A plan to improve education, health and support services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Cheshire East has been approved by the Department for Education.
Cheshire East Council said its SEND Reform Plan sets out how the authority and its partners will implement national reforms locally, with a focus on identifying needs earlier and helping families access support sooner.
The plan also aims to strengthen inclusion in mainstream schools and bring specialist expertise closer to classrooms.
Earlier support in schools
A new Experts at Hand programme will bring services including educational psychology, speech and language therapy and specialist teaching support closer to schools.
The council says this approach is intended to help staff respond to children's needs more effectively and enable more young people to receive support within their local communities.
The plan was developed with organisations across education, health and social care following consultation with the Cheshire East Parent Carer Forum. Children, young people and families also contributed to its development.
Funding pilot and improvements to provision
An inclusion funding pilot is due to launch later in October. It will allow schools to access funding to support children and young people in mainstream settings.
The council has also launched an Inclusion and SEND Provision Capital Programme using the Department for Education's High Needs Provision Capital Allocation. More than 70 schools have submitted bids to improve their environments and provision.
Laura Crane, the council's cabinet member for children's services, said the programme would help schools develop their environments and expertise so that more children could have their needs met locally.
Partnership workstreams will cover assessment, service delivery, the availability of provision, joint commissioning and transitions into adulthood.
Historic high-needs deficit
As part of the agreement to deliver the reform plan, the Government has approved arrangements to offset 90 per cent of the council's historic high-needs deficit.
This relates to the existing deficit, rather than a 90 per cent increase in the council's SEND budget. The authority said rising demand, increasing numbers of Education, Health and Care Plans and a shortage of specialist placements had contributed to financial pressures.
Further work will now take place to align the council's financial position with the agreed reforms and delivery programme.
The announcement was issued by Cheshire East Council on 5 October.