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SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy for Kirklees 2025 - 2028

SEND Joint commissioning strategy for Kirklees front page

The Kirklees approach to Joint Commissioning to improve outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 2025 - 2028

Contents

Our Joint Commissioning Strategy

  1. Our vision
  2. Our ambition
  3. About our local area
  4. Delivering our approach to joint commissioning
  5. Population profile
  6. Our approach to working together
  7. Our challenges
  8. Our commissioning and investment priorities

The aim of our Strategy is to improve the lives and life chances of children and young people aged 0-25 with a special educational need and/or disability (SEND) in Kirklees. It is driven by the strategic intent to improve the education, employment, health and wellbeing outcomes of children, young people and their families. 

This strategy sets out the collective commitment of all key partners across Kirklees to a joint commissioning approach that delivers effective, inclusive, integrated support. We will work with children and young people and their families to ensure we commission services that provide the outcomes they want and need. We are committed to supporting the development of the workforce across the partnership to ensure they understand our shared priorities, as well as develop the skills and knowledge to help our children to achieve their desired outcomes.   

Kirklees received an Ofsted/CQC Area SEND inspection in February 2022 which highlighted many areas of good practice but also identified some areas for improvement. An action plan was developed, which complemented our existing SEND Transformation plan to drive improved outcomes across the system.

The Kirklees Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is the primary source of data and intelligence which is used to inform the future shape of SEND provision across Kirklees. However, we also carry out engagement and co-production with families and communities about specific issues and make use of regional and national evidence and good practice.

Voice of Child and Co-production

We are determined to ensure that we understand what our children and families in Kirklees need from us in terms of support and information. We recognise that this can be different for different people and communities. To do this we are committed to meaningful engagement and co-production. This means that we seek out views and listen carefully to what people tell us. Co-production means that we will develop our services and support offer with our children, families and communities as equal partners.

The term "voice of the child" refers to the real involvement of children in expressing their views, opinions, and experiences. It includes both verbal and nonverbal communication and goes beyond simply seeking their views to actively including them in decision-making processes.

To ensure that the voice of the child is present in all of our commissioned provisions we have a dedicated Voice and Influence team who are highly skilled in engagement and co-production with children and young people of all ages and abilities. The team are closely linked with the Integrated Commissioning team and have made valuable contributions to the development of recent services and reviews. Their findings are regularly presented and discussed at SEND Transformation & Commissioning groups and a host of other forums using a variety of creative methods, including video, sound and animations.

We have used this information to inform the priorities in this strategy. We will continue to regularly seek the views and experiences of children and families as we review the effectiveness of our SEND provisions.

What is Joint commissioning?

Joint Commissioning is a strategic approach to planning and delivering services in a holistic, joined-up way. This is important because there are many different partners involved in the education and support of children and young people with SEND, including the local authority, education settings, health and care provision, and voluntary sector organisations.

To effectively deliver positive outcomes for children and young people organisations must collaborate and share responsibility for planning, developing and procuring integrated services as well as monitoring their outcomes.

Our approach recognises that joint commissioning needs to happen at different levels:

  • with individuals and their families and carers.
  • with communities.
  • and across larger populations.

This document details the steps that will be undertaken to achieve the vision of improving outcomes for Children and Young People.

This strategy builds upon well-established joint commissioning arrangements that have been in place in Kirklees for many years. We have an established integrated children’s commissioning team, which includes team members employed by the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the local authority, as well as a number of joint appointments, including the head of service.

The Commissioning Cycle

In Kirklees we use a commissioning cycle approach. The commissioning cycle describes the process of understanding the needs of a community and planning the provision of services to meet those needs. Once services are in place it is important to monitor and review those services to determine how well they are meeting needs. This helps to identify any gaps in provision or changes required and the intelligence and data informs the planning of future services.

Central Focus:

  • Outcomes for People: This is the core goal around which the entire cycle revolves.

Phases of the Cycle:

      • Analyse:

        • Legislation and Guidance: Understanding relevant laws and guidelines.
        • Population Needs Assessment: Evaluating the needs of the population.
        • Resource Analysis: Assessing available resources.
        • Review Service Provision: Examining current services.

      • Plan:

        • Gap Analysis: Identifying gaps between current services and needs.
        • Commissioning Strategy: Developing a strategy to address these gaps.
        • Service Design: Designing services to meet identified needs.

      • Do:

        • Market/Provider Development: Developing the market and providers.
        • Capacity Building: Enhancing the capabilities of providers.
        • Manage Provider Relationships: Maintaining good relationships with providers.

