![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/child-with-SEND-talking-to-teacher.jpeg\")
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The SEND Local Offer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Local Offer<\/strong> is an information directory where individuals with SEND aged 0-25, as well as their parents or carers, can go to find out what support or provision they can expect to be available in their local area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It covers a range of local agencies, including education, health, and social care services \u2013 such as childcare, independent schools or colleges, care placements, apprenticeships, transport arrangements between home and education settings, specialist teachers, therapy services, and other specialist support. It should also include relevant regional and national specialist provision, such as provision for children and young people with rare and more complex SEND. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Offer should detail support for both those with Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plans and <\/strong>those without. It must include arrangements for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the Children and Families Act 2014, each Local Authority has a legal responsibility<\/strong> to publish their particular Local Offer. It needs to be published online, as well as in an alternative format for those without internet access. <\/p>\n\n\n The two key purposes of the Local Offer are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can look at Chapter 4 of the 2015 SEND Code of Practice<\/a> for more information. Note that the Local Offer is not<\/strong> legally binding <\/strong>\u2013 there is no guarantee that a service mentioned in it will be available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our SEND in the Classroom Course<\/a> discusses best practice for supporting children in each of the four areas of need, and what Universal Provision (including high-quality teaching) should look like.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The Local Offer has many benefits for the families of children with SEND. Before it was created, families experienced difficulties in accessing information about provision, as well as the provision itself. As a result, many parents or carers felt they had no choice but to give up work to care for their children (Working Families, 2015), causing them to experience financial challenges. By setting out the nearest and most suitable services available, the Local Offer aims to reduce problems in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, by signposting families to high-quality provision, the Local Offer attempts to ensure that all children with SEND can have the best possible support, leading to the best possible outcomes \u2013 it has been shown that there is a link between the quality of provision and the outcomes of the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because the development and review of the Offer involves those with SEND and their parents or carers, it makes provision in a local area more responsive to local needs and aspirations. Consequently, it should be fit for purpose, and adapt according to the feedback or concerns of those using the services within it.<\/p>\n\n\n Schools and other education settings must contribute to the Local Offer (as well as using it themselves to find out which provision they can access, from area SENCos to sensory support services and specialist therapies, as part of the Graduated Approach<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their contributions will involve ensuring that there are clear arrangements in place for requesting the services that they might require from the Local Authority. Education settings must also agree the range of local services with the Local Authority \u2013 for example, discussing what their setting will provide from the funding they receive for SEND, training provision, and transport arrangements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools must publish this information in their own version of the \u2018Local Offer\u2019, in the form of the SEN information report<\/strong>, including details on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SEN information report should be available on the school\u2019s website and updated at least annually. Again, it should be created in partnership with parents\/carers and children (where possible), and must use clear, straightforward language.<\/p>\n\n\n It can be helpful to see an example of a Local Offer in order to gain a deeper understanding of what it is. Your Local Offer will depend on the area you live in \u2013 however, we will provide you with links to a few examples here (see Bradford\u2019s Local Offer<\/a> and Wakefield\u2019s Local Offer<\/a>), as well as explaining the general format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sections of a Local Offer tend to include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This may vary across different Local Authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n The Local Offer was introduced to help improve the lives of children with SEND and their families. By providing them with access to information on the support and provision that they can expect in their area, it aims to improve children\u2019s outcomes and reduce the struggles that families were previously experiencing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Local Offer was introduced to help improve the lives of children with SEND and their families. Find out how schools can contribute to it here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":57409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[81,75,13532,80],"class_list":["post-57329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safeguarding","tag-education","tag-safeguarding-children","tag-sen","tag-teachers-and-parents"],"acf":{"schema_disabled":false,"schema_properties_FAQPage_question_answer":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_tools":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_supplies":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_steps":null,"schema_properties_WebPage_cssSelector":null,"schema_sameAs_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_override":false},"yoast_head":"\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/child-doing-sign-language-with-teacher.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nPurposes of the Local Offer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/div>\nWant to Learn More?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n\nWhat Are the Benefits for Families of a Local Offer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/toddler-with-SEND-playing.jpeg\")
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\n\n\n\nHow Can Schools Contribute to the Local Offer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
SEN Information Report<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nExamples of Local Offers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nFurther Resources:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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