The SEND Local Offer is a legal requirement under the Children and Families Act 2014. Every local authority in England must publish a single online directory of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), from birth to age 25, giving families one place to find what help is available.
Why was the SEND Local Offer introduced?
Before 2014, families of children with SEND often had to piece together information from multiple sources — the school, the local authority (LA), the NHS, social care and voluntary organisations — with no guarantee that any of it was complete or current. The Children and Families Act 2014 placed a statutory duty on local authorities to publish a comprehensive Local Offer, and to involve children, young people and parents in designing and reviewing it.
The principle is that a family should be able to find out, in one place:
- What education, health and social care services exist in their local area for children with SEND
- How to access each service
- The eligibility criteria
- What the service actually provides
What does a SEND Local Offer include?
The content varies between local authorities, but all Local Offers must cover:
| Area | What is included |
|---|---|
| Education | Support in mainstream schools, specialist resourced provision, special schools, early years settings, colleges, PRUs |
| Health | NHS services such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), paediatric services |
| Social care | Short breaks (respite), personal budgets, support for families in crisis, children's disability teams |
| Transitions | Support for moving between school phases (primary to secondary; secondary to post-16; post-16 to adult services) |
| Information and advice | SENDIAS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Service) — a statutory, impartial advice service |
| Post-16 and into adulthood | Supported internships, independent living support, adult social care, further education with SEND support |
How is the SEND Local Offer different from a school's SEN Information Report?
These are two distinct documents that families sometimes confuse:
SEND Local Offer — published by the local authority. Describes what services are available across the whole local area, from multiple providers (schools, NHS, social care, voluntary sector). Covers children from birth to 25.
SEN Information Report — published by each individual school. Describes that specific school's own approach to supporting pupils with SEND: how it identifies needs, what adaptations it makes, how it trains staff, and how it works with parents. Every maintained school and academy must publish one on its website.
Think of the Local Offer as the catalogue of everything available in your area, and the SEN Information Report as each school's entry in that catalogue — more specific to how that school operates.
How do families access the SEND Local Offer?
Every local authority publishes its Local Offer on its own website. To find it, search for the name of your local authority followed by "SEND Local Offer". For example: "Leeds SEND Local Offer" or "Birmingham SEND Local Offer". The page should be easy to navigate and include a search function or categories (education, health, social care, age groups).
If you cannot find the Local Offer for your area or it does not appear to include services you expect, you can contact:
- The local authority's SEND team directly
- SENDIAS — the local authority is required to fund an independent SENDIAS service that can help families understand the Local Offer and navigate the system
What is SENDIAS and how can it help?
SENDIAS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support) is a free, impartial, confidential advice service that every local authority in England must fund. It is separate from the local authority itself and provides independent advice to children, young people and parents about:
- Rights under the SEND Code of Practice
- Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments and plans
- School choices and admissions for children with SEND
- Mediation and dispute resolution
- Exclusion and school attendance for children with SEND
SENDIAS advisers will not tell you what to do, but they will ensure you understand your rights and options. Many families find SENDIAS invaluable when navigating an EHC needs assessment, challenging a refusal, or preparing for an appeal to the SEND Tribunal.
Can families influence the SEND Local Offer?
Yes — local authorities are legally required to involve children, young people and parents in developing, reviewing and improving the Local Offer. In practice, this happens through:
- Parent carer forums (usually independent organisations partially funded by the local authority)
- Consultation events and online surveys
- Formal annual review of the Local Offer
- Feedback mechanisms published on the Local Offer page itself
If you find that a service listed in the Local Offer is unavailable, out of date or inaccurate, you can report this to the local authority. The duty to publish accurate, current information is ongoing.
Frequently asked questions
Does the SEND Local Offer guarantee that services will be provided to my child?
No. The Local Offer lists what is available in the area; it does not guarantee that your child will receive any specific service. Access to services (especially NHS therapies) typically requires a referral and may involve a waiting list. For statutory provision in school, your child may need an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan for the local authority to have a legal obligation to fund specific provision.
Is the SEND Local Offer only for children with EHC plans?
No. The Local Offer covers the full range of SEND support, including:
- Early help and universal services (available to any child)
- SEN support in school (what schools provide without an EHC plan, under the graduated approach)
- Specialist services requiring referral
- Services gated by an EHC plan
A child without an EHC plan may still access many services listed in the Local Offer — early intervention services, SENDIAS advice, some health therapies and voluntary sector support.
What if the SEND Local Offer does not list a service my child needs?
If a service is not available locally, you may be able to access it through a neighbouring local authority (with agreement), through a personal health budget, or through an EHC plan that specifies out-of-area provision. SENDIAS can advise on how to make this case. The absence of a service in the Local Offer does not prevent a family from requesting it; the legal obligations of the local authority go beyond what is listed, particularly once an EHC plan is in place.
How often is the SEND Local Offer updated?
Local authorities are required to review and update the Local Offer annually, with involvement from parent carers and young people. In practice, individual service entries may become outdated between formal reviews. If you find inaccurate information, report it using the feedback mechanism on the Local Offer page; local authorities are obliged to respond and update.
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