This Let's Talk session took place on the 24 March 2026 and had a focus on the Schools White paper - Every Child Achieving and Thriving and the proposed SEND Reforms.
Thank you for your question. The Balanced System® is a whole‑system framework used to design, commission and deliver services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). It helps ensure that the right support is available at universal, targeted and specialist levels.
In Dorset, every school has a link Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) who works with school staff to support children’s speech, language and communication. If you have any concerns, we would recommend speaking to your child’s school in the first instance for initial support.
If your child has not yet started school and you are worried about their speech, language or communication, you can book an advice session with one of our therapists through Ready STEADI Chat.
Online resources can also be accessed for families and practitioners on the The Balanced System® pathway.
Regarding specifically staffing of teaching assistants, when legislation is published school leaders will then make informed decisions relating to the allocation of resources to implement the changes. This will include the staffing arrangements.
It is important to note that the recently published SEND White Paper is not legislation. The proposals it contains are subject to consultation, and no changes to the law will take effect until new legislation is passed by Parliament.
The proposals aim to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND by strengthening early support, ensuring provision is consistent and evidence‑based, and improving shared accountability across education, health and local partners.
The government has shared some initial information about how children and young people may transition to the new system, particularly at key education phases. This states:
- this will be a decade long reform programme and new legislation is not expected to come into effect until September 2029. Until then the current system – with its existing duties, rights, and funding routes – will remain in place
- following new legislation, children and young people who have an EHCP will have their needs assessed at transition points and either move onto a Specialist Provision Package or be supported through Individual Support Plans and the Experts at Hand service
- no child or young person will leave a special school or college placement as a result of these changes, unless they choose to do so
This is a decade-long reform programme that seeks to fundamentally improve support for children and young people with SEND by focusing on early support in mainstream early years settings, schools and colleges.
That is why our investments and reforms begin now, before legislative changes, to enable early years settings, schools and colleges to prepare and build capacity for reform, such as through staff training. It is also crucial that we manage the transition to the new system carefully for those already receiving statutory support.
From now until the commencement of legislation, the current system – with its existing duties, rights, and funding routes – will continue and we will take steps to ensure these duties are met.
The first cohort of children and young people to transition will be those at the end of primary, secondary and Post-16 in 2029/30. They will be assessed from September 2029 and will move to the new system in September 2030. If, after they have been assessed, a child or young person is due to move to an ISP rather than a Specialist Provision Package and a new EHCP, they will still keep their current EHCP until the end of the 2029/30 academic year. In addition, all children and young people who move from an EHCP to an ISP will retain the ability to request a placement at a mainstream setting of their choice. All children and young people who have a special school place in September 2029 will be able to stay in special school until the end of their education, unless they choose to move to a mainstream setting. Their EHCP and support will continue to be reviewed annually.
When further guidance is published, we will of course share details with families.
One of the major national changes being introduced is a new service called Experts at Hand.
This service is designed to make sure that children and young people in mainstream schools can get specialist help earlier and more consistently.
The government is investing £1.8 billion over the next three years to develop Experts at Hand. The aim is to build a local group of professionals such as specialist teachers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and others who can be made available to schools as needed.
Experts at Hand will be part of what is known as Targeted Plus support. In practice, this means schools will be able to access expert advice and practical support from education and health professionals without long waits, and without needing an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to get the right level of help.
More detailed national guidance is expected, but we already know that this service will be shaped locally. It will be developed together by the local authority, the NHS Integrated Care Board, health providers, schools and, importantly, parent carers. This co‑design approach will help ensure the service reflects the real needs of children and young people, and the settings that support them.
Experts at Hand is intended to become a long‑term part of the SEND system, not a short‑term project.
We also know that many local services are already working in inclusive and joined‑up ways. From the PINS programme supporting neurodiversity, to our balanced system approach in speech and language therapy. These existing strengths mean we are well placed to develop and deliver the Experts at Hand model successfully.
Children and young people who receive Education Other Than at School (EOTAS) through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will continue to have an Annual Review. The Annual Review looks at what is working well, what outcomes have been achieved, and whether the EHCP is still needed or should be updated.
