Local SEND Reform Plans · 55 documents asked · 54 answered · 1 not stated · run 22 October 2026
What does this plan say about the link between Experts at Hand and funding for schools?
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Ask for a surveyMost councils describe Experts at Hand (EAH) as a new multidisciplinary offer, often grant-funded, that sits alongside rather than replaces existing school funding, aiming to build mainstream capacity and reduce escalation to EHCPs or costly specialist placements. A recurring pattern is the "80/10/10" funding split, with at least 80% going to frontline delivery and the rest to administration and transformation, mentioned by Bromley, Wolverhampton, Bath and North East Somerset, Cheshire West and Chester, and Hackney.
Several councils stand out for giving hard numbers. Norfolk cites the national £429m DfE grant and its own £5.907m 2026/27 allocation, rising toward £10m. Somerset confirms £3,624,802 for 2026/27. Barnsley states £1,865,588. Wolverhampton gives £2,517,796. Cheshire West and Chester breaks down a £2,400,000 budget by post type. Wirral expects roughly £2m a year, split about 50/50
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The question was put to each document on its own, using up to six of its most relevant pages. Page numbers in the table link to the document itself.
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West Sussex
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Barnsley
In the first year, Experts at Hand is funded through the Experts at Hand Transformation Fund, with Barnsley's 2026/27 allocation at £1,865,588, with a similar level assumed for 2027/28 p57. This grant funds advice and direct support to early years providers, schools, and FE colleges p57. Over the first phase, work will align core and commissioning budgets with the strengthened SEND system, including Experts at Hand p57.
Bath and North East Somerset
EAH funding provides additional specialist multi-disciplinary expertise directly to settings via locality-based teams, offering timely access to experts who deliver coaching, modelling and workforce development, building capacity across mainstream settings p10. It aims to enhance early intervention, improve system navigation, and reduce reliance on higher-cost specialist placements p10. EAH allocations are structured so a minimum of 80% goes to direct delivery, with up to 10% for locality administration and up to 10% for transformation activity in year 1 p12.
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole
The plan links Experts at Hand to a "cluster-based targeted funding approach" that enables flexible, needs-led deployment of resources to support early intervention and prevent escalation p10. This builds on the earlier mention that a cluster-based Experts at Hand model will be scaled and standardised through clear governance arrangements and agreed quality standards, ensuring consistent access and eliminating postcode variation p20, supporting schools without replacing existing funding or provision p20.
Bracknell Forest
Year 1 delivery is underpinned by targeted transformation funding, with a significant proportion focused on building workforce capacity to establish the Experts at Hand (E@H) model, including recruiting educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and specialist practitioners, and commissioning outreach from local special schools and alternative provision p118. This directly enables establishment of the E@H hub, single access route and triage function p118. Additionally, funding/time-release agreements are being established so education settings can release staff for E@H-linked training programmes p66.
Brighton and Hove
Under Experts at Hand (EAH), resource allocation to schools will be decided through a formula based on each school's level of need and SEN2 data for each Best Start in Life Family hub area, with access managed via a needs-led allocation model, locality planning, and systematic school engagement to ensure support is distributed equitably rather than disproportionately accessed by the most proactive settings p8. Separately, the partnership requests clearer national operational guidance for EAH, including workforce assumptions and clarity on long-term funding arrangements p36.
Bristol
The plan links Experts at Hand (EAH) funding to the multi-year investment in the Inclusive Learning Service, which supports all settings at universal and targeted level and acts as "the front door into the wider EAH offer at targeted plus level" p8. Capital funding, including the Trym Valley free school (164 places), is also tied to EAH, as the Council has worked with the incoming trust to ensure specialist outreach into mainstream forms part of the emerging EAH offer p8.
Bromley
EAH funding is meant to expand and enhance system capacity for schools rather than replace existing service funding, with a primary focus on direct delivery to settings p78. It follows an "80/10/10 funding model," with more than 80% directed to frontline delivery through the Experts at Hand workforce, and the remainder to leadership, administration and transformation activity p78. Funding also supports leadership roles like the Specialist Teacher/Clinical Lead p45.
