Our SEND strategies

The Camden Local Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Strategy sets out our approach for the next 5 years.

The strategy sets out how we'll improve support and outcomes for children with SEND aged up to 25 years old.

This strategy was approved by our Cabinet on 16 November 2022.

Aim of our strategy

Our strategy aims to improve services and support for children and young people with SEND, and their families.

Our focus

Through our strategy, our focus is:

  • talking to families and sharing information
  • creating a borough where everyone feels included
  • better support for children and young people as they move between different stages of education and services
  • improving pathways to get a job
  • creating more opportunities for independent living
  • starting the preparation for adulthood earlier

Our latest strategy report

Our year 3 implementation report has been released.

By the end of 2025, we will:

  • develop multiagency action plans for the highest need children currently in mainstream settings
  • produce higher quality EHC plans, coproduced with children and young people and their families
  • feedback from families is routinely gathered and used to inform service development
  • improve phase transfer processes and practice
  • review of the High Needs Block to ensure there is sustainable funding for initiatives to improve outcomes for children and young people
  • deliver a revised model of multi-agency support for children and young people with SEND and mental health needs to support school reengagement
  • support a consistent and defined approach across all early years providers and mainstream schools to inclusivity, supported by a toolkit setting out how to meet predictable SEND needs
  • strengthen engagement and participation with parent carers across the partnership
  • strengthen joint working between professionals working with children and young people with SEND
  • strengthen coproduction with children and young people to ensure they contribute to the way services are delivered and commissioned
  • improve skills and knowledge across the SEND partnership
  • implement multi-agency SEND performance dashboard
  • commission specialist education and alternative provision places to meet needs in the borough
  • provide a strong and consistent neurodiversity diagnostic pathway and early access to support and services
  • strong CPD offer for early years providers and schools meeting the needs that they are facing
  • Family Hub programme continues to develop an inclusive 0-19/25 offer
  • strengthen employment support within school

You can read the full summary of our SEND Strategy 2025 implementation report.

Strategy and policy documents

Other key strategies

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) Hub

Camden’s JSNA Hub is a collection of evidence about health and wellbeing in the borough and is the basis for health decision-making within Camden.

Visit the JSNA Hub website to view data, evidence, and guidance supporting decision-making within the borough.

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Change Programme

In 2019, the government reviewed the SEND and AP system and published their findings in 2022. This green paper, called 'SEND review: right support, right place, right time', shared ideas on how to make services and support better for children, young people and their families.

After listening to families, they produced a plan to improve the system, called 'SEND and alternative provision improvement plan'. Along with other local areas, we're using The Change Programme to test these ideas and make sure they work well in the real world to improve the lives of children, young people and their families.

You can find information about The Change Programme and how parents, carers and families can be involved. You can find the information shared during a Special Parents' Forum session.

Camden's Autism Strategy

This all-ages strategy has been put together for both residents and professionals in the autistic community in Camden. It's for those who do or do not have formal diagnosis, and we know there's a vast range of experiences for individuals.

We want to make our borough better for autistic people and their support networks so that they can start well, live well and age well. We want to create change, led by autistic people's experiences to ensure our autistic residents can access all that Camden has to offer.

The strategy has 7 key themes:

  • information and advice
  • health, wellbeing and independence
  • active and supportive communities
  • flexible and integrated care and support
  • transitions when things need to change
  • workforce
  • access, inclusion and equity across diverse identities

You can find more information about Camden's Autism Strategy in our key documents: