Hackney SEND and Inclusion 3 Year Strategy 2026-2029

London Borough of Hackney and its Local Area Partnership. Co-produced April to October 2025, approved December 2025, published January 2026 (council reference HDS19674). Reading copy rebuilt from the designed PDF: section headings follow the document's pages, and the infographic, governance-diagram and indicator-table pages are set out as lists in reading order.

Foreword

Families have consistently told us that they want an education system that sees their children as individuals, values their needs, and helps them thrive. I am pleased to say that the Hackney SEND and Inclusion Strategy recognises this goal.

We know the current climate is difficult. Needs are rising, and the system is stretched. Against that reality, we welcome the Strategy’s focus on improving SEND provision, strengthening early help, and ensuring support is consistent and sustainable.

For parents, the most encouraging parts of this plan are the practical ones: improving the quality of EHCPs, reducing exclusions, and ensuring there are clear pathways for our young people as they move into adulthood.

We also welcome the commitment to partnership. Listening to the lived experience of parents isn’t just a slogan; it is the foundation of better outcomes. We look forward to working with the local area partnership to ensure that ‘partnership’ feels real to families on the ground.

Finally, for our families facing multiple disadvantages, Hackney’s 3 Year Education Strategic Plan’s (within which this strategy sits) focus on equity and anti-racism is essential. Stability and fairness are what allow our children to flourish.

Equally important is how we will know this plan is working. Success cannot be measured by metrics alone. We need transparency about progress against the Strategy’s goals, and we need parent and carer voices at the heart of that evaluation. The indicators of success must include the lived experience of families, because what matters most is not what the data says, but what families actually experience on the ground.

As the Hackney SEND Parent Carer Forum, we endorse this plan. We will continue to champion the voices of families and hold the local authority to these commitments, ensuring that every child in Hackney gets the opportunity and sense of belonging they deserve.

TUNDE OYEFOLU-ALUKWU Chair and on behalf of the Hackney SEND Parent Carer Forum

Introduction

The Hackney Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion 3 Year Strategy sets out our local area vision and priorities for supporting children and young people with SEND and their families.

The Hackney Local Area Partnership is aspirational and ambitious in setting targets for how we will work together to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcomes in life.

This strategy has been co-produced by children and young people, families, professionals and practitioners. It draws on the lived experience and knowledge of children and young people with SEND and those who care for them, as well as that of the local authority and NHS services, settings, providers, and voluntary and community organisations who form our local area partnership. It applies to all children and young people in Hackney identified with a special educational need and/or disability between the ages of 0-25 who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) or receive SEN Support.

The SEND and Inclusion 3 Year Strategy builds on the previous Hackney SEND 3 Year Strategy. It aligns with Hackney Education’s 3 Year Strategic Plan 2025-2028 and will deliver priority 1 which is – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion: Ensuring efficient and sustainable SEND provision, early identification of needs, and timely support. It will also be delivered alongside wider programmes of work such as school organisation plans, the Hackney Education Alternative Learning Service (HEALS), Hackney Council’s Equality Plan and Anti- Racism Framework, and the City and Hackney Emotional Health and Wellbeing Strategy, with the overall aim of ensuring that children and young people are able to receive the most appropriate education to meet their needs.

Inclusion means identifying and supporting the full range of needs through flexible, personalised support. This starts with a strong universal offer alongside targeted support, with an emphasis on welcoming and celebrating all children, young people and families and creating a culture of belonging in Hackney communities.

1. The ‘universal offer’ refers to the wide range of services and support available to all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

We have agreed, as a local area partnership, to use the following definition to drive our work/focus on inclusion and enable a collaborative approach in Hackney.

Vision

Our vision is for a borough where every child and young person with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is empowered to thrive, achieve their full potential, and live lives that are as independent, healthy, and fulfilling as possible.

To achieve this at a time of funding and resource shortage nationally, the Local Area Partnership will develop a collaborative, transparent, and equitable system that is driven by the voices of children, young people, and their families. This needs-led system will support schools, settings, and services to identify needs early and provide efficient, sustainable, and high-quality provision, in the right place, at the right time, with the child or young person at the heart of every decision.

