Strategic SEND Partnership Board minutes summary - 10 December 2025

Attendance

• Emma Cockerell (chair) Director, Children's Services, Wokingham Borough Council (WBC)
• Carey Tulloch Head of Strategic Commissioning and Transformation, WBC
• Charlotte Seymour Strategic Project Support Officer, WBC
• Councillor Prue Bray Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Children's Services, WBC
• David Maycock Co-Headteacher, Addington School
• Hayley Rees Service Director, Strategy, Transformation and Commissioning, WBC
• Kate Egginton Associate Director of Nursing Women, Children and Young People, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
• Lajla Johansson Head of All-age Learning Disability and Neuro-Divergence and SEND 0-25, NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board
• Laura Mackenzie (guest) Transformation and Project Lead (SEND and Education), WBC
• Lisa Evans Service Director Adult Social Care (Operations), WBC
• Marc Gammon (guest) Inspection and Quality Assurance Manager, Children’s Services, WBC
• Mark McCurrie SEND Advisor, Department for Education
• Miranda Walcott Designated Clinical Officer for SEND, NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board
• Niki Cartwright Director of Vulnerable People’s Services, NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board
• Stephanie Holding Headteacher, Wescott Infant School
• Sudeshna Banerjee Data and Insight Team Manager - Reporting, Education & SEND, WBC
• Terri Walsh Joint CEO, SEND Voices Wokingham (parent carer forum) 

Apologies

• Jamie Conran Head of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), WBC
• Louise Noble Service Director, NHS Children, Families and All-age Services (Children & Young Peoples Mental Health Services, All-age Eating Disorders Services and Services for People with a Learning Disability)
• Ming Zhang Service Director, Education and SEND, WBC
• Peter Griffiths Headteacher, St Crispin’s School    
• Sarah Clarke Joint CEO, SEND Voices Wokingham (parent carer forum)

Actions from September’s meeting

• Publishing minutes online: We now publish a summary of the minutes from these board meetings on the SEND Local Offer, so families can access them easily.
• Post-16 options video: This video was shown at a conference for children's services staff. Once completed it will be published on the SEND Local offer.
• Work continues to understand how health and the council fund and organise services, with a current focus on Emotional Health and Wellbeing.
• Work continues to understand permanent exclusions in primary schools. This is part of a wider review of exclusions, suspensions, and part‑time timetables.

NHS therapies review

Niki Cartwright explained that a review of NHS speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services is underway. Senior health leaders will consider plans for future therapy services by end of January 2026.

We acknowledged that NHS and council services often link together, so work is needed to map out pathways and understand how children move between services.

Actions

Health and council colleagues will meet to clarify pathways, overlaps and joint responsibilities.

Health colleagues are encouraged to join Family Hub planning, as this links closely with the therapies review. A joint meeting with health and council colleagues will be held in the New Year to look at neighbourhood working, Family Hubs and SEND reforms. 

NHS Integrated Care Board updates

Niki Cartwright explained that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) is restructuring. From April 2026, our area will be part of the Thames Valley ICB.

We recognised that this restructure may create pressure on services. 

Actions

At January's board meeting, we will look at the national NHS SEND guidance. This will help set clear expectations and keep everyone accountable during the changes.

Performance and data

Lajla Johansson gave an update about the SEND data dashboard. 90% of the information needed for the dashboard is now available nationally. However, progress has slowed because NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are restructuring. The plan is still to test the dashboard in future.

We talked about how councils and the Department for Education could support this work at a national level, to make sure the dashboard and minimum data set move forward.

Lajla also discussed the government’s plan for all areas of the country to have full Mental Health Support Team (MHST) coverage by 2029.

Actions

Emma Cockerell will write to NHS England to raise concerns and ask for progress on the SEND minimum dataset and dashboard.

The ICB will update the council on MHST rollout plans and make sure schools and families receive information in good time.

SEND transformation

The number of EHCPs is still increasing, but the rate of growth has slowed slightly this year. This may be because children and young people are getting better early support, and services are working together more effectively.

Terri Walsh shared that some families feel more EHCP requests are being refused. We agreed that mediation and tribunal data should be reviewed to provide context. 

Actions

The SEND Assurance Board will look at mediation and tribunal data. We will also develop communication for families about refusals to assess, mediation and tribunal narratives.

SEND Assurance Board

Miranda Walcott explained that more EHCPs are now being graded “silver”, showing improved quality.

Areas still needing improvement include: 

• clearer health needs
• better information about how best to communicate with each child or young person
• more specific and measurable outcomes

Health teams are improving report formats so they can be used more easily in EHCPs.

The review of exclusions and part‑time timetables continues. Findings will be presented to the Youth Justice Board in February and this strategic board in March 2026.

SEND self-evaluation

Marc Gammon shared that all partners are updating the SEND self‑evaluation.

We agreed that everyone needs to take responsibility for the improvement plan and reflect on strengths and gaps.

Actions

The ICB, council and Parent Carer Forum will work together on the leadership section, to look closely at strengths, gaps and actions needed.

PINS (Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools)

Laura Mackenzie shared an update on this work.

• 30 schools are taking part.
• Sensory environment walks and training have begun.
• A masking toolkit is being co‑produced with parents, SENCOs and professionals.
• Assembly materials to support peer understanding and acceptance are being created.
• Local work will be showcased nationally.

Find out more about PINS.

EHCP Timeliness

Sudeshna Banerjee presented the education, health and care plan (EHCP) timeliness data:

• More EHCPs met the 20‑week deadline in Quarter 2.
• Better early identification by therapy services means fewer children are “unknown" to health services.
• High demand in neighbouring areas is affecting Wokingham because therapy assessments are shared across Berkshire. Work is happening to address this.

Any other business

Ofsted has inspected Bridges (short breaks). The service performed well, especially on personalised planning. The formal outcome will be shared when available.