SEND Reforms Update - July 2026

What plans will there be for speech and language therapists to work in schools as part of the Expert at Hand initiative?

Dorset is already well advanced in this area. Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) services are jointly commissioned, and practitioners already work with all mainstream schools across Dorset.

Each school has access to a named therapist, termly meetings, training, and ongoing advice and support delivered either directly by the service or within the school setting.

SaLT support is available at universal, targeted and specialist levels. This includes training for staff, resources, support for school-led intervention groups, and specialist support for children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

SaLT staff already work within some resource bases, and there are established arrangements to ensure children and young people in inclusion bases can access the support they need. Inclusion bases can also appoint a speech and language therapist directly to meet the needs of their pupils.

While national discussions continue about SEND workforce training, Dorset already has strong arrangements in place for speech and language therapists to work alongside schools and support inclusive practice.

Can you tell us more about the future of EOTAS?

EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) has not featured in published SEND reform guidance to date. Dorset Council will continue to support children and young people with existing EOTAS arrangements.

On 10 July 2026, the Department for Education published a consultation on the future of EOTAS, which closes on 18 September 2026. We encourage parents, carers and practitioners to read and respond to the consultation, as Dorset Council will also be doing.

The consultation recognises the importance of minimising disruption for children and young people with existing EOTAS arrangements. It states that the Government will seek views on protecting arrangements already in place for secondary-age and post-16 learners until they leave the education system.

The consultation responses will help shape future SEND reforms. Until any changes are introduced, the current legal framework remains in place, and local authorities can continue to arrange EOTAS where it is considered inappropriate for the provision specified in an EHCP to be delivered in a school or college.

How does this affect post 19 provision?

Activity for children and young people with SEND remains from 0-25, this has not changed. Until more details are shared by the Department for Education following the consultation period, we will continue to support all our children and young people.

However, there is focused work in Dorset on Post-16 and Post-19 as we know there is more to do in this space. We want to expand the availability of supported internships and apprenticeships, creating more employment opportunities for our children and young people. We have already begun this work and will provide updates over the next few months. 

Will there be funding to employ more education staff and funding for education staff to access more training?

At this stage, it is not clear how the funding will be received and what it can be used for. We know there is a commitment from the Department for Education to ensure every school undertakes mandatory training around Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, but the detail is not yet available. We will keep you up to date as we hear more.

One of the aims of the reforms is to reduce conflict and reliance on Tribunal. What steps is Dorset taking now to improve the quality, specificity and consistency of EHCP drafting and decision-making, so that families can have confidence that disputes are being reduced because plans are better, rather than because legal routes are changing?

We understand how stressful and time-consuming the formal appeals process can be for families and education settings. Wherever possible, we aim to work with families to reach agreement and encourage mediation before matters progress to tribunal.

We are committed to improving the quality and consistency of EHCPs and decision-making through ongoing staff training, quality assurance processes, and regular review of our practice against statutory guidance. This helps ensure plans are clear, specific and focused on the individual needs and outcomes of children and young people.

All decisions must be made in line with the SEND Code of Practice and the Council’s decision-making framework. These processes are in place to ensure decisions are fair, consistent and evidence-based.

While we cannot create an alternative appeals process outside of the legal framework, there is support available to help families understand decisions and explore resolution options before tribunal where appropriate.

We also work alongside Dorset SENDIASS, the Dorset Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service, provided by Family Action, who offer free, confidential, accurate and impartial advice and support to families living in Dorset.  

You are welcome to contact the SENDIASS team directly. Their response time is up to five days, and they work on a triage system. When you contact them, please provide further information. Include any urgent deadlines or need, phone number and email plus availability.   

Contact them directly via:  

Website contact form: Contact Dorset SENDIASS  

Email: [email protected]  

Phone: 01305 595477 (answer machine service)  

If more children are supported through Individual Support Plans rather than EHCPs, what legal assurance will parents have that specialist provision—such as regular teaching from a qualified specialist dyslexia teacher or assistive technology—will actually be delivered consistently?

Our Dorset Expertise Offer (Experts at Hand) is a significant part of the reforms. This service will:

bring increased educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and other specialists directly into schools
provide support without requiring a statutory EHCP referral
be available from 2026-2028 as part of the national £1.8 billion investment
help schools deliver high-quality support through ISPs with specialist input

In terms of legal redress, the SEND Consultation document talks about resolution and legal framework - 'families will retain the right to appeal to the tribunal' and there is an intention to strengthen local complaint processes and mediation. There is more detail in the online documents about this.

The White Paper refers to EHCPs being reserved for children with the 'most complex needs'. How does Dorset currently understand that in relation to children with severe and persistent specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, who may have had years of specialist intervention with very limited progress and remain unable to independently access the curriculum? What factors would indicate that those needs are sufficiently ‘complex’ or could/would severity of need be sufficient to require an EHCP rather than an Individual Support Plan?

The White Paper proposes a four-tier model in which Specialist Provision Packages (replacing or reforming EHCPs) would be reserved for children and young people with the most complex needs. However, the detailed national criteria for determining eligibility have not yet been published.

Until further guidance is available, Dorset Council cannot define exactly where the threshold will sit between needs that can be met through an Individual Support Plan (ISP) and those that may require a Specialist Provision Package.

When considering a child or young person’s needs, Dorset Council would take account of a range of factors, including the severity and impact of their difficulties, their ability to access the curriculum, their progress despite targeted and specialist support, their emotional wellbeing, the level of specialist intervention required, and whether their needs can reasonably be met through an ISP supported by Dorset Expertise Support (known nationally as the Experts at Hand model).

Decisions would not be based on a single factor alone. The overall complexity of need, the provision required, and the extent to which needs can be met through ordinarily available and specialist support would all be considered.

The SEND Code of Practice says provision in an EHCP should be specific and quantified. How is Dorset ensuring that Section F avoids vague wording such as 'access to', 'regular opportunities' and 'additional support', so that children, schools and parents all have a shared understanding of what must be delivered?

Dorset is committed to ensuring that provision described in Section F of an EHCP is clear, specific and quantified, so that children, families, schools and practitioners have a shared understanding of what must be delivered.

To support this, we use bespoke EHCP needs assessment and annual review templates that require professionals to specify what provision will be delivered, who will deliver it, how often, for how long, and in what setting. This helps avoid vague phrases such as "access to", "regular opportunities" or "additional support".

We also have a skilled SEND workforce that works in partnership with families, schools and professionals to produce Education, Health and Care Plans. Targeted workforce development and training are in place for practitioners involved in EHC needs assessments and annual reviews, helping to ensure that provision is specific, measurable and legally compliant.

If you have any questions or concerns about the wording in Section F of an EHCP, please speak with your provision lead or SENCO, or raise these through the annual review process.

Where an EHCP is issued on the basis that additional provision will be trialled in mainstream, what mechanisms does Dorset expect schools to use to review whether that placement is actually succeeding before the annual review?

Schools are expected to regularly review the effectiveness of the support and provision set out in an EHCP, rather than waiting for the annual review. This is typically carried out through ongoing monitoring by the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), teaching staff and, where appropriate, other professionals involved with the child or young person.

If there are concerns that provision is not meeting need, or that a placement is not succeeding, these should be discussed with the setting as soon as possible. Where significant concerns arise, an early annual review can be requested rather than waiting for the scheduled review date.

Our Dorset Expertise Offer (Experts at Hand) will further strengthen this approach by providing schools with direct access to educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and other specialists. This support will help schools review provision, identify barriers to progress, and make informed decisions about the adjustments and support required.

The aim is to ensure that support is regularly reviewed and adapted where needed, so that children and young people can make progress and have their needs met effectively.

How does Dorset define success for a child with significant literacy difficulties in mainstream? Is success measured only through attendance and behaviour, or also through measurable educational progress, independence and emotional wellbeing?

Success for a child or young person with significant literacy difficulties should never be measured by attendance and behaviour alone.

We would expect a range of factors to be considered, including:

educational progress – measurable improvements in literacy skills, such as reading, writing and phonics development.
curriculum access – increasing independence in accessing learning, including the effective use of assistive technology where appropriate.
emotional wellbeing – growing confidence, resilience and a positive sense of themselves as a learner.
functional skills – the ability to apply literacy skills in everyday life and real-world situations.
attendance and engagement – important indicators of wellbeing and inclusion, but not the sole measures of success.

Success should be viewed holistically, recognising both academic progress and the wider outcomes that enable children and young people to participate, achieve and thrive.

What is Dorset doing to ensure that parents are genuine partners in developing EHCPs, particularly where parents identify needs or provision that appear to have been omitted from draft plans?

Children and young people should be part of developing their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) as part of person-centred planning. This will sometimes involve parent/carers taking a lead where a child is too young to reasonably contribute or where their needs are such that the need someone to advocate for them.

A person-centred approach means preparing, supporting and encouraging children or young people to have as much choice and control over their own life as possible. We focus on the child or young person and think about their gifts and skills, as well as their needs.

We plan based on what is important to them and what will benefit them and their family. Educational settings must make sure that planning and actions are done in partnership with the child or young person and their family.

Person-centred approaches should be used when identifying and assessing special educational needs. Where a child or young person needs more help to achieve their potential, educational settings will use the graduated approach to plan their support.

Once an EHCP has been drafted, the child/young person and their family will have time to review this and suggest amendments that may be needed. Best practice would be to hold a meeting to discuss this fully, but there isn’t always the time to do this. We should always consider contributions towards an EHCP, and if we are not able to include the information we should explain why.

If you would like to discuss your own situation in more detail, do please contact us at [email protected] and we can then have an individual discussion with you.

Please explain how Dorset decides which specialist schools to consult whether parents have expressed a preference for a particular placement or not?

If your child or young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), a SEND Provision Lead will work with you to discuss their needs and identify suitable education settings. Parents and carers play an important role in this process, alongside education, health and care professionals.

When specialist provision is required, Dorset Council considers which schools are able to meet the needs set out in the EHCP. This includes looking at factors such as the child's identified needs, the specialist support available within the setting, available places, and the location of the school. Consultations will usually begin with the nearest suitable provision, although parents can also express a preference for a particular school.

Once potential settings have been identified and consulted, recommendations are considered through Dorset's placement panel process. These panels include senior representatives from education, health and social care and help ensure decisions are consistent, equitable and based on the child's needs.

We work closely with Dorset's special schools to review available places and ensure that placements are matched appropriately to the needs of children and young people as described in their EHCP. Parents and carers are informed of panel decisions within three working days.

You can also find information on  Special Schools, Specialist Settings, and Resourced Provision in Dorset. 

We previously held a focused Let’s Talk SEND session on the provision available across Dorset. you may find it helpful to review the responses provided.

What impact are the SEND reforms likely to have on the Post-16 environment? Presumably the choice and availability of providers will be limited to schools providing education up to 18 and the general FE colleges? what about post 18?

Based on the information published so far, the SEND reforms continue to cover children and young people from birth to age 25. However, the Department for Education has not yet provided detailed information about how the reforms may affect the range of Post-16 and Post-19 providers available to young people with SEND.

At present, there is no indication that support for young people aged 18–25 will cease, but we are awaiting further details about how the reforms will be implemented in practice.

However, there is focused work in Dorset on Post-16 and Post-19 as we know there is more to do in this space. We want to expand the availability of supported internships and apprenticeships, creating more employment opportunities for our children and young people. We have already begun this work and will provide updates over the next few months. 

At targeted plus - does inclusion bases refer to LA funded ones or support bases that schools are financing themselves? The expertise offer is amazing - if there are current referral wait lists will the plan be that the team expansion target the waitlist (e.g OT outreach) to be able to support immediately?

Dorset's Specialist Inclusion Bases are funded to meet specific areas of need. However, some schools, particularly secondary schools, also choose to establish and fund their own support bases or specialist provision to meet the needs of their pupils.

In relation to waiting lists for specialist services, we anticipate that the Dorset Expertise Offer will provide earlier support and advice directly to schools and settings. As this offer becomes embedded, we expect some children and young people to receive the help they need without requiring referral to more specialist services.

This may help reduce demand for services such as Occupational Therapy over time. In some cases, support provided through the Dorset Expertise Offer may be sufficient for children and young people who are currently awaiting assessment or specialist input. However, this will always be considered on an individual basis, and access to specialist services will continue where needed.