Bury
The plan links Experts at Hand (EaH) to capital funding: it states capital investment supports "the strengthened universal offer and Experts at Hand model, reducing escalation to specialist provision and improving placement stability" p35. It also asks central government for a "clear minimum specification per 10,000 child population" of the EaH service, including numbers of OTs, SALT therapists, and Educational Psychologists, to guide workforce and funding planning p53.
Cambridgeshire
The plan links Experts at Hand funding to improving mainstream schools' access to specialist support, with mainstream schools benefiting from timely EHCPs and the "team around the school" model as part of the Experts at Hand offer p35. Experts at Hand investment will fund educational psychology, specialist teaching, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and AP outreach to build school workforce capability p34. It will also help improve stakeholder confidence in reform p29, and contribute to an "Inclusion Dividend" supporting long-term investment p43.
Cheshire West and Chester
Experts at Hand (EaH) funding will fund additional posts, including specialist Child and Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, and Speech and Language Therapists, plus support for workforce development, transformation, and data/digital improvements p55. The total EaH budget is £2,400,000, covering 32 FTE direct delivery posts (£1,920,000), 3.1 FTE transformation (£240,000), and 4.1 FTE administration (£240,000) p55. Recruitment will begin once funding is confirmed, with the model piloted in 2026/27 and embedded by 2027/28 p46.
Cornwall
Experts at Hand (E@H) neighbourhood teams—combining EPs, SALTs, OTs, SEMH and ND specialists and specialist teachers—are meant to bring in-situ expert support to schools so needs are met without statutory assessment p12. This, alongside expanding Educational Psychology, SALT, OT and specialist teacher access via E@H, is linked to reducing spending on independent specialist provision, shifting demand to local provision, and contributing to improved DSG financial sustainability (page 5; page 12).
Coventry
Experts at Hand is currently funded by time-limited grant funding, and the plan flags a risk: "If grant funding for Experts at Hand does not continue after three years, there is a risk of workforce and system instability" p24. To address this, the plan commits to agreeing a sustainability and transition-to-business-as-usual plan from year one, covering ownership, workforce model and costs, and to embedding Experts at Hand into business-as-usual so benefits continue "beyond time-limited programme funding" (page 1, page 24).
Cumberland
The plan links Experts at Hand to funding via the Inclusive Provision Panel, a Cumberland-wide access arrangement agreed through Schools Forum to start in Year 1, giving schools access to support like Educational Psychology, SaLT, OT and mental health advice p15. Separately, Schools Forum has not passed block transfers from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block since 2024/25, partly due to AWPU funding not matching rising school costs p34. The Experts at Hand model is also delivered via joint commissioning with the ICB p15.
Dorset
Dorset's Expertise Offer is described as the local delivery model for "Experts at Hand" p4. It aims to build school capability from within, reducing reliance on escalation so specialist expertise reaches settings equitably, helping more children be supported locally without needing high-cost or out-of-area placements p12. As the offer embeds, Dorset expects more children with SEN but without EHCPs to be supported by key practitioners, reduced reliance on independent special placements, and improved value for money—contributing to a more financially sustainable system p45.
Durham
Experts at Hand (EAH) provides universal, multidisciplinary expertise shifting the system from referral-led to capacity-building, reducing reliance on costly specialist/out-of-area placements and supporting financial sustainability p2. High needs capital investment is targeted and phased to address capacity and suitability, closely aligned with the EAH offer and wider reform work p13. Schools funding decisions remain overseen by the Schools Forum, ensuring alignment between financial decision-making and delivery of the reform plan, including EAH p33.
East Sussex
SEND Transformation Fund money will strengthen capacity within the Joint Commissioning Team to enable closer collaboration with the ICB "as the Experts at Hand model is developed," supporting coordinated commissioning and timely input into its design and delivery p20. The fund will also pay to second a senior school leader to provide system-level capacity and expert practitioner insight linking strategic decisions to schools p20. No direct school funding formula link to Experts at Hand is stated.
