The Executive - Individual Member Decisions of Wokingham Council is scheduled to consider a significant reform plan for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services. This plan aims to create a more inclusive, consistent, and sustainable system for children and young people with SEND, with potential implications for central government funding.

Wokingham SEND Reform Plan

A key item scheduled for consideration is the Wokingham SEND Reform Plan. This plan is intended to align with national reforms announced by the Department for Education (DfE) in its Schools White Paper, 'Every child achieving and thriving'. The core objective of these reforms is to establish a more inclusive system where children and young people's needs are identified early and met effectively across education, health, and care services.

The proposed plan outlines a multi-tiered approach to support, starting with a universal offer accessible to all children. For those with additional needs, there will be further levels of support: Targeted, Targeted Plus, and Specialist. The report pack indicates that the plan has been developed through extensive partnership engagement, including with parents, carers, and young people.

A significant benefit highlighted is the potential for substantial central government funding to alleviate pressure on the High Needs Block deficit, which currently impacts the council's General Fund through interest payments. The successful sign-off of the Wokingham Area SEND Reform Plan is anticipated to clear approximately £46 million of this historic deficit.

The plan is scheduled for submission to the DfE on 19 June 2026. The report pack details a timeline of milestones achieved and planned, including presentations to the Health and Wellbeing Board and Children's Overview and Scrutiny committee. The Executive is being asked to note the progress and approach taken by the Local Area SEND Partnership and to agree to the formal sign-off of the plan ahead of its submission.

The reform plan itself, detailed in the supporting documents, elaborates on several key initiatives. The Experts at Hand Offer is a central component, designed to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings to access specialist support from professionals such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists. This offer aims to provide early intervention and support, reducing the escalation of needs and making better use of the workforce.

Furthermore, the plan addresses Sufficiency and Place Planning, focusing on how capital funding will be used to invest in new places and adapt physical environments to better meet the needs of children and young people with SEND within mainstream settings. This includes the development of inclusion bases ¹ and ensuring that decisions about provision consider proximity to where children live and the implications for transport.

The importance of Strengthening Effective Partnerships and Practice is also emphasised, highlighting the need for co-production and collaborative working across all system partners, including local authorities, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), health providers, schools, and parent carer forums. The plan details proposals for a partnership-wide universal offer agreement and strengthening early years identification and intervention strategies.

The governance of the reform plan is also outlined, with the local authority acting as a system convener. The plan is expected to be discussed, agreed, and signed off by key statutory partners, including the Local Authority Chief Executive and the Integrated Care Board Chief Executive.

The report pack also includes details on the financial implications, with projected costs for the first three years of the reform plan, indicating that implementation in years one and two is expected to be fully funded by grant and reserves. The legal implications are noted as minimal, with the primary requirement being that the submitted plan is the final version and publication requirements are met.