      • Review:

        • Review Strategic Outcomes: Evaluating the outcomes of the strategy.
        • Review Strategy and Market Performance: Assessing the performance of the strategy and market.

           

Cyclical Nature:

  • The arrows indicate that this process is continuous, emphasising ongoing improvement and adaptation.

In Kirklees we are committed to child centred practice and our vision is:

‘For children and young people in Kirklees is that they have the best start in life. We want our young people to be proud to come from Kirklees and its localities. We want confident children ready to do well throughout their schooling and in life. We want to see our children making good progress and achieving the best outcome, with improved life chances for everyone. Our aspirations for children and young people with SEND are no different from what we would what we want for all children.’ 

Our Council plan says that we want ‘Children to have the best start in life’

This means:

  • Confident children ready to do well at school and in life.
  • Better outcomes for vulnerable children.
  • Child focused activities that support families.
  • As many children as possible staying with their families.

Our Inclusive approach

In Kirklees we strongly believe in an inclusive approach that will enable our whole community to thrive. Children and young people have told us that they would rather access schools and activities alongside their peers, instead of specialist provisions which can make them feel isolated. It is important to us that our young people with SEND feel valued and are a visible and active part of the community.

To support this we have developed the Inclusive Communities framework(opens link in new window)  This is a tool to enable us, as organisations and services in Kirklees, to work together and be better aligned, with a common approach. It will enable us to review and improve the way we work with communities

We will work with our schools, partner organisations and commissioned services to share knowledge and skills to become more inclusive to all. We will ensure that all service descriptors and specifications require providers of to demonstrate how they make their services accessible and inclusive.

The West Yorkshire NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) children, young people and families programme (opens link in new window) states:

Our vision for our Children, Young People and Families Programme is:

To close the gap in health and well-being outcomes for all children and young people across West Yorkshire, irrespective of where they were born, where they live and go to school.

All children and young people will have the best start in life and the support and healthcare needed to enable them to be safe from harm and to enjoy healthy lifestyles, to do well in learning and have skills for life

The voice of the child and young person will be at the heart of everything we do.

Our SEND Big Plan says:

‘We’re ambitious for children, young people and parents and carers in Kirklees. We’re trying to make sure we support children and families at the earliest opportunity; our young people go to school in Kirklees with positive results; there’s a consistent and inclusive offer; and whatever our young people are interested in, we want them to excel.’

You can view the full SEND Big Plan here.

Our aim is to ensure that children have the best start in life, with a focus on prevention and early support to better enable integrated delivery of services for children, young people and families.

Our aspirations for children and young people with SEND are not any different to all children, we want them to achieve the very best.

Our ambitions for children with special educational needs are described in a range of strategic documents. These include:

 Our Kirklees Futures

Our Kirklees Futures (opens link in new window) is the overarching strategy for learning in Kirklees which is built around the principles of:

  • Inclusion
  • Resilience
  • Equity

Our vision is that by 2030, Kirklees is a place where children and young people have the best start in life and are:

  • Safe
  • Healthy
  • Happy
  • Achieving
  • Attending

SEND Big Plan

The SEND Big Plan describes our approach to transforming local area provision for children with SEN.

It was recognised that a specific focus on SEND provision was required and our SEND Transformation journey began in 2020.

In 2023 we co-produced a refreshed SEND Transformation Plan. This involved working with our Parent Carer Forum, colleagues in education, Health providers, Voluntary Sector partners, the ICB and the Council. We wanted to ensure that the voice of the child was clear in the plan and that everybody would be able to understand it when published. Our Young People’s Voice team worked closely with a wide range of children and young people to provide valuable insight.

People told us that they wanted a document which used plain language and avoided jargon to make it easier to understand. This resulted in The Big Plan which is published on our Local Offer website. The Big Plan outlines the SEND Transformation programme in Kirklees, with detailed programme plans sitting behind.

Within the development of our SEND Transformation plan we have worked with all stakeholders across Kirklees to co-produce our ‘Seven Inclusive Ambitions’, which are:

1. We will have a renewed focus on responsive and holistic early intervention for children and young people, refocusing resources to produce a varied multi-agency offer including the use of the community and assistive technology and building the skills of the workforce to work preventatively.

2. Families and carers feel empowered and supported. They have strong knowledge of the support available and there is a clear culture of trust between professionals and families.  This will enable a shared understanding of need, the joint support required to meet them and a clear focus on aspirations.

