Local SEND Reform Plans · 60 documents asked · 60 answered · 0 not stated · run 26 October 2026
What does this plan say the Experts at Hand will actually do day to day, how will they be different from the council's existing SEND support teams such as educational psychologists, specialist teachers, advisory services and outreach, and how will the Experts at Hand offer be funded and by whom?
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Ask for a surveyHow councils describe Experts at Hand
Most councils describe Experts at Hand (EAH) the same way. It brings educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers together into locality or cluster-based multidisciplinary teams. These teams work directly in mainstream schools through consultation, coaching and modelling, rather than waiting for individual referrals. The stated aim everywhere is to build staff confidence and capacity so fewer children need statutory assessment. Councils almost universally say EAH will complement rather than replace existing EP, specialist teacher, advisory and outreach services, folding them into one coordinated front door.
A few stand out. Richmond and East Sussex emphasise structured recurring meetings (monthly SEAH sessions, "navigators") rather than drop-in advice. Kensington and Chelsea use a distinctive hub-and-spoke framing through its SPARK service. South Gloucestershire is unusual in saying EAH replaces a traded, pay-to-access model with a free, non-traded one. Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole and Isle of Wight give specific proactive/referral split figures (e.g. 70%/30%).
Numbers are given by many councils, mostly funding allocations. Examples include Barnsley (£1.87m), Cheshire West and Chester (£2.4m, 32 FTE), Cornwall (£3.7m), Norfolk (£5.9m from a £429m national grant), Somerset (£3.6m), Wirral (£2m/year), Warwickshire (63 extra FTE), and Tower Hamlets (£4.8m). Several note the standard 80/10/10 direct-delivery/admin/transformation split (Barnsley, Cornwall, Dorset, Cheshire West, Wirral, Wolverhampton).
Funding is consistently described as jointly resourced by the local authority and the ICB, often via the national EAH/SEND Transformation grant plus a Schools Block to High Needs Block transfer (seen in North Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Slough, Wiltshire, Medway).
Six plans answer only part of the question. Bury, Harrow, Hillingdon, Rochdale and Torbay describe what the Experts at Hand will do but say nothing about how it is paid for. Worcestershire gives the thinnest account, describing Experts at Hand only in general terms.
Not stated: none.
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Barnsley
Experts at Hand (EAH) is a locality-based, multidisciplinary model bringing together education, health and care expertise (EPs, therapies, SEMH, advisory services), embedded directly within mainstream settings working alongside practitioners "at the point of need," integrated into the graduated response for early identification p14. Unlike existing specialist teams, it aims to proactively build workforce capability rather than operate through referral/escalation, with access via Green Panel arrangements (pages 14, 17). It's funded in year one via the Experts at Hand Transformation Fund, with Barnsley's 2026/27 allocation "£1,865.588," similar funding assumed for 2027/28 p57.
Bath and North East Somerset
Experts at Hand (EAH) will provide timely, locality-based multi-agency specialists (EP, SALT, OT, Specialist Teachers, Assistant Practitioners) working directly within mainstream settings, offering coaching, modelling and workforce development rather than casework p10. Unlike existing EPS, specialist teacher, advisory and outreach services, EAH is designed to complement, not duplicate, these, enhancing the Team Around the School offer and triaging via a single front door aligned to graduated thresholds p10. Funding is a jointly-commissioned, outcomes-based model led by the LA with ICB delivery, with allocations fixed at minimum 80% direct delivery, up to 10% locality administration, up to 10% transformation in Year 1 p12.
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole
Experts at Hand provides referral-free multidisciplinary consultation, coaching and capacity-building via a single digital access point, weekly triage panel and 5-day expert allocation, delivered through BCP cluster models with Inclusion Leads and a Team Manager (page 13, page 22). Unlike existing referral/gatekeeping-based EP, OT, SALT and outreach services, it shifts to consultation-led, proactive support, embedding teachers, SENCOs and parent carers alongside specialists (page 7, page 8). It is jointly commissioned and funded by BCP Council and the NHS Integrated Care Cluster, drawing on existing local authority specialist services and NHS community therapies p20.
Bracknell Forest
Day to day, Experts at Hand will run a weekly/fortnightly multi-agency triage panel from a Central Hub at the Great Hollands Child Development Centre, deploying co-located EPs, advisory teachers, SALTs and OTs into settings via advice lines, virtual consultations or in-school blocks, plus AP Specialist Taskforces for reintegration (page 23, page 37, page 23). Unlike existing EP/specialist teacher/outreach services, which are largely individual, assessment-led and diagnosis-driven, E@H adopts a consultation, modelling and coaching stance focused on mainstream capacity-building (page 23, page 16). It is Local Authority-led, jointly funded with the ICB through a formal MOU and Service Level Agreements, pooling EPs, specialist teachers, SALTs, OTs and outreach from special schools/AP p11.
