Improving SEND through our Local Area Partnership SEND Local Offer
Our SEND Local Area Improvement Partnership (SLAIP) works together to improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. We want to improve support in Torbay, so that they have the very best opportunities now and in the future. Our vision for SEND services in Torbay is ‘to create a healthy, happy Torbay where individuals and communities can thrive’. This is from the Torbay Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Our SEND Local Area Improvement Partnership (SLAIP) works together to improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. We want to improve support in Torbay, so that they have the very best opportunities now and in the future. Our vision for SEND services in Torbay is ‘to create a healthy, happy Torbay where individuals and communities can thrive’. This is from the Torbay Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Partnership board members
The partnership includes Torbay Council, NHS Devon and SEND Family Voice Torbay. They also work alongside children, young people, parents, carers and partners. Together, we have written a joint statement of commitment towards improving SEND in Torbay.
What the partnership board does
The SEND Local Area Improvement Partnership Board (SLAIP) meets regularly to make sure that improvements work and have a positive impact for children and young people. Our independent chair, Alison Hurley, explains what the board does:
SLAIP meetings
Find out about the key updates and issues that were discussed at our partnership meetings, together with the next steps that we agreed to improve SEND in Torbay.
The meeting reviewed progress against SEND improvement priorities, risks facing the partnership, and feedback from children, young people and families.
Key updates
- improved SEND communications, including more proactive engagement, better coordination and increased visibility of information
- agreement to strengthen oversight of communications and make the SEND Pledge a core part of partnership messaging
- plans to introduce a partnership-wide “You Said, We Did” approach to show how feedback from families influences services
- 100% compliance achieved with statutory deadlines for phase transfer Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
- strengthened SEND programme capacity, including new leadership appointments
- improved performance across several health pathways and the reinstatement of a full data reporting suite
- continued focus on listening to children, young people and families, with the SEND Pledge helping to shape service improvements
Key challenges
- ongoing pressure from increasing demand for SEND services, including a significant rise in requests for Educational Psychology advice and statutory assessments
- continued pressure on neurodiversity and autism pathways
- workforce and resource pressures across health and SEND services
- the need for more consistent communication and stronger feedback loops across the partnership
- ensuring children, young people and families can see how their feedback leads to change
Next steps
- strengthen partnership communications and accountability
- implement a clear “You Said, We Did” framework
- continue improving service quality, data and performance monitoring
- ensure children’s and families’ experiences directly inform strategic decision-making
- focus on improving efficiency while maintaining a positive experience for children, young people and families.
The meeting focused on SEND improvement activity, preparation for external review, managing risks, and feedback from children and young people.
Key updates
- preparations were underway for the Department for Education and NHS England stocktake review in March 2026
- partners reported progress across the Priority Impact Plan and began gathering evidence of early impact
- the partnership reviewed a new Local Area Maturity Assessment Tool to help measure progress and prepare for future inspections
- board members highlighted the need to align SEND improvement work with other national programmes and reforms
- children and young people shared feedback about their experiences of education, inclusion and support
Key themes from children and young people
- anxiety and sensory overload can make school environments difficult to manage
- positive relationships with trusted adults have a significant impact on children’s experiences
- personalised support, quiet spaces and improved transitions help children feel included
- young people want to see clear evidence that their feedback is leading to change
- there is strong support for a “You Said, We Did” approach to demonstrate improvements
Key challenges
- increasing demand for neurodiversity assessments and support
- anxiety among families about potential national SEND reforms and misinformation
- recruitment challenges, including filling key SEND programme roles
- the need for clearer and more consistent communication across the partnership
- managing several national initiatives while maintaining focus on local improvement priorities
Next steps
- strengthen partnership-wide communications and reassurance for families
- complete preparations for the external stocktake review
- use the maturity assessment framework to support future improvement planning
- continue gathering and acting on feedback from children, young people and families
- demonstrate how partnership work is improving outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND.
Read the meeting February minutes
The meeting focused on progress against the SEND improvement plan, key risks, waiting times for services, governance, co-production and communication with families.
Key updates
- progress continued across the SEND improvement plan, with several actions completed and others moving forward
- work was underway to recruit a SEND programme lead and strengthen programme management capacity
- improvements were reported in some health services, including speech and language therapy and community paediatrics
- support available while families wait for assessments was expanded, including advice services, emotional wellbeing support and information resources
- work continued to improve EHCP quality assurance, data reporting and auditing across partners
- planning started for the SEND Pledge event to strengthen co-production and gather feedback from families and professionals
- partners developed a new communication strategy to improve how information is shared and how families engage with services
Key challenges
- high demand for EHCP assessments continued to place pressure on services and affect timeliness
- autism and neurodevelopmental assessment waiting times remained a significant concern
- recruitment and workforce capacity issues continued across SEND services
- parental confidence and trust remained a long-term area for improvement
- communication and engagement needed to be more consistent across partner organisations
Next steps
- recruit to key SEND leadership and programme roles
- continue work to reduce waiting times and improve support while families wait for services
- strengthen governance using the Department for Education maturity toolkit
- deliver the SEND Pledge event and use feedback to shape future improvements
- develop a stronger evidence base to show the impact of SEND improvement work
- improve communication, co-production and feedback processes across the partnership.
