SEND and Inclusion Transformation

Update from Marium Haque, Interim Strategic Lead and Chief Officer – SEND at Leeds City Council, on the next stage in improving our statutory SEND services.

December 2025 update

Hello, 

I’m Marium Haque, Interim Strategic Lead and Chief Officer for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Leeds. Over recent weeks, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with families and parents to better understand lived experiences. These conversations are helping to inform our improvement journey and ensure that the changes we make reflect what matters most to you. 

SEND Transformation Programme 

We are continuing to make progress on the SEND transformation programme, which is focused on strengthening capacity and improving the experience for children, young people and families. Key updates include: 

Educational Psychologists (EPs): We are onboarding additional EPs through agency arrangements to provide temporary resource and help meet current demand. 

SENSAP Team Expansion: Recruitment is underway to grow the SENSAP team, ensuring we have the right capacity to manage statutory processes effectively. 

These changes are part of a wider effort to build a more sustainable system and improve timeliness and quality across SEND services. 

Upcoming SEND inspection 

Leeds is expecting a SEND inspection in the near future. Every local area has these inspections – they are carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to check how well services work together for children and young people with SEND. 

Leeds hasn’t had an inspection for some time, so we’re expecting the call soon. The inspection looks at the whole system, not individual families, schools or settings. It helps identify what is working well and where we need to improve. Our focus is on using this as an opportunity to keep strengthening support for children and young people. 

We have put together a Self Evaluation document (SEF) to help us with our inspection preparation so that we can show inspectors that we know ourselves well and that we are clear about the work we need to do and the difference that we need to make.  We know that there are many things we need to improve and do differently so that Children and young people with SEND and their families have better experiences.   

We will be sharing our Improvement Plan on the Local Offer so that families can see what we are working on and see how we are doing. 

Mainstream Practice (IMP) guidance 

We’ve co-produced new Inclusive Mainstream Practice (IMP) guidance for Leeds primary and secondary schools. This guidance was developed with parents, carers, schools, health professionals, and the Leeds Parent Carer Forum to make sure it reflects real experiences and what matters most to families. 

IMP helps schools strengthen their inclusive practice, so every child feels included, supported, and able to thrive. It focuses on your child’s needs rather than a formal diagnosis and aims to put support in place as early as possible.  

We are introducing this to schools now and will officially launch it for parents at the SEND Parent Carer Event in February. 

Our parent and carer page will include key information about what this means for parents and how it will be used: Information for parents and carers | Leeds Local Offer. 

We’re working with Leeds Parent Carer Forum to make sure this page includes what matters most to you. Thank you for your patience as we build this together. 

National changes 

The government’s plans for changes in education and SEND support, to be set out in the Schools White Paper, have been delayed until early 2026. This means some of the national reforms we were expecting will take longer to come into effect. We will keep you updated as soon as there is more information about what this will mean for children, young people and families in Leeds. 

We are committed to working alongside children, young people and families so that support for SEND in Leeds keeps improving.  

Thank you for your support. 

With very best wishes, 
 
Marium Haque 
Interim Strategic Lead / Chief Officer – SEND 

Previous updates

• September 2025 update
• July 2025 update
• April 2025 update
• January 2025 update
• November 2024 update
• May 2024 update

Addressing Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment demand 

The demand for Education, Health, and Care (EHC) assessments has risen sharply in recent years, especially after Covid-19, leading to longer waiting times. To address this, we’re focusing on both short-term and long-term improvements as part of the SEND and Inclusion Transformation Programme.  

In the short term, we’ve brought in temporary educational psychologists through our partnership with Liquid Personnel to help process more assessments each month and temporary plan writers to assist with the demand. This contract, initiated in August 2024, has allowed us to complete approximately 100 more assessments each month. In March 2025, the contract was extended to June 2025, with a target of completing 300 more plans by the end of June. At the same time, we have introduced new technology to reduce manual tasks, automate workflows, and improve case management, making the process faster and more efficient. 

Looking ahead, we’re making sustainable and strategic changes to how our team's work. By redesigning how we operate, we can better manage demand and ensure high-quality support is delivered more quickly. These long-term improvements are aimed at Clearing backlogs, preventing delays from happening again and making the system work better for children, young people, and families in Leeds. 

We know that every child waiting for an assessment has special educational needs and therefore additional vulnerabilities. To help with this, we will prioritise assessments based on things like:  

• Moving from nursery to primary school, or primary to secondary school
• Children in care
• Children on Child Protection Plans
• Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs)
• Not in education, employment, or training (NEET)
• Severe attendance difficulties
• Attending Alternative Provisions
• Risk of permanent exclusion
• Date of request  

You do not need to contact us to request prioritisation; we will use the information we already have.  