3. Children and young people feel included across the community and within education settings. Schools are celebrated and held accountable for their pupil-centred inclusive practice, and the contribution of individuals with additional needs is better understood across the system.  This will mean that more children are able to be supported in settings across Kirklees.

4. Children and young people are able to thrive within their education settings and are supported to access an education that is flexible and empathetic to their needs. Needs are addressed in a proactive and individual way.  Schools focus on and measure an individual’s holistic outcomes, recognising success outside of purely academic achievements.

5. The system works in an integrated way, using its resources to take a holistic and targeted approach to needs, whilst creating a seamless journey for children, young people and their families. This means that bureaucracy is reduced and that children and young people are able to receive the right support at the right time.

6. Professionals are empowered to meet the needs of children and young people and support them to achieve their aspirations. This is achieved through embedding a shared culture of proactivity; holistic skills and knowledge across the workforce; and creating clear pathways for meeting needs.

7. Children and young people are supported to have clear aspirations for the future, with a focus on independence and preparing for adulthood. Throughout a young person’s journey, they are supported to achieve their aspirations through the support they receive.  Ultimately, this will mean more young people enter education, employment and training as they progress into adulthood.

These ambitions will run through all our commissioning intentions.

Kirklees is a vibrant place rich in history and is home to 433,000 people spread across 157 square miles, offering a blend of urban life and rural charm. Our landscape is dotted with small villages steeped in history, nestled in the rolling Yorkshire countryside, alongside large, proud towns with some of the best transport connections in the North. At the core of our borough are Huddersfield and Dewsbury, large centres with strong connections to major northern cities. Our smaller towns and villages include Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield, and Slaithwaite. All boast their own identities and stories as part of our proud industrial past.  

In the 2021 census, Kirklees ranked 12th for total population out of 309 local authority areas in England and is the fifth most densely populated of Yorkshire and Humber’s 21 local authority areas.

The population of Kirklees at the last census was 433,300, demonstrating an increase of 1.1% in children aged under 15 years since the previous census. There are 100,100 children aged 0-19 across Kirklees. They are broadly more ethnically diverse than the adult population of Kirklees and nationally.  

Kirklees has a diverse and multi-cultural population, as can be seen below.

Graph showing percentage of usual residents by ethnic group

The above bar chart shows the percentage of usual residents by ethnic group in Kirklees for the years 2011 and 2021. Here are the key points:

  1. Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh:

    • 2011: 16.0%
    • 2021: 19.4%
    • Observation: There is an increase of 3.4% over the ten years.

  2. Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African:

    • 2011: 2.3%
    • 2021: 3.2%
    • Observation: There is an increase of 0.9%.

  3. White:

    • 2011: 79.1%
    • 2021: 73.6%
    • Observation: There is a decrease of 5.5%.

  4. Other ethnic groups:

    • 2011: 0.9%
    • 2021: 3.5%
    • Observation: There is an increase of 2.6%.

The data source is the Office for National Statistics, based on the Census data from 2011 and 2021.

percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals

  1. Academic Years and Percentages:

    • 2021/22: 24.3%
    • 2022/23: 25.2%
    • 2023/24: 25.4%
    • 2024/25: 26.0%

  2. Trend:

    • The trend line indicates an upward trend in the percentage of pupils eligible for Free School Meals over these years.

Kirklees Child Population

 

The Kirklees primary school population is more likely to experience higher levels of poverty and disadvantage than is the case nationally. This means that they are more likely to live shorter lives than their peers across the country. 

 

Kirklees child population stats

The image provides demographic information about the population of Kirklees, divided by age groups. Here are the key details:

  1. 0-2 Year Olds:

    • Population: Around 15,500
    • Percentage: 3.5%

  2. 3-10 Year Olds:

    • Population: Around 46,300
    • Percentage: 10.5%

  3. 11-17 Year Olds:

    • Population: Around 38,300
    • Percentage: 8.7%

Each section includes a map of Kirklees and England, highlighting the proportion of each age group living in Kirklees compared to the national average.

From the Autumn 2024 School Census there were 36,161 children in the primary phase of education and 27,136 in the secondary phase. They attend 144 Primary/First Schools, 2 Middle Schools, 24 Secondary Schools, 1 All-Through School and 6 state funded Special Schools. 

 

The social profile of children in Kirklees is notably different from the profile of children nationally, for example, more children come from an ethnic minority background, live in poverty, and/or have English as a second language.   

