Helping children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to feel included, that they belong, and that they are able to do their best.
That is at the heart of a new strategy that goes before Durham County Council’s Cabinet for approval next week.
The preparation of the Durham SEND Strategy 2026-2029 comes amid the government’s ongoing programme of special educational needs and disabilities reform, which aims to improve the consistency, effectiveness and sustainability of support available to children and young people.
In County Durham, as nationally, a local area partnership is responsible for the strategic planning, commissioning, delivery and evaluation of arrangements for children and young people with SEND.
The strategy has been developed with children and young people, families, schools, health partners and other professionals, and sets out how the partner organisations will continue to strengthen support for children and young people with SEND over the next three years.
Cllr Cathy Hunt, the council’s Cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “Every child and young person deserves to feel included, valued and supported to achieve their potential.
“This strategy sets out how partners across County Durham will work together to strengthen early support, improve confidence in the SEND system and ensure that children and families receive the right help at the right time.”
The strategy sets out the council’s vision to deliver an inclusive, fair and sustainable SEND system which improves outcomes for children and young people while ensuring support remains available for future generations.
To deliver this vision, the authority will:
- Help children and young people with SEND to feel included, that they belong, and that they are able to do their best.
- Increase confidence of parents, carers, children and young people in the SEND system.
- Work closely together to provide strong, long-lasting support.
The strategy proposes a need to focus on joined-up delivery of preventative services which are needs, not diagnosis, led, and which are delivered as early as possible to prevent escalation to statutory services.
It sets out a number of means to achieve this including strengthening special educational needs support and ordinarily available provision; embedding inclusive practice across schools and settings; supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing; and ensuring clearer routes for advice and decision making.
The strategy proposes improving communication with families; the timeliness and quality of Education, Health and Care Plans; transitions; planning; commissioning; and information sharing.
It also suggests the right support is made available locally, including by developing provision through capital projects – such as Fynedoune Community College and Villa Real School – and inclusion and specialist bases within mainstream schools.
Cabinet is being recommended to approve the strategy when it meets on Wednesday 14 October at Salvus House in Durham.
To view the report to Cabinet on the SEND strategy, visit https://democracy.durham.gov.uk/
