Local SEND Reform Plans · 40 documents asked · 40 answered · 0 not stated · run 11 September 2026
What does this council's Experts at Hand offer include, and which professions or services are in it?
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Ask for a surveyHow councils describe the Experts at Hand offer
Most councils describe Experts at Hand as a multi-agency, locality-based model giving mainstream settings early access to specialist advice without needing a diagnosis or an EHCP. The near-universal core team is educational psychology, speech and language therapy (SaLT) and occupational therapy (OT), often joined by specialist teachers, SEMH or neurodevelopmental support, and outreach from special schools or alternative provision. Delivery is typically framed around consultation, coaching, training and modelling rather than referral-led casework, and many councils tie it to family hubs, locality clusters or a "team around the school" approach.
A few councils stand out. Cornwall and Isle of Wight give precise structural detail, with named numbers of teams and delivery splits. Solihull sets out a dated rollout (from September 2026, special school outreach from January 2027). Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset are explicit about joint LA/ICB commissioning and delivery. Kingston and Richmond both use the local name "Specialist Expertise at Hand (SEAH)". Slough is unusual in stressing the offer is additional to, not a replacement for, statutory and health routes.
Several councils give hard numbers. Norfolk cites its DfE grant allocation (£5.907m for 2026–27, from a £429m national pot). Harrow targets 80% of schools and around 750 children. South Gloucestershire specifies about 24.5 whole-time-equivalent staff in Year 1. Isle of Wight quantifies delivery as 70% proactive, 30% referral-based.
Two councils are notably thin on detail. Leeds describes the offer's purpose but does not name any professions or services. Staffordshire similarly lacks specifics, describing only a partnership-developed model without confirming named professions or a clear service list.
No council returned a "Not stated" answer.
Not stated: none.
About this survey
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.
Model claude-sonnet-5. How a survey is made.
Every document's answer
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole
Experts at Hand is a 0–25 service acting as the entry point for SEND early advice and support, combining consultation, coaching and system leadership rather than referral-led intervention (page 20, page 2). It draws on Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists (including "Advanced SALT in post"), plus practising teachers, SENCOs, inclusion leaders and the Parent Carer Forum (page 2, page 20). Delivery is via a BCP cluster model with a single point of contact and digitally enabled access p2.
Brighton and Hove
Experts at Hand (EAH) is a coordinated multiagency workforce model aimed at giving staff timely access to specialist advice, building on existing expertise and networks to strengthen workforce confidence and capability p4. It is meant to embed high-quality SEN Support and is dependent on evolving national guidance and local agreement on pathways, thresholds and service standards p31. Specialist professions involved include Educational Psychologists and therapists, such as SaLT and OT (page 35, page 31). The council seeks national operational guidance covering delivery models, service expectations and workforce assumptions p36.
Bromley
Bromley's Experts at Hand (EAH) offer is a system-wide model providing coaching to setting staff, delivered by a mix of LA, health and school staff p75. It combines LA-employed advisory, inclusion and educational psychology (EP) teams, ICB-commissioned therapy services, special school and AP outreach provision, and additional EAH-funded workforce p75. It includes strategic/system leadership roles, a core multi-disciplinary clinical workforce, and an inclusion/embedded practice workforce, such as Specialist Teaching Assistants and practitioner resources covering SALT, OT and EP p79.
Bury
Bury's Experts at Hand (EaH) offer provides consistent, coordinated multi-agency support, nested within a wider linked officer model to simplify access for schools p11. It links specialist Outreach teams with expertise from local Special Schools and Alternative Provision p11. It is designed to strengthen connectivity between schools and partners for "commonly occurring" needs p14. Professions named include Occupational Therapists (OTs), Speech and Language Therapists (SALT), and Education Psychologists, cited as key "hard to recruit" roles p53.