Brighton and Hove
Experts at Hand (EAH) will deploy EPs, SaLT, OT and specialist teachers through "Team around the Setting" and "Team around the City Child" meetings, holding regular meetings with each school/setting, agreeing data matrices, and responding to requests within a target of 10 working days (page 11, page 4). It differs from existing teams by consolidating EP/SaLT/OT/specialist outreach into a single, consistently allocated, locality-based multidisciplinary offer with defined response times and system-wide coverage based on need, rather than variable access (page 11, page 4). Funding comes from Transformation grant funding and a joint LA–ICB workforce strategy, with quarterly spend including a £25k and £15k EAH grant allocation plus recruitment costs (page 27, page 26).
Bristol
Experts at Hand (EAH) will deliver multidisciplinary, locality-based teams (EP, SALT, OT, Family Navigators, Bristol Autism Team, Specialist Outreach) across 11 clusters, providing group-based and whole-school support, targeted interventions at scale, and coaching—shifting from individual referrals to proactive, planned support p10. This differs from existing services by being proactive and group/whole-school focused rather than referral-based, jointly commissioned p10. It is jointly commissioned, funded and delivered by the Local Authority and ICB through a shared model p10, with enabling roles funded via the EAH implementation grant and existing SEND reform transformation budget p34.
Bromley
Experts at Hand (EAH) staff will give settings coaching, joint practice, SCERTS training and peer-learning, and Inclusion Practitioners will stay on site after initial involvement to embed learning day-to-day (page 74, page 75). Unlike existing fragmented EPs, specialist teachers, advisory and outreach teams, EAH aligns and extends these services into an equitable, proactive, setting-based multi-disciplinary offer rather than referral-led support (page 12, page 14). It is jointly commissioned by Bromley LA and South East London ICB, combining LA-employed advisory/EP teams, ICB-commissioned therapies, special school/AP outreach, and additional EAH-funded workforce, with recruitment via Bromley LA and the NHS p75.
Bury
Experts at Hand will provide a multi-agency "team around the school" model built on existing neighbourhood Communities of Practice, connecting Mental Health Support Teams, Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language specialists directly to education settings p3, joining up with linked Local Authority Officers and a Community Educational Psychologist to simplify how schools seek and receive support p11. It aims to identify and meet needs earlier, reducing reliance on statutory assessment p14. Workforce capability will be strengthened by joining specialist Outreach teams with Special School/AP expertise into this wider offer p11, addressing pressure points like EP capacity p24. Funding sources and specific budget commitments are not stated in the pages retrieved.
Cambridgeshire
Experts at Hand will improve access to educational psychology, specialist teaching, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and AP outreach, supporting "team around the school" and "team around the family" models at key transition points (page 34, page 44). It adds capacity rather than replacing existing teams, enabling non-referral, diagnosis-free access to specialists and surgery models within Education Cluster Locality Partnerships (page 44, page 42). It will also fund 3 FTE programme capacity hosted by the local authority p57. It is funded via the "Experts at Hand Grant," paid across a three-year period p50.
Cheshire West and Chester
Experts at Hand will be a multi-disciplinary team of therapists, educational psychologists, outreach workers and specialist teachers giving schools rapid consultation and advice, problem-solving/formulation, coaching and modelling of strategies, targeted support guidance, threshold/escalation advice, and workforce capability building including core training and Communication Champions p39. Unlike current fragmented, capacity-constrained EP, SALT and outreach services, staffing will be "designed by need, not days per school," using profiling-tool intelligence, with impact data reported p35. It is funded via the Experts at Hand budget: £2,400,000 total, covering 32 FTE direct delivery (£1,920,000), transformation (£240,000) and administration (£240,000) p55, with ICB/Local Authority agreement needed on funding division p48.
Cornwall
Experts at Hand (E@H) will deploy six neighbourhood multi-disciplinary teams combining EPs, SALTs, OTs, SEMH and ND specialists and specialist teachers, providing in-situ expert training, guidance, consultation and coaching to schools so targeted and targeted-plus children can be supported without statutory assessment p12. Unlike existing separate EP, specialist teacher and outreach services, it integrates these roles into one locality-based team working directly within mainstream settings to build sustainable inclusive practice (page 12, page 10). It is funded via a £3.7m year-one Experts at Hand and LA SEND Transformation Fund, with at least 80% (£2,970,000) for direct delivery, up to 10% for administration and up to 10% for LA transformation costs p42.
Coventry
Experts at Hand will act as a "team around the school," giving settings early specialist advice via training/coaching, network support, outreach, and group/whole-setting interventions rather than individual casework (page 1, page 21, page 4). Unlike existing traded EP/specialist teacher/outreach services, it's designed as an evolution of these (not a parallel offer), spreading expertise system-wide for early help and practice development (page 1, page 4). It is initially funded by a three-year grant, drawing on the same limited EP/SaLT/OT/specialist-teacher workforce pool, with a sustainability/transition-to-business-as-usual plan, blended funding and traded elements sought from year one (page 1, page 12, page 24).