Education, Health and Care (EHC) Multi-agency Panel 

As part of the SEND and Inclusion transformational changes, the new Multi-Agency EHCP Panel launched in September 2024 after a series of internal pilot panels helped refine its process. This panel meets weekly to review and make decisions on various aspects of the EHCP process, such as issuing plans, identifying needs and funding, and considering changes to placements. They also ensure the quality of EHCPs and manage transitions between local authorities. The panel, which meets virtually on Tuesdays, includes a diverse group of professionals such as educational psychologists, headteachers, and social care representatives. 

Key benefits of the EHCP panel include: 

• High-quality decision making by a multi-disciplinary group of professionals
• Quality assurance provided by parent and carer support groups
• Helping us meet statutory deadlines for decisions relating to EHCPs
• Providing development opportunities for colleagues across relevant sectors

New Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment forms 

To improve the EHCNA process, we have also introduced three new online forms for requesting an EHC needs assessment:  

• For professionals: EHC needs assessment request form 
• For parents, carers and guardians: EHC needs assessment request form 
• For children and young people: EHC needs assessment request form (self-referral)  

These new forms are improved versions of the previous EHC1, EHC2 and EHC3 forms, which are designed to have simpler questions, so they’re easier to fill out, help us process your request faster, avoid delays by asking everything we need upfront, and let you know right away when your form is submitted. 

The new forms are available on the Education, health and care needs assessments and plans webpage on the Leeds Gov website, and detailed guidance can be found on the Requesting an EHC needs assessment | Leeds Local Offer webpage.  

We highly recommend reading the guidance before starting the application.  

For more details about the new forms, please read the December 2024 update in the Senior Leadership Communications tab above.  

Track your child’s EHCNA application status 
 
We have developed a new online form to help parents and carers check the progress of their child’s Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) application. 

This tool was created in response to feedback from families, who told us they wanted clearer and more accessible updates. It’s part of our ongoing work to improve communication and make the EHCNA process more transparent. 

We tested the form with a group of parents and carers to make sure it’s easy to use and works well. Their feedback is currently being reviewed and will help inform improvements to future communications with parents and carers. 

The form allows parents and carers to check the status of an application at any time, helping to reduce uncertainty and keep families informed. 
 
What you’ll need 
 
To complete the form, you’ll need: 

• your child’s Synergy number - this is a unique 6 or 7 digit reference number used by Leeds City Council to match your child’s record. You can find it on letters or emails from the SENSAP team, including the acknowledgement letter you received when your application was submitted 
• your child’s full name and date of birth (in the format DD/MM/YYYY) 
• your email address (this must match the one we have on record as the main contact) 

If you can’t find the Synergy number, or you think your contact details may be out of date, please email the SENSAP team at SENSAP@leeds.gov.uk. Please include “Synergy Number Request” or “Email Address Update” in the subject line to help speed up the response. 
 
What happens next 
 
Once you’ve submitted the form, we’ll check the details you’ve provided. If they match what we have on record, you’ll receive an email with the current status of your child’s EHCNA application. 
 
You can access the form on the Leeds City Council website. 

From April 2025, important changes have been made to the funding for early years providers supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). These changes aim to improve support and align with national standards. 

Applications for Early Years Funding for Inclusion (EYFFI) have now ended. If a child is currently receiving EYFFI, they will continue to receive this funding until transitioning to the new process. 

The SEND Inclusion Fund (SENDIF) remains unchanged, allowing early years settings to apply for support for children with emerging or low-level needs. 

From 1 April 2025, a new funding model called SENDIF+ has been introduced to support children with higher-level needs. This new funding will be considered as part of the Education, Health, and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) process. 

These changes are part of the SEND and Inclusion Transformation Programme to meet national standards and ensure proper support for children. The EHCP multi-agency panel (MAP) will make decisions in this new process to ensure fairness and consistency. The goal is to provide the right level of support for children, with regular reviews to ensure everything is effective as they move from early years into school. 

Funding for Inclusion (FFI) provided extra support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) within their learning environment without needing an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). As part of the SEND and Inclusion Transformation Programme, we are working closely with settings and health professionals to review the support given to all children and young people who currently receive FFI to check if they might benefit from a full Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) to see if an EHCP would be appropriate for their needs. This is an important step to make sure that children continue to receive the best and most suitable support as they grow.

The transition from Funding for Inclusion (FFI) to the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment process was initially planned for four years when introduced in June 2024. However, after monitoring and reviewing progress, this has been extended to a seven-year timetable to ensure financial sustainability and effective demand management for schools, settings, and internal council teams. This extension allows us to focus on moving children in phase transfer year groups, ensuring a smoother and more manageable process. Phase transfer year groups are key transition points in a child's education, such as moving from nursery to primary school, primary to secondary school, and secondary to post-16 education.