Essex
The plan states that mainstream schools will gain access to the Experts at Hand (EAH) offer to support receiving schools in meeting need from day one, including during transitions p36. Separately, it notes that timely national guidance on Experts at Hand, inclusion standards, and funding arrangements is needed to support confident local implementation p83. Financial and workforce modelling for EAH is detailed in a separate appendix p33.
Hackney
Experts at Hand (delivered via Locality Inclusion Teams, LITs) are linked to funding through administrative provision: the admin and tracking requirements of the new EAH model will be met by using the maximum 10% admin allocation p17. LITs also act as expert contributors ensuring schools' pre-allocated inclusion funding (via the Inclusion Mainstream Fund/IEYF) is demonstrably converted into specialist-informed interventions recorded in ISPs (page 17, page 33), confirming settings are "fully equipped and funded to meet the child's needs locally" p17.
Harrow
Experts at Hand (EAH) is not directly linked to school funding in the plan; rather, it is framed as improving access to specialist expertise and reducing reliance on costly independent and out-of-borough placements, enabling resources to be "increasingly invested in local provision and early intervention" p29. This is expected to support "better value for money through more effective use of local resources" p36, contributing to a more financially sustainable SEND system p28.
Hertfordshire
Experts at Hand sits alongside the funding picture rather than being directly tied to a specific school grant: it works alongside the Focused Intervention Funding pot (£800k additional investment in 26/27) which helps settings access early intervention, while Experts at Hand itself provides locality-based multi-disciplinary expertise p8. Experts at Hand is also linked to the SEND Provision Plan, and alignment of the SEND Strategy and Provision Plan with High Needs Funding and Capital Strategies is expected to strengthen sufficiency and reduce reliance on costly independent placements p8.
Hillingdon
The plan does not directly link Experts at Hand to school funding allocations. Instead, it frames Experts at Hand as contributing to broader financial sustainability: by enabling earlier identification and reducing reliance on statutory processes, specialist referrals and specialist placements, it is expected to help reduce average placement, transport and EHCP costs over time, supporting a financially sustainable SEND system while controlling High Needs expenditure (page 21, page 23).
Hounslow
Experts at Hand is designed to ensure funding is used proactively rather than reactively, supporting earlier, needs-led intervention and more effective use of funding across localities p15. It will translate specialist expertise into everyday practice, improving quality and reducing variation between settings, while improved tracking and quality assurance strengthen accountability by linking investment to impact p15. It also plays a central role in transferring knowledge into mainstream settings, supporting sustainable workforce development alongside coordinated, outcome-focused funding commissioning p11.
Isle of Wight
The plan does not directly tie EAH to a specific funding stream for schools; instead, EAH is positioned as the main mechanism reducing escalation to costly specialist provision, enabling schools to meet needs without EHCPs p9. Separately, capital funding will expand specialist provision via inclusion bases in mainstream schools, and realigning school places is meant to improve school finances, freeing investment for earlier identification and support—linked indirectly to EAH's demand-stabilising role p4.
Kensington and Chelsea
A Schools Block to High Needs Block transfer funds reform activities including "expansion of the EAH offer through SPARK" and increased access to multidisciplinary advice, strengthening mainstream capacity to meet need earlier and reduce escalation p27. More broadly, additional reform funding will "build and stabilise system capacity" by increasing specialist time for pre-statutory consultation and expanding multidisciplinary input aligned to SPARK, addressing capacity pressures in SENCO support, specialist teaching and therapies p5.
Kingston upon Thames
The plan treats Experts at Hand (locally "Specialist Expertise at Hand," SEAH) as a key enabler funded through "Experts at Hand and Transformation Fund" allocations, listed alongside the Inclusive Mainstream Fund and capital spending in the quarterly funding summary for 2026/27 p45. It is also named as one of the "targeted investment" enablers, alongside High Needs capital, underpinning the broader reform strategy p22.