Cumberland
Experts at Hand (EAH) provides timely access to EP, SaLT, OT and mental health advice/consultation, outreach and training for mainstream settings, accessed via an Inclusive Provision Panel and later a locality model, shifting from reactive referral-based services to proactive system support p15. It uses the *same* services—Educational Psychology, Specialist Advisory Teachers, SaLT, OT, mental health support—delivered through a blended model, rather than being a separate workforce p15. It is funded through joint commissioning between Cumberland Council and NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, plus service level agreements for additional capacity, agreed via Schools Forum p15.
Dorset
Experts at Hand will deliver consultation, coaching, modelling and joint problem-solving to mainstream and specialist settings rather than taking over interventions, with time-limited involvement and clear exit points p17. Unlike existing EP, SALT, OT, specialist teacher and outreach services operating separately, it integrates these into one coherent, locality-based system to build capability rather than replace responsibility, coordinated by Dorset Expertise Delivery Officers (page 17, page 59). It is funded via the LA SEND Transformation Fund: 80% (£1.772M) on delivery workforce and 10% (£221,287.50) on administration, jointly overseen by the LA and ICB with pooled/aligned budgets (page 59, page 14).
Durham
Experts at Hand (EAH) will extend the reach of specialist practitioners through consultation, group-based delivery and digital offers rather than only individual casework, providing universal multidisciplinary advice and shifting the system "from referral-led to capacity-building approaches" (page 2, page 10). This differs from traditional EP/specialist teacher outreach by prioritising accessibility, timeliness and settings' ability to resolve needs without escalation to statutory assessment p28. Funding/delivery depends on workforce planning aligned with NHS commissioning intentions and neighbourhood health models, with joint local authority–ICB governance and commissioning arrangements, plus high needs capital investment supporting workforce and place development together (page 10, page 25, page 15).
Ealing
Experts at Hand is a school-based multidisciplinary offer accessed through the Joint Front Door without statutory assessment, scaling early intervention so specialist advice is delivered directly in schools and transfers knowledge/capability to teachers and SENCOs, building their independent capacity p26. This differs from existing routes like therapies outreach, which remain separate, providing direct intervention independent of the school-based Experts at Hand offer p30. It is commissioned via "a hybrid model of direct Local Authority employment, framework contracts and spot purchasing" to reduce reliance on one recruitment route p47, though national allocation methodology and funding confirmation from central government are still awaited p57.
East Sussex
Experts at Hand will organise schools into locality clusters, each supported by a "navigator" who meets SENCOs/leaders, convenes "Team Around the School" meetings, and acts as a front door to specialist support, working mainly at Targeted Plus/Specialist levels p42. Unlike existing EPs, therapists, specialist teachers and outreach services, which schools access separately, Experts at Hand brings these together under one coordinated, practical in-school model rather than isolated advice (page 41, page 6). Funding comes via the SEND Transformation Fund, which pays for Strategic Lead and Project Officer posts, Joint Commissioning Team capacity, and workforce recruitment p20.
Essex
Experts at Hand will deliver consultation, coaching, modelling and direct multidisciplinary work (EP, therapy, specialist advice) through locality clusters, becoming the default, consultation-led route to support rather than escalation p36. Unlike existing EP, specialist teacher, advisory and outreach services, it builds on and expands these into one coordinated, consistent, needs-led pathway with earlier intervention and workforce coaching (page 28, page 36). It will be jointly commissioned/funded by the Local Authority and Integrated Care Boards, including Balanced System therapies, using allocated investment funding, with delivery possibly LA-led, ICB-contracted, or via external partners (page 9, page 33).
Hackney
Experts at Hand (EAH) will be delivered through Locality Inclusion Teams (LITs) of EPs, specialist teachers, SaLTs, OTs and area SENCos, embedded as familiar members of the Team Around the School, dropping live strategies into Digital ISPs, triaging via SMAP meetings, and acting as "System Coaches" upskilling staff rather than only responding to crises or statutory requests (page 12, page 15, page 17). This differs from current fragmented, often crisis/statutory-limited services with 20-week waits p12. It is funded via the EAH grant's admin allocation (up to 10%) for an EAH Service lead and admin function, plus transformation allocation and local funding for the wider Programme Team (page 56, page 17).
Harrow
Experts at Hand (EAH) is Harrow's locality-based model delivering consultation, coaching, advice and multidisciplinary outreach from Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, specialist advisory services and wider health partners, organised into three locality-based multidisciplinary teams (page 29, page 54). Unlike existing separate teams, it integrates these specialists into one coordinated, neighbourhood-aligned service with shared referral routes and data systems, including three additional Early Years Advisors (page 11, page 54). The plan does not state who funds EAH or the funding source/amount.
Hertfordshire
Experts at Hand will deploy multi-disciplinary staff (EPs, SaLT, OTs) proactively through a locality model/Local Inclusion Hubs, building staff confidence, embedding reasonable adjustments and shifting from "fragmented, reactive services to proactive, multi-disciplinary and whole setting support" rather than individual case reaction (page 8, page 15). Unlike existing services criticised for unclear pathways and inequitable access, it aims for needs-led, equitable, whole-setting delivery p8. It is funded via a DfE Experts at Hand Grant, jointly commissioned with the ICB, covering Therapy, EP and specialist teaching services (page 33, page 45).
