Brent SEND Strategy 2021-25

Brent Children’s Trust has developed a vision for children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), co-created by parents, carers and those who work with them across the partnership. It is:   

“To ensure that all children and their families have the fullest possible range of support and opportunities available to them in order to improve their life chances and realise their aspirations.”

This vision has never been as important in bringing together all relevant partners, including parents and carers, schools and settings, health providers, commissioners and the local authority to respond to the challenges resulting from the Covid 19 pandemic. The extent to which education, health and care providers in Brent rose to these challenges to meet children and young people’s needs was key in helping promote good outcomes. The commitment to school attendance of children and young people with SEND resulted in above national average attendance and where this was not possible, children and young people received good quality remote learning support.  Therapeutic services worked hard to ensure continuity of support for children and partners working with clinically vulnerable children met to oversee an effective multiagency response.

This refreshed Brent SEND Strategy sets the route to recovery, building on existing good practice and addressing those areas where services need to be strengthened. This includes:

• improved access to and experience of therapeutic, mental health, and physical health services;
• reinforcing the role the three SEN early years centres have in supporting all children to access an integrated 2.5 year old check;
• supporting more children and young people to attend an inclusive setting or school in Brent where needs are met earlier;
• and broadening access to a wide range of short breaks and local community activities.

 

Young people with special educational needs and disabilities

Brent residents