SEND routemaps

This routemap explains the process if you disagree with a decision made by Southend-on-Sea City Council regarding home-to-school travel assistance. This covers eligibility, the type of travel arrangements offered, distance measurements, or the safety of the route.

Download the routemap for: What to do if I disagree with a Home to School Travel Assistance decision - version 1.

To view a list of all routemaps, visit: SEND routemaps | Your say Southend

Routemaps development process

Parent carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) have told the Southend SEND Area Partnership that they do not always understand how to access education, health and social care services, which can lead to a delay and frustration for families in accessing the right support at the right time.

The SEND Strategic Action Plan commits to producing a suite of SEND routemaps to support effective navigation through the SEND system in Southend-on-Sea.

In 2023, initial discussions were held with parent carers at Your Local Offer Your Way sessions about what would be useful to include in routemaps.

In October 2023, a mentimeter poll was conducted at the SEND Strategy and Strategic Action Plan launch event. Attendees voted on what processes they wanted covered by routemaps and Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) seminars. Top combined areas were:

• identification and support for SEND in schools
• Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA)
• transitions
• health assessment pathways

In the 2023/24 academic year, three (3) SSIF seminars were held. Each seminar included information sharing and a routemaps co-production session run by the Local Offer team where parent carers told us what they wanted included in the routemap for that topic.

• seminar 1 – March 2024: Early identification and support of SEND in schools
• seminar 2 – May 2024: Education transitions
• seminar 3 – June 2024: EHCNA

Follow up meetings were held with colleagues about education transitions and the phase transfer process.

In June 2024, a follow up Your Local Offer Your Way meeting was held focusing on the early identification and support routemap.

In July 2024, the Local Offer team added to Education Transitions information on the Local Offer including information that was covered at the SSIF seminar: Education Transitions.

The Local Offer team produced drafts of routemaps for the following topics based on the relevant processes and what parent carers had told us they wanted included:

• early identification and support of SEND in schools and early years
• Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA)
• phase transfers
• annual review for EHCP process

In August 2024, drafts were shared with SSIF and favoured design style was agreed.

In September 24, routemaps were re-configured to favoured and consistent design style.

To ensure the draft routemaps were comprehensive, an engagement session was held on October 3, 2024, where parent carers, stakeholders and professionals provided valuable feedback.

To view a list of all routemaps, visit: SEND routemaps | Your say Southend