Purpose

This report sets out the Department for Education’s (DfE) objectives for the SEND Experts at Hand policy reform; how Gloucestershire plans to meet these objectives; and seeks approval for how we plan to deploy the Experts at Hand grant funding provided by the Department of Education for the three financial years (2026/27 to 2028/29). Grant funding for the financial year 2026/27 has been confirmed as £4.6m.

Decision

That the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills rejects the alternative options and take the recommended decision to: 

Delegate authority to the Director of Education in consultation with the Cabinet Member For Education And Skills to:  

1. Commence the recruitment and appointment of new members of Gloucestershire County Council staff who will be the Experts at Hand and transformation team for 2026/27 in line with the council’s Local Area SEND Reform plan submitted to the DfE and the permitted use of funding, set out in the DfE guidance (see background documents) 

1. 2.    Transfer of up to £1.45m of revenue grant funding from the council to the Integrated Care Board (ICB) under the terms of a Section 75 agreement between the council and ICB to fund the recruitment and employment of Speech and Language and Occupational Therapists in 2026/27, which will form part of the Experts at Hand team. 

For the reasons set out in the report.