A local authority’s Local Offer sets out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for all children/young people in their area who have special educational needs/disabilities including those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.
It is potentially a very significant resource - a major information hub, service showcase and communication system central to the entire special educational needs/disability system.
As well as public services, the Local Offer includes those services provided by the private, voluntary and community sectors. It is intended to evolve over time in response to local need and service-user feedback both on a continuing basis and through an annual review. Click here to find out what it contains.
In these videos young people explain the Local Offer:
Department
for Education video
Bradford Metropolitan
District Council video
The purpose of a local authority's Local Offer is:
- To signpost sources of information and guidance;
- To highlight the range of local resources and services available;
- To improve choice and access for children/young people with special educational needs/disabilities and their families by providing clear, comprehensive, transparent and accessible information about the range of services and provision in the local area and beyond;
- To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving children/young people, their families and service providers in its development and review; their feedback about the Local Offer informs the local 'joint strategic needs assessment' which, in turn, influences future local authority and Health Service strategies and provision.
The Local Offer will give helpful, relevant and up to date information about services, facilities and activities available for:
- Children/young people from 0-25 years with special educational needs/disabilities;
- Their parents and carers;
- Staff from organisations working with and supporting children and young people, their parents and carers.
(Peterborough City Council, 2014)
Although the Local Offer is managed by the local authority, the primary focus of the Local Offer is service users - children/young people who have special educational needs/disabilities (and/or who are 'looked after') and their parents/carers.
The Local Offer must be collaborative. As well as services, legally, the local
authorities must involve children/young people and their parents/carers
in:
- Planning the content of the Local Offer;
- Deciding how to publish the Local Offer;
- Reviewing and sharing their opinions about the Local Offer.
In this video, young people share their opinions about what would improve the Local Offer: London Borough of Sutton video
Part 1: What does the Local Offer say about your school?
- Find your Local Offer online.
- Locate and read your school information.
- Compare your school information with the
0-25 SEND Code of Practice list of the information it should include, and note down anything that you think it has missed.
Part 2: Compare your school's Local Offer information and their SEN Information Report on the school website. What do you notice?
Other publications
- Peterborough City Council (2014) 'SEND Reforms - Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)'. [Online at: http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/children_and_families/pet
erboroughs_local_offer/faqs.aspx; accessed: 13.3.15] - Shelley, P. (2010) The How to Guide to Parent Participation (v2). Birmingham: Together for Disabled Children. [Online at: http://www.nnpcf.org.uk/useful-information/parent-carer-participation-how-to-guide/; accessed: 27.2.15]
Media