This research was conducted to develop a better understanding of the SEND Workforce in the South East Region.
SESLIP will repeat the South East SEND Workforce Survey in 2026–27, building on the strong regional baseline established in 2025.
The 2025 survey reached 320 colleagues across all 19 South East local authorities, including respondents from local authorities, schools and health. The 2026–27 survey will retain key workforce measures so that changes can be tracked over time, while adding a focused lens on SEND reform, Experts at Hand, early intervention and service redesign, partnership working, and digital/AI developments.
The survey will provide the region with up-to-date intelligence on workforce capacity, recruitment and retention, caseloads, wellbeing and psychological safety, agency use and partnership working. It will also explore how SEND reforms are beginning to influence local delivery, including the deployment of specialist expertise, earlier intervention, mainstream inclusion, joint working across education, health and social care, and the emerging impact of Experts at Hand.
The survey will be designed as one regional survey with intelligent routing. All respondents will answer core questions, while managers and senior leads with the relevant organisational knowledge will see a short additional set covering areas such as workforce establishment, vacancies, caseloads, operating models and detailed reform implementation.
The findings will help SESLIP identify regional trends, emerging good practice and areas where peer learning, shared tools, targeted support or wider workforce action may be beneficial. They will also provide useful evidence to inform 2027–28 regional improvement priorities.
Timeline
| Timing | Activity |
| October–December 2026 | Survey design, working group input, review of 2025 comparator questions and alignment with related regional work, including Experts at Hand. |
| January 2027 | Regional survey launch. |
| January–February 2027 | Survey open for approximately 8–9 weeks, with response monitoring and targeted reminders to support participation across all 19 local authorities and partner organisations. |
| Early March 2027 | Survey closes and data quality checks are completed. |
| March–early April 2027 | Analysis and reporting, including comparison with the 2025 baseline and identification of emerging SEND reform and Experts at Hand learning. |
| April 2027 | Findings shared across the South East to inform regional learning and 2027–28 improvement priorities. |
Please contact Claire Woodcock claire@clairewoodcockconsulting.com if you would like any further information.
Project 7: Apprenticeship Programme
This apprenticeship programme, developed in partnership between Surrey County Council and SE19, is designed specifically for staff in Local Authority SEN teams who support the EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) process.
It adapts the Early Intervention Practitioner Level 4 framework into a bespoke course tailored to the needs of these roles, offering a nationally consistent training model that enhances workforce skills, stability, and transferability.
Delivered online by Train Together Ltd, the programme spans 12–15 months (with potential for earlier completion) and includes structured self-study, monthly trainer meetings, and optional collaborative workshops.
Open only to staff currently in EHCP-supporting roles, it is funded through the Apprenticeship Levy and supported by a growing resource bank coordinated by SESLIP. Cohort 1 is underway, Cohort 2 begins in January, and ongoing reviews will ensure the programme remains responsive and impactful.
Updates were presented to the Strategic and Operational Leads in-person meeting which took place on Wednesday 19th November 2025 and they can also be found here.