SEND Transformation at Devon County Council

Parent Carer Forum Devon has been asked to share an open letter from Dawn Stabb (Head of Education and Learning) with parents and carers across Devon. The letter explains Phase 1 of the SEND Transformation. The Forum is pleased that the Local Authority have recognised the need for positive and meaningful change for families with SEND. We look forward to more of our members being involved in the next phases of the Transformation.

Click just below to download your own copies of both her letter and the Phase 1 Report.

Please scroll down to read the letter without downloading.

 “Dear parent/carer

Ensuring that you and your children and young people get the right support, in the right place at the right time is a main priority for Devon County Council and the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). 

We know though, from speaking to you and hearing your experiences, that we sometimes don’t give you the support you need at the right time or in the right way, and that we need to review and re-design the SEND service to help us secure the best possible outcomes for children and young people. 

That’s why we have started a Transformation Programme for SEND that will improve communication with you and your families to reduce the number of times you have to tell your story, and to fully support your children and young people through to their transition into adulthood. 

The Programme has been split into three phases and we are at the end of phase one, with a report going to the County Council’s Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee today. 

Phase one gave us the opportunity to hear from education, health, social care and parent carer representatives about how the current service feels for them, to share best practice and constraints, and to consider how we can work together in a more integrated way. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this work. 

These valuable insights provide a foundation from which to co-design and develop a simplified, co-ordinated and streamlined service, enabling a consistent approach to care and support. 

Issues of concern identified in the research including fragmented services, wasted resources and communication difficulties will be considered carefully as part of the next phases of work.

It is clear that a multi-disciplinary approach is favoured, with consensus across all services that they need to work in a more integrated way. 

A multi-agency SEND Transformation Steering Group, which includes representatives from the Parent Carer Forum, will consider the findings in more detail and progress to stage two – deciding on the options for implementation and moving to implementation; and phase three – an extension of the integrated SEND system. 

We must stress that no decisions have been made over the future service design and delivery or team structures and we will keep you fully engaged with the project at every stage. Transformation will take place over 18 months to two years. 

With committed parent carer representatives, staff and partners, overwhelming support for improved collaborative working and a child focused approach, Devon is in a strong position to develop a truly transformative SEND service where we work as one team, together with you and your families. 

Best wishes, 

Yours sincerely

Dawn Stabb 

Head of Education and Learning, Devon County Council”