Torbay launches education pilot for children with additional needs

A pilot scheme providing education services for children with additional needs is being trialled in Torbay.

The initial locality model pilot – which was approved by Torbay Council’s Cabinet on Thursday January 23 - follows a public consultation on the proposal between September and December last year.

The Council will be working with a number of schools on the pilot, which is expected to positively impact 80 per cent of all primary school aged children in the Bay.

Cllr Nick Bye, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said: “The aim is to provide help in a locality or area-based way with representatives from local health, education and other services working together collaboratively to identify children and young people’s needs and provide support as early as possible.

“The pilot project aims to reduce the need for Education and Healthcare Plans so that more children and young people with additional needs can gain help more quickly, cutting waiting times for assessment. This is beneficial for both the children and young people themselves and their parents or carers.

“The locality model is not new and has been shown to work in many other areas of the UK already. In addition, as well as Torbay Council there are nine other local authorities piloting the Locality approach, who the council will work with and learn from when developing our own model.

“That said, nothing is set in stone at this stage and because this is a pilot we will be learning and adapting as we move this forward, with input from professionals, parents and carers, and the children and young people themselves.”

Initially, financial and other support will be directly awarded to groups of schools working alongside partners in health, social care and family hubs to help local schools enhance their usual provision to meet people’s needs more effectively in primary school settings."

Cllr Bye added: "Although the initial pilot focuses on primary schools, the pilot is not closed and we are open to working with other settings such as early years if they are interested in testing this new way of working together. We will also continue to work with secondary and further education colleagues to look at solutions for young people in those settings.

"Parents and carers interested in working with us on the pilot can contact cochairs@familyvoicetorbay.org

"Children and young people who want to volunteer for the pilot can do so via the SEND Youth Forum."