Lancashire
Experts at Hand will be commissioned by the LA and made available to early years, mainstream primary/secondary schools, and post-16 provision, supported by investment to build capacity and deliver specialist services p15. Funding will be used to "commission the right amount of expert support, and release funding from the High Needs Block to facilitate the earliest possible, most effective local support" p20. Workforce capacity funding is set at £800,000 rising to £1,500,000 for specialist teachers/EPs, and up to £2,000,000 for OT/SaLT roles p57.
Leeds
Experts at Hand funding will enhance existing routes for schools to access specialist input, with its delivery model integrated with other services and offers that are funded separately p13. Specialist professionals will be commissioned via a service level agreement, with the local authority administering the grant and allocating direct grants to health, schools and parent/carer partners p34. Mechanisms will also prevent over-use by proactive settings through an allocation framework and data-led targeted outreach p34.
Medway
The plan funds Experts at Hand jointly by Medway and KCC, who proportionally contribute to a SaLT Advanced Practitioner role and an administrative support post sitting with the ICB p12. Additional therapeutic specialists needed will be added to existing Medway–ICB partnership commissioning arrangements, with funding passed to the ICB once numbers are finalised p12. Separately, a 0.5% schools block transfer for 2026-27 funds commissioned outreach work, with EAH described as an extension of this existing inclusion funding p24.
Norfolk
The DfE issued a £429m grant (5 June 2026) funding "Experts at Hand" to give schools, early years settings and colleges direct access to education and health expert advice p8. Norfolk's 2026-27 allocation is £5.907m, expected to rise, part-year effect noted p8, with annual investment expected around £10m p31. This funding enhances the existing "team around the school" model, investing in more experts to upskill staff and support children in mainstream settings p8.
North Northamptonshire
A £1,617,471.87 million block transfer from Schools Block to High Needs Block for 2026-27 will strengthen Tier 2 and Tier 3 support within the Experts at Hand model p44. Mainstream schools will be able to bid for inclusion funding triggered by SEND indicators, helping them support pupils before statutory assessment and fund SENCO/staff training p44. This early intervention is intended to reduce escalation to EHCPs and demand on the High Needs Block p44.
Nottingham
Experts at Hand gives schools, early years settings and colleges quick access to specialist support (educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, specialist teachers) without needing a diagnosis or EHCP p30. It is linked to High Level Needs (HLN) funding reform, which supports locality-based school partnerships, and Experts at Hand will align with these arrangements, building on PINS to strengthen mainstream capacity through a model co-produced with schools p35.
Oxfordshire
Experts at Hand (EAH) is a coordinated, multidisciplinary offer giving mainstream schools access to specialist expertise (educational psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, specialist teaching) through cluster-based delivery p11. It aims to reduce reliance on individualised, high-cost provision, cutting pressure on specialist placement funding, and capital investment will be aligned with workforce development so expertise is shared rather than concentrated p11. Access to specialist expertise via outreach and "experts at hand" will also be significantly expanded to build mainstream capability p18.
Portsmouth
The plan says many primary schools have set up "ad hoc" additional provision, much of it supported through Inclusion Capital Grants, and Experts at Hand will be used to provide guidance and support to ensure the quality of these provisions p9. It also notes Experts at Hand underpins a sustainable SEND system where specialist support is targeted and locally anchored, helping inform sufficiency and commissioning decisions and reduce reliance on high-cost placements p9.
Reading
Experts at Hand will incorporate the existing RISE team, currently funded via a Schools Forum agreement transferring funding from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block, which the council hopes to keep until 2029 p5. Additional workforce under Experts at Hand will be funded through separate Experts at Hand funding p5. Support is intended to be offered free-to-access for schools, with the partnership also set to consult on a funding mechanism for inclusion funding linked to complexity and intervention (page 29, page 27).
Richmond upon Thames
The plan links Experts at Hand (locally called SEAH) to increased LA and ICB spend on professionals such as SaLTs, OTs, and EPs, with workforce FTE targets to be completed by 2027/28 and fully embedded by 2028/29 p32. Monthly SEAH meetings include "a space for appropriate commissioning discussions" about what support is needed and why, rather than referrals p59. The plan also calls for ICB health funding to match education and social care commitment p53.