Cambridgeshire
Experts at Hand is used to improve access to educational psychology, specialist teaching, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and Alternative Provision (AP) outreach p34. It also funds "team around the school" and "team around the family" models, targeting key transition points such as Early Years to Reception, Year 6 to 7, and Year 11 to 14 p44. The council also links it to an "Inclusion Dividend" concept for sustaining long-term investment p43.
Cornwall
Cornwall's Experts at Hand (E@H) offer will reach every locality via 6 multi-disciplinary teams, shifting mainstream settings toward accessing specialist support without requiring diagnosis, spanning early years to further education (page 10, page 11). It combines skills from Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists (with a new SaLT Advanced Practitioner post), Occupational Therapists, SEND specialists, Neurodiversity officers, health partners, and parents/carers and young people, built through consultation, coaching and training, with youth and family peer-to-peer coaching also planned p11.
Coventry
Experts at Hand is designed to spread specialist expertise across the system—early help, strategic problem-solving with settings, and practice development—evolving from Coventry's existing traded specialist SEND services and networks rather than a parallel offer (page 12, page 24). It draws on Educational Psychologists (EP), Speech and Language Therapists (SaLT), and Occupational Therapists (OT) (page 18, page 23), using a blended delivery model including assistant therapists, psychologists, specialist teachers, and multi-therapy assistants, supported by clinical supervision and network supervision p23.
East Sussex
The Experts at Hand (EAH) offer gives schools, settings and providers easy access to: Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists through an expanded CITES; Educational Psychologists; specialist teachers for Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH); training and advice through Special Schools outreach; and the Alternative Provision Specialist Task Force (APST) offer plus AP outreach p6. Access is coordinated via a "navigator" role and a "Team Around the School" approach, working with locality clusters of schools (page 6, page 42).
Hackney
Hackney's Experts at Hand offer deploys a diverse team of professionals organised into Locality Inclusion Teams (LITs) providing equitable, local, targeted support p15. This includes Education Specialists (EP services, Specialist Teachers, Area SENCos) and Clinical Health Professionals (SaLT, OT) p15. LITs also integrate with HEALS outreach, CAMHS (WAMHS/MHST), Young Hackney, School Nursing/Health Visiting, Community Paediatricians, EHC Plan Coordinators, Designated Safeguarding Leads, School Improvement, Sensory teams, Portage, Hackney Ark Health services, and the Family Coach service p15.
Hounslow
Hounslow's Experts at Hand offer gives settings across all localities consistent access to specialist support, advice, therapies and outreach, spanning early years through Post 16 p12. It includes 22 new posts covering Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Clinical Psychology, Specialist and Advisory Teachers, and Education Inclusion Advisors p10, plus recruitment of therapists (SaLT, OT, EP) and advisory services p11. Best Start Inclusion Practitioners form part of the model for ages 0–5 p10.
Leeds
The Experts at Hand offer combines training, advice, and direct support alongside settings, aiming to build capacity and capability of the mainstream and specialist workforce to identify and meet children's needs p6. The excerpt does not specify particular professions or services included within this offer.
Norfolk
Norfolk's Experts at Hand offer provides advice and direct support to early years settings, mainstream schools and further education colleges, funded by a £429m DfE grant with Norfolk allocated £5.907m for 2026-27 p8. It includes Zone Management and Business Support, Advanced Practitioners in SALT, OT and Mental Health, and Specialist Teachers/Advisors p119. It also covers Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health support, and Specialist Community Public Health Nursing p120.
Oxfordshire
Experts at Hand (EAH) is a coordinated, multidisciplinary team model giving mainstream settings access to specialist expertise from education and health, including educational psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and specialist teaching support p11, with therapists and other specialist practitioners also named p2. Delivery is cluster-based, aligned to Family Hubs, offering advice, triage, training, coaching, learning walks, and targeted intervention, plus screening/intervention tools, via a single front-door with centralised triage (page 11, page 18, page 6).