This process is the same for all children and young people with an EHCP, whether they are receiving EOTAS, are Electively Home Educated, or are attending a nursery, school or post‑16 setting.
We have assumed that children and young people with EOTAS will be included in any future legal changes in the same way as any other child or young person with an EHCP. They are not excluded from the SEND reforms or from consideration as part of this work.
If it is appropriate for a child or young person to move into a more formal education setting, including a mainstream setting, this will continue to be supported through the EHCP process, just as it is now.
If it is agreed that an EHCP is no longer required and that the child or young person’s needs can be met through an individual support plan, responsibility for delivering that support would sit with the education setting. Any decision to cease an EHCP would only be made following a formal review process, with parents and carers fully involved.
We don’t yet have the detail about Alternative Provision, other than that the SEND Reforms consultation sets out that Alternative Provision (AP) will offer three layers of support:
In Dorset, this reflects how Alternative Provision is already being used to support children and young people. AP currently works alongside mainstream settings, offers time-limited placements where appropriate, and provides longer-term provision when children’s needs cannot be met elsewhere.
At this stage, this is not yet fully clear, and more national guidance is expected.
What we do know is that SEND reform will be introduced gradually, with new legislation not expected until September 2029. Until then, the current SEND system remains in place, including existing duties, rights and funding. This means children and young people who already have an EHCP, including those in specialist base provision, will continue to have annual reviews as they do now.
After new legislation is introduced, children and young people with EHCPs will have their needs assessed at key transition points. Following assessment, they may continue with specialist provision or move to an alternative form of support, depending on their needs.
Importantly, no child or young person will be required to leave a special school as a result of these changes, unless they choose to do so. Any child in a special school in September 2029 will be able to remain there for the rest of their education if they and their parents wish.
When further guidance is published, we will share clear information with families about what this means locally.
At present, the detail of how the Experts at Hand model will work in practice is not yet clear. We understand that further guidance will be published by the Department for Education in due course, and we will share this with settings, partners and families as soon as it becomes available.
Not in the current documentation. We are waiting for further guidance from the Department of Education.
At this stage, the full detail of Specialist Provision Packages is not yet set out.
The current wording in the SEND Reform consultation document says:
- Specialist Provision Packages will provide comprehensive, evidence-based packages of support for children and young people with the most complex needs
- these packages will be developed and reviewed by experts, tested with parents, overseen by an independent chair and panel of experts. There will also continue to be multi-agency working to develop packages
- the provision offer set out in the Specialist Provision Packages will underpin the entitlements in an EHCP, and we propose that only those children and young people who need a Specialist Provision Package will have an EHCP in future
The guidance goes on to say that the Packages will be nationally defined and based on evidence setting out the interventions, resources and standards required to support children and young people with the most complex needs.
Building SEND capacity and capability in schools and delivering specialist support is a key to ensuring timely, equitable support for children with additional needs, to reduce reliance on costly out‑of‑area provision and to secure better long‑term educational, social, and economic outcomes.
Dorset Council is increasing the capacity of local schools to deliver specialist support. Through Inclusion Bases, we are currently providing 195 specialist places . We are also proposing to commission around 60 additional places for children with specialist needs by the end of the 2026-7 academic year.
At the moment, we do not yet have full detail about how post‑16 education and supported internships will work under the proposed new system. We understand that further national guidance will be published, and this will be shared with families when available.
Currently, supported internships are only available to young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). However, national plans linked to SEND and Alternative Provision reform indicate that similar employment‑focused programmes are being developed for young people with SEND who do not have an EHCP. These approaches are being tested in a small number of areas to explore how young people can be supported into work without relying on statutory plans.
We recognise how important supported internships are for young people and families, and this will be an important area for ongoing development as the reforms progress.
At this stage, we do not yet know how the 60,000 places will be allocated nationally or locally, or what this might mean for Dorset. The government has not yet published detail on how numbers will be calculated for individual areas.
It is considered good practice for adults who have a supportive role with a child, such as ELSAs or nurture teaching assistants, to contribute to Team Around the Family (TAF/TAC) meetings where possible. However, attendance can depend on staff availability and school arrangements.
If staff are unable to attend, their input should still be shared, either through another school representative or directly with parents and carers. Many schools also use home–school communication books or diaries to share updates about individual sessions, which parents can request.
