Improving support for children and young people with additional needs

The Flexible Learning Support Framework (FLSF) would bring together a range of high-quality providers, commissioned by Dudley Council to deliver personalised education and support.

It will be a pre-qualified pool of providers, which will mean the council no longer has to use spot contracts for urgent or highly specialised provision.

The FLSF will form part of Dudley’s SEND Local Offer, so families can easily find up-to-date information about available services, how to access them and what to expect — bringing education, health, social care and community support together in one place.

By commissioning providers through a single, quality-assured framework, Dudley can ensure consistent standards and safeguarding procedures.

It will also reduce reactive and costly crisis placements, ensuring value for money, as well as enable services to be planned more efficiently and for outcomes to be monitored.

This approach provides the flexibility to adjust support as young people’s needs develop, helping to maintain the right level and type of provision throughout their journey.

There will be a wide range of providers, including education professionals, therapists, community based, voluntary or not for profit groups, offering a variety of services, such as bespoke support, mentoring, tutoring and creative and physical activities.

The proposed framework has been developed following consultation with young people and their parents or carers, as well as providers.

The project is planned over eight years with a projected investment of £68.5m, building on existing services and anticipating the growing needs of young people in the future.

This funding will be delivered efficiently within existing budgets, ensuring continued high-quality support, while making the best use of available resources.

Councillor Wayne Little, cabinet member for children and young people, said:

“FLSF is a borough-wide approach which will help children and young people who, for a wide range of reasons, cannot thrive in a traditional classroom setting at a particular point in their lives.

“It recognises not all children start from the same place and that flexibility is sometimes essential for success.

“I’d like to thank all the young people, their parents and carers, along with the providers who took part in the surveys and have helped shape this new framework. I’d also like to thank officers for all their hard work to make this happen.

“This a proactive, joined-up approach that is focused on improving outcomes for children and delivering a vital service, while making best use of public funds.

“By offering a wide range of high-quality, commissioned support, we are ensuring vulnerable children are not left behind simply because a “one-size-fits-all” system doesn’t work for them.

“Investing in our children and young people is a priority and this proposed new framework reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring every child here in Dudley borough receives the support to help them thrive.”

The new framework improves accessibility for small, local or specialist providers, who may feel put off by traditional tendering processes, and also allows for suppliers to join at any time, subject to checks.

Cabinet is recommended to approve the procurement and implementation of the Flexible Learning Support Framework (FLSF) when it meets on Thursday January 29.