Richmond's SEND Futures Plan is undergoing a significant update to incorporate national reforms aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The revised plan, set to launch on October 15, 2026, will integrate the SEND Reform Plan, building on existing progress in areas such as therapy provision, annual review timeliness, and the expansion of specialist school places at Clarendon and Strathmore Schools.

Ian Garlington, Executive Director of Children's Services, presented the update to the Health and Wellbeing Board, highlighting the progress made and the areas requiring attention. He noted that while the plan has been approved by the Department for Education, unlocking crucial funding, the national reforms are a source of uncertainty for parents.

The key objectives of the national SEND Reform Plan include strengthening inclusion across education settings, improving access to local placements and specialist support, enhancing system leadership and local partnership collaboration with co-production, and fostering inclusive cultures and behaviours. To achieve this, the plan will provide schools with easier access to key professionals through a model called specialist expertise at hand, which includes educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists. Additionally, it seeks to implement a new tiered system of support and invest capital funding to create more specialist school places within mainstream settings.

Map showing proposed neighbourhoods and areas of relative deprivation in Richmond, with locations of health centres and children's centres marked.
Map showing proposed neighbourhoods and areas of relative deprivation in Richmond, with locations of health centres and children's centres marked.Source: Health and Wellbeing Board papers, 15 October 2026

Despite these challenges, Richmond has a strong relationship with its Parent Carer Forum, which is actively involved in co-producing the reforms. The Parent Carer Forum (PCF) has a really positive relationship with the council and is committed to working with us to implementing the reforms. Their specific contributions include having their requirements included in the central reform plan, representation on each of the four working groups taking forward the reforms, and engagement in the co-production of the Specialist Expertise at Hand model. The PCF has also held workshops and engagement sessions for parents to provide feedback on the plan.

However, two areas require particular attention. Firstly, the South West London ICB is undergoing a staff consultation due to funding cuts, expected to conclude by March 2027. This restructure will lead to reduced ICB capacity and the loss of key personnel involved in integrated SEND services. The challenge is ensuring clear accountability for SEND within the ICB's developing operating model and advocating for sufficient capacity to meet statutory duties. There is also a need to review and strengthen joint commissioning frameworks and shared working with the ICB, aligning SEND Reform plans with the emerging Neighbourhood Health and Care Model for effective service planning and local delivery.

A diagram illustrating the collaborative framework between Local Authority, Richmond Place, and SW London NHS, outlining key health and wellbeing initiatives and service areas.
A diagram illustrating the collaborative framework between Local Authority, Richmond Place, and SW London NHS, outlining key health and wellbeing initiatives and service areas.Source: Health and Wellbeing Board papers, 15 October 2026

Secondly, the SEND Transport Team has noted a significant increase in transport requests and appeals, averaging 10 per week. Parental anxiety regarding the national SEND Reforms is identified as a potential cause for this rise.

The national SEND Reforms are causing a time of uncertainty for parents as they are not sure what the new system will deliver for them. This anxiety is leading to an increase in requests for education, health and care needs assessments. Richmond's council is addressing this through a multi-agency steering group that includes the Council, Achieving for Children (AfC), the ICB, Parent Carer Forum (PCF) leads, and representatives from early years, post-16, and schools. They have also hosted targeted workshops with SENCOs, health providers, and young people, as well as a borough-wide stakeholder session.

The updated SEND Futures Plan aims to drive improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring they have the right support from the right professionals at the right time. This includes improving timely access to therapies such as speech and language and occupational therapy, and ensuring annual reviews are conducted promptly. The expansion of specialist school places at Clarendon and Strathmore Schools is intended to provide more local provision. Clarendon School will provide an additional 77 places, and Strathmore School will provide an additional 24 places, totalling 101 new specialist school places in the borough. Clarendon opened at the start of the term, with a minor delay for Strathmore provision.

Organizational chart illustrating the structure of the Kingston and Richmond Health and Wellbeing Boards, their associated provider alliances, and neighbourhood delivery groups.
Organizational chart illustrating the structure of the Kingston and Richmond Health and Wellbeing Boards, their associated provider alliances, and neighbourhood delivery groups.Source: Health and Wellbeing Board papers, 15 October 2026

For families, the updated plan aims to reduce anxiety by clarifying what the new system will deliver and by involving parents in co-production. The goal is for children and young people to experience better-coordinated support across education, health, and care.

The meeting update was presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board, as detailed in the Agenda frontsheet and Public reports pack.