The Raising Rochdale SEND Team is a multi-agency alliance that aims to improve support and outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Rochdale, United Kingdom. The project was initiated in January 2021, with the support of the Council for Disabled Children (CDC), to create an integrated service for children and young people with SEND. This was a departure from the previous system, which worked in siloes.
Prioritising the outcomes of children and young people and in collaboration with families, the alliance has scoped out early intervention offers to identify gaps and patterns and put in place a robust information sharing system, as well as establishing clear outcomes and measures. As a result, the number of children receiving early intervention and support has grown, and more professionals are accessing training. The waiting times for an autism diagnosis and support have also reduced, and three new peer-led projects are in development.
The Raising Rochdale SEND Team won the Public Sector Children’s Team Award at the Children and Young People Now Awards 2022, recognising the work to implement an Outcomes-Based Accountability (OBA) approach to commissioning and enhance support and outcomes for 5,913 children and young people who require SEND support.