  

As of December 2024, the Local Authority maintains 4816 Education Health and Care Plans across all age groups. The proportion of children and young people of statutory school age who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is lower than the national average but broadly in line with the Yorkshire and Humber regional average. 

 

As with the national picture, our referrals for EHCPs have increased over the years. The EHCP cohort is over-represented within more deprived sections of our population. The data indicates the number of children/ young people being educated in a mainstream setting with 9177 (representing 14.5%) as at Autumn School Census 2024, who have been identified as engaging in SEN support in statutory school provision.  

Our approach to joint commissioning starts with children, young people and their families and puts them at the heart of our approach. We are committed to using co-production approaches to understand the outcomes that children and families want and need.

We are also committed to using a data and intelligence led approach. The Kirklees Joint Strategic Assessment (JSNA) plays a key role in the identification of need and is the primary data source. This is a review of the current and future health and social care needs of a defined community, and includes a section focussed on people aged 0 to 25 living with Special Educational Needs and Disability.

In Kirklees our definition of joint commissioning is broad as we consider the ‘total resources’ available to meet those needs. This can involve the planning and purchase of services, but it also includes influencing, empowering and enabling the wider community. We recognise the important role community assets can play in supporting children and young people with SEND and their families. We want to work further with voluntary sector organisations, community groups, sports clubs, employers and residents.

The needs of children and young people with SEND and their families can be complex and may involve several services and providers. It is important, therefore, that we work in partnership to join up support across health, education, social care and the wider community from conception and birth to adulthood. This will help to ensure children and young people with SEND experience a seamless experience and positive outcomes across all phases on transition, in particular the transition to Adult Services.

So that we can effectively work together as a partnership and agree the priority areas for joint commissioning focus and activity we need to:

  • Have one joint understanding, through our data and by constantly listening to the voice and experience of children and young people and their families and through listening to what front line staff say will improve the services.
  • Carry out joint planning to identify gaps in services and priorities for investment.
  • Jointly oversee delivery as services are procured and contract specifications put in place.
  • Jointly review services with children, young people and their families to check that they have met the outcomes specified.

We have a SEND Transformation & Commissioning group which meets monthly to share information, data and good practice. The group has a wide ranging membership from across the partnership and includes regular workshops, which are well attended.

Commissioning for outcomes

We have embedded an outcome-based commissioning approach in Kirklees. Outcomes refer to the benefit or difference made to an individual as a result of an intervention and can be understood at three levels:

  • Individual outcomes such as might be set out in an EHC plan
  • Service level outcomes such as emotional wellbeing has improved in 10 schools
  • Strategic outcomes: such as there has been a 10% increase in young people supported into employment

Outcomes based commissioning means moving from services being purchased or resources allocated from units of provision (hours, days or weeks of a given activity) for pre-defined needs to what is needed to ensure that the outcomes desired by service users are met.

Joint funded individual packages

In some cases, the assessment of needs will mean that it is appropriate to jointly commission and fund packages of support for individual children between education, social care and/or ICB (NHS). For example, this may be a child attending an out of area residential school, due to significant health needs, or a young person ready for discharge from an in-patient setting. Decision making processes and guidelines are in place to ensure transparency and fairness.

In accordance with delegated authority, most joint funded packages are discussed at Children’s Access to Services (CAS) panel, with high cost and out of area packages and placements considered at the External Placement panel.

In the event of a disagreement between parties in relation to joint funding, a dispute resolution process has been agreed. This includes escalation to director level if required.

School clusters

To facilitate closer working and neighbourhood commissioning, we have supported our schools to form ‘clusters’. Clusters are groups of mainstream schools that work together to share resources and expertise at a local level and capitalise on existing structures. This means more young people can get the support they need at the earliest opportunity. The intention is that schools will share their skills, expertise and good practice to develop local solutions and to pool their resources to locally commission support services, such as emotional wellbeing and mental health support or speech and language therapy services.

Cluster working started in September 2024 in Kirklees and will keep developing. Close work with schools has been undertaken with the support of our local Parent and Carer Forum (PCAN) to develop the cluster approach. The approach built upon existing strengths and 17 Clusters were created. A geographical approach was taken to ensure that both the place-based support afforded by this organisation and the continuity for children provided as they move between schools at points of transition operated within the best interests of the children and families.

