SEND ‘Courageous Conversations’ offer peer challenge and support for local areas (SEND Partnerships) to recognise strengths, help develop and improve. The format is designed to support the local area’s SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) priorities, preparation for (or follow up from) annual engagement meetings and/or inspections and to enable mutually beneficial learning for all involved in the activity. Courageous Conversations provide a unique opportunity for the local area to focus on a particular topic or theme, rather than the fuller range of SEND review activity provided by the LGA Peer Review approach, DfE SEND Advisor work or other local authority/SEND partnership initiatives.
The SESLIP SEND Courageous Conversation Cycle began in January 2024 and, after a positive interim evaluation and supported by further positive feedback, a new cycle of ten Courageous Conversations is included within the region’s Regional Improvement Plan for 2025-2026, funded by the Department for Education. This activity falls within the ‘regional diagnostics strand’.
The offer of the opportunity to participate in the Courageous Conversation cycle extends to all 19 SEND areas across the SESLIP area and the Regional Improvement Plan for 2025/26 with a target of 10 to be delivered by the end of the financial year.
The SEND Courageous Conversations, as a key component of the integrated Regional Improvement Plan offer forms part of the entry point to trigger the region’s targeted support offer.
This project supports What works in SEND Enabler 2. Please click below for more details.