How this strategy has been created

Our co-production cycle has included a series of workshops, discussions, targeted questionnaires, and surveys, carried out between April–October 2025, through a variety of in-person and online formats. Our core stakeholder groups throughout have been:

Children and young people
Parents and carers
Teachers/ SENCOs/ school governors
Professionals and practitioners We have been transparent about our progress throughout the year by providing regular updates to the SEND & Alternative Provision (SENDAP) Local Area Partnership Board and, when necessary, adapting and improving our approach in response to feedback.

Our co-production cycle followed three key phases:

Phase 1 – Over 200 children, young people, parents, carers, and professionals engaged in in person and online workshops and discussions to talk about the key issues and challenges we should address in our new SEND and Inclusion 3 Year Strategy. This has underpinned the development of the priorities which form this strategy.

Phase 2 – 128 children, young people, parents, carers, and professionals shared their views about how we should prioritise the biggest issues and challenges and the solutions and outcomes that we should work towards to address them. This helped us to refine our priorities, draft our vision statement, and define the outcomes we want to see.

Phase 3 – 70 children, young people, parents, carers, and professionals provided feedback on this strategy, and their views have been incorporated.

We would like to give special thanks to the Hackney SEND Parent Carer Forum, Interlink, Chinuch UK, Children Ahead, iNDEPth (Young People’s Neurodivergent Panel), the Huddleston Centre, Immediate Theatre, and The Boxing Academy, for their valuable support in helping us to hear the diverse voices of children and young people with SEND and their families. We would also like to thank our colleagues across the health, social care and education sectors.

Hackney context

A proudly diverse borough

Almost 40% of Hackney’s population was born outside of the UK and 58% of the 0–19 population are from a Global Majority background. Hackney is home to the largest Charedi Jewish community in Europe and there are a total of 89 languages spoken across the Borough.

1 in 5 pupils with SEND

Around 20% of children and young people in Hackney have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) or receive Special Educational Needs (SEN) Support, which is more than the London and national averages.

Increasing numbers of EHCPs

Since we made our last strategy in 2022, the number of people with an EHCP in Hackney has increased by 20%.

Falling rolls

At the January 2025 pupil census there were: 613 surplus reception places (23% of all available reception places) 4,189 surplus places (21% across reception to Year 6 at mainstream primary schools)

Primary needs of children and young people with an EHCP

Autism:36.7% Speech, Language, and Communication Needs:24.9%

Social, Emotional, and Mental Health: 24% Speech, Language, and Communication Needs: 28%

Moderate Learning Difficulty: 7.8% Social, Emotional, and Mental Health: 21%

Primary needs of children and young people receiving SEN Support

Moderate Learning Difficulty: 11.4%

Specific Learning difficulty: 8%

Autism: 8%

Placements

As well as mainstream schools, Hackney has:

Three maintained Special Schools a variety of partners commission and deliver health and wellbeing services in Hackney. They include:
Twelve Additionally Resourced Provisions (ARPs)
Two Language Resource Provisions (LRSs)
A Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)
An Alternative Provision (AP) offer.

Schools

100% of our maintained schools are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

Health providers

The London Borough of Hackney
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
GP Confederation
Primary Care Networks
The North East London Integrated Care Board
East London NHS Foundation Trust.

Children and Family Hubs

Hackney has four Children and Family Hubs, which provide information, help and support to families.

Priority 1: Emotional wellbeing and family-centered support

What we’ve been told

Children/young people

Many of us feel a lot of stress, and struggle with big emotions like sadness, worry, and anger.
Being bullied is a big problem that makes us feel sad and can even stop us from seeing our friends or going to places we used to enjoy.
Some of us feel very alone and isolated and don’t get many opportunities to go out of the house or meet up with friends.
It can be hard for us to manage emotions, stop putting things off, understand the bigger picture in lessons, and keep up with homework.
There aren’t enough places to meet friends that are safe, calm and don’t have too much going on.
Activities aren’t always well advertised or flexible enough for everyone to take part and they’re often too expensive.

