SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2024 to 2029

In West Berkshire, our vision is:

"Children with SEND receive the right support, adjustments, and interventions, at the right time, to thrive in childhood and prepare well for adulthood."

The SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2024-29 outlines the priorities we will be working towards over the next five years.

Read or download the SEND and Inclusion Strategy PDF [3MB] .
 

Throughout its development, the SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2024-29 has been informed by feedback across the Local Area Partnership, gathered as part of the Delivering Better Value (DBV) Programme and the SEND Review which took place in 2023. The DBV programme is run by the Department for Education (DfE) to support Local Authorities, and their partners, to improve the delivery of SEND Services for children and young people whilst ensuring that funding remains available to deliver these services.

Feedback was gathered in several ways including:

• case review sessions
• listening forums 
• coffee mornings
• SEND advice sessions
• SEND youth survey

In the strategy you will find:

• what you told us we have done well and what we need to improve
• our 6 new priorities for the Local Area
• a summary of the DBV Programme and SEND and Inclusion Strategy

There is a detailed delivery plan covering the period April 2024 to March 2025 which supports the work of the strategy. The delivery plan will be reviewed and updated annually. The summary of the DBV programme and SEND and Inclusion Strategy (page 12 of the strategy) summarises our goals under each priority area.

As part of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy, West Berkshire Council has prepared a SEND Placement Sufficiency Analysis. The Sufficiency Analysis will inform our future capacity requirements to meet SEND needs locally, whenever possible. It will provide evidence and inform analysis to ensure that a range of measures are in place to make sure that there is sufficient and consistent capacity across the district to support children and young people with more complex special education needs in their local area, wherever possible.

Read or download the SEND Placement Sufficiency Analysis [2MB] .

We would like to say thank you to anyone, and everyone, who has provided feedback as part of the development of the strategy. We are currently working with our SEND Youth Forum to develop an 'easy read' version of the strategy which we will upload to this page when it is completed.