Improvement plan for SEND children and young people published by the Education and Health Partnership

The partnership responsible for planning, delivering and commissioning services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Derbyshire has published a Priority Impact Plan following a Government notice to improve.

The plan sets out actions the Derbyshire Local Area SEND Partnership will take and is taking on areas highlighted for improvement in a report published by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in November following a three-week inspection of services in September.

Inspectors noted in their report a requirement for the partnership - made up of Derbyshire County Council’s education and children’s services, the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, schools and the private and public sector - to improve the effectiveness of local education, health and care services to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.  

In line with Department for Education requirements the partnership established an Improvement and Assurance Board to draft and drive forward the actions set out in a Partnership Priority Impact Plan (PPIP) published on 30th January 2025 following its approval by Ofsted.

The Board has an independent chair to support the delivery of improvements in line with the impact plan. The Department for Education will also sit on the Board and closely monitor and track progress before Ofsted and the CQC carry out a further inspection in eighteen months’ time.

Derbyshire County Council Temporary Executive Director for Children’s Services Alison Noble said: “We’ve worked closely with our partners across the Local Area Partnership to establish an Improvement and Governance Board and draft a detailed action plan which sets out the clear practical steps we will take together to improve SEND services for Derbyshire children and their families.

“Ofsted has accepted our plan and is confident we’ve taken the first steps to affect impactful change across the local area partnership.

“We have a shared responsibility for delivering SEND services and we approach the task of driving forward our combined partnership strengths in one clear direction under this plan with a determined commitment and optimism. 

“It underpins the efforts we’re all making to help every Derbyshire child, whatever their ability, to achieve their full potential and we’ll ensure our improvement journey is an open and transparent process with regular opportunities for us to listen as well as speak to the children and families who remain at its heart.”

The Partnership Priority Improvement Plan sets out key areas for impact and improvement including: 

• To improve the ‘golden thread’ of communication at all levels of the Derbyshire Local Area SEND Partnership including with children and their families, schools, health and with other professionals across the partnership and relevant agencies
• To develop a robust strategic needs assessment to accurately identify, assess and understand SEND children’s needs across Derbyshire and to jointly commission the services required to support those needs under a partnership agreement
• To ensure there are sufficient special needs places for children with SEND in special schools and to increase capacity in mainstream schools across Derbyshire
• To build on ongoing work to improve how quickly Education Health and Care Plans are drafted and delivered

The NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board commissions health services for children and young people across the Derbyshire Local Area SEND Partnership and has been a key partner in drawing up the improvement plan.

NHS Derby and Derbyshire Chief Nurse Professor Dean Howells said: “We are pleased our Local Area partnership plan has been accepted by Ofsted. We now look forward to continuing to work with jointly with partners and with parents, carers and children to hear their voice and to improve outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

"On behalf of NHS services we commit to doing everything we can to support children across Derbyshire to thrive at home, in school and in their community."

Derbyshire Parent Carer Voice (DPCV) - a SEND parents’ participation charity - was one of the key stakeholders asked to contribute to the Local Area SEND Ofsted inspection and is on the improvement broad to help drive forward improvements and represent families affected.

DPCV Chair Claire Walsh, who has also been appointed by the Improvement and Assurance Board as its Vice Chair, said: “DPCV welcomes the commitment of leaders and their readiness to collaborate, as detailed in the new plan which the charity helped to shape. We look forward to building trusted partnerships to ensure that parent carer voices are heard and acted upon. 

"We will be relentless, bold, ambitious, and compassionate in our efforts to repair and restore working relationships between parent carers and services."

The Derbyshire Local Area SEND Partnership Priority Impact Plan can be viewed in full on the Derbyshire Local Offer website here: Derbyshire SEND Improvement and Assurance Board - Derbyshire Local Offer

See a direct link to the plan here: Derbyshire Local Area SEND Partnership Priority Impact Plan

Copies can also be made available to members of the public on request.

The Derbyshire Local Area SEND Partnership Ofsted report can be viewed in full on Ofsted's website here.