 

Key principles drive the approach: 

Cluster working principles 

  • Commitment to meeting needs in the area and achieving best possible pupil outcomes
  • Prioritising the greatest need vs advocating for own school
  • Willingness to support and challenge (and be supported and challenged)
  • Recognition of the impact of contextual factors not just levels of pupil need
  • Active participation even when schools don't have immediate need for support
  • Effective use of all available budgets (delegated and devolved)
  • Commitment to reducing reliance on additional resources wherever possible (so that these can be reallocated)
  • Recognition of the need to respond to contingencies as they arise (and ensure capacity available for this)
  • Willingness to share good practice with/learn from other clusters
  • Commitment to equity/positive outcomes across the area/county as a whole

In addition, an independent review and analysis of SEND provision in Kirklees has helped to identify opportunities for systemic change that could enable improve SEND provision for young people in Kirklees. The recommendations from the review were for Kirklees to explore a new mainstream SEND funding model that is based on the concepts of “predictable and exceptional need”. This is the level of need that is a predictable part of school cohorts and is best funded at school level rather than individually. The purpose of this is to enable a more consistent mainstream offer, with more capacity and flexibility to meet children's needs, resulting in less demand further up the system.

 

Technology and Digital

In Kirklees we are committed to developing our use of technology and digital solutions to provide innovative solutions for our families and young people in order to achieve their desired outcomes and maximise their independence. We will maximise the opportunities from the refreshed WY ICB Data, Digital and Technology strategy.  Our SEND Transformation programme includes an Assistive Technology work stream with dedicated staff to research and develop ideas, as well as help our staff teams to understand and embed a technology enabled approach to assessment and provision.

 

Children living with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities

Headlines – Kirklees Joint strategic Assessment 2025

  1. Overall Population:

    • 433,216: This is the total population of Kirklees according to the ONS census 2012.

  2. 0-25 Years Population:

    • 134,113: This is the population of individuals aged 0-25 years in Kirklees, based on the ONS census 2012.

  3. School Age Population:

    • 65,901: This is the number of school-age children in Kirklees, according to the School Census of October 2024.

  4. Total EHCPs (0-25 Years):

    • 4,125: This represents the total number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for individuals aged 0-25 years, based on SEN2 data from 2024.

  5. School Age Pupils with an EHCP:

    • 2,840: This is the number of school-age pupils with an EHCP, according to SEN2 data from 2024.

  6. School Age Pupils with SEN Support:

    • 9,177: This is the number of school-age pupils receiving Special Educational Needs (SEN) support.

  7. Percentage of School Age Pupils with SEN:

    • 18.2%: This is the percentage of school-age pupils who have SEN.

  8. New EHCP Assessment Requests:

    • 931: This is the number of new EHCP assessment requests made between February 2024 and January 2025.

This chart provides a comprehensive overview of the population demographics and the educational needs within Kirklees, highlighting the significant number of young people requiring additional support through EHCP's and SEN services.

In Kirklees a regular survey of year 9 pupils is carried out as part of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. The data is analysed and broken down into cohorts. A summary of the health concerns of children with special educational needs can be found here.  SEN Health summary

Headlines include

  • 58% of children with SEN report good physical health, compared with 71% without SEN
  • 41% of children with SEN report good mental health, compared with 50% without SEN

Most prevalent primary SEN in Kirklees

  • Speech, language & communication needs 27%
  • Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) 21%
  • Social, emotional & mental health needs (SEMH) 17%

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

The Kirklees area partnership is committed to Equality and Diversity. We recognise that across Kirklees there is great diversity amongst the people who access our services. We must ensure that we comply with our statutory obligation under the Equality Act, 2010 to protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of their protected characteristics.

To ensure that we as a local area comply with this duty, it will be expected that all jointly commissioned activities will have completed Integrated Impact Assessments. We will use the WY Integrated Care System (ICS) Equity & Fairness strategy to inform our work. Through undertaking analysis of the key issues on equality and diversity, we will better understand how children and young people are treated entering our services and keep service users at the centre of all the services that we deliver together.

To maintain a healthy partnership approach to joint commissioning for SEND, a strong approach to governance is essential, with clear lines of accountability. The diagram below shows our approach in Kirklees:

Overview of SEND programme

The image is a flowchart titled "SEND Programme Governance" which outlines the governance structure for the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) programme. Here are the key components:

  1. Partnership (Green):

    • H&C Partnership Joint Senior Leadership Team
    • Schools Forum
    • Starting Well Board
    • Education & Learning Partnership Board

  2. Programme Management (Blue):

    • SEND Programme Board:
      • Need (Demand)
      • Are we getting it right? (Quality & Compliance)
      • Enough of the right stuff? (Sufficiency)

  3. Council (Yellow):

    • Health & Wellbeing Board
    • Ambition Board:
      • Connected to Council Cabinet for policy & finance decisions.
      • Connected to Children's Scrutiny.