Parents/carers

Communication from schools is not always constructive and effective.
There is sometimes a lack of ‘kindness’ in the way that children and young people with SEND and their families are treated by schools, services, and the community.
Parents of disabled children sometimes have significant difficulties accessing appropriate housing.
There are not enough safe outdoor spaces or inclusive and specialist local community centres and organised activities.

Partnership professionals

There is a lack of safe, inclusive out of school activities and, including gaps in the provision and update of Short Breaks and Respite.
Families face multiple challenges in navigating the system, including language barriers, financial constraints, and parental health conditions.
Unsafe or unsuitable housing is a major concern which directly impacts family capacity to care for children with needs as well as parental mental health.
There is a need for increased mental health support for parents and carers.
It is challenging for universal mental health offers to prioritise the high volume of pupils.
There is a big mental health impact on staff/ SENCOS responsible for supporting pupils with SEND in under-resourced mainstream settings.
The mental health of parents is significantly affected by factors like sleep deprivation and poor housing particularly in families with multiple children with SEND, there is a need for increased mental health support for parents and carers.

What’s been achieved through the previous strategy

The Wellbeing and Mental Health Support in Schools (WAMHS) Programme is established and runs in almost every school, with an allocated Children and Adolescent Mental Health Support (CAMHS) worker and Senior Mental Health Lead, including specific support for Charedi Jewish schools.
Family Coaches are in place, providing family- focused support with a ‘no judgement’ approach.
The Annual Review Process has been significantly improved, with 68% of reviews processed in 10 days in the last academic year.
Hackney’s Independent Advisory Support Service (SENDIAGS) is effective in helping parents and young people understand their rights: 90% were satisfied or very satisfied with the service they received and 87% were likely or very likely to recommend the service to others as of September 2024
The Re-Engagement Unit (REU) has an embedded CAMHS worker, providing multi- disciplinary support for children with complex SEMH needs.
The City & Hackney Emotional Health and Wellbeing Partnership is established and focused on early identification and meeting needs.
The Short Break Service provides unassessed provision, reaching 2,200 children and young people.
An Annual Parent/Carer Survey was launched in June 2025 to formally capture lived experience and feedback on inclusion.

Outcomes we want to see

More resources for mental health support in schools for pupils and staff, parents and carers, including support with addressing bullying.
More support for parents/ carers and families of children and young people with SEND, including supportive communication from services and schools.
A strengthened Annual Review process.
Expanded universal mental health and wellbeing programmes, including access to green space.
Opportunities for young people with SEND to socialise and engage in culturally appropriate activities in their community, including Short Breaks and Respite.
Partnership working to address the impact of socioeconomic issues. These include access to social housing with SEND priority, free school meals/food poverty, the cost of living crisis, and parental health of families.

Immediate next steps we will take to achieve this

Strengthening partnership with parents by supporting the Parent Carer Forum to transition to an independent body by Summer 2026.
Strengthen our efforts to reduce waiting times for access to CAMHS and Autism assessments.
Reducing barriers to education by applying a robust, sensitive, and multi-agency approach to address persistent absenteeism for pupils with complex needs which builds on the Barriers to Education pilot delivered with secondary schools in 2024/25.
Improve the co-production of EHCPs by reintroducing a co-production meeting into the EHC Needs Assessment process.
Improve the consistency and quality of annual reviews with a reviewed process, ensuring all documents are processed in a timely manner and strengthening the involvement of children and young people in their annual reviews.

Priority 2: Inclusive environments (spaces, services, and attitudes) and belonging

What we’ve been told

Children/young people

Sometimes schools aren’t flexible enough for our individual needs.
We sometimes worry about being safe when we’re out, especially if we feel overwhelmed and there’s no one to help. It’s also upsetting when we’re not treated like the age we are.
Some of us have experienced feeling unwelcome at school.

