timescales and measurable outcomes so that improvement is transparent and consistent.

Strategic assurance (quarterly/termly – embedded from Q3 Year 1) From Quarter 3, a consistent KPI framework aligned to the SEND Reform Plan and maturity matrix will be reported to the SEND Partnership Board. These forums will:

• Review demand, sufficiency and financial pressures
• Assess delivery milestones (service rollout, workforce capacity, specialist placements)
• Evaluate quality indicators (audit outcomes, co-production)
• Scrutinise impact on outcomes (attendance, exclusions, preparation for adulthood)

Commissioning intelligence, provider performance and school engagement will test whether reforms are being delivered consistently across the system.

Co-production and continuous feedback (ongoing) Participation through Eh SEND It, Csc Young Experts, health partners and PCF structures will ensure lived experience informs evaluation. This provides qualitative insight into accessibility, usability and impact so that changes reflect how families experience services.

Closing the loop (termly/annual reporting) From Year 1, “You said, we did” updates will demonstrate how feedback shapes decisions, strengthening transparency, trust and engagement.

Through this structured, phased approach—implemented early and aligned to clear measures—we will track delivery, respond to emerging issues and ensure sustained improvement in outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

12. 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.

Section 4 – Governance

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

SEND reform governance structure -

Section 5 – Central Government Support

14. How can we help you?

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

This may include:

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

To implement the SEND Reform Plan effectively, BFC requires support from central government, concerning capital certainty, MAT accountability, and workforce stability.

Currently capital planning is limited in time and ambition due to HNPCA not being confirmed after 2027. Without funding certainty, we cannot plan the required estate developments to meet emerging local needs. Review of guidance to enable flexibility regarding historic grant residuals (e.g. Basic Needs Funding) would enable efficient longer-term planning and use of capital to meet evolving needs such as resource/inclusion bases and mainstream adaptations. Furthermore, we require firm delivery timescales from the DfE for the centrally funded Forest View ASD school, projected for 2029. Delays to this project impact our reliance on high-cost independent placements.

We require guidance to establish clear lines of accountability with MATs. While we are building strong local partnerships, statutory backing is needed to ensure MATs share equitable responsibility for inclusion, participate fully in the Universal Offer, and are held accountable for supporting the 0–25 SEND system alongside maintained settings.

Our Experts at Hand model relies on a multi-disciplinary team. National workforce shortages present a critical risk to our recruitment efforts. We need assistance to address the national pipeline of Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, and Speech and Language Therapists. National recruitment initiatives and workforce development are vital to ensuring we can staff these early intervention roles.

Access to national tools/templates for data collection/reporting would be beneficial for our SEND data dashboard. Standardised benchmarking data from the DfE regarding inclusion metrics would streamline our local evaluation and facilitate robust peer learning regionally.

Annex B - Supporting Documents

Annex C – Risk Matrix