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Local areas to begin increasing access to speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and educational psychologists from September 2026

More children and young people with SEND will get specialist support without needing a diagnosis, as the government begins rolling out a new Experts at Hand service across England backed by new £1.8 billion investment.

Every local area will now begin expanding access to speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, specialist teachers and educational psychologists who will work directly alongside mainstream schools, early years settings and colleges, helping staff identify needs earlier and put support in place more quickly.

The new Experts at Hand teams will bring specialist expertise out of waiting lists and into the communities where children learn, ensuring families can access support closer to home rather than having to navigate a complex system before help becomes available.

The move marks the start of the government’s plans to transform support for children and young people with SEND, ending a postcode lottery that has left too many families fighting for support and waiting months or years to receive it.

Today, the government is kickstarting that rollout by publishing guidance for local areas and appointing a national panel of experts to help shape the future system to ensure better support for children and young people with SEND in every classroom.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 

I’ve heard from families who spent years fighting for support their child should simply have received. We are taking decisive action to tackle this issue.

From September, every local area will start to increase access to speech therapists, educational psychologists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers working directly in mainstream schools. 

Our new expert panel will help set a new national standard for SEND support, shaped by the people who work with children every day. This is about rolling out the right help, in the right place, without having to fight for it.

Health Minister Preet Kaur Gill said:

Every child deserves the right support to learn and thrive - and they deserve that from day one.

The Experts at Hand service will bring expert health and education professionals into our schools, colleges and early years settings so they can work directly with children and the staff who know them best.

This is a fundamental shift in how we support children and young people with SEND, and I’m proud that our joint work across government is already beginning to improve things for families across England.

Jessie Roux, who appeared on the Traitors this year, said:

Early childhood is a key stage where confidence, communication and self-belief are formed, so early support really matters. I want children to feel seen, included and supported, because every child has different needs and it’s so important that we make reasonable adjustments to support them properly.

When I was growing up, there wasn’t much understanding or representation around stammering, and I do wish there had been more support like this in schools. I really believe it’s important that both children and parents feel supported, rather than isolated.

I recently visited a school with the Education Secretary – it was amazing to meet the children, they were so brave and inspiring. It was really lovely to see how much the teachers care.

The panel brings together leading figures from mainstream and specialist education, health, academia and parental engagement to oversee the development of National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages.

Co-chaired by Tom Rees and Dr Anne Gordon, it will ensure reforms are informed by the best available evidence and expertise from across education, health and care.

The panel will also engage with stakeholders to make sure their recommendations are informed by a wide range of views and lived experience. A parental engagement group to support the panel’s work will also be established immediately.

The National Inclusion Standards will set out what good support looks like across the country, giving schools and colleges clearer expectations and helping ensure children receive consistent support regardless of where they live.

For children and young people with the most complex needs, we are proposing Specialist Provision Packages will underpin EHCPs, setting out clearly the support they should expect to receive, from specialist teaching and therapies to communication aids and assistive technology.

The wider reforms will be taken forward through the Education for All Bill, subject to the outcome of our consultation on the proposed reforms, including proposals for a new legal duty to put an Individual Support Plan in place for every child and young person with SEND, ensuring they have a clear route to support and access to high-quality education, health and care wherever they live.

Tom Rees, CEO of Ormiston Academies Trust, said: 

I’m delighted to be co-chairing this panel alongside colleagues who bring such deep experience and expertise from across the education and health sectors. 

We want to build better, more evidence-informed approaches to support children and young people, and to give confidence to parents and practitioners. The panel’s work will help to make this a reality.

Anne Gordon, Head of Clinical Innovation Research, New Hospital Programme, NHS England, said: 

I look forward to working with expert colleagues to support children and young people get the support they need to thrive.  Bringing health and education closer together, and working in partnership around what works, is a really exciting opportunity to lay the groundwork for continuing to build best evidenced services.

Ben Bastin, Chair of Natspec and Head of Treloar College, said: 

I am excited to join the panel at such a pivotal time for SEND reform. I look forward to bringing both my personal and professional experience of specialist provision and the transition to adulthood to ensure these changes support children and young people in a more inclusive 0 to 25 system.

Alison Stewart, Deputy Director of Children’s Services (Merton and Wandsworth), said: 

I am really excited to be part of the Expert Panel and look forward to be part of this important work considering specialist provision packages and national inclusion standards.

Katherine Walsh, Director of Inclusion at River Learning Trust, said: 

It is a privilege to join the panel and bring my experience in SEND and inclusive school leadership to help shape an ambitious, equitable system for all learners.

I look forward to working collaboratively with colleagues to determine and champion evidence-informed strategies, ensuring every child and young person with SEND has access to the high-quality provision and opportunities they deserve to thrive.

Mark Vickers MBE, CEO of Olive Academies Trust, said: 

It is a privilege to join the expert panel. The development of the National Inclusion Standards and the Specialist Provision Packages mark an important step forward, and I welcome the opportunity to help shape recommendations that will improve the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND.  

Building on my work with the DfE’s Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion, I look forward to supporting the transition toward a single, unified school system that is focused on meeting the needs of every child and young person.” 

James Waller, Headteacher of Sunningdale School in Sunderland, said: 

I’m really pleased to be contributing to the Panel at such an important time for our sector, bringing frontline experience into the discussion.

There is a clear opportunity here to bring together evidence, practice and lived experience to shape approaches that work in practice and make a real difference for children and young people with SEND right across the country.

Professor Courtenay Norbury, Vice Dean for Research, Faculty of Brain Sciences and Professor of Developmental Disorders of Language and Communication at University College London, said: 

I’m looking forward to working with colleagues on developing evidence-based support programmes for young people with special educational needs so they can develop the skills they need for school success, well-being and future participation in society.

Dr Karen Guldberg, Professor of Autism Studies and Head of the School of Education at the University of Birmingham said: 

I am excited to contribute to the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages, which will be key in empowering schools and staff to create inclusive, supportive learning environments where all children and young people can thrive.