Hillingdon
Experts at Hand provides coordinated specialist support (Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, SEMH specialists, specialist teachers, SEND Inclusion Support Officers, outreach services, screening tools) through locality clusters aligned to Family Hubs, at Universal, Targeted and Targeted Plus levels p20, shifting from "reactive referral-driven intervention to planned, preventative engagement" with whole-setting and group-based support rather than individual casework p31. It reorganises/complements existing services like the SEND Advisory Service and special school outreach p31, aiming for "predictive deployment of specialist expertise" p31. Funding details are not stated in the pages retrieved.
Hounslow
Experts at Hand will provide consistent, cluster-based access to specialist advice (SaLT, OT, EP, specialist/advisory teachers) through coaching, consultation, modelling, workforce development and integrated multi-agency support, rather than one-off assessments (page 15, page 10). It differs from existing teams by consolidating and standardising previously fragmented, variable outreach and advisory services into a single, locality-based model with 22 new posts, shifting practice from reactive specialist intervention to proactive, embedded capability-building in mainstream settings (page 10, page 2). Funding comes via transformation funding and reform programme investment led by the Council and ICB, including a joint recruitment campaign with Health and workforce partnership with the University of West London (page 10, page 8).
Isle of Wight
Experts at Hand (EAH) unites Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, SEMH, neurodiversity and outreach staff into one coordinated multidisciplinary team, deployed 70% proactively via shared data and 30% through referrals, delivering consultation, coaching, modelling and workforce development rather than separate standalone services p20. Unlike existing fragmented specialist teams, it operates through a monthly multi-agency panel and defined referral pathways, aiming to build lasting capacity within settings rather than one-off intervention (page 9, page 20). It is jointly commissioned and governed by the Local Authority and Integrated Care Board, staffed largely by upskilled Island residents, with oversight from a dedicated EAH Operational Board and funded partly through a government EAH grant (£85,000 cited as 10%) plus LA/ICB resources and commissioned local providers (page 3, page 11, page 28, page 138).
Kensington and Chelsea
Experts at Hand (EAH), delivered via SPARK, operates as a single, structured triage and multidisciplinary panel route offering consultation, modelling, whole-setting support, targeted intervention, mentoring, therapies (including speech and language, art/music), and casework, allocated proactively by need rather than individual referral (page 2, page 8). Unlike existing fragmented access to educational psychology, specialist teachers, therapy and outreach "as spokes" dependent on individual services or thresholds, EAH acts as a "hub" embedding these roles within one coordinated, predictable system rather than standalone services p2. Funding comes from a Schools Block to High Needs Block transfer and additional reform funding, plus joint ICB commissioning for roles like the speech and language advanced practitioner (page 27, page 2, page 7).
Kingston upon Thames
Experts at Hand (locally "SEAH") will improve access to specialist expertise—EPs, SaLTs, OTs and Specialist Teachers—through structured consultation, training, professional dialogue forums, Team Around a School work and cluster-based communities of practice, rather than direct one-to-one delivery (page 10, page 18, page 26). Unlike existing outreach/advisory services, it shifts from a "direct-delivery specialist model to a consult-and-collaborate approach," acting as a connector/integrator linking EPs, OTs, SaLTs, MHST and other services for more coordinated pathways (page 18, page 10). It is funded via "Experts at Hand and Transformation funding" and jointly commissioned by AfC and the ICB (page 22, page 10).
Lancashire
Experts at Hand will be multi-disciplinary teams (education, health, early help) that upskill settings, deliver enhanced specialist support in early years, mainstream schools and FE colleges, train/advise on specific issues, and give time-limited support for sustainable solutions, deployed via half-termly SEND clusters p13. Unlike existing EP/specialist teacher/outreach services, it builds on and enhances these through district-based SEND Practitioner posts and strengthened outreach (EP, S<, OT, Specialist Teachers) p58. It is commissioned by the LA and funded via Experts at Hand and the Local Authority SEND Transformation Fund, with £800,000 (education workforce) in year one rising to £1.5m, plus OT/SaLT funding reaching £2m by year three p57.
Leeds
Experts at Hand will bring educational psychologists, specialist teachers, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists into mainstream settings to deliver consultation, coaching, modelling, training and individual support, triaged via a central front door and coordinated through locality community teams (page 34, page 36). It explicitly "will not replicate or replace targeted interventions, but will enhance them," reducing reliance on EHCPs and statutory processes p35, creating "professional additionality" beyond existing EP, S<, OT and specialist teacher services p41. It is funded via a service level agreement, with the LA "administering the grant and allocating direct grants to health, schools and parent/carer partners" p34, funded separately from other integrated services p13.