We have created a timetable to show which year groups we will focus on each year, based on your child’s age as of September 2025. Please refer to the timetable to see when your child will transition over to the EHCNA process, if they currently receive FFI funding. 

Our goal is to make sure every child’s needs are fully understood and supported, helping them thrive in their education. We want to reassure you that those in receipt of FFI will continue to be funded through this process until they transition towards the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) process over the seven-year transition process. If your child is not in one of the key year groups mentioned earlier, their funding will continue until we decide if an EHCNA is needed or, if required, until we write an EHC Plan. For example, if your child is in Year 3 in September 2024, their funding will remain in place until their assessment is done in the 2027-2028 school year.

Background and Rationale for Change 

1. Why are you changing the model? 

In the video above from our Deputy Director for Learning Dan Barton explains the background behind the transformation programme and why it is needed. 

Current and Future Funding Arrangements 

2. If my child is currently in receipt of Funding for Inclusion (FFI), how will the new model affect this? 

It is the intention of the Local Authority (LA) that any funding that has already been awarded will remain in place until transition for the children or young person is complete. 

3. My child currently receives FFI funding but does not have an EHCP, will the funding continue beyond April 2025 and, if so, for how long? 

FFI will be in place until at least the end of March 2025. After that, it will cease if a decision has been made not to proceed with an EHC needs assessment (EHCNA). Funding can therefore remain in place for the duration of the transition timetable (up to a maximum of 7 years) until the EHCNA process has been completed. 

4. Will EYFFI change? And what will happen to my child’s funding at the end of nursery?   

Yes, current arrangements ceased in March 2025 and has now been replaced by the single application process for requesting an EHCNA. All children currently in receipt of historic EYFFI will have their funding rolled over until the end of transition arrangements (up to 2 years), and where appropriate, an EHC needs assessment will be considered. 

For children in nursery, EYFFI applications are no longer being accepted. All funding allocations are now considered as part of an EHC needs assessment. A request can be submitted as and when needs arise using the single application process online: Education, health and care needs assessments and plans | Leeds.gov.uk. 

Support for Parents and Carers 

5. What support is there for parents and carers as the model is changed? 

We are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders throughout this change to provide clarity and support, through a range of methods including direct conversation, group engagement, information sharing, and a page hosted on the Leeds Local Offer for parents and carers. You can contact us to ask questions or provide feedback at ehcpreview@leeds.gov.uk. You can also sign up to the Leeds Parent Carer Forum (LPCF) where you can have your say on key issues that affect children and families with SEND in the city. You can find out information about support groups here.   

Transition and Application Processes 

6. What is the plan to clear the backlog of Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications? 

Our current plans include a short-term investment in Educational Psychologists (EPs) and plan writers to support clearing the EHC requests that are out of statutory timeframe. We are also simplifying our processes by using new IT and digital tools, and we have now implemented a digital EHC needs assessment form. Additionally, we have set up a multi-agency panel for decision making. Alongside this, we are working on a long-term recruitment and retention strategy to invest in more Educational Psychologists. 

7. How will you support children and young people that require funding but don’t currently have an EHCP or who may not qualify for an EHCP? 

The SEND Funding team have spoken with individual schools and educational settings to discuss options for these children as well as cases for those who are not in receipt of an FFI that may require an EHC assessment request form to be completed. 

We are also considering a setting-based model to support cohorts of children and young people to continue to receive funding. Further information about how to apply for this funding will be communicated with schools and settings in due course. 

8. How will the transition for children in early years and other key stages be managed during this period of change, and when will schools be contacted? 

As we go through this period of change the SEND Funding team have contacted each school to individually discuss their cohort and plan the transition. These phone calls took place in June, July, and early September 2024. 

9. What is the expected transition timeframe, and will there be sufficient capacity to do this in a timely manner? 

A revised transition timetable was published in March 2025, outlining a 7-year transition process. For full details, please see the table linked here: FFI transition table

Specific Queries for FFI Calls 

10. Which year groups will be discussed in the transition phone calls the FFI team are having with settings? 

All years were discussed during the phone calls with settings, with particular focus on phase transfer year groups, Nursery 2 (ages 3-4) to reception and Year 6 to Year 7. 

For further support and guidance on the EHCP review process, please contact ehcpreview@leeds.gov.uk 

 If you feel you require further support during this transition, you can contact:  

• Your school’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO) 
• Your school’s Family Support Worker (if applicable) 
• The Leeds Parent Carer Forum 
• The SEND Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS)  

  For information about SEND services in Leeds visit the Leeds Local Offer website.  

For further support and guidance on the EHCP review process, please contact ehcpreview@leeds.gov.uk.

 If you feel you require further support during this transition, you can contact: 

• Your school’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO) 
• Your school’s Family Support Worker (if applicable) 
• The Leeds Parent Carer Forum 
• The SEND Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS)