The Cumberland Local Area SEND and Alternative Provision Partnership have today publicly launched their strategy to improve outcomes for children aged 0 – 25 with SEND and those accessing Alternative Provision.
The Partnership consists of colleagues from Cumberland Council, local NHS and health services, schools and settings, and the parent-carer forum for the local area, SEND Alliance Cumbria (SENDAC). SEND is an acronym for special educational needs and disabilities, and Alternative Provision refers to tailored education for children and young people who face challenges accessing mainstream education settings, or for those who may not be able to have their needs met in mainstream settings.
The strategy details the priorities of the Local Area Partnership, and key actions that will be taken over the next 4 years to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families. The priorities are:
- Working Together and Building Trust
- High Quality Local Provision and Services
- Improving Outcomes
- Preparing for and Moving into Adulthood
- A Supportive, Effective Alternative Provision
- Valuing our Children and Young People and Achieving Best Value in Cumberland
The full strategy details the Local Area’s priorities, and includes what the Partnership want to change or improve, what this will look like for families, and how we will make the changes needed. The strategy details key actions the Partnership will take over the next 4 years to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families; while not a fully exhaustive list, our strategy clearly sets the Partnership’s ambition to develop and implement the improvements needed. We will measure our success and impact made based on the ‘what this will look like for families’ sections within the strategy, and results of further SEND Annual Surveys, engagement activities, and co-production groups.
The strategy is summarised and can be viewed in full on Cumberland's Local Offer website.
If you are a young person with SEND in Cumberland, or a parent/ carer or family member, you can keep up to date with the work of the Cumberland SEND and Alternative Provision Partnership by subscribing to their newsletter on the Cumberland Council website.
Councilor Elaine Lynch, Portfolio Holder for Lifelong Learning and Development for Cumberland Council, said:
“This strategy is a brilliant step forward in improving the outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families in the Cumberland area.
"We know that SEND is a national issue, and many families are facing difficulties to get their child or young person the support they need. This strategy shows the Local Area’s commitment to ensure we are all taking the right steps towards offering children and young people with SEND an inclusive and accessible education, as well as supportive and high-quality local services and provision. We are committed to working with our children and young people and their families to ensure this is the case, and I would encourage families to read this strategy and look out for updates on how they can get involved and have their views heard.”