Medway
Experts at Hand will give settings universal access to expert advice, needs-based targeted support, and rapid response to prevent escalation, via place-based multidisciplinary teams (education, health, care) aligned to localities and integrated with Family Hubs, Early Help and Best Start in Life p12. Unlike current fragmented, variably-accessed EP/therapy/outreach services, it offers a tiered 0–25 offer with system leadership, letting education leaders shape delivery and share accountability (page 8, page 12). It builds on existing outreach/PINS work p24. Funding comes from Medway Council and KCC proportionally funding a SaLT Advanced Practitioner and admin post sitting with the ICB, plus additional therapeutic specialists added to existing Medway–ICB commissioning arrangements p12, alongside £608,202–£1,043,483 indicative EAH delivery spend p22 and a 0.5% schools-to-high-needs block transfer p24.
Norfolk
Experts at Hand will be consultative, system-facing specialists (SALT, OT, mental health, educational psychology, specialist teachers, Zone Managers, public health nursing) who work directly in mainstream settings, upskilling teachers, embedding advice into daily practice, and leading group supervision and workforce development, rather than mainly assessing individual children (page 119-120). Unlike existing services, they focus on building classroom capability and consultation across universal/targeted levels p120. Funding comes from a £429m DfE grant, jointly commissioned with the ICB; Norfolk's 2026-27 allocation is £5.907m, with annual investment expected around £10m (page 9, page 31).
North Northamptonshire
Experts at Hand (EAH) will provide a structured, locality-based route to multidisciplinary professionals (EP, SaLT, OT, SEMH, outreach) at universal, targeted and targeted-plus levels across Family Hubs, early years, schools, family help and FE, delivering training, coaching, modelling and advice so schools can meet need early without statutory assessment (page 33, page 32). Unlike existing fragmented specialist/advisory/outreach services, it will be a jointly commissioned, embedded core delivery mechanism within Inclusion Partnerships, coordinating deployment of existing specialist expertise rather than being separate p33. Funding includes a £1.617,471.87 million Schools-to-High-Needs Block transfer strengthening Tier 2/3 support, alongside high needs capital and a planned Local Inclusion Partnership Grant (page 44, page 58).
Nottingham
Experts at Hand will be a multidisciplinary team of educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers giving on-demand advice, coaching and outreach to mainstream early years, schools, and colleges, deployed through Family Hub-aligned clusters, without requiring a diagnosis or EHCP p30. Unlike existing SEND teams, it embeds specialists directly alongside educators proactively to build workforce capability and strengthen inclusion before escalation, rather than responding only after referral (page 30, page 37). Funding comes via the Schools Block to High Needs Block transfer (£1.074m, part of a c.£3.4m package) and grant funds used to employ supporting staff like a data analyst and project managers (page 66, page 76).
Oxfordshire
Experts at Hand (EAH) will be cluster-based multi-disciplinary teams combining educational psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and specialist teaching, offering advice, triage, training and targeted intervention via a single coordinated front door (page 3, page 11). Day-to-day they'll provide coaching, learning walks, action planning, direct family engagement and screening/intervention tools p18, unlike existing separate EP/SENSS/outreach services, by integrating education, health and care delivery and reducing reliance on individualised provision (page 1, page 18). Funding: delivered through existing local authority and NHS partners within a shared framework; specific EAH funding source is not detailed p14.
Portsmouth
Experts at Hand will act as a coordinated route to specialist advice via the Inclusion Hub (LISO), working through school and EY clusters to help settings adapt provision, stabilise placements, support de-escalation/reintegration, and inform sufficiency and commissioning decisions, reducing reliance on statutory assessment (page 8, page 9). It brings together existing teams—Inclusion Advisers, Educational Psychologists, Multi-Agency Behaviour Support, EMAS, ELSEC, PfA Hub, Inclusion Outreach Service, and NHS Therapy Mentors—as one consolidated, earlier, proactive offer rather than separate services p13. Funding/resourcing details are not clearly stated beyond Inclusion Capital Grants and a dedicated data resource targeting the EaH offer (page 9, page 26).
Reading
Experts at Hand (EAH) will provide "planned, relational, multiagency support" giving timely access to EP/SaLT/OT advice, early identification, MDT planning meetings, workforce training, and presence in Family Hubs, delivering a graduated Universal/Targeted/Targeted Plus response (page 5, page 14). Unlike existing advisory services, it absorbs and expands RISE into one coordinated, consultation-and-intervention offer across all phases rather than separate teams (page 5, page 7). Funding combines continuation of RISE's Schools Block-to-High Needs Block transfer (hoped to continue until 2029) plus "additional workforce provided through the Experts at Hand funding," free to access for schools (page 5, page 27).
Redbridge
Experts at Hand will run weekly/monthly advisory drop-in sessions in each of five localities, aligned with Health Neighbourhoods, offering Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Educational Psychology, SENDATs and Early Years advice, plus Best Start in Life and community outreach p67. Unlike existing separate EP, specialist teaching, advisory and outreach services, it integrates education, health and social care into one outreach model embedded in local clusters, expanding into community settings (page 14, page 18). Funding comes from a 200% increase in the Educational Psychology budget and 20% increase in SaLT investment, resourced by the council/partnership (page 7, page 66).