Additionally, there is an SEND Transformation & Commissioning Group connected to the Ambition Board.

Starting Well

The Kirklees Health and Care Partnership has developed The Well Programmes (opens link in new window) which cover the whole ‘life course approach’ and are the place where we come together to work on focused initiatives, join up services and plan together for the best outcomes for people. Within the overall programme Starting Well focuses on Families Together and the Whole Family Early Support Offer through Family Hubs and Start for life. Governance is through the Starting Well board and a work plan is currently being developed to support the priorities.

The Starting Well board is accountable to the ICB Place committee.

Starting Well Programme Overview

 The image shows a diagram of the "Starting Well Board" represented as a structure with four pillars. Here's a breakdown of the components:

  1. Top of the Structure:

    • Starting Well Board: This is the main governing body.

  2. Children & Young People's Voice:

    • This label emphasises the importance of incorporating the perspectives and voices of children and young people in the decision-making process.

  3. Four Pillars:

    • Early Years Development Board (Blue Pillar): Focuses on the development and support of young children.
    • Early Support Partnership (Red Pillar): Provides early intervention and support services.
    • Youth Development Partnership Board (Green Pillar): Aims to support the development and well-being of youth.
    • Emotional Health & Wellbeing Board (Yellow Pillar): Concentrates on the emotional health and well-being of children and young people.

  4. Bottom of the Structure:

    • Joint Commissioning Approach: Indicates a collaborative approach to commissioning services across these pillars.

This diagram highlights the integrated and collaborative approach of the Starting Well Board to ensure comprehensive support for children and young people across various aspects of their development and well-being.

NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB)

Recent NHS reforms have led to the creation of Integrated Commissioning Boards (ICBs) which join up the previous smaller Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) into larger regions. One of the intentions of this is to encourage greater consistency of provision across regions and economies of scale by commissioning on a larger footprint where appropriate.

The West Yorkshire ICB has recently used an NHS England quality assurance framework to review the SEND governance and commissioning arrangements across the Partnership. Work is taking place to establish strengthened governance arrangements that support strategic oversight and assurance in relation to SEND statutory duties as we drive further accountability across West Yorkshire. 

This will enable collective decision making as we make the best use of resources and consider opportunities for joint commissioning, maximise collaborative working and unblock any barriers to service delivery. Additionally, oversight of the strategic commissioning approach will continue be informed through national guidance and supported through West Yorkshire SEND datasets that ensure availability of effective health provision.

Kirklees is not unusual in facing some challenges and pressures relating to SEND provision. In common with the national picture, we have seen rising demand for SEND support and special school places. These trends are described in more detail in the Kirklees Joint Strategic Assessment (KJSA - link) and SEND Sufficiency Strategy.

As a partnership we have already undertaken extensive work to address these challenges and have achieved significant successes over the past five years but there are still areas we recognise we need to improve, including:

  • Inclusivity – we need to be more explicit about our inclusive approach across all of our provisions and services. We need to understand more about our communities and demographics and their access to support.
  • Sufficiency – we lack enough capacity in all settings and placements across our SEND system in particular early intervention and support. Have we got enough of the right things?
  • Holistic support – people have told us that support can be fragmented e.g. support for neurodiverse young people
  • Exclusions – too many of our young people with SEND needs are excluded from their settings, in particular those with SEMH with SEND Support.
  • Progress – the educational achievement of children across Kirklees is below that of children nationally and children and young people with SEND are disadvantaged further.
  • Preparing for adulthood – people have told us that the transition journey is not always clear and the difference between children and adult provision is too great. We need a greater focus on maximising independence.
  • Measuring the impact of our services – we need to be confident that the services we commission make a positive difference to people.
  • Some of our systems and services are under pressure e.g. Speech and Language therapy
  • Early intervention and assessment – we need to identify any issues with children and families as early as possible so that we can put timely interventions in place and avoid the need for more intensive support later.

This section outlines our identified commissioning and investment priorities for 2025-2028. It is important to recognise that elements of support not listed here will continue. Evidence of other interdependent actions are within our SEND Transformation Plan and associated workstreams.

Key to our investment priorities is the shifting of investment from specialist provision to early intervention. The above model illustrates how we will demonstrate outcomes achieved from often complex co-dependent workstreams. For example, to reduce the demand for specialist SALT interventions, we need to invest more in early intervention in early years settings.