Rochdale
The plan links Experts at Hand to reducing pressure on the High Needs Block rather than directly to school funding allocations. Scaling the "Experts at Hand" model is intended to embed specialist expertise into everyday practice, reducing reliance on EHCPs as the primary route to support, which should help manage demand and spend p63. Progress will include tracking spend against the High Needs Block alongside other outcome measures p63.
Shropshire
The plan notes that school funding in Shropshire is "the 15th lowest in the country," which adds pressure on mainstream capacity and makes it harder for settings to resource early help and inclusive provision consistently p4. A fully embedded Experts at Hand offer is positioned as part of the response, helping staff identify need earlier and access specialist advice without unnecessary escalation, reducing pressure on stretched school budgets p4.
Slough
Slough Schools Forum agreed a 0.5% Schools Block transfer (£0.961m) on 27 November 2025, with £0.861m moved to the High Needs Block p53. This funding will contribute to the cluster-based Experts at Hand model, strengthened graduated response, and improved access to specialist advice, supporting earlier, closer-to-home support and reduced reliance on statutory processes p53. The partnership notes this will only improve financial sustainability if supported by stronger governance, data and delivery oversight p53.
Solihull
The DfE has given local areas funding until March 2027 to increase the specialist workforce (Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Specialist Teachers) needed to deliver Experts at Hand, with this funding expected to continue until March 2029 p4. Following recruitment, Solihull will begin offering settings access to these specialists from September 2026 p4.
Somerset
Total funding for Experts at Hand (EAH) in 2026/27 has been confirmed as "£3,624,802" p34, with grant spend subject to a key decision before any expenditure is committed, co-produced with the ICB and Parent Carer Forum p34. Funds cover transformation, administration, and workforce roles (health, educational psychology, outreach staff, curriculum specialists, peer leaders) to support mainstream inclusion p34. Delivering EAH is central to improving mainstream settings' capability and supporting equitable access to local early support p6.
South Gloucestershire
The plan links Experts at Hand to re-balancing SEND spending, aiming to direct more High Needs funding into mainstream settings while still supporting complex needs p31. Currently, local authority services rely on a traded offer, used inconsistently, which the plan aims to change p36. Experts at Hand, alongside pooled funding and integrated working, is expected to reduce escalation and costly interventions, providing value for money (page 47, page 28).
South Tyneside
Experts at Hand (EAH) is linked to funding through SEND Clusters, which will make collective, needs-led recommendations on targeted resources, including "prioritisation and targeting of EAH support" and involvement in decisions about delegated funding to support inclusion, with all recommendations ratified by the local authority to protect the High Needs Block p29. Clear thresholds for funding and resources are intended to target need rather than confidence or crisis, with EAH deployed to build mainstream capability and reduce reliance on high-cost interventions p29.
Staffordshire
The plan notes a lack of long-term funding detail for Experts at Hand, which makes planning and delivery of the model challenging and hampers recruitment of specialists, especially with other authorities competing for the same resources p89. Without this detail, Staffordshire will "continue to explore solutions to support recruitment to fixed term posts in line with available fiscal resources" p89. Capital funding, listed as "Experts at Hand, High Needs Capital, Transformation Fund," is also referenced as part of resourcing p11.
Stoke-on-Trent
The plan links Experts at Hand to funding by using revenue transfer support to expand resourced provision and SEND units in mainstream schools, complementing the capital programme, so that "funding will follow the child within the local system rather than to external providers" p27. This aims to increase mainstream EHCP support, reduce reliance on independent specialist provision, and redirect funding back into Stoke-on-Trent schools, supporting a sustainable High Needs Block trajectory p27.
