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 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.
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.
