Our SEND Partnership - What We Talked About

Progress on agreed actions

The board reviewed actions from previous meetings. Four actions were closed because the work had either been completed or was being taken forward through other groups. These included work on service reviews, staff training information, reviewing Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) quality measures, and arranging meetings about EHCP quality assurance.

The board will continue to monitor other actions that are still in progress.

Review of decisions about Education, Health and Care needs assessments

The board reviewed findings from an audit of requests for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment (EHCNA). An EHCNA is the process used to decide whether a child or young person needs an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Board members discussed the increase in requests that did not move forward to a full assessment. They asked for more information about why decisions were made and what support children and young people receive when an assessment is not agreed. It was explained that decision making has become stronger since 2025. More services are involved in reviewing requests and there is a clearer use of the legal criteria for assessments.

The board stressed that children and young people must continue to receive support, even when an assessment is not agreed. Members also highlighted the importance of clear communication with families about what happens next and about their rights to mediation and appeal.

More work will now take place to understand the reasons why around 30% of requests do not progress to assessment. The findings will be brought back to the board in September.

Actions agreed included:

• reviewing cases where requests did not progress to assessment to make sure children and young people are receiving the right support

• reviewing letters sent to families when an assessment request is declined

• exploring ways to record and monitor the support children receive when they request an assessment and afterwards.

Review of risks and service pressures

The board reviewed risks affecting SEND services.

Members discussed plans to use an open framework for Educational Psychology services. Educational Psychologists help schools and families understand and support children's learning and development needs. The new approach would allow access to a wider range of providers. This could increase flexibility, improve capacity and help reduce the risk of delays in Educational Psychology assessments. The board also agreed that risk and action ownership should be reviewed to make sure there is clear accountability for managing risks and delivering improvements.

Updates on improvement work

Progress against improvement priorities

Priority Area 1

The board heard that performance is improving in several areas linked to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). More plans are being completed on time, and oversight of the process has improved. Although national targets have not yet been met, there has been a significant reduction in the number of children and young people waiting a long time for a plan.

Work continues to improve the quality of plans, recruit and keep Educational Psychologists, increase staffing within SENDSTART and explore how artificial intelligence (AI) could support services. The board recognised the progress made but noted that increasing numbers of EHCPs are creating additional pressure for health services.

Priority Area 2

The board received an update on preparation for adulthood work. This focuses on helping young people with SEND move successfully into adult life. Improvements include:

• stronger quality checks

• updated annual review paperwork

• resources developed with children, young people and families

• a pilot of the Empowerment Passport to support transitions

• better planning between children's and adults' services.

Board members welcomed the focus on individual experiences and outcomes. They also discussed whether current performance measures remain useful and meaningful. Questions were raised about Year 11 pupils waiting for amended EHCPs and how transition arrangements are being supported.

Priority Area 3

The board received an update on neurodevelopmental pathways. These are services that assess and support children and young people with conditions such as autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Progress includes:

• introducing the Knowing Me profiling tool

• developing information for families

• seeking additional funding opportunities.

Despite improvements, demand for services remains high and waiting times continue to be a challenge. The board discussed the need to better understand how families access information and support while waiting for assessment.

Improving information and communication

The board discussed work to refresh and simplify guidance about the graduated approach and Ordinarily Available Provision. Ordinarily Available Provision is the support that schools are expected to provide for children and young people with SEND from their existing resources.

Members also discussed the Co-production Charter, which sets out how services should work together with children, young people and families. While progress has been made, the board agreed that more work is needed to ensure the charter is understood and used consistently across services.

Performance and outcomes update

The board noted improvements in:

• the timeliness of social care advice

• management of demand for Speech and Language Therapy services

• compliance with Education, Health and Care Plan requirements

• reducing the number of children and young people waiting more than one year for an EHCP.

Members also discussed the increasing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Further work is under way to understand the reasons for this and identify young people who may need support at an earlier stage.

Planning future SEND services

The board received updates on the Preparation for Adulthood Delivery Plan and a draft SEND Sufficiency Strategy. The strategy aims to improve planning for future SEND support and specialist provision across Wirral.

The strategy will help services:

• plan for future demand

• understand capacity pressures

• maintain specialist support within local communities where possible.

Board members highlighted pressures experienced by some schools and the effect this can have on families. They asked for more detailed discussion about how enough SEND support and places can be made available in the future. Feedback on the draft strategy will be gathered before further decisions are made.