Learning and Inclusion

The SEND Strategic Improvement Team have lead responsibility within Children's Services for Norfolk's Area SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) Strategy, the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Transformation Programme and the response to the Area SEND Ofsted/CQC Inspection through the implementation of the Written Statement of Action. Taken together these three improvement programmes ensure that there is collective responsibility for SEND improvement across the council (including with Adult Social Care), with health partners through the Integrated Care Board, with parent/carer groups and education and health providers.

The team also have lead responsibility for addressing the budget pressures on the High Needs Block and Home to School SEND Transport budgets, returning these to balanced budgets and ultimately restructuring these to focus on early effectiveness.

Current priorities are the ongoing development of more specialist provision (new special schools and an increase in specialist resources bases), reviewing SEND and AP sufficiency strategies to assess if more/different specialist provision will be required to address current and future need, the response to Ofsted/CQC Written Statement of Action to improve timescales and quality for EHCP, working with parents/carers and education providers in co-production to ensure an ongoing cycle of review of all SEND services, information advice and guidance

Please contact members of the team directly for ongoing project/improvement work. For any general enquiries please use the team mailbox: ssimprovement@norfolk.gov.uk.

Assistant Director

Michael Bateman: michael.bateman@norfolk.gov.uk

Senior team

Senior Adviser, SEND Strategic Improvement
Maxine Blocksidge: 01603 307738 or maxine.blocksidge@norfolk.gov.uk

Senior Adviser, SEND Early Effectiveness
Stephanie Askew: 01603 307761 or stephanie.askew@norfolk.gov.uk

Service support

SEND Strategic Improvement Officer
Kate Hinchley: 01603 307572 or kate.hinchley@norfolk.gov.uk