Experts at Hand: What the New SEND Support Offer Means for Schools, Staff and Families

The support available to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is changing.

As part of the Government’s wider SEND reforms, Experts at Hand is being introduced from September 2026. The new service aims to bring specialist expertise closer to children, families and education settings, helping identify needs earlier and provide support before difficulties escalate.

But what does this mean for schools and the professionals working with children every day?

What is Experts at Hand?

Experts at Hand is designed to strengthen SEND support within mainstream education settings by bringing specialist professionals closer to the classroom.

This could include educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers working alongside education staff to identify needs and develop practical strategies.

Importantly, children will not need a formal diagnosis to benefit from the service. Support will focus on what a child needs rather than whether they have reached a particular diagnostic threshold.

Specialists could, for example, observe children in their learning environment, work with teachers, provide advice and strategies, deliver training or coaching, and support schools to develop more inclusive approaches.

Why is this important?

A key ambition of the wider SEND reforms is to provide earlier support, rather than waiting until difficulties become more significant.

Experts at Hand is intended to help schools identify emerging needs and put appropriate support in place at an earlier stage.

The initial focus includes areas such as:

• Speech, language and communication

• Listening and attention

• Following instructions

• Emotional regulation

• Sensory responses

• Fine motor skills

Support may be delivered at a whole-class or group level, rather than relying solely on one-to-one specialist intervention.

This is an important shift. Experts at Hand isn't simply about bringing more specialists into schools; it is also about building the expertise and confidence of the education workforce.

What does this mean for education professionals?

For teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs and other school staff, the introduction of Experts at Hand reinforces the importance of understanding SEND as part of everyday practice.

Staff may increasingly need to feel confident in:

• Recognising potential additional needs

• Adapting teaching and learning

• Supporting communication and emotional regulation

• Creating inclusive classroom environments

• Working alongside specialist professionals

• Communicating effectively with parents and carers

• Applying evidence-informed strategies

The Government specifically identifies training and coaching for education staff as part of the Experts at Hand offer.

This means that specialist input should not simply provide short-term solutions. Ideally, it should build the capacity of school staff to support children effectively every day.

What does it mean for parents and carers?

For families, the aim is to make support more proactive and accessible.

Parents should not necessarily have to wait for a diagnosis before their child receives appropriate support. Where support directly affects a child, parents and carers should be involved and kept informed.

Families may also benefit from practical advice, workshops and resources that they can use at home.

Parent carer forums will also play an important role in helping local areas shape their Experts at Hand offer.

This reflects a wider principle within effective SEND practice: families should be partners in supporting children, not simply recipients of decisions made by professionals.

Will Experts at Hand replace an EHCP?

No.

Experts at Hand is intended to complement existing SEND provision, not replace statutory support.

The Government states that the service must not be used to replace provision set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). It should also complement existing local health services and draw on expertise from special schools and alternative provision.

What happens next?

Local areas are beginning to introduce their Experts at Hand offer from September 2026. Implementation will be phased, meaning the exact support available is likely to vary between areas as local services develop.

The Government has committed £1.8 billion over three years to support Experts at Hand and the wider transformation of SEND services.

For schools, this represents an opportunity to strengthen inclusive practice — but access to specialist expertise is only part of the picture.

Building a more confident education workforce

The success of Experts at Hand will depend not simply on how many specialists enter schools, but on whether their expertise helps education professionals become better equipped to identify and support SEND needs.

School leaders should therefore consider:

• Do staff feel confident identifying emerging SEND needs?

• Can teachers adapt learning effectively for different learners?

• Are teaching assistants being deployed effectively?

• Do staff know how to work collaboratively with specialists?

• Are families genuinely involved in decisions about support?

• Does your CPD programme provide practical SEND training for the whole workforce?

Inclusive practice is everyone's responsibility.

At Prospero Learning, we believe that effective SEND provision starts with confident, knowledgeable education professionals. As the SEND system continues to evolve, high-quality CPD will be essential in turning policy into meaningful practice.

Explore our full range of courses to support your school's training and development needs. We offer high-quality, cost-effective training without compromising on quality, with a guarantee that we will beat the annual subscription price of any comparable competitor.

Because great training shouldn't have to come at a premium.