Parents/carers

Families sometimes experience parent blame rather than supportive engagement from services and don’t always feel that their lived experience is influential enough.
The school curriculum lacks engaging opportunities for physical activity, outdoor learning, and hands-on experiences that may enable less academic neurodiverse and disabled children to experience success at school and a greater sense of achievement.
There is a need for better communication and collaboration between schools and local community services or groups.
More work is needed for the whole community to have a better understanding of SEND to be confidently inclusive and make reasonable adjustments.

Partnership professionals

A lack of consistent reasonable adjustments for young people with SEND leads to fatigue and disengagement, particularly in physical activity.
There’s a significant lack of available spaces in specialist settings, leading to children in ARPs and mainstream settings needing further support.
Knowledge of and access to externally available specialist support is sometimes limited in mainstream settings.

What’s been achieved through the previous strategy

We have invested in 211 additional specialist places to date as part of the Education Sufficiency and Estate Strategy.
An Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) Strategy review was completed to inform a new strategy and yearly review cycle and all ARP and Special school provisions are currently judged as Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
A new SEND Travel Assistance Policy was launched in Sept 2024, providing free travel for eligible children.
The Integrated SEND Service was established (restructured Sep 2023) and operates the Team around the School (TAS) Model.

Outcomes we want to see

Improved SEND training for mainstream schools, to promote a more flexible, accommodating, and inclusive approach to SEND students, based on individualised programmes of support that recognise all forms of attainment.
A sense of belonging and an understanding of SEND, underpinned by collaboration between schools and the community.
Improved support for children and young people with SEND to feel safe and engaged, including those who are not attending school.

Immediate next steps we will take to achieve this

Continue increasing specialist place provision to meet the forecasted need for additional places in borough by implementing phase 3 of the School Sufficiency and Estates Strategy.
Co-produce and implement a revised AP commissioning strategy and consolidate Alternative Provision through HEALS (Hackney Education Alternative Learning Service), ensuring high-quality AP access for all young people with SEND.
Pilot the ELKLAN training program, used alongside the Verbo platform, to upskill mainstream staff in Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).
The ‘Right Support, Right Time’ graduated response toolkit was published (Oct 2024).
An Inclusion Charter has been developed to support the relational STAR (Systemic, Trauma Informed, Anti-Racist) practice model across the directorate.
The Pupil Forum and the monthly ‘iNDEPth’ Neurodivergent Experts Panel are established platforms for pupil voice to influence services.
The Local Offer Website underwent a refresh in 2023 to improve accessibility.
Investment in maintaining a stable, high quality specialist provision that meets the full range of needs of children and young people with SEND. This includes high standards of quality across all Additionally Resourced Provisions.
More awareness of the options for external support across schools and settings.
Children, young people and their families feeling empowered to influence and participate in decision making.
Use the skills and expertise in specialist provisions (ARPs and special schools) to provide additional support and guidance to mainstream schools to enhance inclusive practice.
Find the best mechanism for children and young people to contribute directly to the SENDAP Board.
Develop and implement an annual survey that reaches a wider group of children and young people with SEND to measure the difference being made to their lives.
Continue to ensure that with every Local Offer Website refresh that feedback from users is accounted for.

Priority 3: Transitions and future pathways

What we’ve been told

Children/young people

We have concerns about managing money, getting around, and sorting out housing when living more independently.
Many of us want to live by ourselves or with friends, but it’s hard to get clear information about how to do this, where to live, or how to get help with things like paying bills and looking after a home.
Some of us worry about the transition to sixth form and have struggled to engage with college.
Some of us are worried about living away from home
There isn’t enough support with managing change when we’re moving from school to places like sixth form or college.
Many of us rely heavily on our families to support us with day to day tasks and feel very worried about how we would manage without them.

Parents/carers

Lack of well communicated Post 16 options for young people with SEND.
Access to adult social care services is confusing and there is a lack of communication about waiting times for Care Act assessments.
Employers struggle to recognise the diverse and nuanced needs of young people with SEND, making it harder for them to find suitable work.
There is a lack of clear communication about how parents/carers can continue to support their child after they turn 18.
There are a lack of vocational routes into paid employment for young disabled people.

