SEND is a priority for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin’s Integrated Care Board (ICB).  Our Integrated Care System (ICS) enables greater integration across agencies and improved sharing of good practice and common solutions across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. ICS partner agencies work closely together and have shared responsibility for outcomes for children, young people and families.

Integrated Care Boards’ (ICBs) commitment to SEND is demonstrated in the following ways:

• ICBs must consider how they will meet the needs of children and young people aged 0-25 and set this out in their forward plans.
• ICBs must consider how to ensure a diverse skill mix of leadership, which should include a consideration of whether there is knowledge and expertise related to children and to SEND.
• Each ICB must have an executive lead responsible for SEND and accountable for how well SEND support by partners is delivered. The STW Executive Lead for SEND is Vanessa Whatley, Chief Nursing Officer.
• ICBs have to work with children’s system leaders, children and young people and families when forming their strategies and have to show how they have met their statutory responsibilities relating to SEND in their annual report.

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB works in partnership with the two local authorities (Places) in our area and supports the health element of the SEND agenda for children and young people.

Inspectors from Ofsted and CQC review how local areas meet their responsibilities to children and young people 0-25 with SEND. The aim is to hold local areas to account and champion the rights of children and young people. The latest inspection reports for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin can be found at the following links:

Telford Ofsted & CQC Area SEND Inspection - SEND - Local offer

Shropshire Local area SEND inspection | Shropshire Council

Each of our Places has a SEND Local Offer which provides a wide range of information about the support and facilities which families can expect to find in their area for children and young people. The Local Offers can be found here:

Shropshire The SEND local offer | Shropshire Council

Telford and Wrekin SEND - Local offer

The Designated Clinical Officer for SEND (DCO) and ICB SEND Team within the ICB supports the entirety of the health system to meet their statutory responsibilities for children and young people with SEND. The team provide a point of contact for the ICB, local authority, schools and colleges when advice is required regarding health services for CYP with SEND.

In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, the ICB SEND team works to ensure that the health needs of CYP with SEND are met as best possible. The team have responsibilities to deliver a range of functions as set out below:

• An advisory role to the local SEND partnership with regards to relevant legislation, statutory guidance, tribunal requirements, inspection frameworks and good practice.
• A role in strategy and leadership through contributing to the development and implementation of SEND strategies.
• Governance, policy and practice responsibilities relating to quality and performance of health services relevant to SEND
• Supporting relationships and connections with stakeholders across the partnership.

On a day-to-day basis the ICB SEND Team works closely with the local authority on Education, Health and Care Plans and inclusion, and closely with health partners on initiatives to support effective delivery of health services for CYP with SEND.

For more information about Education Health and Care Needs Assessments and Education, Health and Care Plans visit:

What happens in an EHC needs assessment | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

What is an Education Health and Care Plan?

Healthcare services are an important part of inclusive provision for children and young people with SEND. They work across universal, targeted and specialist services. There are many healthcare services that can advise and support children and young people without the need for referral to specialist services.

For more information about Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin’s Healthcare Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision document, go to Health services inclusive provision.

For more information about our commissioned services for SEND children, young people and their families visit the links at the bottom of this page Learning Disability and Autism - NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

In this section you will find position statements that have been developed by the Integrated Care System (ICS) and Commissioned Services to provide clarity on specific areas.

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin SEND Team Position Statement (20/03/2025): Learning Disability Assessment Pathway - Children 0-18 years

To read this position statement, go to Learning Disability Assessment Pathway - Children 0-18 years Position Statement.

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust Position Statement on Sensory Processing Difficulties Children's Occupational Therapy Service

To read this position statement, go to Children's OT Sensory Information (the statement can be found on the right hand side of the webpage, last blue box).

What do we mean by Preparing for Adulthood?

Planning for the future, developing skills and making decisions about future life paths is important in every young person’s life. For young people with SEND, the transition could take longer and may require a little more preparation.

Preparing for adulthood starts from the earliest years and is everyone’s responsibility. With young children the focus should be on building independence skills, supporting communication and interaction skills, making choices and expressing wants and needs. This helps all young people with SEND, not just those with an education, health and care plan.

Formal transition to adulthood planning starts at year 9 (age 14). The SEND Code of Practice states preparing for adulthood should focus on support in four outcome areas:

• Education, training and employment
• Independent living
• Participating in communities/society
• Supporting good health

For more detailed information about preparing for adulthood and the four outcome areas, including local area information, please see:

Shropshire Council Preparing for Adulthood

Telford & Wrekin Preparing for Adulthood

Annual Health Checks 

All young people and adults from the age of 14 years with a learning disability (LD) should have a health check every year by their GP. Regular health checks can detect treatable illnesses and help prevent more serious ones, as well as familiarising the young person with the GP practice, which they may use throughout their adult life.

For more information visit the following pages:

Learning Disability Annual Health Checks

Annual Health Checks | Mencap (easy read)

Vanessa Whatley is Chief Nursing Officer & the ICB Executive Lead for SEND

Laura Powell is Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Children & ICB Senior Responsible Officer for SEND (SRO)

Jennifer Griffin is Designated Clinical Officer for SEND (DCO)

Carrie James is Associate Designated Clinical Officer for SEND.

Hilary McGlynn is SEND Change Programme Partner (Health)

To contact the SEND team Email stw.send@nhs.net