SEND improvement journey making a real difference for Wirral families

A report highlighting progress in support for children and young people with additional needs will be discussed at Wirral’s Children, Young People and Education Committee on 17 June.

Families of children and young people with additional needs are starting to see real improvements in the support they receive in Wirral, as changes to local services begin to take effect.

Over the past year, the focus has been on making the system work better for families — improving communication, reducing waits and helping children and young people get the right support sooner. 

This is starting to make a difference. Families are seeing clearer communication, more consistent support and smoother transitions at key points in their child’s education. 

A year ago, many families were telling us they felt stuck in the system — waiting too long for answers, unsure what was happening and not knowing who to contact for help.

Over the last year, SENDSTART has focused on improving the experience for families first — supporting those who had waited the longest, improving communication, restoring flow through the system and strengthening joint working across education, health and social care.

Families are now getting clearer answers much sooner, with most requests for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) assessment decided within six weeks — helping them understand what support is available and plan next steps earlier.

Families have also told us they are noticing better communication. Caseworkers are easier to contact, expectations are clearer, and letters and updates are easier to understand. Schools now have named caseworkers, giving families a clearer route to information and support and helping services work more closely together.

One of the biggest improvements has been in transition planning. Moving between phases of education can be a worrying time for families, but this year contact has been made earlier, planning has started sooner and caseworkers have supported most reviews. For the first time in more than a decade, all phase transfers for children in F2 and Year 6 to 7 with an EHCP were completed on time.

Alongside these changes, the SENDSTART service has been reshaped with a clearer structure, defined roles and a stronger focus on a family-centred approach. Named caseworkers and locality managers are now in place so families and settings know who to speak to and what support is available. 

While there is still more to do — including managing continued demand and pressures on specialist places — the overall direction is positive. Families have said they value honesty, and although some challenges remain, they now have better communication, greater clarity and a stronger sense that the system is improving.

SENDSTART’s commitment remains clear: to keep listening, keep improving and keep children, young people and families at the centre of everything it does.