Commissioning and investment priorities for 2025-2028.

This section outlines our commissioning and investment priorities for 2025-2028. These are the key areas where we will be assessing services, directing investment and taking action.

 

1. Developing our inclusive approach

Why?

  • Children & young people with SEND are often unable to access provisions or take part in activities alongside their peers
  • We believe that an inclusive approach is the fairest way to provide equal opportunities for all.
  • Mainstream schools and services that are more inclusive will reduce the requirement for more specialist provisions.

What?

  • We want to understand how communities might be disadvantaged if any of our services or provisions are not sufficiently inclusive.
  • Schools, services and organisations will maximise their inclusivity so that more people have equal access to them.
  • Services are expected to make reasonable adjustments to ensure they are accessible to people with additional needs, e.g. mainstream CAMHS services should be available to people with autism or a learning disability.

How?

  • We will engage with our communities to better understand any barriers they experience that limit their access to services and provisions. This will take into account a wide range of factors such as demographics, disabilities, gender and economic factors.
  • We will co-produce with our communities to improve inclusivity of services and provisions
  • We will build upon good inclusive practice already being implemented across our schools and wider SEND system. We will share and embed this learning.
  • We will Implement and embed the Kirklees Inclusive Communities Framework principles

 

2. Sufficiency of suitable education placements for children with SEND

Why?

  • There  are capacity issues within overall Kirklees specialist provision leading to out of authority placements and children waiting for appropriate placements /assessment provision
  • There are insufficient mainstream Additionally Resourced Provision to support an effective early intervention model

What?

  • Children & Young people will be educated in the setting most appropriate to their needs, within the Kirklees boundary as much as possible
  • Reduce reliance on out of area or independent schools
  • Young people will receive early support and assessment when required
  • Kirklees schools and education settings will be inclusive for all children with SEND were appropriate

How?

  • We will open a new special school for children with autism. This will increase places from 144 to 194
  • We will open a new special school for children with SEMH needs. This will increase places from 63 to 132
  • We intend to open a new Alternative provision free school
  • We will open temporary special school satellite provisions within mainstream schools to provide a rapid increase in places
  • We will ensure that all specialist places are allocated to the most appropriate children

 

3. Preparing for adulthood

Why? 

  • Parents have told us that transition is problematic and often feels like it isn't planned
  • Services and systems need to improve early transition pathways for all children and young people with SEND
  • Provision need to span the whole 0 to 25 age range

What?

  • Prepare for adulthood delivered at an early stage
  • Effective and understood pathways between children's and adult services
  • A range of supported internships, employment and learning opportunities are available

How?

  • Review existing transition arrangements and pathways
  • Establish robust transition pathways that are clearly understood
  • Embed and develop supported internships
  • Assess existing post 16 / post 19 provision and offer ensure the offer co designed with all stakeholders in particular young people and families.

 

4. Improved support for speech, language and communication needs

Why?

  • KJSA shows increased numbers of children with speech, language and communication needs
  • Growth in needs is highest in early years
  • Waiting lists for SALT assessment and treatment
  • Use of high cost independent therapy providers

What?

  • Children will recieve early intervention support for speech, language and communication needs in early years settings
  • Schools will recieve support and training to improve skills of teachers and classroom assistants
  • We will work with providers to improve recruitment and retention of SALTs

How?

  • We will invest in SALT early interventions, especially in early years settings
  • We will invest in SALT provision in specialist and mainstream settings
  • We will work with the University of Huddersfield and NHS providers to cevelop a workforce strategy and training pipeline for professionals
  • We will ensure that assessments take place in a timely manner and that treatment and provision is adequate and proportionate.

 

5. Provision for children & young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs

Why?

  • Children and young people with SEND and SEMH needs, with EHCPs or at SEN Support are disproportionately at risk of exclusion.
  • Children and young people with SEMH needs under perform accross most education indicators
  • Children and young people with SEMH needs are disproportionately represented in alternative education provision and attending specialist provision outside of Kirklees
  • Young people with SEMH are disproportionately represented as NEET.

What?

  • There will be a reduction in the number of young people with SEND who are excluded from all education settings
  • All children, if appropriate, with SEMH needs will have their education needs met in Kirklees
  • More children with SEMH will have their education provided in mainstream settings
  • Educational attainment will improve accross all indicators
  • Young people with SEMH needs do not become NEET

How?