Reading
Experts at Hand is a planned, relational, multiagency support offer for early years, schools and further education providers, incorporating Reading's existing RISE Service p5. It adds capacity for Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, and Occupational Therapy (EP/SaLT/OT) alongside RISE p27. It provides timely specialist advice/intervention, supports early identification, builds workforce capacity, and strengthens integration across education, health and care p14, free-to-access for all schools p27.
Shropshire
Experts at Hand (EAH) is Shropshire's Local Inclusion Support Offer, giving settings and families access to specialist advice without unnecessary escalation (page 4, page 5). It draws on workforce including Educational Psychology, EHCP staff, Speech and Language Therapy (with a SaLT Advanced Practitioner providing strategic therapy leadership), and Occupational Therapy (page 4, page 24). It is governed via an Experts at Hand Steering Group and supported by workforce reform and dedicated transformation costings (page 4, page 24).
Stoke-on-Trent
The Experts at Hand offer includes dedicated school-facing Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Educational Psychology (EP), and Specialist Teacher capacity, delivered via locality models with navigator roles p15. It spans early years through post-16/18, embedded in Best Start Family Hubs, supported by Community SENCOs and specialist outreach from special schools p15. Funding is sustained jointly by the LA and ICB via a Section 75 agreement p18.
Wirral
Experts at Hand gives mainstream early years settings, schools and further education providers early, timely access to specialist expertise without needing diagnosis or an EHCP p56. It covers occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, neurodevelopmental (ND) support, and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) support p56. At full maturity it uses a skill-mix workforce, with a Tier 1 of Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, clinical/SEMH specialists, specialist outreach teachers, and ND specialists, delivered via locality-based multi-disciplinary teams p65.
Worcestershire
The Experts at Hand approach involves deploying specialist services directly, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and educational psychology p39. This deployment is tracked as part of service delivery data to monitor whether reform activity is being implemented at the intended scale and pace p39. There is also an E@H working group as part of delivery plan partner forums overseeing operational delivery p44.
Barnsley
Barnsley's Experts at Hand (EAH) is a locality-based, multidisciplinary model delivering inclusion across all settings, bringing together expertise from education, health, and care—including educational psychologists (EPs), therapies, SEMH support, and advisory services p14. Support is embedded directly within mainstream settings, working alongside practitioners at the point of need, and integrated into the graduated response for early identification p14. Specialist EAH support is also accessed through the Green Panel arrangement p17.
Bath and North East Somerset
Experts at Hand (EAH) is a non-statutory, capacity-building, LA-led locality-based multi-agency offer, delivered jointly with the ICB across three Localities covering Early Years, schools and Post-16 providers p9. It provides timely access to specialist expertise directly to settings via locality-based teams, offering coaching, modelling and workforce development p10. Multi-agency specialist expertise includes Educational Psychologists (EP), Speech and Language Therapists (SALT), Occupational Therapists (OT), Specialist Teachers and Assistant Practitioners p10.
Bristol
Bristol's Experts at Hand (EAH) offer is a multidisciplinary, locality-based service jointly commissioned, funded and delivered by the local authority and ICB, enabling mainstream 0-25 settings to access specialist expertise p10. It is delivered through locality-based teams including Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Family Navigators, the Bristol Autism Team and Specialist Outreach, working within 11 school/setting clusters (page 10, page 6). It provides group-based/whole-school support, targeted interventions at scale, and coaching, supervision and modelling p6.
Cumberland
The Experts at Hand (EAH) offer is a joint commissioning arrangement between Cumberland Council and the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, delivered through a blended model p15. It includes local authority services such as Educational Psychology and Specialist Advisory Teachers, ICB-commissioned services like Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Mental Health support, plus commissioned partners via service level agreements for extra capacity p15. Access covers universal training/consultation, targeted referral pathways and priority escalation routes p15.