Richmond upon Thames
Day to day, Experts at Hand (locally "Specialist Expertise at Hand"/SEAH) centres on a monthly structured meeting between a school and the full SEAH core team—explicitly not referral meetings but collaborative problem-solving, joint planning and commissioning discussion—supplemented by consultation cycles, coaching, case discussion/formulation and joint observation (page 59, page 10). Unlike existing EP/outreach/advisory services which respond to individual referrals, SEAH builds schools' internal capacity through consultative, capacity-building relationships (page 10, page 59). Funding comes from increased LA and ICB spend on professionals (EPs, SaLTs, OTs), starting at 0 in 2026 and expanding over three years p32.
Rochdale
Experts at Hand will deliver a Team Around the School model incorporating EP, OT and SLT, co-located with Family Help Teams in neighbourhood teams, providing swift, multidisciplinary advice without needing statutory assessments (page 63, page 28, page 76). This differs from existing teams by embedding specialist expertise into everyday practice and deploying input earlier and more flexibly, reducing reliance on EHCPs p63. It incorporates existing services like the SEND Advice Service, LISO, Inclusion Toolkit, Tier 3 AP and APST p63. Funding sources are not clearly stated beyond needing to "align funding and scale through Experts at Hand" and a "sustainable funding model" p22; specific funders are not stated in the pages retrieved.
Shropshire
Experts at Hand will provide blended consultation, group training, targeted intervention and statutory contribution from EP, SLT and OT practitioners, helping settings identify need earlier and access advice without unnecessary escalation, via a single triage route with agreed response standards (page 4, page 32). It will be delivered through inclusion bases and locality support, with recruitment of 4 SLTs, 6 SALTAs, 2.6 OTs and an ICB Advanced Practitioner, rather than existing separate services p14. It is jointly funded/staffed by the Local Authority and ICB, overseen by an EAH Steering Group and workforce plan (page 4, page 32, page 24).
Slough
Experts at Hand will be a 0–25 area-wide cluster model offering multidisciplinary advice, group advice, coaching, consultation and digital resources, aligning specialist teams around school clusters to give earlier access to advice and reduce avoidable escalation (page 27, page 44). Unlike existing EP, therapy, specialist teaching and outreach services, it is additional capacity, not a replacement, built by mapping and formalising existing routes (CYPIT, EAS, EP, SALT, OT) into one coherent access model rather than a separate service or pilot (page 43, page 32). Funding comes from a Schools Block to High Needs Block transfer (£0.861m agreed November 2025) plus existing specialist service budgets and workforce reallocation p53.
Solihull
From September 2026, Experts at Hand will provide training, consultation and whole-setting capacity-building: educational psychotherapists on emotional resilience and school avoidance; SaLT/OT doing environmental audits, transitions and group interventions; AP outreach on belonging and reducing exclusions; specialist teachers coaching on neuroinclusive practice; special school outreach from January 2027; and SPCV supporting parent groups p4. This differs from reactive, individual-case-focused support by instead building mainstream staff skills and confidence directly in classrooms, reducing reliance on 1:1 support (page 1, page 2). It is funded by the DfE, who have given funding until March 2027 to expand this specialist workforce, expected to continue until March 2029 p1.
Somerset
Experts at Hand will deploy educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, specialist therapy staff, Inclusive Curriculum Specialist Teachers, outreach workers (PRU, Special Schools, Specialist Inclusion Bases), transition posts, and Setting-to-Setting Peer Leaders to provide early, local support enabling mainstream inclusion (page 34, page 59). Rather than separate existing teams, it coordinates/recruits from the same constrained workforce pools p59, overseen by a monthly multi-agency Steering Group p56. It is funded via the SEND Reform Transformation Grant, with 2026/27 funding confirmed at £3,624,802, co-produced with the ICB and Parent Carer Forum p34.
South Gloucestershire
Experts at Hand will deploy multi-agency specialist teams (EPs, SLT, OT, specialist/advisory teachers, outreach teachers) into schools via Cluster-based deployment, giving earlier advice, evidence-informed interventions and whole-setting improvement support (page 37, page 49). Unlike existing services, it replaces a referral-based, traded model—where schools paid and access was inconsistent—with a non-traded, free-at-point-of-use, consistent foundation aligned with Clusters, NHS, Neurodiversity and Mental Health Support Teams (page 49, page 104). Year 1 involves about 24.5 FTE jointly delivered by council and health services p49, and it "will be jointly commissioned with partners," extending to out-of-area placement providers p36.
South Tyneside
Experts at Hand (EAH) provides commissioned, multidisciplinary consultation, advice and early intervention within the graduated response, prioritising Reception/Key Stage 1 cohorts, overseen by a dedicated EAH Oversight Group monitoring performance, demand, timeliness and equity p21. Unlike existing traded/referral-based outreach, therapy and specialist teams, EAH offers a single, consistent, non-statutory access route embedded in clusters rather than fragmented arrangements (page 9, page 12). It is funded as a commissioned, performance-managed service, with clinical leadership from commissioned health partners including STSFT, transformation funding for delivery capacity, and long-term sustainability reviewed annually with the ICB through joint commissioning p44.
