SEND Support Plans

Understanding SEND Support

Children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) have learning difficulties or disabilities that make learning harder for them compared to others of the same age. They may need extra or different help to support their education effectively.

How SEND is Identified

SEND can be identified in several ways:

• By the school or setting

• By parents or carers

• By other professionals

• Or through a combination of all three

Early identification and support are essential to ensure the right help is put in place.

Ways Support is Provided

Support for children and young people with additional learning needs is delivered in three broad ways:

·       SEND Support Plans (SSP)

·       Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA)

·       Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP)

Most children and young people with SEND are supported through a SEND Support Plan (SSP) within their mainstream school, early years setting, or college.

This support follows the Graduated Approach, which focuses on:

• Quality First Teaching: high-quality, inclusive teaching for all pupils (Ordinarily Available Provision -OAP)

• Targeted Support: additional interventions based on assessed needs

• Personalised Provision: tailored strategies that are ordinarily available in all mainstream settings

All schools and settings have funding within their budgets to meet these responsibilities.

What is a SEND Support Plan (SSP)?

The SEND Support Plan outlines the support needed for a child or young person with SEND.

Key points:

• The class teacher leads the plan, supported by the SENDCo and relevant external partners.

• The SSP should clearly identify:

  • The child’s or young person’s needs

  • The provision required to meet those needs

  • The outcomes being worked towards

For further guidance, see the SEND Code of Practice (sections 6.59–6.66).

Strengthening Support: The SEND Support Advisory Partnership (SSAP)

To further strengthen the support available at the SEND Support stage, a new approach is being introduced: the SEND Support Advisory Partnership (SSAP).

SSAP is a multi-agency group that provides advice, resources, and, where appropriate, additional funding to help schools meet pupils’ SEND needs earlier and more effectively.

Through SSAP:

• Schools can seek expert advice and problem-solving support.

• Funding or commissioned services can be provided where the setting’s resources have been exhausted or where additional provision is needed beyond ordinarily available support.

• Multi-disciplinary discussions (education, health, and care) ensure a holistic approach to meeting needs.

Referrals to SSAP are made by schools and may also follow recommendations from other panels, such as SEND Panel or Early Help Panel, particularly where a request for an EHCNA has not been agreed.

The aim of SSAP is to:

• Help schools meet more needs at the SEND Support stage.

• Reduce the need for formal EHCNAs where possible.

• Provide early, targeted, and sustainable interventions.

Following a referral to SSAP, outcomes could include:

• An action plan for the school to implement

• Access to external services (e.g., therapies, outreach support)

• Additional funding for specified interventions

• Signposting to other relevant support

• No further action if appropriate

SSAP is currently being piloted with selected schools, with a planned borough-wide rollout from Autumn 2025.

When Might an EHCP Be Needed?

While most needs can be met through a combination of SEND Support Plans and (where necessary) SSAP support, some children have more complex needs requiring a higher level of provision.

An Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) may be requested when:

• Needs are particularly severe or unusual

• Provision required goes significantly beyond what schools can provide from their existing resources

If agreed, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be issued to formally detail the child’s needs and the support they must receive.

Future Directions

The development of the SEND Support Advisory Partnership (SSAP) represents an important step in strengthening early intervention and building a sustainable SEND support system.

Over time, it is hoped that:

• Fewer pupils will require statutory EHC plans for lower-level needs

• More pupils will have their needs effectively met earlier

• SEND resources can be deployed more strategically and fairly

In Summary

Most children and young people with SEND will have their needs met effectively through ordinarily available provision, SEND Support Plans, and, where needed, additional support through SSAP. Only a small number will require an EHCP to access a higher level of specialist provision.

Early help, high-quality support, and working together remain the foundations of excellent SEND provision.