Somerset Council want your say on county's plan for young people with SEND
The consultation has less just over a week left - it closes next Friday (December 23)
Last updated 9th Jun 2024
If you want to have your say on a new Council plan for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) - you now have just over a week left.
It's been set up by the Somerset SEND Partnership - which is made up of Somerset County Council, NHS Somerset, Somerset Parent Carer Forum and local education providers.
The consultation - which closes at midnight on December 23 - want to hear from as many people as possible about their SEND Strategy, before it's publishes in the New Year.
The SEND Strategy sets out the planned next steps to improve the lives of children and young people with SEND.
It's already been drafted up, following consultations with families, children and young people with SEND - looking at exactly what would make a 'real difference' to their lives.
They also hosted a hearing with teams from Somerset County Council, NHS Somerset and schools.
The plan’s four key themes are:
- Working together
- Getting help and assistance as early as possible
- Getting access to the right kind of support and provision
- Preparing for the future of SEND children and young people
Cllr Tessa Munt, Somerset County Council Executive Lead Member for Children and Families said: “Children and families are at the very heart of our thinking. This strategy is about doing our best for our children with special educational needs and disabilities. Somerset’s services are improving, with more investment for children with SEND and more specialist school places, but we know there is much, much more to do.
"We want children and their families to be able to find their way through life without having to fight for help all the time. What we do next will help us to achieve this.”
Jonathan Higman, Chief Executive, NHS Somerset said: “We are committed to improving the lives of children and young people who live with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) in Somerset and to enable us to do this we need to make sure that the voices of children, young people and their families are at the heart of informing what we do.
“Over the past year we have been working closely with education, health, social care and early years providers, as well as children and young people and their families to understand the issues facing them and to consider what we can do to improve access, understanding, support and inclusion.
"We have made progress but we are aware that this is not, as yet, always obvious to those that need our services. We are committed to continue to work closely together to meet the aims of the SEND charter and ensure that children and young people with SEND have the same rights and choices as other children in Somerset so they can reach their full potential and lead fulfilling and happy lives.”
The final strategy will be published in the Spring.
The consultation survey is here.
You can find out more about the strategy here.