The Cabinet of Hertfordshire Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 16 September 2026. The meeting's agenda includes discussions on the adoption of the SEND Provision Plan for 2026-2029 and the allocation of capital funding to support post-16 places for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Adoption of the SEND Provision Plan 2026-2029

A key item scheduled for discussion is the adoption of the SEND Provision Plan for 2026-2029. This plan outlines the strategic direction for creating a more responsive and inclusive system to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. The draft plan, developed through extensive collaboration with young people, parent carer representatives, schools, and other stakeholders, is built on five pillars: strengthening capacity in mainstream schools, expanding specialist capacity within mainstream schools, creating more special school places, updating special school designations, and ensuring child-centred placements.

The consultation on the draft plan, which ran from March to June 2026, indicated broad stakeholder agreement on the priorities outlined in the plan. Support was particularly strong for creating more special school places and expanding specialist provision in mainstream schools. Stakeholders also highlighted the need for assurance regarding delivery, including clearer inclusion ambitions for mainstream schools, consistent pathways to reduce reliance on statutory processes, addressing capacity and funding pressures, greater transparency in decision-making, and earlier intervention.

The report recommends that the Cabinet approve the draft SEND Provision Plan 2026-2029 for publication and implementation. It also proposes agreeing that the Executive Director for Children's Services & Education, in consultation with the Executive Member for Education, SEND and Inclusion, be authorised to initiate statutory consultation to include Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) within the designation of existing Learning Difficulties (LD) schools, creating Complex Cognition and Learning schools. The Cabinet is also asked to agree that the Local Offer will be updated in line with the SEND Provision Plan and that progress will be measured through the SEND Reform Plan performance framework.

The background information highlights that while children and young people with SEND in Hertfordshire are achieving positive outcomes, increasing levels of need, complexity, workforce pressures, and financial constraints are straining the current system. The plan aims to address these challenges by supporting a more inclusive, financially sustainable, and outcomes-focused SEND system.

Allocation of Capital Funding for Post-16 SEND Places

The Cabinet is also scheduled to consider the allocation of capital funding to support the delivery of post-16 places for young people with SEND. This report outlines proposals from four Hertfordshire Further Education (FE) colleges – Hertford Regional College (HRC), North Herts College (NHC), Oaklands College, and West Herts College (WHC) – to expand their SEND provision.

The proposals aim to increase the number of places available for young people with SEND across Hertfordshire's FE colleges in response to rising levels and increasing complexity of need. This coordinated approach seeks to strengthen local provision by expanding specialist capacity, enhancing established SEND programmes, and improving inclusive support in mainstream settings. Collectively, these initiatives are intended to support more young people in accessing high-quality local provision, reduce reliance on higher-cost independent, alternative, and out-of-county placements, and deliver improved outcomes and value for money, enabling the Council to meet its statutory duties.

The recommendations include approving an increase to the Capital funding envelope for Enabling SEND Provision by £7.32m to £147.34m, and agreeing that Capital funding cover four specific projects totalling £21.045m at HRC, NHC, Oaklands College, and WHC. Officers would then be authorised to enter into funding agreements with these colleges for the delivery of the capital works.

The background information highlights that the SEND cohort in Hertfordshire FE settings reflects national trends of increasing need for post-16 support, with a significant increase in EHCPs and a growing proportion of learners presenting with more complex needs. The number of EHCPs in Hertfordshire has increased by 43% between June 2023 and May 2026. The proposals from the four colleges are aligned with Hertfordshire's SEND planning approach and aim to respond to the growing and changing pattern of need.

The report details specific proposals for each college:

• Hertford Regional College (HRC): Proposals to expand and enhance its Department of Inclusive Learning at the Ware campus, increasing capacity by 35 places. This involves extending the Millbrook Building to provide additional specialist teaching space, social and breakout areas, and improved accessibility.
• North Herts College (NHC): Proposals to expand its Supported Studies provision at the Stevenage campus through a two-phase programme, creating 50 additional specialist post-16 SEND places. Phase 1 involves a permanent modular facility, and Phase 2 a purpose-built SEND teaching facility.
• Oaklands College: Proposals to develop a new purpose-built Springfield High Needs Centre at its St Albans campus. This will increase capacity from 100 to 140 places, providing specialist facilities for learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), physical and neurological impairments (PNI), and complex medical needs.
• West Herts College Group: Proposals to improve inclusive learning environments across its Watford and Hemel Hempstead campuses, focusing on creating quieter spaces, sensory and de-escalation facilities, and flexible learning environments to support learners with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. This is expected to benefit approximately 200 learners and enable a further 20 learners with SEND to access and sustain a place.

Collectively, these proposals are expected to deliver approximately 150 additional places and enhanced provision for 35 established places, strengthening Hertfordshire's ability to meet growing post-16 SEND demand through high-quality local provision. The investment is particularly significant for learners with the most complex needs, aiming to reduce reliance on high-cost independent and out-of-county placements.

The meeting will also include standard agenda items such as the confirmation of minutes from the previous meeting and an opportunity for questions from members of the council to executive members. There is also provision for public petitions to be presented if they relate to items on the Cabinet agenda.

A portion of the agenda is designated as Part II ('closed') business, where the press and public will be excluded. This is due to the likely disclosure of exempt information relating to financial or business affairs. The specific item listed for this session is The allocation of capital funding to support the delivery of post-16 places for young people with SEND .