Improving Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services for children, young people and families across Derbyshire
News update – May 2026
Strategy aims to help children and young people feel valued
Our new SEND and Inclusion Strategy, which sets out how we’ll work towards ensuring children and young people across Derbyshire get the right support at the right time, has now been formally agreed.
Drawn up in collaboration with families, professionals and partners, the five-year strategy sets out how the Partnership will aim to deliver improvements for all children with special educational needs and disabilities.
It highlights work that will take place across six priority areas to support the vision that every child and young person can follow their dreams, be valued for who they are, be safe and know they belong.
Reflecting Derbyshire’s belief in nurturing aspiration and promoting inclusion, the strategy builds on work already carried out to strengthen early help to families, the introduction of neurodiversity hubs and improved working across the Partnership.
It also recognises stronger governance arrangements which are a driver for clearer decision making and accountability while feedback from families is shaping services more directly through increased engagement with Parent Carer Voice and youth participation networks.
While this provides a strong platform for continued improvement, the report also recognises the current challenges including rising demand for services, increasingly complex needs and continued pressures faced by families to access services.
It is also set against a backdrop of national reforms which set out expectations for improving outcomes, strengthening inclusion and ensuring every child receives the right support at the right time to help them realise their ambitions.
The refreshed strategy also builds on the principles that education begins long before primary school and that opportunities for all children to learn, grow and thrive must be in place from the earliest years.
And it aligns with support available to children and young people as they move from children’s services into adulthood with priorities which ensure every child can follow their dreams and thrive in their community.
Executive Director for Children’s Services Alison Noble said: “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to our refreshed strategy which sets out the Partnership’s shared vision for all children and young people with SEND and how this will be delivered in practice.
“Working with families, young people and partners we have also developed a set of core values which will underpin all our SEND and inclusion work across Derbyshire and which only serve to strengthen our commitment to inclusion, partnership and early help.
“While we have strong foundations to build on we also recognise that this is a journey and we will continually be looking at how we can improve the way we work to create better outcomes for all children and young people with SEND in Derbyshire.”
New plan will help families get the right support at the right time
We’re due to publish the Derbyshire local area SEND Strategic Joint Commissioning Partnership Agreement.
Aligned to our SEND strategy, this document sets out how we will work together over the next four years to ensure the best possible services are in place so children and young people feel a sense of:
- Belonging, relationships and community
- Being healthy
- Opportunities and experience, achieving and preparation for the future
- Support
- Helping them feel heard, respected and valued
- Feeling safe at home, at school and in the community
It explains how partners will align available resources to identify, plan, implement and evaluate services to improve outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
And it ensures the best possible services are in place for children and young people up to 25, with or without an EHCP, so they are delivered in the most efficient, effective and sustainable way.
It will focus on aligned delivery of priority areas for social and emotional mental health, neurodiversity and speech, language and communication so that children, young people and their families know which service or support they need to access.
In turn professionals will know which services children, young people and their families need to access and when.
The plan – which runs from 2026 – 2029 – will continue to involve children, young people and their families in the shaping of services and will also ensure they are not duplicated and that they are being continually accessed in the most effective way by those who need them.
Changes to home to school transport policies agreed
Changes to home to school transport policies have been agreed by Derbyshire County Council.
The council’s Cabinet voted to update travel policies in line with national guidance for eligible school children aged five to 16, Post 16 learners and students with special educational needs and disabilities.
It follows a public consultation where 450 people gave their views on the proposals to make both policies clearer, fairer and sustainable in the face of rising demand and increasing operational costs.
Read more: Changes to home to school transport policies
Deadline approaching – Apply for your child's school transport
Parents and carers of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan are reminded they have until Sunday 31 May to apply for school transport.
A new application for transport starting in September 2026 must be submitted to Derbyshire County Council if your child or young person is:
- Moving from Year 6 to Year 7
- Moving from Year 11 into Post‑16 education
- Already in Post‑16 education and continuing their studies in September 2026
Applications received after the deadline may mean transport cannot be guaranteed to be in place for the start of term.
Apply for transport and view policies: Special educational needs (SEND) school transport - Derbyshire County Council