Dorset
Dorset's Expertise Offer (its Experts at Hand model) provides whole-setting support, tailored guidance, strategic advice, coaching and some group-level intervention across early years, mainstream schools and FE providers aged 0–25 p12. It includes a dedicated post-16/preparation-for-adulthood strand covering health, employment, independent living and community inclusion p14. Professions integrated include Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists (with two Advanced SALT Practitioners), Occupational Therapists, Specialist Teachers, mental health practitioners, Health Visitors and School Nurses (pages 12, 14, 17).
Durham
Experts at Hand (EAH) provides universal access to multidisciplinary expertise, extending specialist practitioners' reach through consultation, group-based delivery and digital offers, shifting the system from referral-led to capacity-building support (page 6, page 10). It draws on specialist therapies such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and educational psychology p1, and depends on health professionals aligned with NHS commissioning, neighbourhood health models and multidisciplinary teams under joint local authority/ICB governance p23.
Harrow
Experts at Hand (EAH) is Harrow's model for delivering specialist expertise via consultation, coaching, outreach and workforce development within locality-based multidisciplinary teams (page 29, page 36). It includes Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, specialist advisory services, emotional wellbeing services, and wider health partners, plus Early Years Advisors (page 29, page 66, page 11). It also involves Advanced Practitioner Speech and Language Therapy roles p66, aiming for 80% of schools accessing EAH and around 750 children benefiting p36.
Hertfordshire
Experts at Hand is a targeted, needs-led, multi-disciplinary support model delivered through locality-based Local Inclusion Hubs, offering timely access to specialist expertise for early years, schools and post-16 settings (page 8, page 17). It relies on jointly commissioned professionals including Educational Psychologists (EP), Speech and Language Therapists (SaLT) and Occupational Therapists (OT), supported by a joint Local Authority–ICB Memorandum of Understanding and a jointly commissioned Therapy Service contract (page 11, page 45).
Isle of Wight
Experts at Hand (EAH) is a coordinated multidisciplinary model giving early years settings, schools and post-16 providers a single point of access to specialist expertise without needing statutory processes p20. Its multi-agency workforce comprises Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, SEMH services, neurodiversity specialists, outreach services and school improvement colleagues p20. Support is deployed 70% proactively and 30% via referral, through consultation, coaching, modelling, workforce development and targeted support p20. The offer extends to IW College and post-16 providers p13.
Kingston upon Thames
The Experts at Hand model, locally called Specialist Expertise at Hand (SEAH), aims to improve access to specialist expertise through structured, consultative and capacity-building approaches p10. It particularly involves Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Specialist Teachers p10, with the workforce plan also referencing "Therapy, Occupational Therapy and other specialist services" p52. By Year 3 it will operate across Early Years, schools, Family Hubs and Post-16 settings p29.
North Northamptonshire
The Experts at Hand (EAH) model provides a structured, locality-based route to multidisciplinary professionals including Educational Psychology (EP), Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT), Occupational Therapy (OT), SEMH specialists, and outreach support p33. It offers universal, targeted and targeted-plus levels of access across Family Hubs, early years, schools, family help, and FE settings p33, providing training, coaching, modelling and advice to build school confidence and reduce escalation to EHCPs p32.
Nottingham
Experts at Hand gives mainstream early years settings, schools and colleges quick access to specialist support without requiring a diagnosis or EHCP p30. It comprises a multidisciplinary team of educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers, providing on-demand advice, coaching and outreach across early years, schools and further education p30. A Speech and Language Advanced Practitioner (contracted from Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust) will help design the speech and language element of this offer p42.
Richmond upon Thames
Richmond's Experts at Hand offer, locally named Specialist Expertise at Hand (SEAH), aims to improve access to specialist expertise through structured, consultative and capacity-building approaches, particularly involving Educational Psychologists (EPs), Speech and Language Therapists (SaLTs), and Occupational Therapists (OTs) p10. It acts as a system enabler and connector, coordinating with services like Mental Health Support Teams, early years settings, and Family Hubs, and supporting cluster-level working across schools p10.