Surrey
SCC funding will continue to fund the existing TASSH structure, while separate Experts at Hand (EaH) grant funding will enable expansion of the model to include Early Years and Post-16 settings and recruitment of the full range of specialist experts (page 24, page 25). This additional funding is used to recruit more specialist roles sitting within TASSH, jointly commissioned with the ICB p25. However, there is a risk that lack of DfE guidance on EaH could mean the offer doesn't meet requirements, "poses risk to receiving funding" p32.
Torbay
The plan links Experts at Hand (EaH) to reducing reliance on costly independent placements by scaling specialist support and embedding a graduated response across schools, aiming for more children supported locally p29. Expanding EaH is noted as a key HR/workforce priority requiring timely recruitment and development p30. Long-term funding, including multi-year and pooled budgets, is sought nationally to strengthen early intervention and reduce reliance on higher-cost provision, which relates indirectly to supporting EaH delivery in schools p49.
Tower Hamlets
The plan links Experts at Hand to school funding by allocating budget resource to convener (lead) schools and the college, supporting data analysis and commissioning arrangements for a local bespoke Experts at Hand offer p13. It also notes schools' shrinking budgets have reduced take-up of traded specialist offers, creating reliance on school-funded private provision, which the Experts at Hand model aims to address p13.
Warwickshire
Warwickshire "welcomes the strategic approach and funding for the Experts at Hand Offer" and is positive about the future strategic direction, even though High Needs Block financial pressures will keep increasing until 2029 p52. Investment in Experts at Hand, alongside specialist bases and special schools, is expected to create a system ready for legislative changes by 2029 and deliver sustainable SEND services p52.
Wigan
Experts at Hand will operate mainly through a strengthened universal core offer, giving schools free access to timely specialist advice without charge p8. The plan notes that traded (fee-based) activity, which schools currently pay for, is "important to council finances," and this traded element will be reviewed and rebalanced to align with system priorities, equity of access and workforce capacity, with any changes phased, evidence-led and subject to impact and affordability assessment p8.
Wiltshire
Experts at Hand (EAH) is delivered through a core workforce funded by a DfE grant, including SALT, OT, EPs, specialist teachers and the Alternative Provision Support Team p5. Wiltshire will expand EAH by integrating council-employed staff alongside this grant-funded workforce, combining DfE investment with local authority resource, including £1m transferred from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block in 2026/27, to increase capacity and reduce escalation to statutory processes p27. Some linked services, like Family Help and SENDIASS, align with EAH but are not funded as core EAH workforce p5.
Wirral
Wirral expects to receive approximately £2m per year to implement Experts at Hand, with the working assumption that 50% of this funding will go to the Integrated Care Board to deliver the clinical aspects of the model p64. Once funding is finalised, the partnership will collaboratively agree a joint commissioning plan p64. The plan also notes EAH funding will enhance existing specialist access routes, integrating with SLCN clinics, Family Hubs, and ND pathways rather than duplicating separately funded services p77.
Wolverhampton
The plan funds Experts at Hand (EAH) through dedicated "Experts at Hand and SEND Transformation funding for 2026/27," totalling £2,517,796, with at least 80% allocated directly to EAH delivery (workforce), administration capped at no more than 10%, and Local Authority transformation costs also capped at 10% p19. It also calls for central government to "set clear national guidance for; funding and the EAH model," standardising terminology, scope and roles, and to establish flexible funding mechanisms during capacity building p30.
Worcestershire
Year 1 costings for the Experts at Hand model assume future years' Worcestershire funding will increase in line with documentation outlining the overall Experts at Hand budget rising for 2027/28 and 2028/29 p21. The plan notes risks: without grant carry forward being granted, and with unknown future funding amounts, the likelihood of recruiting specialist posts on limited fixed-term contracts is "extremely low" p21.
York
The plan links Experts at Hand to funding mainly through future transparency: settings will have "clear, transparent funding models in place" to support groups of children in their neighbourhoods as the Experts at Hand Offer (EaH) develops p11. More broadly, funding is also tied to enabling settings and families to lead change, with resources allocated to help them engage with the universal offer, the Experts at Hand model, and Inclusion Bases p7.
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