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SEND and AP Change Programme

West Midlands SEND and AP Change Programme logoThe SEND and AP Change Programme ended on 31 August 2026.

Herefordshire took part in the two-year national programme as a member of the West Midlands region. Telford and Wrekin was the regional lead authority, working alongside Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.

The region worked with the Department for Education (DfE) and shared learning with the other eight regional areas across England.

Overview

The programme tested proposed changes to the way children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and those using alternative provision (AP), are supported. The reforms were set out in the SEND and alternative provision plan.

Testing helped the DfE understand how the proposed reforms worked in practice, what was needed to implement them and how different parts of the package interacted within local SEND systems.

Programme aims

  • Strengthen the voice of children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision, and their families.
  • Improve timely and fair access to the right support and provision.
  • Test and evaluate proposed policy reforms, identifying what worked well and what required further development.
  • Support earlier identification of need and earlier intervention.
  • Contribute to a more consistent, accountable and financially sustainable SEND system.

Areas tested through the programme

  • Local area inclusion plans
  • SEND and AP inclusion dashboards
  • Education, health and care plan (EHCP) standardisation
  • Multi-agency panels
  • Strengthened approaches to SEND mediation
  • A three-tier model for alternative provision
  • A framework for national standards
  • Bands and tariffs
  • Advisory tailored lists

Work completed in Herefordshire

Local Area Inclusion Plan

Herefordshire drafted a Local Area Inclusion Plan using the new national template. The draft brought together information about SEND and alternative provision across the area and was presented to the SEND and AP Partnership Group as part of the programme's testing and feedback.

EHCP standardisation

More than 150 EHCPs were tested using the DfE's standardised template. Feedback workshops gathered views from education settings and parent carers about the template's clarity, consistency and quality, and this feedback was shared with the DfE.

Alternative provision

Herefordshire developed its approach to an Alternative Provision Implementation Plan, supported by DfE funding. The work explored earlier identification of need and targeted support in mainstream schools to help reduce preventable exclusion.

Multi-agency panels

Herefordshire's panel arrangements were observed by REACh and received positive feedback. A Multi-Agency Panel Improvement Plan was then developed with support from REACh partners to strengthen family experience and confidence in SEND support and EHCP processes.

National standards and inclusive provision

Herefordshire developed its approach to an Inclusive Provision Improvement Plan, supported by DfE funding. This work contributed to testing clearer expectations for identifying and supporting the four broad areas of special educational need and improving inclusive practice in mainstream provision.

Programme completion and legacy

The programme concluded on 31 August 2026. Herefordshire's testing, engagement and feedback contributed to the national evidence gathered by the DfE about the proposed reforms and their implementation.

Although the Change Programme has ended, the learning from this work continues to inform local SEND and alternative provision improvement activity. Any future national or local developments will be communicated through our Local Offer and the half-termly SEND Newsletter.