Does expertise include clinical/medical needs?

The Dorset Expertise Offer currently includes occupational therapists (OTs), speech and language therapists (SaLT), specialist teachers and educational psychologists, in line with Department for Education guidance.

While the Expertise Offer itself is focused on educational support, it sits alongside Dorset's wider Local Offer, which includes specialist NHS services that support children and young people with clinical and medical needs. These services include teams such as community nursing, diabetes and epilepsy services, and other specialist health professionals.

This means that children and young people can access support for both educational and health-related needs through the wider network of services available in Dorset.

Will we lose our AP settings?

At this stage, we do not believe the SEND reforms will result in the loss of Alternative Provision (AP) settings.

While national plans are still being developed and further details are awaited, we know that alternative provision plays an important role for some children and young people whose needs are best met in a different educational environment.

We therefore expect alternative provision to continue to be an important part of the wider SEND and inclusion system, although we will share further information as national guidance becomes available.

The Department for Education published a consultation on EOTAS on 10th July (closes 18th September) and we encourage parent/carers and practitioners to read and respond to the consultation, as we will be doing.

how will young people with sen who lose their EHCP access supported internships or provision at post 18?

We recognise that this is an important concern and are keen to understand how the Department for Education intends supported internships and Post-18 provision to operate under the proposed reforms.

Nationally, a pilot is exploring whether supported internships could be made available to young people without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). However, further details are needed before we can fully understand the impact of the reforms on eligibility and access.

Supported internships currently form an important part of Dorset's preparation for adulthood offer. Local providers, including Coastland Collage and SWRAC offer supported internship or pre-internship programmes, alongside a range of other employment, training and coaching opportunities for young people with SEND.

We will continue to work with education and training providers to support access to employment pathways for young people with SEND and will share further information as national policy develops.

For a further conversation, please contact [email protected]  

For more information about local opportunities, please visit Dorset Council's Local Offer pages training and work.

Please could you share the training that schools can access re: SaLT

Dorset Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) offers a range of free training opportunities for schools. These include:

General training for all staff on speech, language and communication needs.
Training on specific speech and language difficulties, including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), speech sound difficulties and selective mutism.
A small number of traded training offers covering more specialist areas, such as PEIC-D.

Schools can discuss their training needs with their named Link Speech and Language Therapist. A training brochure is shared with schools ahead of termly link meetings, providing details of the available courses and support.

You can also contact us for an individual conversation at [email protected]

Please can you clarify where we can find the free SALT training? And what is the robust referral system for children in bases - I've been told we need to commission our own?

Schools can access a range of free Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) training, including general training on speech, language and communication needs, as well as more specific courses covering areas such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), speech sound difficulties and selective mutism. Schools can discuss available training with their named Link Speech and Language Therapist, and a training brochure is shared ahead of termly link meetings.

In relation to resource and inclusion bases, there is no separate referral route for Speech and Language Therapy through the base itself. Bases are responsible for commissioning any additional SaLT support they require and can do so through either NHS services or independent providers. The choice of provider rests with the school or base, based on the needs of their pupils and local arrangements.

Where do parents find the support for a young person who is post 16 and leaves education with an EHCP

Where a young person has an EHCP, the SENCO, the SEND team and any other professionals involved should be working together from the Year 9 review to consider and plan for post-16 options. During Year 11 the EHCP review should be undertaken during the autumn term and should explore choices for post 16 study to allow time for any preparation work, such as independent travel training, or visits to provision to be undertaken in good time.

The Dorset Careers Hub, hosted by Dorset Council, also supports careers leaders to be aware of a broad range of post-16 options for young people with additional needs. Their website also contains information for young people and parents to access directly.

Should a young person not take up their post-16 offer in September of year 12, or decide that their chosen option is no longer for them, they can be supported by the Post-16 Next Steps team. They can allocate an advisor who we'll explore skills and abilities and interests and work closely with the Sen team to ensure that any alternative choice can be accessed alongside the needs identified in their EHCP. A link for the post 16 next steps team can be found here.

We plan to hold a future Let's Talk SEND session focused on post-16 and post-19 matters. 