Changes to Specialist Outreach Services – April 2026 Update

As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, needs-led support for children and young people, we continue to work closely with our Specialist Outreach (SSO) services to enhance targeted support across Hertfordshire. The expanded quadrant model and increased provider capacity will ensure that support reaches those who need it most, at the right time. 

What’s Changed as of April 2026?

The Specialist Outreach offer has expanded, with new providers joining existing settings across all quadrants. This offer, alongside support from the Early Years SEND Team and SENDSAS, will ensure a graduated, consistent and strengthened offer for children and young people with emerging SEND needs as well as those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in mainstream settings.

All children REC and below with SEND needs/and or EHCP are eligible for Specialist support from the Early Years SEND Team.

Settings may be offered but not limited to:

• Bespoke support for an individual child
• Class or whole-setting support
• Quadrant training or development input
• For those meeting eligibility criteria, Specialist Development Centre Outreach Offer

All children Year 1 and above with an EHCP are eligible for Specialist Outreach support.

Settings may request but not limited to:

• Bespoke support for an individual child
• Class or whole-school support
• Quadrant training or development input

All requests should be submitted through the Single Service Request Form.

Hertfordshire Service Request Form - Children and young people

Updated Provider Lists by Quadrant

DSPL 1 & 2 – North Hertfordshire and Stevenage

Existing providers: Woolgrove, Greenside

New provider from April 2026: Larwood

Who to contact and when

Early Years SEND Team Alignment with Specialist Outreach

For early years children (up until the end of REC), with or without an EHCP, settings and schools can request support and advice from the Early Years SEND Team via the Single Service Request Form . The Early Years Specialist Development Centre Outreach offer will continue to be provided by the Early Years SEND Team for eligible children - no referral required. 

More information on the Early Years SEND Team can be found here: Early years SEND team

If you have any questions on the Early Years SEND offer please contact your link Early Years Lead Teacher:

North Herts and Stevenage; Laura Wilson- Laura.Wilson@hertfordshire.gov.uk ​

SEND SAS Service Alignment with Specialist Outreach

As part of ongoing whole‑system conversations about SEND, and in the context of national SEND reform, we wanted to take a moment to confirm current arrangements. As a partnership, we are reflecting carefully on where there are opportunities to strengthen practice, while maintaining stability and continuity for children, families and professionals as we develop our reform plan.

There is a shared system intention to place equal value on early support and intervention. Our whole‑school offer builds on existing good practice and includes modelling and child‑focused strategies. We intend to strengthen in‑class work and direct engagement with children, rather than relying on one‑off visits or written reports, working collaboratively with mainstream settings to ensure needs are identified and supported as early as possible.

Within this context and for clarity, currently where there is an identified need, the SLCA team will also continue to work through a casework approach, providing specialist advisory teacher support for children who require targeted intervention, complementing the newly expanded Specialist Outreach Support.

In special schools, the SLCA offer will continue to focus primarily on training. This can be bespoke and, where appropriate, linked to individual children to support staff confidence and consistency of practice. 

If you have any questions on the SLCA offer please contact Andrea Pascali, Senior Lead Teacher in SEND SAS. Andrea.Pascali@hertfordshire.gov.uk

If you have any questions on the SEND SAS offer for Sensory impairments (Deaf and Hearing Support, Vision Impairment, Multi-Sensory Impairment) please contact Louise Carter, Specialism Lead. Louise.Carter@hertfordshire.gov.uk. To request support for a child with Sensory needs (with or without an EHCP) please refer through the single service request form:

Hertfordshire Service Request Form - Children and young people

Next Steps

We are committed to ensuring these changes enhance the quality and timeliness of support rather than reduce it.

Expanding the number of outreach providers will help ensure that every child receives support that is timely, proportionate and aligned with need.

If you have any questions or require support in relation to Specialist Outreach, please contact your quadrant’s Panel Manager using the details above. If you have any questions in relation to the SEND SAS SLCA offer please contact Andrea Pascali, and SEND SAS Sensory offer please contact Louise Carter using the details above. For more information on the Early Years SEND Team offer please contact your EYs Area Lead Teacher using the details above.

Work does not stop here, we are currently discussing further specialist outreach capacity with ESC providers and working to develop bookable training sessions that complement those currently on offer.  

To click on the MS Teams links, please download this leaflet in attachments.

Download the flyer from attachments below to enable the links.

Please download these documents in the attachments below so that you can click on the links.

To self register an interest in the Spring 2026 course starting end of Jan 2026, scan the QR code or click the link and fill in the registration form:

https://forms.office.com/e/8BkjfzexnF?origin=lprLink

Please download these documents in the attachments below so that you can click on the links.

• The team are reviewing the advice line as they haven't been receiving many calls so wondering if there has been a problem with that and its going to be checked.