Partnership professionals

There is a lack of ownership of SEND pupil outcomes at post-16, limited opportunities for retakes, and insufficient support for internships and university transitions.
There is a lack of variety in post-16 options, and access to good careers advice and comprehensive pathway information is also limited.
There’s a clear need for comprehensive training to support young people to live independently, including financial education and fostering healthy risk assessment, and for a better understanding of this in schools and among parents.
There’s a lack of tailored messaging around appropriate independence based on individual needs and continued support and linking with families at post-18.
It is sometimes challenging to align a child/ young person’s individual independence targets with the targets in their EHCP.

What’s been achieved through the previous strategy

A comprehensive PfA Strategy and systems- wide action plan was developed.
TA Supported Internship Employment Network supported by a DfE Grant has been developed to to encourage local employers to offer young people with SEND work placements and to work to ensure secondary schools and local colleges are well versed in the Preparing for Adult agenda.
The PfA Guide and a PfA Toolkit for young people and families was launched.
Attainment for EHCP pupils is strong, with 91.1% remaining in education, employment, or training after KS4 in 2024.
A Dedicated PfA SENCO Forum has been established to focus on quality PfA outcomes in EHCPs.
A total of 230 young people with EHCPs have undertaken a Supported Internship, with 60 transitioning into paid employment. .
Future Ready! Hackney’s annual PfA event has been held twice to date.
Family Coaches and a dedicated Year 5–6 Transitions Project have been launched.

Outcomes we want to see

Targeted support and training for independence in schools and settings based on a shared understanding of independence.
A wider variety of post-16 options and comprehensive support with retakes and transitions, with accountability shared by post-16 colleges and sixth forms.
Support with preparation for all aspects of adulthood for children and young people with SEND, including assessments for Adult Social Care.
A strengthened supported housing offer and keyworkers for transition and beyond.
Earlier and more comprehensive discussion about pathways and working towards independence and independent living, including routes into work and the role of parental support.

Immediate next steps we will take to achieve this

Prioritise the recruitment of a new Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) lead to progress the PfA Strategy.
Ensure that all eligible young people are receiving a Care Act assessment before their 18th birthday.
Further develop the work of our new Children’s Integrated Commissioning Strategy, to ensure that we are providing value for money in the services that we commission.
Continue to promote the Preparing for Adulthood guide and the accompanying PfA Toolkit.
Continue hosting an annual ‘Future Ready!’ Preparing for Adulthood event and plan a similar engagement event specifically aimed at the Charedi Jewish community.
Work with Adult Social Care to refine the transition process from education into adult social care (PfA).
Ensure that the Year 9 annual review is attended by key professionals.

Priority 4: Waiting times and equitable access to support

What we’ve been told

Children/young people

There are long waits for assessments and some specialist help, which can sometimes be given in ways that don’t feel comfortable or helpful to us.
It can be hard for us to talk to adults or professionals because we worry about what others might think.
Some of us can’t access certain medication in the area we live.
Some of us have experienced a lack of communication from schools about our support.

Parents/carers

Waiting times for assessments and support services are too long and families are not always updated on how much longer the wait is.
It is not always clear how to access support from services.
There are barriers to and a shortage of resources to provide early help and it is not always clear how children are prioritised for early screening.

Partnership professionals

We need to address systemic barriers to support, access barriers and communication gaps exist across some services.
There’s a significant demand for support services related to toileting and awareness of acute needs in schools.
There is a need for more support for academically performing pupils who may not require an EHCP.
There’s a clear need for families to have a better understanding of current and future available support.
Concerns exist about the number of children not in school and regarding children being held back in Early Years until a diagnosis is secured, leading to a lack of data on this cohort’s needs.
Families sometimes continue to face difficulty in accessing crucial specialist support, such as Occupational Therapy (OT), which is vital for developing independence skills, remains difficult.

