Improving Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services for children, young people and families across Derbyshire
News Update - August 2026
Nurturing Care Helps Young People with Disabilities Achieve Goals
A Derbyshire County Council children’s home which looks after young people with special educational needs and disabilities has received a positive rating from Ofsted.
Inspectors visited the home in South Derbyshire in July and rated it ‘good’ in all areas, recognising the warm, nurturing and supportive environment provided by staff.
Their report highlighted how children are helped to feel safe, valued and supported to achieve their individual goals.
They also noted the positive progress that the children are making with their communication, independence, education and wellbeing.
Staff advocate for the children and ensure their choices and wishes are taken in to account by understanding the individual communication needs of each child and working with professionals to ensure consistency.
The children make good progress in education and achievements are celebrated with communication adapted creatively so they can understand their progress, said the report.
The home's strong safeguarding practice was also highlighted, recognising that concerns are responded to promptly and appropriately, with children's welfare at the heart of decision-making.
Children benefit from a range of enriching activities and experiences that help them develop skills, build confidence and create positive memories, they said.
Inspectors also acknowledged the commitment and dedication of the staff team, as well as improvements in leadership, teamwork and management oversight.
Staff receive appropriate training to meet the individual needs of the children, ensuring they continue to provide quality standards of care.
The report adds that the home continues to build on this progress through a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
New resources to support school age vaccinations for children with SEND
Two new leaflets have been published to provide guidance for schools and parents to support the delivery of the school aged vaccination programmes to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The Information for parents and carers leaflet provides practical information for parents and carers and supports vaccination for school age children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
The Information for specialist providers and SEND coordinators in mainstream schools leaflet covers practical steps to help children and young people and their families understand why vaccination matters, the approaches to make vaccination accessible and inclusive, to ensure they receive the protection they need in a safe and supportive environment.
Best Start in Life Family Hubs
The county council is preparing to open its first Best Start in Life Family Hubs in Birdholme and Cotmanhay as part of the Best Start in Life programme to improve access to support for families from pregnancy through to starting school. The hubs will bring services, information and advice together in one place, making support easier for families to access.
The hubs are expected to open in Autumn 2026 and will offer activities for children and families, information and guidance, SEND support, childcare information and opportunities to connect with local services and other families. Additional services and resources will continue to be developed as the programme evolves.
Alongside the physical hubs, a dedicated online hub is also being developed, providing information, advice, resources and local support in one place.
Read more at: Families and carers help shape the future of support across Derbyshire
Join our free workshops
A series of free webinars designed to be useful for both professionals and parent carers working and living with our Neurodiverse (ND) community are coming back in 2026 – 2027.
They will be held at 3:45 to 4:45pm on the dates shown here: ISS Webinars - Derbyshire Local Offer.
There is no need to book the sessions, just join using a live link on the above page. Links will be published closer to the time of the event. There is also a downloadable poster with QR codes found in the 'Related Documents' section of the same page.
A free ND offer for all education settings in Derbyshire is shared here: Neurodiversity (ND) Offer 2026 to 2027 - Derbyshire Local Offer to enable parents and professional to understand what is available to build understanding and support to enable access and inclusion for our Neurodivergent communities.
Parents urged to apply for 30 hours of funded childcare
Working parents with children aged from nine months old to four years old could be eligible for funded childcare.
Don’t miss out - the application deadline for the autumn term is Monday 31 August.
Find out more, check if you’re eligible and apply here 30 hours childcare for eligible working families in England | Best Start in Life
Parents who already have a childcare code must reconfirm their eligibility every three months.
It’s easy and only takes a few minutes - just sign in to your childcare account - GOV.UK.
Meanwhile, Derbyshire County Council is also carrying out a survey to assess the current childcare market.
Parents or carers of children aged up to 18 with special educational needs and disabilities are encouraged to take part by sharing their current and future childcare needs.
It will help the council to plan better support and improve how services and information are provided.
Eligible families can now access up to 30 hours of funded childcare from the term after their child turns nine months old until they reach school age.
‘Before and after school provision’ is also expanding, with more wraparound childcare places becoming available for primary school-aged children.
These changes mean the childcare market locally has changed and we want to find out how it’s affected you and how we can help.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey before Friday 28 August: Families Information Service Parental Childcare Survey 2026 - Derbyshire County Council