The SEND Local Offer aims to make it simpler for parents to find, understand and use information about what support their child with SEND can access so it is important that services of a similar type answer the same questions, following the order they are presented and keeping to the same format. Your SEND Local Offer needs to answer key questions that parent/carers have about your service. If they are interested and the service is relevant to them, they can come directly to you to find out more.
If you are passionate about your service, it might be tempting to write a lot when answering the questions. We would advise a maximum of 250 words for any one answer so that it is accessible for a wide audience. It is important though not to presume any prior knowledge about your service or similar services, when writing the SEND Local Offer.
Many parents will be searching the SEND Local Offer for the first time having had a very recent diagnosis for their child or starting to explore a concern they may have. Please use simple language and avoid jargon. You could imagine you are explaining your work and service to an acquaintance that has no prior knowledge about what you do. Also avoid abbreviations as many readers will not understand these and they can mean different things to different people.
You should be realistic about the service you offer and be honest about what families can expect from you in your answers.
It is important that before starting to complete the SEND Local Offer template that you read through all the questions. Some of your initial responses may fit better for questions that come later.
In this guide to will find prompts to help you consider the kinds of things the question covers. You don’t need to answer every single prompt, just use the prompts to think about what is important to tell parents about your service. There may also be other things you would like to include that have not been covered in the prompts. Feel free to add any information you feel appropriate.