What’s been achieved through the previous strategy

The Graduated Approach and Team Around the School (TAS) Model were launched in September 2022 to improve early intervention.
Children referred for Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy are seen within five weeks.
The DSCO (Designated Social Care Officer) and DCO (Designated Clinical Officer) roles were created (Dec 2023) and are standing EHCP panel members, integrating health and care input.
The area is consciously shifting from a strengths-based approach to a needs-led approach, driven by the Right Support, Right Time toolkit, to reduce reliance on diagnosis.
MASH and CAMHS Single Point of Access ensure better alignment of front door services and timely triage.
The Early Years Inclusion Fund is established to support 2, 3, and 4 year olds with emerging SEND.

Outcomes we want to see

Reduced wait times for diagnoses, assessments and services and more support for parents/carers and children while awaiting assessment.
A needs based approach to providing support rather than reliance on diagnosis
Effective, clear, and accessible communication about available support, services, and application processes.
Fair and inclusive access to the right kinds of therapies and services, including for children under five and those without an EHCP.
More accessible appointment arrangements and outreach options, including for those not currently accessing support.

Immediate next steps we will take to achieve this

Address the gap in performance for meeting statutory deadlines for EHC needs assessments and annual review, improving quality through a multi-track approach.
Build on the work begun in the Delivering Better Value programme to develop the skills and capacity of early years practitioners.
The Joint Agency Panel will be reviewed to ensure they are working as efficiently as possible.
To pilot service models that meet the needs of the Charedi Jewish community for independently schooled children in a culturally appropriate way with trusted community providers developing robust and trusting relationships with statutory providers.
Re-model of diagnostic assessment pathways introducing a ‘hub and spoke’ model as well as additional resourcing and strengthening support for families pre and post assessment.
Standardise the offer of high-quality SEND services to all residents, with the ambition for jointly commissioned arrangements.

Priority 5: Workforce development, training and resources

What we’ve been told

Children/young people

Some of us feel that teachers at our school did not understand our needs
Some of us have struggled when support we’ve been offered at school is later taken away.
Some of us have felt that the people supporting us have not properly understood the issues we face.

Parents/carers

There is a need for more SEND training in schools for staff, including e.g. Headteachers, Teaching Assistants and School Governors.
Communication from schools and services often focuses on identifying problems rather than building on strengths.
Services need to help address barriers to empower children and young people and their parents and carers, including those with additional caring responsibilities.
An absence of ‘kindness’ in some schools and settings makes it hard for young people, especially during puberty, to maintain engagement.
Schools often struggle to meet the goals set out in a child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
There is a stigma around children delaying a year in school.

Partnership professionals

There is a lack of mentors and role models who can deliver age-appropriate safety messaging.
There is a noted lack of consistent knowledge regarding annual reviews and the implementation of reasonable adjustments across schools and services, as well as a limited broader understanding of key terminologies like ‘known to service offers’ and the social model of disability.
SENCOs are frequently taking on roles beyond their remit, including therapeutic support, leading to increased stress and mental health strain.
Support workers need adequate training especially in light of growing demand for services.
Challenges remain in fostering truly inclusive cultures within mainstream schools, including a lack of consistent willingness to engage with needs, and value all forms of attainment.

What’s been achieved through the previous strategy

Substantial corporate investment led to new posts in Educational Psychology and the EHC Team and the launch of an Integrated Commissioning Service in June 2025, covering Education, Health, and Care.
Governance was made more effective through panels across education, health, and care, ensuring coordinated decisions.
The Hackney Integrated SEND service and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) team have enhanced their bespoke CPD offer for schools.
The service was an Autism Education Trust training partner for three years, training over 2000 staff.
A SEND Dashboard was created by Mime Consulting to inform strategic planning.
SEND Development Days are held every term to foster cross-service understanding and shared practice.
A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) was commissioned in 2024.