  • Kirklees Emotional Wellbeing Strategy and Action Plan developed will be co-produced as part of wider Inclusion Strategy within the SEND Transformation Plan.
  • Schools will be supported through MHST, specialist outreach, education psychology
  • Invest in skills and resources for school staff to help children to understand their emotions and manage emotional wellbeing issues without referral to external or specialist services.
  • Invest in SEMH clinical support for special schools and specialist settings
  • Develop assessment panels and pathways

 

5. Timely access to assessment and services

Why?

  • Increased demand in requests for EHC needs assessments has put pressure on services such as EHCP team and the Educational Psychology Service, Occupational Therapists.
  • Parents have told us that schools are not able to meet the needs of their children.
  • Children, young people and families are presenting increased complexity of need.

What?

  • Sevices will  have the capacity and skills  to respond appropriately to meet demand and need
  • Parents, children and young people receive the support and services at point of need 
  • Staff across the partnership have appropriate levels of knowledge, skills and training
  • Reduced need for specialist provision
  • Education settings will be equipped and accountable for delivering a graduated approach and support

How?

  • We will jointly assess Speach , Language and Comunication Services.
  • We will remodel our Short Break and respite offer and commission new provision
  • We will remodel CAMHS and therapeutic services
  • A workforce development strategy and programme will be developed

 

6.Effective early intervention for children and families

Why?

  • Children, young people and parents have told us that getting early help makes a difference
  • Effective and timely help will reduce the need for specialist services, prevent crisis and enable resources to be redirected to improve our local offer.

What?

  • Clear early support offer for all children, young people and familes
  • Community and school support that is focused on mental health and wellbeing as well specific SEND
  • Support for children and young people while they are waiting for therapeutic intervention and assessment

How?

  • Implement the Families together model of holistic early support
  • Implement the new Healthy Child Programme contract and service
  • Develop holistic support offer for neurodiverse children
  • Develop and provide access to appropriate assistive technology in all settings
  • Assess therapeutic services and support to mitigate delays and provide support at point of need.

 

7. Develop our short breaks offer

Why?

  • Chidren, young people and parents have told us that a meaningful short break or activity is important to them
  • We want children to be able to access inclusive mainstream activities which are fun and help to develop independence.
  • We need to ensure that services provide value for money.

What?

  • A suitable range of activities and short breaks available
  • Care or support provided by agencies
  • Direct payments
  • Children with significant health needs or disabilities may require overnight care

How?

  • Co-production with children and families
  • Development of our in-house young people's activity provision
  • Develop links with local voluntary sector and help them to improve inclusivity
  • Review our direct payments policy and payment mechanism
  • Develop a procurement framework for agency provision.
  • ASC  - Having an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) means that the person has a different way of understanding other people and the world around them. ASC is a lifelong developmental disorder, not an illness or a disease so there is no ‘cure’ but there are many ways that difficulties can be managed. Here are some of the things you might see, in various combinations and from mild to severe, in people who have ASC:

 

 

  • EHCP – An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) outlines any special educational needsthat your child has. It also covers the support your local authority must put in place to help your child: The EHCP is a legal document. That means your local authority has a legal obligation to provide the support in the plan.

 

  • ICB – Integrated Care Board

 

  • NHS - The NHS stands forthe National Health Service. It refers to the Government-funded medical and health care services that everyone living in the UK can use without being asked to pay the full cost of the service. These services include: Visiting a doctor or a nurse at a doctor’s surgery.

 

  • OT - Occupational therapy (OT) teaches you how to adapt. It can help you perform any kind of task at school, work, or in your home. You'll learn how to use tools (you may hear them called assistive devices) if you need them.

 

  • SALT - Speech and language therapy (SALT)provides treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are allied health professionals. They work with parents, carers and other professionals, such as teachers, nurses, occupational therapists and doctors.

 

  • SEND - Special educational needs and disability (SEND). A child or young person hasspecial educational needs and disabilities if they have a learning difficulty and/or a disability that means they need special health and education support, we shorten this to SEND

 

  • SEN Support - Children with special education needs (SEN) who don't have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)should have provision made for them in school through ‘SEN Support'. SEN Support should focus on a cycle which requires the school to assess, plan, do and review, to ensure they understand the child’s needs and the support needed to help them make good progress. This is therefore likely to differ according to the individual needs of each child.

You can read the SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy for Kirklees 2025 - 2028 in full by downloading the word document below:

SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy for Kirklees 2025 - 2028 (downloads 1.6 Mb  word document)

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Last updated: 12/05/2025