The SEND and AP Change Programme Partnership

Overview

The Department for Education (DfE) Change Programme began in late 2023, working with groups of local areas across England.

The programme is being used to try out possible improvements to the way things work in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) system. This is to help us learn what works best and what might need to change in the future. These changes could influence how the system is set up, including the processes, systems and possibly even the law, to improve the experiences of families, achieve better outcomes for children and young people, and help build a more financially sustainable system.

A key aim is to shift the focus of the system towards earlier identification and support so that families can get help sooner, and there is less pressure on specialist services and funding.

32 local areas have been grouped into 9 regional Change Programme Partnerships (CPPs), one in each English region. Wakefield was chosen to lead the Yorkshire and Humber partnership, working with Bradford, Calderdale and Leeds. The CPPs are testing both national and local ideas and approaches. They are supported by a team called the REACh Consortium, which is made up of four organisations: PA Consulting, IMPOWER, the Council for Disabled Children and Olive Academies. These organisations bring their combined experience to support the work.

What was tested?

During the first phase of the programme (2023 to 2024), the Change Programme Partnerships were asked to test 12 areas of reform. These are being explored to see what works well, what could be improved, and how these ideas could help children, young people, and families. The areas being tested are:

• Local Area Inclusion Plans.
• Strengthening SEND and AP Partnerships.
• National Inclusion Data Dashboard.
• Standardised EHCP Templates.
• Bands and Tariffs.
• Strengthened Mediation.
• Multi-Agency Panels.
• Advisory Tailored Lists.
• 3-Tiered Alternative Provision.
• Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) – tested by 12 local authorities.

What is now being tested?

The local partnerships continue to work together, sharing learning and testing approaches that support a more inclusive and sustainable SEND and AP system. This phase focuses on how to provide the right support earlier, particularly through mainstream settings.

This includes continuing the testing of ELSEC and 3-Tier Alternative Provision. Partnerships are also exploring how support, advice and training for settings can be brought together in a clearer way through the Local Inclusion Support Offer (LISO). This will help to create or improve services that sit between mainstream and specialist settings, giving families more options and better access to support.

There is also a strengthened emphasis on bringing together existing funded programmes, such as the Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce (APST) and Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS), alongside programmes from wider sectors, such as the Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs).

You can read more information about REACh and how parent carers are key partners in realising the programme ambitions here: Parent Carer Information on REACh, Parent Carer Communication March 2024 and Parent Carer Information Pack March 2024.

To find out more about the SEND and AP Change Programme, please visit the Council for Disabled Children's webpage here: SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan (councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk)

The DfE has published the summary interim report for the Change Programme and the ELSEC interim report.

The evaluation, developed by independent evaluator ICF, aims to assess whether the Change Programme is being implemented as intended, the effectiveness and quality of testing activities, and whether the initiatives and changes being tested are on track to achieve their intended outcomes.