Checking progress on previous actions

Melissa Berry shared an update on the actions agreed at the last meeting.

There were 8 decisions and 7 actions recorded last time. Five actions were still open but not yet due.

Two actions will now be completed in March 2026 instead of February: Action 233 will be shared as a briefing note, and Action 238 will be included in the update from the Strategic Communications Group. The Board agreed the action log was correct and noted the progress made.

Update on the SEND Improvement Plan

An update was given on the SEND Priority Action Plan. The plan is being reviewed at the six-month point. Progress has been made in

• EHCP timescales

• Reducing EHCP backlogs

• Increasing team capacity

• Improving preparation for adulthood work

• Setting up a neurodiversity steering group.

Local Area SEND Partnership Maturity Assessment: Assessing how well the local SEND system is working

Elizabeth Hartley shared the first draft of the Maturity Assessment. This assessment helps secure extra Government grant funding. Six areas were graded as Developing and one as Emerging. The Board discussed deadlines, evidence, and next steps. The deadline for partners to submit evidence is now 9 March 2026, and members will receive the full background document.

Impact Focus Session: EHCPs and EHCNA

The session covered: EHCP timelines, communication with families, quality of plans, and learning from multi-agency audits. The Impact presentation can be downloaded from the section on the right.

EHCP waiting times and communication with families

Wirral has more children with SEND than the national average, and the number of EHCPs has risen by about 2,000 since February 2024.

Progress includes a large reduction in the backlog and more plans being issued. Phase transfers for 2026 were all completed on time with improved co-production. Families can submit up to three school choices, but do not have to. Appeals take around 69 days.

Checking the quality of EHCPs

Quality checks show improvement but more work is needed. Earlier checks showed many plans had significant gaps, especially in social care sections. By September 2026, the goal is for 85% of plans to be rated Silver or above. A new Quality Assurance Framework will look at the impact of plans.

What multi-agency audits told us about EHCPs

Nine plans were reviewed by different agencies. Seven needed improvement and two were inadequate. Issues included outdated or contradictory information. Strengths included

• hearing the child’s voice

• real-life examples

• early support

• strong work in schools.

Any other updates

The Board approved the SEND Dashboard for publication.

The next meeting will be on Thursday 26 March 2026.