The Southend SEND Partnership has developed a new SEND Strategic Action Plan for 2026 to 2029.
Earlier this year, the Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of the Southend-on-Sea Local Area Partnership highlighted both important strengths and areas where we need to improve experiences and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The inspection recognised the commitment of staff across education, health and care services, alongside examples of strong partnership working and effective support for many children and families.
The inspection also identified areas where experiences remain inconsistent and where the partnership must work together to drive further improvement. These include strengthening preparation for adulthood, improving the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and annual reviews, increasing consistency of inclusion across schools, improving access to neurodevelopmental and mental health support, and strengthening how we evaluate the impact of our work.
In response, the partnership has developed a new SEND Strategic Action Plan for 2026 to 2029. The plan builds on many of the strengths identified during the inspection, including effective multi-agency working, co-production with children, young people and families, and strong practice in services such as early help and social care. It sets out clear priorities, actions and measurable outcomes to ensure that improvements lead to real and lasting benefits for children and young people.
This Action Plan is a live document that will continue to evolve over time. Once the engagement activities for the refresh of the SEND Strategy 2027 to 2029 have been finalised, the partnership will review the feedback gathered and incorporate views as necessary, to ensure the plan continues to reflect the priorities of the local community.