Outcomes we want to see

A strengthened workforce of SEND professionals and more funding and resources, including appropriate training for mainstream school staff, to consistently support children and young people with SEND.
Better and more systematic monitoring and accountability of how Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs) are implemented in schools and settings.
Exploration of new processes and technologies to streamline processes.
Joined-up working and collaboration across services, voluntary and community organisations, emphasising strengths over problems.
More support, compassion and kindness from schools, settings, and services to empower families of children and young people with SEND, including those with additional caring responsibilities.

Immediate next steps we will take to achieve this

Work towards the strategic intention to commission everything in an integrated way, with the support of the Integrated Commissioning Team.
Further develop our systems and data to inform strategic planning and the monitoring of our services.
Continue to bring together the School Improvement Team and SEND services to work more closely together, recognising SEND as a school improvement issue.
Launch the new Commissioning & Contracts Board to provide strategic leadership and oversight of all commissioning activities.

How we will deliver this strategy

The Hackney Local Area Partnership is committed to achieving the best outcomes for children and young people with SEND and we recognise that doing so will require resilience and adaptability in the face of ongoing national uncertainty and change.

While we have built this strategy on a solid foundation of co-production and a shared commitment to improving outcomes, we recognise that we will need to prioritise agile implementation to ensure outcomes are achieved sustainably. This will allow us to respond flexibly and effectively to new central government guidance and ensure our services remain aligned with local needs and the evolving national direction.

This strategy sets the priorities and outcomes we want to see and we will agree on ambitious, but realistic, actions and initiatives to achieve them through an annual planning process. Each year, the SENDAP Local Area Partnership Board will agree to an Annual Delivery Plan, where individuals, organisations, and service providers across the partnership will commit to specific actions to be delivered against our five priorities that coming year. The Board will evaluate the delivery of the previous year’s Delivery Plan and publish a report.

SEND governance structure

The governance diagram names these boards, partnerships and groups, from the integrated care board and council leadership down to the SEND and Alternative Provision Partnership Board:

North East London Integrated Care Board City and Hackney place based Executive Partnership and Health and Care Board
Corporate Leadership Team
Children and Education Senior Management Team
Children and Young People Maternity and Families Integrated Strategic Partnership
Health and Wellbeing Board
City and Hackney Emotional Health and Wellbeing Partnership
Trusts; Homerton University Hospital; East London Foundation Trust; Barts Hospital
Hackney Education Senior Leadership Team
Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission
City and Hackney Safeguarding Children’s Board
Executive and Engagement Meetings with Interlink
Schools and Education Partnerships
SEND and Alternative Provision Executive Board
SEND and Alternative Provision Partnership Board

How we will measure impact and change

We want to be transparent about the progress we are making against our priorities.

We will measure the following ‘Outcome indicators’ throughout 2025–2028 and monitor whether or not the indicators for each priority are moving in the right direction, allowing us to adapt our plans to ensure that we are delivering what has been promised in the strategy.

Annual delivery cycle

Take stock of the baseline: Assess where we are against our outcome indicators and understand our key areas for improvement for the coming year.
Develop a Year 1 Action Plan: Agree what we will deliver over the coming year and how we will deliver it.
Deliver our Year 1 Action Plan: Implement and report on progress quarterly to the SENDAP board.
Review of the plan: Identify what worked well and locate the areas for improvement for next year.

Outcome indicators by priority. The document marks a desired direction of travel beside each one.

Priority 1: Emotional wellbeing and family-centered support

% CYP with SEND who report that always and/or most of the time they enjoy their life
% of CYP with SEND who report that they know how to stay happy and have the support they need to do so
% of CYP with SEND who report that they have a friend/friends who they can talk to
% of CYP with SEND who report that they have a trusted person who they can talk to
% CYP with SEND who report that they have the support they need to cope when life feels hard
% CYP with SEND report that they are involved in a club, group or hobby they enjoy
# of CYP with SEND who are eligible for short breaks, accessing short breaks activities

Priority 2: Inclusive environments (spaces, services, and attitudes) and belonging

