Contents

Ambition 3

Bexley, as a Local Area, works together to use available resources in the most creative and inclusive way, to meet the individual needs of our children and young people with SEND

children

What did you tell us?

You told us that you value the importance of adequate resources and well-supported services that work together to prioritise the needs and wellbeing of individuals with SEND and their families.

What does this mean?

We will commission and provide inclusive, comprehensive support for our children and young people with SEND within available resources, including the recruitment, development and retention of a high-quality joined-up workforce.

How will we do this?

a) Sufficiency:

  • develop clear programme for analysing the needs of our children and young people, so that our services can be developed to meet changing local needs and demand levels
  • further develop joint commissioning plans across Education, Health and Social Care which lay out our commissioning intentions in line with children and young people’s feedback, demographic and associated needs of the borough
  • adequate Alternative Provision (AP) to provide suitable education for those with illness, medical need or due to suspension from school

b) Recruiting staff:

  • monitoring demand on services across health, social care and education and changing needs to ensure we have a flexible, resilient, proactive and robust Local Area Workforce Development Plan in place
  • build opportunities for local people to develop the skillsets needed to meet the diverse needs of our children and young people with SEND

c) Developing staff:

  • where relevant, staff across the Local Area will receive training related to children and young people’s special education and disability needs as part of a cohesive induction programme
  • all staff working with children and young people with SEND have the appropriate skills, knowledge and expertise to support those children and young people
  • working together to raise awareness of SEND and PfA support with staff for whom this is not a specialist area, for example primary and acute healthcare professionals

d) Retaining staff:

  • monitoring staff feedback and satisfaction to ensure Bexley is seen as a good place to work
  • ensuring that there are clear career progression pathways for staff
     

How will we know we are making progress?

  • reduce the number of staff vacancies
  • reduce staff turnover rate
  • staff surveys tell us Bexley is a good place to work, where staff have development opportunities, manageable caseloads and work satisfaction

Delivery plan

ThemeActionLinked to Safety Valve InterventionLink to Priority Action PlanDeadlineResponsible LeadProgress/MilestonesExpected outcome
SufficiencyTo update the assessment of sufficiency and gaps in EHCP occupational therapy and speech and language therapy provision. 3.1.1May-24Designated Clinical Officer SEND SEN Team Manager The sufficiency and gap in EHCP OT and Speech and Language Therapy provision is understood, and this informs a short term and long-term partnership plan so that children have equity of access to the speech and language therapy and occupational therapy in their EHCP.
Staff TrainingExisting resources and training are used efficiently across schools so that children with SEN Support Plans and EHCP access support for development of speech and language and functional activities of daily living 3.1.3Sep-24Joint Communication Team managers LBB & Oxleas NHS Trust Head of Therapies Oxleas NHS Trust The universal and targeted resources which maximise children’s speech, language, communication development and development in functional activities of daily living, are used efficiently across education providers so that all children receive the timely support they require.
Staff recruitment and retentionFurther develop the joint Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy Workforce Plan to build Bexley capacity for statutory SEND activity. 3.15Apr-25Southeast London ICB Workforce Lead Oxleas NHS Trust Allied Health Professionals Workforce Lead Designated Clinical Officer The joint area Workforce Action Plan demonstrates an increase in the Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. workforce for delivery to children’s EHCP.