About the Local Offer
What is the Local Offer?
The Local Offer gives children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families, information about what support services will be available in their area.
Every local authority must talk with children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families to find out what sort of support and services are needed. There will be many different types of services that children and young people may need, including support services in school and specialist health services.
Children, young people and their families may also have ideas about what leisure activities should be available, and what services are needed to help young people move towards independence in adulthood.
Every local authority must have a Local Offer that is available online, and must make sure that people without access to the internet can also see it. The local authority must tell children and young people and their families how they can find out more about the Local Offer. The local authority will then decide what services to make available.
Every local authority must get feedback on its local offer from young people and their families. They must show what feedback they have been given and say how they are going to make improvements to the Local Offer and services.
A Local Offer should also include information about what transport services are available for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and if there is any help available to pay for these services.
Follow Derby's SEND Local Offer on Facebook.
You may also want to visit the Derbyshire Local Offer to see what is available across the county.
Every year we publish an annual report to give an update on how the Local Offer has developed in the past year.
SEND newsletter
Our SEND newsletter is produced each school term. The newsletter tells the story of what is going on across the city to help young people, parents and professionals stay up to date.
- SEND newsletter - Winter 2022
- SEND newsletter - Spring 2022
- SEND newsletter - Winter 2021
- SEND newsletter - Autumn 2021
- SEND newsletter - Summer 2021
If you've got a story to tell or want to give us your views on our newsletter, you can get in touch by emailing local.offer@derby.gov.uk.
Get involved, have your say
We want to know what you think of our Local Offer so that it works better for you.
Local Offer User Group
The User Group meets four times a year to discuss and approve new and revised content for the Local Offer webpages. This is in collaboration with parent carers, professionals and other representatives from related organisations. These Terms of Reference expand on the purpose of the group. We are always looking for parent carers interested in joining the group. Please email Local.Offer@derby.gov.uk to express your interest.
- User Group meeting notes 14/03/23
- User Group meeting notes 06/12/22
- User Group meeting notes 20/09/22
- User Group meeting notes 16/06/22
Derby's Local Offer is monitored at the local area co-production delivery group. This group includes representatives from parent groups and the voluntary sector, as well as representatives for agencies and services across the local area. They are responsible for making sure that the Local Offer continues to develop and reflect the experiences of young people and their families across the city. When we need to develop or update areas of the Local Offer, we will arrange small working groups or talks with champions from across local services.
You said, we did
We will always listen to your feedback to help us to improve the way the Local Offer works.
Autumn term feedback 2022
| You said | We did |
|---|---|
| Derby’s Deaf Services Team offer appointments to deaf adults who use BSL to communicate and families with deaf children | We shared this on Facebook |
| Derby’s Deaf Services Team is updating their webpages | We will link these pages to the LO |
| The Parent carer Needs Assessment pathway is problematic and the form not fit for purpose | Social Care is updating the guidance and redesigning the form |
| SEND Notification form and content needs re-establishing | Soon to be published |
| SEND Code of Practice compliance audit | Carried out on 20 September |
| You wanted the Post 16-19 Home to school travel assistance consultation uploaded | The consultation was added to the carousel |
| You wanted a link to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) | The PIP link was added and anacronyms amended |
| You wanted multiple additions and revisions across the EHCP pages |
Added a link to the graduated response Links to other sources of help and support, IPSEA, Contact, Parent Talk, Special Needs Jungle Change the titles of the sections under the What to expect during an EHC needs assessment page General rephrasing of text to be more parent-friendly Change the links to the Government’s tribunal page to the What to do if you disagree with our decision page Add Section 6 called Annual Review Toolkit on the Education, health and care plan annual reviews page Uploaded samples of draft EHC plan, short guide for EHC plans and linked to examples of good plans |
| You wanted the local area response shared | Created a new link for the local area response to the SEND Green Paper |
| You wanted the vision for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing published | Created a new link to Joined Up Derbyshire’s Future in Mind page |
Summer term feedback 2022
| You said | We did |
|---|---|
| Why is the Gold Card only valid after 9.30am when school has already begun? | The Gold Card is a concession offered by the Department of Transport. The times are set by the national scheme guidelines issued by the Department of Transport |
| You need more information about the GP’s register to enable annual health checks for learning disabilities | A link out to Mencap was added to information already on the Local Offer to enhance understanding |
| You wanted financial support to be in one place on the Parent carer support webpage | This webpage was developed into a section with three new pages of information including a link to welfare and benefits |
| A new website called Derby Direction was developed for teachers | The Advice for schools and settings content was expanded to accommodate the new website as well as the school’s portal |
| You wanted financial support in more detail with direct links to actual services | The Support services for parents webpage was developed into two sections to accommodate more direct links to financial services |
| You wanted more information on learning disability health checks | The information was given more detail and the relevant links were added. Derbyshire NHS Healthcare Trust is hosting two free online information sessions for learning disability annual health checks on 12 September 2022 |
| The NHS Trust CCG was renamed and restructured | CCG was updated to Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board/System ICB |
| The Speech and Language Therapy Service launched a new website | The Speech, language and communication webpage was updated with new content and links |
| You wanted more information on how schools can support selective mutism and the tools available to professionals | The Targeted support content was updated with autism links to the new website |
| Sections of website content to be reviewed as part of a regular audit | The Education content was updated through agency champions |
| Content on the community short breaks webpage needs to manage parent carer expectations | To report back to social care on the need for more realistic timescales around the various stages and the waiting list time |
| Do other special schools run open coffee mornings like Ivy House? | Contacting SENCO network for more information |
| You wanted the annual review toolkit to include aspects of travel | The toolkit is being developed to contain travel and health |
Spring term feedback 2022
| You said | We did |
|---|---|
| There’s a need to understand that Blue Badges are for the person and not the vehicle | Posted on Facebook that Blue Badges can be used on holiday and in taxis as well as regular car use |
| Sections of website content reviewed as part of regular audit | Reviewed the Professionals webpage and moved it across to the SIP site and created Advice for schools and settings |
| A timeline to gauge when to apply for home to school travel | Transport team to investigate and provide more information |
| Sections of website content reviewed as part of regular audit | Speech and language were updated through agency champions |
| The fuel reimbursement is not fully mentioned | Transport team to provide more in-depth information about the fuel reimbursement process |
| Sections of website content reviewed as part of regular audit | Health and wellbeing were reviewed by multiple agency champions |
| Why is the Gold Card only valid after 9.30am when school has already begun? | Transport team to contact Derbyshire who run the scheme |
| Sections of website content reviewed as part of regular audit | Parent carer support was revisited and content moved to Health and wellbeing |
| How can fears over travelling be reduced for young people in Derby? | Transport team to develop resources with support from special schools |
| Suggestion of going out to schools, possible road show to inform of post-16 options | Team to investigate open days and recruitment fairs, week of webinars |
| Lack of awareness of annual health checks for learning disabilities | Team to promote on Facebook and take up issues with schools and GPs to do more |
| Annual health checks mean a repetition of information from parents to professionals | Team to look at integrating this health check into the annual review |