Bedfordshire’s 3 councils to lead change for SEND families
Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Bedfordshire’s 3 councils have been selected to lead a new East of England partnership focussed on providing better outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
This is exciting news for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in our area.
Each council has been awarded £2 million from the Department for Education (DfE) to work on a new two-year project. The partnership will help develop new national standards, to create a consistent special educational needs and alternative provision across the country, and ensure children and young people get the best possible services.
The work is part of the DfE’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision (SEND and AP) Improvement Plan, which was launched earlier this year and sets out reforms to make sure children and young people get consistently high-quality support.
The partnership will work closely with parents, carers, children and young people to ensure they are involved in the testing and development of the reforms. Education and health services will also be involved, with the partnership developing a plan to set out how they will deliver local services.
Councillor Hayley Whitaker, our Executive Member for Families, Education and Children, said:
We are delighted to be involved in the partnership, and look forward to working together to make positive change for children and young people with SEND and their families.
Councillor Aslam Khan, Luton Council’s Executive Portfolio Holder for Children’s, Families and Education Services said:
We are committed to providing the best possible outcomes for children with SEND in Luton, and we are honoured to have received this funding to continue to provide support for these children and their families in line with our 2040 vision.