% of CYP with SEND who report that there is someone at their school, college or education setting they can go to if they feel worried
% of CYP with SEND who report that they feel safe and like they belong in their education setting
% of CYP with SEND who feel safe and like they belong in their local community
% CYP at SEN Support on a reduced timetable
% CYP with an EHC Plan on a reduced timetable
% of parents/carers who feel their own accessibility needs are met by their child's school
% CYP at SEN support who have been suspended from school
% CYP with EHC Plan who have been suspended from school
% CYP at SEN support who have been permanently excluded from school
% CYP with EHC Plan who have been permanently excluded from school
% of CYP at SEN support persistent absence
% of CYP with EHC Plan persistent absence
% of CYP with no SEN persistent absence
% CYP with SEND who report that they have been supported and encouraged to make their own decisions about their daily life
% of CYP who give a high rating to the support they have received in school or college
% of parents/carers who state they have access to an appropriate support service
% CYP with SEND who report that they are learning new things every year
% CYP with SEND who report that they know how to stay healthy and have the support they need to do so
% YP aged 14–25 on the LD register with an up to date (annual) health check

Priority 3: Transition and future pathways

% of 18–25-year olds with SEND who report that they have been supported to think about where they want to live
% of 18–25-year olds with SEND who report that their current living environment reflects their choices
(#or %) of young people with SEND who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
%/# of young people with SEND (16–25) undertaking a supported internship or apprenticeship
% CYP with SEND who are able to safely and confidently access public transport
% of YP with SEND (11-25) who report that they feel supported to think about and prepare for their future

Priority 4: Waiting times and equitable access to support

% of EHCPs processed within 20 weeks (excl exceptions)
% of parents/carers who feel they receive adequate signposting to other services
% of Parents/carers who have a positive experience navigating the Local Offer
% CYP with SEND who report knowing where to go to access help and support for their physical health
% CYP with SEND who report knowing where to go to access help and support for their wellbeing

Priority 5: Workforce development, training and resources

% CYP with SEND who report that that the people in school care about their opinion
% of parent carers who stated that the support their child received made a difference to their quality of life
% of parent carers who stated that the people who support their child know what the outcomes are in their child's support plan
% of CYP who give a high rating to the support they receive in school or college
% of parent carers who stated that they are satisfied with the progress their child has made towards their outcomes
% of parent carers who stated that the outcomes in their child's support plan reflect their views

Closing statement

As Deputy Cabinet member for SEND and Early Years, I am proud to present this strategy.

A key Mayoral priority in Hackney is that we are committed to working together for every child and this sits at the heart of what we do every day. We are determined that every child is afforded the best experience of childhood and for children with special educational needs and disabilities in particular we are committed to making this happen. We believe every single child and young adult should, and must, be able to achieve their full potential and as such we will continue to prioritise inclusion, wellbeing and only the highest aspirations for every child and young adult.

We believe every stage, from early identification through to adulthood, should be supported and resourced and we are working together as a system to make this happen. As part of our ongoing commitment, we will proactively reflect upon what has worked well, listening and learning from any areas that need improvement, we highlight our achievements and use all of this proactively to spur us onto the next stage.

The phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ often springs to mind when thinking about the hopes we have for our SEND community. We are incredibly proud of, and thankful for, the many people involved in making this work happen.

It is a collaboration built on openness, shared accountability and a relentless drive to ensure only the best outcomes and experiences. We recognise the commitment of our families, our council staff, school and settings leaders and staff, our health colleagues and voluntary sector groups and providers. We are the SEND system.

I want to sincerely thank every single person who is instrumental in making this work possible and for your commitment to make sure that those people with SEND and the people who care for them always feel prioritised and valued. I want to thank the leadership of Mayor Woodley and Deputy Mayor Bramble for being relentless in your passion for our SEND community, the many unsung heroes in the Hackney SEND Parent Carer Forum and all those who do so much behind the scenes to shape this work.

Our commitment to every single person is that we will work together collectively to ensure those with any form of SEND know the intrinsic and brilliant worth that we see in them.

COUNCILLOR ANYA SIZER Deputy Cabinet Member for Families, Early Years and SEND & SEND Champion

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