Rochdale
Rochdale's Experts at Hand offer embeds specialist expertise into everyday practice within a Team Around the School model, covering Educational Psychology (EP), Occupational Therapy (OT), and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) (page 50, page 63). It aims to give easier, more timely access to these experts without needing statutory assessments, reducing reliance on EHCPs as the main route to support p76.
Slough
Experts at Hand is a 0 to 25, area-wide partnership model providing multidisciplinary advice additional to existing services, not replacing statutory, health, therapy or education routes (page 27, page 43). It draws on educational psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, physiotherapy, neurodiversity services, community paediatrics, health EAS, alternative provision, special schools, advisory services, social care and commissioned services p43. It also includes CYPIT online resources, EAS therapist access, webinars, school support meetings and walk-throughs p43.
Solihull
From September 2026, Solihull's Experts at Hand offer gives education settings access to: Educational Psychotherapists (for emotional resilience, SEMH, and consultation groups), Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists (for environmental audits, transitions, and WellComm resources), Alternative Provision outreach, Specialist teachers (including neuroinclusive training), Special school outreach (from January 2027), and Solihull Parent Carer Voice for parental engagement group support p4. It aims to build mainstream capacity and reduce reliance on 1:1 support p4.
Somerset
Somerset's Experts at Hand offer provides "early, local multi-agency access to specialist SEND expertise" p23, structured as a Tier 1 Universal Offer and Tier 2 Targeted offer p23. It relies on a workforce including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists p59. Health-related support services are also covered under Experts at Hand rather than as separate provision p18. It is treated as an "enabler" alongside delivery projects like Specialist Inclusion Bases p18.
South Gloucestershire
Experts at Hand is a non-traded, multi-agency support model providing access to Educational Psychologists, SEND Advisory Teachers, Behaviour support, Speech and Language Therapy (SLT), Occupational Therapy (OT), specialist teachers/HLTAs, and NHS-commissioned mental health specialists (page 47, page 49, page 77). It aligns with SEND Clusters, NHS services, Neurodiversity Support Teams, Mental Health Support Teams and Alternative Provision p49. Year 1 delivery involves about 24.5 whole-time-equivalent staff across these professions, jointly delivered by council and health services p49.
South Tyneside
Experts at Hand (EAH) is a commissioned, performance-managed early multidisciplinary support offer within the graduated response, providing early consultation, advice, modelling and problem-solving before statutory assessment or specialist provision (page 21, page 20). It draws on core disciplines including Educational Psychology (EP), Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), and Occupational Therapy (OT), plus advisory functions p20. It interfaces with specialist commissioned services such as SALT, OT and EP, and links with school-based services like MHST and school nursing p20.
Staffordshire
The excerpts do not fully specify the offer's contents or named professions. They describe Experts at Hand as a partnership-developed model for "access to specialist support and local placements" p27, involving mapping current service offers and existing experts to ensure settings have "access to a minimum" level p68, redesigning PRUs' role to support mainstream inclusion (page 29-30), aligning with family hubs and Best Start strategy p30, and referencing ICB SLT Advanced guidance p30.
Wigan
Wigan's Experts at Hand offer brings together existing education support services into a coherent, needs-led model providing early specialist advice, consultation and coaching to mainstream settings without automatically triggering diagnosis or statutory assessment p8. It includes Educational Psychology, Targeted Education Support Services (TESS), EMTAS, Early Years, Attendance Support, and Specialist Sensory Education Support, alongside alignment with Family Hubs, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Support Teams, and Health Visiting Teams p8. It also draws on special school outreach expertise p20.
Wolverhampton
Experts at Hand (EAH) is a preventative, early-intervention model providing timely specialist education and health input across early years, school-age and post-16 settings, delivered through tiered universal, targeted and specialist support including whole-setting advice, coaching and individual intervention (page 9, page 6). It includes Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, outreach/consultation, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, with advanced OT and SaLT practitioner roles being developed (page 4, page 28).
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