SEND Universal Services

Descriptions

Our vision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is the same as for all children and young people - that they achieve well in their early years, at school and beyond; they find employment where that's appropriate; and lead happy, healthy and fulfilled lives which they have choices and control over. Despite the ambitious reforms introduced under the Children and Families Act 2014, key challenges remain in delivering SEND services in line with our vision. Further embedding and delivery of these principles is required to improved outcomes for all children and young people with SEND, both in terms of educational outcomes and access to employment. Increased demand for Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans is putting local authority SEND budgets under unsustainable pressure, and the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for further support. The Government is currently conducting a Review of the SEND system and will publish proposals for consultation in due course. Suppliers will be required to respond flexibly to recommendations made as part of this Review., along with other developments in cross-government policy and beyond, such as the new Ofsted and CQC Local Area SEND Inspection framework. Through this procurement we are aiming to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND, particularly in mainstream settings. This will be achieved through one contract which will provide SEND-specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and support the school and Further Education (FE) workforce to identify and meet a broad range of needs, including autism, earlier and more effectively, and to successfully prepare for transitions into adulthood, including into employment.