Vision and priorities
Our vision
Our vision is `Success for all`.
We will work to ensure children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) have access to high quality local provision that meets their needs. We will provide help and support as early as possible and provide them with opportunities to maximise their life chances, to make good progress and achieve outcomes that prepare them for adulthood.
Southend Borough Council is committed to improving access for all pupils and young people, but particularly for those with a disability, ensuring equality of opportunity. Our vision is:
- we will work with all key partners to ensure all children and young people with SEN and/or disabilities have the opportunities and ambition to succeed
- we will reduce the barriers to learning and provide help and support as early as possible to ensure good outcomes and future life chances
Southend Council's vision is for all children and young people with SEND to have access to an inclusive learning experience across all of its educational settings thereby providing opportunities for realising aspirations, achieving potential and participating fully in education and wider society.
That inclusive learning experience should take place in the pupil's local community alongside their peers wherever possible.
Commitment
Southend Borough Council will work effectively with its partners to ensure that its' vision for children and young people with SEND is realised and to help all educational settings identify and achieve their own aims.
Our 2016-19 SEN Strategy to support this vision entitled `Working together to improve outcomes` sets out the 5 priorities for achieving this in Southend:
Priority 1: timely intervention - improve the identification and assessment of SEND accross agencies in order to offer help at the earliest opportunity; share information effectively to help parents and carers `tell their story once`.
Priority 2: partnership working - work in partnership with parents, carers and young people to provide information and develop the local offer of provision; work in partnership across agencies so that parents and carers experience a co-ordinated and joined up service for children with complex and acute needs; Ensure a smooth progression to adulthood for all young people with SEND.
Priority 3: quality and effective SEND provision - commission or deliver a range of high quality provision for all children and young people with SEND; provide access to mainstream and specialist provision and outreach services that work together flexibly to meet children's needs and offer a choice for parents and carers.
Priority 4: raise attainment and expectations - set sights high for every child and young person so that their hopes and aspirations can be realised both now and in their future lives.
Priority 5: ensure value for money - resources are used effectively, are cost effective and distributed equitably and transparently with performance monitoring and measurement of impact; provide all children and young people with the option of a personal budget as an integral part of the Education Health and Care plan.
The 2018/19 Accessibility Strategy has been developed to build on the existing good practice across the borough and ensure that this commitment to improve continues to be met and strengthened through the reforms introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014, associated Regulations and the requirements of the 0-25 SEND Code of Practice August 2014.
This strategy links with other strategic planning processes such as Early Help, Partnership, Choice and Ambition, Southend-on-Sea's Strategy for children age 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities 2013-2016.
The current SEN Strategy will be refreshed in 2019 to reflect the recently developed SEN 3 Year Journey which maps the future strategic direction for SEN in Southend. The Accessibility Strategy will be reviewed to reflect the emerging strategic direction clearly laid out in the SEN 3 Year Journey.
Principles of inclusion
Diversity should be celebrated, equality of opportunity promoted and all children, young people and families treated with respect:
- all children and young people should have regular opportunities to learn, play and develop alongside each other in their local community
- barriers to participation and achievement should be overcome as far as possible and children and young people encouraged in their aspirations
- children and young people should be supported by adults who work in partnership with them, their families and the other professionals that support them
- cultures, policies and practice should be developed to ensure the inclusion of all children and young people
Key priorities
Southend Council's responsibilities under the Equalities Act 2010, its vision and feedback from stakeholders has led to the establishment of these key priorities:
- ensure compliance of the Local Authority and all educational settings for which it is responsible with the requirements of Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010
- maximise inclusion and the feeling of inclusion for all children and young people with SEND in their educational setting and the wider community
- increase the extent to which children and young people with SEND can participate in the curriculum, including the enrichment curriculum, in all educational settings
- improve the physical environment of all educational settings to increase the extent to which children and young people with SEND can fully access education
- enhance the delivery of information, advice and guidance to all children and young people with SEND and their families