The meeting reviewed progress against the SEND improvement plan, key risks, service performance, parental confidence, and support for children and young people with SEND.
Key updates
- good progress was reported across the Priority Impact Plan, with most improvement activity now underway
- a new Data and Quality Assurance subgroup was established to strengthen performance monitoring and oversight
- improvements were reported in EHCP quality, with continued work to address delays caused by increasing demand
- health partners introduced improved data dashboards to monitor waiting times and access to services
- support for mainstream schools expanded through specialist outreach services and school improvement programmes
- work continued to increase specialist provision, including plans for additional autism places
- a transitions task group was established to strengthen support for young people moving into adulthood
- NEET figures improved through targeted support and stronger tracking of young people
Key challenges
- delays in issuing EHCPs due to increased requests and educational psychology capacity pressures
- long waiting times for neurodiversity services remained a significant concern
- uncertainty around future funding for some projects and services
- the need to improve parental confidence, trust and engagement
- inconsistent communication with families and limited opportunities for co-production in some areas
- concerns about suspension and exclusion rates for some pupils with SEND
Next steps
- recruit a SEND programme lead to strengthen delivery of improvement work
- complete the partnership-wide communication strategy and introduce a clear “You Said, We Did” approach
- improve parental involvement in quality assurance and service improvement activities
- complete mapping of neurodiversity support and identify any gaps in provision
- continue work to improve EHCP timeliness and reduce delays
- use data and quality assurance reporting to better understand impact and drive improvement
- review needs across the partnership through the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and use findings to inform future priorities.
The meeting focused on responding to the SEND inspection, agreeing the Priority Impact Plan (PIP), reviewing risks, and setting priorities for improvement work across the partnership.
Key updates
- the board formally accepted the Department for Education improvement notice and Priority Impact Plan
- a partnership communication plan was developed with SEND Family Voice Torbay to improve awareness and engagement
- most actions from previous meetings had been completed or were progressing as planned
- governance and collaboration work focused on strengthening partnership leadership and exploring additional support for family engagement
- a new locality-based approach was introduced to improve multi-agency working and support closer to home
- a Head of Service for Quality First Teaching was appointed to support schools and strengthen inclusive practice
- additional Department for Education funding was secured to support SEND improvement work
- paediatric waiting times reduced, with no children waiting more than 40 weeks
- speech and language therapy waiting lists reduced, particularly for children under 5
- work continued to improve transitions to adulthood, supported internships and support for young people at risk of becoming NEET
Key challenges
- maintaining sufficient capacity and resources to deliver the improvement programme
- reducing the risk of services working in isolation rather than as a joined-up partnership
- improving communication and relationships with families
- recruiting educational psychologists and meeting increasing demand for SEND services
- managing the impact of wider local government changes on staff capacity and service delivery
Next steps
- strengthen risk management and regularly review partnership risks
- continue improving communication and engagement with families
- develop neurodiversity support pathways and complete service mapping
- recruit to key SEND roles and build workforce capacity
- continue reducing waiting times and improving access to support
- monitor the impact of improvement work through stronger reporting and performance data
- expand work on transitions, employment and preparation for adulthood for young people with SEND.
Read the October 25 meeting minutes
The meeting focused on responding to the SEND inspection, developing the Priority Impact Plan (PIP), improving communication and co-production, and monitoring service performance.
Key updates
- the board agreed to publish meeting minutes to improve transparency and keep families informed about SEND improvement work
- parent carers helped shape the Priority Impact Plan through surveys, meetings and engagement activities
- work continued on the five SEND improvement priorities, with a focus on strong partnership working across education, health and care services
- a new partnership quality assurance framework and performance reporting arrangements were being developed
- improvements were reported in speech and language therapy and CAMHS waiting times
- a new five-year neurodiversity strategy was introduced, focusing on early identification, needs-led support and co-production with families
- new tools were introduced to monitor delivery of improvement actions and measure their impact
Key challenges
- delays in EHCP assessments due to high demand and limited educational psychology capacity
- ongoing pressures on neurodiversity assessment services and waiting times
- the need for stronger communication and engagement across all partner organisations
- ensuring families and young people can see how their feedback influences decisions and improvements
- the need to measure not only waiting times but also the support available while families wait for services
Next steps
- develop a partnership-wide communications and engagement strategy
- introduce a clear “You Said, We Did” approach to demonstrate how feedback leads to change
- strengthen quality assurance, performance reporting and impact measurement
- continue implementing the neurodiversity strategy and improve support pathways
- review risks affecting EHCP timeliness and service capacity
- ensure children, young people and families remain central to SEND improvement work.