Southampton
Experts at Hand provides locality-based, group-level professional support, shifting from high-cost individualised escalation to group deployment of specialist workforce via cluster arrangements p1. It integrates Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Specialist Teacher Advisory Services and outreach into one coordinated offer, rather than these remaining separate teams p1. Embedded SLT and OT support all settings, with training delivered centrally/digitally and face-to-face via clusters p1. Funding is not explicitly detailed, but delivery is funded through the High Needs Block, aligned commissioning across the Council and NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB p1.
Staffordshire
The plan says Experts at Hand will provide whole-setting support, mapping existing specialist offers, delivering training (e.g. locality inset days, childminder clusters) and giving settings access to specialist expertise across the partnership, including AP and special school providers, to join up services (page 8, page 68). It is co-produced and launches fully from April 2027 p28. Funding/delivery arrangements are still being reviewed, with recruitment constrained by national shortages of specialists and no confirmed long-term funding; interim fixed-term posts are funded within available fiscal resources p89.
Stoke-on-Trent
Experts at Hand will deploy dedicated school-facing SaLT, OT, EP and Specialist Teacher capacity, navigator roles, and locality operating rhythms, offering specialist advice to build capacity in settings and support individual children "without requiring an EHCP" (page 15, page 9). Unlike existing statutory-linked EP/advisory/outreach services, which are "uneven and often linked to statutory processes," it aims to use specialist expertise earlier "rather than to inform the statutory process," aligning outreach and community SENCOs into one coordinated offer (page 9, page 4). Funding will be agreed through joint commissioning between the LA and ICB using a Section 75 partnership framework p18.
Surrey
Experts at Hand (EaH) works through the Team Around the Setting Support Hub (TASSH), a single entry point giving schools/settings access to Educational Psychologists, SALT, OT and Specialist Teachers across 11 clusters, covering early years to post-16 (page 25, page 24). It expands rather than replaces existing teams—EPs, SALT, STIP continue "supporting via TASSH" alongside new outreach and admin roles (page 15, page 26). Funding is dual: SCC funds the existing TASSH structure, while new EaH grant funding (jointly commissioned with the ICB) pays for expansion, extra specialists and a c.£4m (23%) joint LA/ICB investment increase (page 24, page 25, page 10).
Torbay
The plan describes Experts at Hand (EaH) as a staffing model combining Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists "and their support workers," who will provide timely specialist advice, build practitioner confidence, and increase "whole school delivery" rather than individual casework (page 10, page 18). It expands specialist outreach and locality-based collaboration to reduce reliance on high-cost placements, building on earlier pilot work p7. Funding/workforce detail is contained in Appendix 6, "Experts at Hand Offer principles and plan" p29; HR capacity will support scaling this workforce p30. The excerpts do not state a funding source or budget figure.
Tower Hamlets
Experts at Hand (EaH) organises existing specialists—educational psychologists, SaLT, OT, specialist/advisory teachers, outreach workers, mental health clinicians, HLTAs and therapy assistants—into bespoke multi-disciplinary teams attached to smaller networks of settings via 8 Local Area Partnerships, each with a 0.5 specialist post for leadership, plus a Post-16 convener at New City College (page 7, page 13). Unlike today's fragmented, hard-to-navigate core/traded offers, EaH coordinates these teams under a convener, delivering group-level support directly in mainstream settings, building staff capability, reducing EHCNA requests, and is centrally monitored by a SEND Transformation Team reporting to the SEND Improvement Board (page 13, page 9, page 3). It is funded through council budget allocated to convener schools/college plus a stated "£4.8 million investment" enhancing existing provision, alongside flexed traded services and ICB-funded therapy/commissioning contributions (page 13, page 8, page 2).
Trafford
Experts at Hand (EAH) places multi-disciplinary teams (EPs, SALTs, OTs, Lead SENCOs) to be "visible within school at agreed times" across four locality consortia, assessing needs, delivering whole-setting and targeted training, and providing a navigation function for advice/signposting (page 7, page 12). Unlike existing separate EP, advisory and outreach services, it redeploys and aligns these into one locality consortium model, reducing reliance on specialist escalation (page 6, page 12, page 10). It will be jointly commissioned and owned by the LA and ICB, with delivery backed by Transformation Funding (page 7, page 19).
Wakefield
Experts at Hand is described as the Local Inclusion Support Offer, operating within place-based clusters alongside schools and the Education & Inclusion workforce across "three pillars: advice, training and direct delivery," so schools aren't left managing complexity alone p12. It supports the graduated response, aiming for more needs met early in mainstream settings p9. The plan does not specify day-to-day tasks distinguishing it from EP, outreach or advisory services. Funding comes via SEND transformational funding combined with the 2026–27 Schools-to-High-Needs Block transfer, approved by Schools Forum p23.
Warwickshire
Experts at Hand (EAH) will provide immediate consultative access, school/system-level capability building, and population/cohort-driven support rather than individual casework p11. Day-to-day, local multi-disciplinary teams of EPs, specialist teachers, SaLTs and OTs (led by qualified staff, supported by assistants) will deliver setting-level consultation, group interventions and targeted support via three area hubs (North, East, South) (page 9, page 13, page 11). This differs from current referral-wait-assess, caseload-driven models where "specialist = endpoint" rather than enabler p11. It requires 63 additional FTE p11 and is funded through the grant, plus High Needs Block funding, explicitly "in addition to current funding allocations" for existing specialist teacher teams (page 37, page 35).