Clear communication with parents is important, and schools should agree the best way to keep families informed.
Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to have an individual conversation.
Many young people access Alternative Provision (AP) through an EHCP or EOTAS, which provides a clear funding route. However, some young people access AP without an EHCP, where this has been organised and funded by their current school or setting.
The detail of how AP placements and funding will operate under the proposed reforms is not yet clear. National guidance is expected to clarify how children and young people will access AP in future, including where they do not have an EHCP.
At this stage, we do not yet know whether colleges or other post‑16 providers will change their application requirements. Further national guidance on post‑16 education is expected as part of the SEND reforms.
Until any new legislation is introduced, the current system remains in place, including how colleges use EHCPs to identify eligibility for certain courses or levels of support.
At this stage, the detail of how the Experts at Hand model will operate is not yet clear. This includes whether there will be a central list of experts and how professionals or settings would access or register for the service.
We understand that the Department for Education will publish further guidance setting out how Experts at Hand will work in practice. This is expected to include information on access, roles and local arrangements.
Once this detail is available, we will share clear information with schools, partners and families about what this means locally and how the service can be accessed
At this stage, full detail is not yet available. What we do know from the SEND reform consultation is that families will retain the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal, and the tribunal system is not being removed, although it may change in how it operates.
The consultation also sets out an intention to strengthen local complaint resolution and mediation, so concerns can be addressed earlier and more effectively.
There is more detail in the online documentation about this.
How Individual Support Plans (ISPs) will be enforced, what elements will be legally enforceable, and how “complex needs” will be defined in law are areas where further national guidance is required.
We recognise the importance of clarity and reassurance for families, particularly around children’s legal rights, and will share clear information as soon as this guidance is published.
Families can get independent advice and support with the EHCP process from SENDIASS, who offer free, confidential guidance. Local SENDIASS services can help parents and carers understand their rights and options and support them through assessment and review processes.
Contact them directly via:
Website contact form: Dorset SENDIASS - Family Action
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01305 595477 (answer machine service)
Under the proposed reforms, children and young people identified as needing Targeted or Targeted Plus support are expected to be supported through an Individual Support Plan (ISP) that is reviewed annually, rather than an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
However, this reflects the current proposal, and full detail about how needs will be assessed and decisions made has not yet been published. Until new legislation is introduced, the existing SEND system including EHCP remains in place.
Yes. The current SEND legislation remains in place until new laws are passed by Parliament, which is not expected until at least September 2029. During this period, families can continue to request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment, and EHCPs can still be issued in line with existing processes.
Children and young people who already have an EHCP will also continue to have annual reviews, as they do now.
Families can get independent advice and support with the EHCP process from SENDIASS, who offer free, confidential guidance. Local SENDIASS services can help parents and carers understand their rights and options and support them through assessment and review processes.
Contact them directly via:
Website contact form: Dorset SENDIASS - Family Action
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01305 595477 (answer machine service)
At this stage, we do not yet have full detail about the level or type of additional funding that mainstream schools will receive. Our current understanding is that all schools and settings will receive some additional funding as part of the SEND reforms, but how much funding will be available locally, and how it can be used, has not yet been confirmed.
The reforms place a strong emphasis on workforce development and training, but it is recognised that effective inclusion may also require additional resources.
Dorset’s special schools already play an important role in supporting children and young people across the wider education system. This includes outreach support, where staff from special schools work alongside staff in mainstream and other settings to share expertise, advice and practical strategies.
This outreach work helps schools build confidence and capacity to meet a wider range of needs and will remain a key part of Dorset’s local approach as the SEND reforms are developed.
Special schools will continue to be valued partners in supporting inclusion, sharing specialist knowledge, and helping ensure children and young people receive the right support at the right time across all settings.
The SEND reform documentation confirms a continued commitment to Alternative Provision (AP) where it is appropriate for a child or young person.
The current proposals describe AP as offering three levels of support:
This approach is intended to provide flexibility, recognising that AP can meet needs in different ways, including part‑time or blended arrangements.
While further detail will be set out in national guidance, there is no indication that appropriate AP options, such as farm or forest school provision, will be removed.
