NNPCF Welcomes Publication of Experts at Hand Guidance 

The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) welcomes the publication of the Department for Education’s Developing and delivering the Experts at Hand offer in year 1: supporting guidance, which sets out expectations for the development and delivery of this important SEND reform programme from September 2026. 

Experts at Hand aims to improve access to specialist support within mainstream education settings by bringing together Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Specialist Teachers to work alongside education staff, children, young people and families. Backed by £1.8 billion of investment over three years, the programme seeks to strengthen early identification, build workforce confidence and support more inclusive practice within mainstream settings. 

For families, the ambition of Experts at Hand is simple: to provide earlier support, closer to where children and young people learn, without families having to wait for needs to escalate before receiving help. 

In practice, this could mean: 

• Earlier identification of needs in nurseries, schools and colleges. 

• Greater access to specialist expertise, including Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Specialist Teachers working directly with education settings. 

• Practical advice, strategies and interventions being put in place more quickly. 

• More support embedded within everyday learning environments. 

• Increased opportunities for parents and carers to be involved in shaping support and understanding their child’s needs. 

Importantly, Experts at Hand does not replace existing statutory support or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) provision. The guidance is clear that the programme should be additional to existing support and should never be used to replace provision specified within an EHCP. 

The NNPCF welcomes the recognition of Parent Carer Forums as key partners within local area partnerships and the clear expectation that PCFs should be involved in the co-production, strategic planning, commissioning, delivery and governance of local Experts at Hand offers. The guidance also highlights the importance of drawing on established engagement routes, including Parent Carer Forums, when designing, implementing and reviewing local arrangements. 

Parent Carer Forums play a unique role in bringing together the collective views and experiences of local families and ensuring that these inform strategic decision-making. By embedding the voice of parent carers throughout the development and delivery of Experts at Hand, local areas will be better placed to design services that are responsive to need and deliver meaningful improvements for children and young people with SEND and their families 

While we welcome the ambition of the programme, we remain concerned that existing workforce shortages could present a significant barrier to successful implementation. We recognise and welcome the Department for Education’s focus on investing in and expanding the specialist workforce, which will be essential to the long-term success of these reforms. However, workforce capacity challenges are being experienced by families and services now, and addressing these pressures at pace will be critical if the programme is to deliver meaningful and consistent improvements for children, young people and families. NNPCF will continue to work with government and wider stakeholders to ensure that workforce capacity, recruitment and retention remain a key focus as the programme develops. 

Alongside the full guidance, the Department for Education has also published a Parent Carer and setting Summary Guide, providing an accessible overview of the programme and what it means for families and for education settings. 

We look forward to continuing to work with government, wider stakeholders and importantly local Parent Carer Forums, to help ensure the programme delivers earlier support, greater inclusion and improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families. 

The guidance and supporting documents can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-send-reform-developing-the-experts-at-hand-offer/developing-and-delivering-the-experts-at-hand-offer-in-year-1-supporting-guidance