The Schools Forum of Wiltshire Council met on Thursday 11 June 2026 to discuss options for transferring funding between school blocks, review a draft plan for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform, and consider updates from working groups. The meeting also included discussions on the closure of the Safety Valve Programme and the implications of new Department for Education guidance on the Experts at Hand offer.

Transfer of Funding from Schools Block to High Needs Block 2027/28

The forum was scheduled to consider options for transferring funding from the schools block to the high needs block for the 2027/28 financial year. Historically, Wiltshire Council has agreed to such transfers with the approval of the Schools Forum, with a transfer of £1.000m (0.25%) agreed for 2026/27. However, the high needs block deficit in Wiltshire has continued to increase, reaching a provisional cumulative deficit of £86.384m at the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

Several government changes were noted as context for the 2027/28 discussion: the introduction of a new High Needs Stability Grant to write off 90% of deficits accrued up to 31 March 2026, the cessation of the Safety Valve Programme, and the requirement to develop a Local SEND Reform Plan. Department for Education (DfE) guidance on block transfers for 2027/28 had not yet been issued.

Two options were presented for consideration:

• Option 1: Agree not to consult with schools on a block transfer proposal. This option would align with views expressed by schools in the 2026/27 consultation and would have no financial impact on the schools block. However, it would leave the council to manage the residual deficit and could mean losing the principle of an affordable block transfer previously agreed by Wiltshire schools.
• Option 2: Agree to consult with schools on a level of transfer that is affordable without impacting on National Funding Formula (NFF) rates. This would retain the principle of an affordable block transfer and share the risk of the high needs deficit, but the proposal would be subject to government guidance.

The report recommended that the Council should not consult with schools on a block transfer for 2027/28. The proposal was for the Schools Forum to agree not to consult on a block transfer for 2027/28.

Draft Local SEND Reform Plan for Wiltshire

The forum was scheduled to review an overview of the draft Wiltshire SEND Reform Plan, presented by Ben Stevens, Inclusion, SEND and Alternative Provision Lead. This plan was to be approved for submission to the Secretary of State. The reform journey outlined in the documentation indicated a phased approach, with co-design in March-April 2026, the first SEND Reform Plan submission in June 2026, and the commencement of Experts at Hand (EaH) training in September 2026. The transition to a new system was planned for September 2029, with full completion by September 2035.

The plan highlighted the council's SEND transformation journey, focusing on earlier support, improved practice, stronger sufficiency, a whole-system approach, and strong co-production. It also noted improvements in statutory performance, with EHCP timeliness significantly improved and backlogs reduced.

The Department for Education (DfE) expected clear actions and milestones for Year 1 of the reforms, including building blocks for reform such as Experts at Hand, sufficiency, special school places, monitoring and evaluation, and partnership and co-production. The plan aimed for earlier, more inclusive support by strengthening universal inclusion in mainstream settings and improving early identification and intervention.

The Experts at Hand initiative was designed to provide a clear route for schools, early years, and post-16 settings to access specialist advice, shifting from individual referrals to whole-setting support. The plan also addressed sufficiency and local provision by increasing local places and reducing reliance on high-cost, out-of-area placements. Partnership and co-production were central, aiming for stronger joint working across education, health, and care, with parents and young people shaping decisions.

The report detailed the problem now in relation to SEND provision, including variation in inclusive practice, lack of clarity on expectations, and stretched SENCO capacity. It also noted that support often arrived too late, with long and complex referral pathways, and fragmented services. The plan proposed a clear 3-tier system: Tier 1 for everyday support, Tier 2 for targeted expert input, and Tier 3 for specialist provision, with stronger definitions of what good looks like at Tier 1.

Updates from Working Groups

The forum was scheduled to note updates from the Early Years Reference Group meeting held on 21 May 2026. This meeting focused on determining an equitable approach to distributing a new government inclusion fund to early years providers. Discussions covered funding parameters, national guidance, and modelling options to maximise impact. Key updates included an estimated allocation of £335,000 for the fund, based on £57.12 per part-time equivalent child, and consideration of distribution models. The use of funding for inclusion-related activity such as training and workforce development was confirmed, with a light-touch questionnaire planned for accountability. Collaboration between settings to access higher-value training was also discussed.

Briefing Note - Experts at Hand: Updated DfE Guidance and Implications for Wiltshire's SEND Reform Plan

A briefing note was provided following new DfE guidance published on 5 June 2026 regarding the Experts at Hand (EaH) offer. This guidance moved the programme from planning to delivery from September 2026, introduced minimum national expectations for Year 1, and provided a more prescriptive definition of how the offer must operate.

The new guidance clarified that EaH is a structured support offer for mainstream settings, delivered alongside school staff, time-limited, and capacity-building, primarily focused on group, cohort, or whole-setting support rather than individual provision. A significant change was the restriction of the grant funding to specific professional groups: speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists, and specialist teachers.

This meant that Wiltshire's original model, which was co-designed with schools and parent carers and included a broader multidisciplinary offer, was not fully compliant with the published guidance. The plan would need to be revised to explicitly define the core EaH workforce and the wider support offer as complementary but separate. Workforce assumptions would be refined to reflect the restricted list of eligible professional groups and the implications of national workforce shortages. The plan would also articulate a clearer, more accessible description of what schools can access and place greater emphasis on group-based, capacity-building support.

Confirmation of Dates for Future Meetings

The dates for future Schools Forum meetings were scheduled to be confirmed: 8 October 2026 (virtual), 10 December 2026 (face to face), 21 January 2027 (face to face), and 18 March 2027 (virtual).

Exclusion of Press and Public

Consideration was scheduled to be given to excluding the press and public from the meeting for Item 11, concerning the exclusion of press and public, and Item 12, the confidential details of the Draft Local SEND Reform Plan for Wiltshire. This was due to the likelihood of disclosure of exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person.