• Early Years are also now attending KIT meetings alongside reviews teams and so essentially when a setting and reviews EHCCo set up their KIT meeting, can the setting flag if they require early years attendance and ask the EHCCo to make sure they are invited (as the EHCCo may not know if there is a nursery with the school and early years do not know when the KIT meetings are happening unless they are invited)

Starting in September 2025, a new funding initiative (linked to LHNF) will be trialled to support children with low and emerging SEND needs transition successfully into Reception. The funding will be allocated to pupils who have previously accessed Early Years Targeted 2 Funding. This initiative aims to ensure continued support throughout the Autumn term and help facilitate effective inclusion and enhanced provision for children with low and emerging SEND needs.

Key Details

• Start Date: September 2025
• Purpose: To enable continued support and enhanced provision for children transitioning into Reception who have previously received Targeted 2 Funding from the Early Years SEND team.
• Contact: A member of the Early Years SEND team will contact receiving settings in September to discuss transition plans and funding utilisation.

Objectives

• Support Continuity: Ensure that children who have previously accessed Targeted 2 Funding continue to receive the necessary support during their transition into Reception.
• Effective Inclusion: Settings to utilise the funding to promote effective inclusion practices, ensuring children with low and emerging SEND needs have a positive start to their school education journey.
• Successful transition: Improved engagement in learning and attendance, children making progress and settling in- supporting accurate assessment of needs and establishing APDR.

Process

1. Initial Contact: A member of the Early Years SEND team will contact all receiving settings in September to set up a brief consultation call. School staff do not need to complete an application or referral process.
2. Discussion of Transition Plans: The EYS SEND team member will confirm the pupil details and discuss the transition plans in place.
3. Funding Utilisation: Guidance will be provided on how the transition funding can be used to support effective inclusion. A plan for review and evaluation of impact will be discussed.
4. Funding allocation: Following these discussions funding will be processed and received by settings by Mid-October. The funding allocation is a one-off Autumn term payment of £1000 per child eligible.

Contact Information

For further details or inquiries, please contact the Early Years SEND Lead for your area:

North Herts and Stevenage; Laura Wilson – Laura.Wilson@hertforshire.gov.uk

Did you know you can apply to access fully funded bespoke advice and support from the REACHout early years stronger practice hub?

A supportive and friendly mentor can champion your strengths and guide you to improve. They are available to help support with a range of areas including management, SEND, behaviour, planning and more.

 To request support or find out more please visit their webpage to complete their enquiry form.  https://www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/ee/reachout-eysph-ee

https://www.hct.nhs.uk/children-and-young-people-speech-and-language-therapy

https://www.hct.nhs.uk/early-years - resources and video links

https://www.hct.nhs.uk/children-and-young-people-speech-and-language-therapy-professional

Nasen is part of the DfE-funded Early Years SEND Partnership Project led by the Council for Disabled Children (CDC). The other partners are:

• Speech and Language UK
• Contact
• National Children’s Bureau (ncb)
• Dingley’s Promise

Nasen is currently working with local authorities from the nine regions across the country to develop their SEND provision at a strategic level through Regional Action Learning Sets and Specialist Action Learning Sets. Please visit Home page | Nasen for more information.

Meeting the needs of every child free CPD course

The training session will provide practitioners with a thorough understanding of inclusive practice for SEND in early years settings, including:

• responsibilities of a setting towards children with SEND 
• the role of the SENCO and the key person in PVI settings 
• the importance of the early identification of SEND 
• what effective inclusive practice looks like 
• how to develop positive relationships with parents and carers of children with SEND 
• Nasen’s free early years resources to support you in meeting the needs of all children in your setting. 

You will be emailed supportive documents before the webinar to use during the training and, on completion of an evaluation after the webinar, you will receive a certificate.

Visit events listing | Nasen to book your place for this free training.

This DfE funded online course is free to access and will provide early years practitioners with an overview and understanding of inclusive practice for SEND in early years settings. The 2-hour webinar will cover the following topics.

• What do we mean by SEND?  
• Responsibilities of a setting towards children with SEND
• The role of the SENCO and the key person
• What effective inclusive practice looks like in an early years setting
• How to use Nasen's free resources and materials

Who would benefit from this training?   

• Early years practitioners
• Childminders
• New SENCOs 

Throughout this webinar you will be invited to participate in a range of activities to support your learning.

As we near the end of the school year, we know the idea of moving to a new class or school can be a worrying time for children and their families.

To support students through this transition, BFB Labs (creators of therapeutic game: Lumi Nova, part of Hertfordshire's With Youth digital wellbeing service) are excited to share a FREE educational workshop for professionals  to self-deliver.

"Talking about Worries", explores what worries are, what they might feel like and how to overcome them one step at a time. 
Suitable for years 3-6, the session includes:

• 45 minute interactive workshop
• activities and optional print outs
• a lesson plan, and

• suggested adaptations to meet your needs.

For more information and a workshop kit, get in touch! Contact the team by emailing luminova@bfb-labs.com.

Find out more about Hertfordshire's free With Youth digital wellbeing service and Lumi Nova at: Home - WithYouth