West Sussex
Experts at Hand (EaH) will run through 8 locality hubs offering two pathways: proactive (whole-setting training, "team around the school" consultation, workforce development) and responsive/reactive (a streamlined integrated front door referral system for individual pupils, reducing duplication) (page 9, page 18, page 19). Unlike existing separate EP, SALT, OT, outreach and advisory teams, EaH integrates these services into one coordinated, LA-led model with agreed thresholds and access routes (page 37, page 9). It is funded via a blended workforce model: interim/agency staff, new recruitment, privately commissioned therapist posts, and ICB fixed-term contract staffing, under a Memorandum of Understanding with the ICB and Public Health, plus commissioning tenders for additional EP, SALT and OT capacity (page 9, page 23, page 37).
Wigan
Experts at Hand will provide consultation, coaching and whole-setting development, giving early specialist advice without triggering diagnosis or statutory assessment (page 8, page 26). Unlike existing separate services (EPS, TESS, EMTAS, SSET, outreach), it brings these together into one coherent, needs-led offer accessed through consultation and joint problem-solving rather than thresholds and referrals (page 20, page 27). It will operate mainly through a strengthened universal core offer, with traded activity reviewed and rebalanced; funding stems from existing Education Support Services budgets, jointly owned by the local authority and health partners via agreed commissioning arrangements (page 8, page 27).
Wiltshire
Experts at Hand will deliver cluster-based coaching, consultation, peer collaboration and timely specialist advice (no referral needed) directly to mainstream schools/settings, building staff confidence to meet needs earlier without statutory assessment, alongside integrated therapy pathways and preparation-for-adulthood support (page 5, page 15, page 11). Unlike existing EP/SALT/OT/specialist teacher/outreach teams, EAH forms a defined, cluster-deployed multidisciplinary core workforce jointly delivered with health, time-limited and cohort/whole-setting focused rather than case-by-case (page 5, page 11). It's funded through the DfE grant covering SALT, OT, EPs, specialist teachers and APST, supplemented by council-employed staff and Schools Block-to-High Needs Block transfer (£1m, 2026/27), plus an ICB-employed SALT Advanced Practitioner (page 5, page 27).
Wirral
Day-to-day, Experts at Hand delivers EPs, SaLT, OT, SEMH and ND practitioners via four locality MDTs co-located with Family Hubs, each supporting ~30 schools through school surgeries, a digital consultation platform/advice line, rapid-response triage, training, coaching and environmental audits (page 59, page 65). Unlike existing teams, expertise becomes routinely embedded in mainstream settings without needing EHCPs or diagnosis, rather than accessed through statutory/outreach referral routes (page 60, page 50). Funding is ~£2m/year, with 80% for direct delivery, 10% admin, 10% LA transformation, 50% jointly commissioned via the ICB (page 59, page 64).
Wolverhampton
Experts at Hand (EAH) will give education settings whole-setting and group-based access to specialist education and health expertise—advice, coaching, modelling, peer-to-peer support and time-limited specialist input—delivered via locality-based, multi-disciplinary teams with clear access routes and escalation principles, prioritising early, preventative support over individual referral (page 7, page 9). Unlike existing EP, SLT, outreach and advisory services, which operate reactively and inconsistently, EAH formalises, aligns and scales this expertise into a consistent tiered (universal/targeted/specialist) model rather than replacing current provision p4. It is jointly commissioned by the local authority and ICB and delivered by partners, funded through national EAH and SEND Transformation grant funding alongside existing High Needs Block funding, with at least 80% of the grant required to go to direct EAH delivery (pages 7, 11, 19).
Worcestershire
The excerpts describe the Experts at Hand model only in general terms: it is intended to give mainstream settings "earlier, multi-disciplinary support" as part of strengthening inclusion p11, and is being "embedded" alongside improved ordinarily available provision p4. Year 1 costings assume recruitment to new posts and a government-allocated budget that is expected to increase for 2027/28 and 2028/29 p21, implying DfE/grant funding, with commissioning development involving MAT leaders p30. The excerpts do not specify day-to-day duties or how it differs from existing EP, specialist teacher, advisory or outreach services.
York
Experts at Hand will bring together educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, specialist teachers, occupational therapists, outreach from specialist settings/ERPs and "experts by experience" to work collaboratively, commissioned at group level for joined-up, place-based support across early years, schools and post-16, giving mainstream settings a defined route to specialist support "from day one" p11. Unlike today's separate specialist teams, it adapts the Learning Support Hub into a unified, flexible, neighbourhood-based tiered model (page 8, page 2). It will be jointly developed and delivered by the local authority and the Integrated Care Board, with additional transformation funding supporting finance, business intelligence, PCF and an advanced speech and language therapy post (page 11, page 9).
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