Every local authority is responsible for publishing a Local Offer and making sure it is clear, comprehensive and available for everyone to see.
The Local Offer provides information on the services available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) aged between 0 to 25, and how to access them.
The Local Offer must include information about what the local authority expects to be available for children and young people who have special educational needs or a disability. This should include information about what is available in the local authority's area, and what it expects to be available outside its area for children and young people for whom it is responsible (for example Looked After Children), and children and young people in its area who have a disability.
Local authorities must also seek feedback about their Local Offer, make this feedback available and report on how they will make improvements in response to feedback.
The Local Offer should include information on:
- Education
- Other or alternative educational provision
- Preparing for adulthood and independent living
- Health provision
- Social Care provision
- SEND service
- Leisure
- Travel
- Support and guidance
It became a legal requirement for local authorities to produce and publish their Local Offer in September 2014, as required by the Children and Families Act 2014. Wiltshire's Local Offer has been developed in partnership with parent carers and other stakeholders. We have ambitious aspirations for us Local Offer, as we strive for it to become increasingly comprehensive and user-friendly. We hope to achieve this be regularly reviewing, developing and updating our Local Offer website in partnership with parent carers, young people and other stakeholders.
In 2014, the DfE produced The Local Offer (youtube.com), a video that describes what a Local Offer is.