Agreeing a set of shared outcomes across a local area is an important first step in enabling integration. Different services and agencies are inevitably driven by separate targets and strategies, but these can be united under broader ‘life outcomes’ that all partners want to achieve for children and young people with SEND and their families. These shared outcomes should be holistic rather than relating to any one service, and should always be developed in partnership with families.
Shared outcomes can be built into commissioning processes, ensuring that the people planning services across education, health and social care are all working towards the same goals, and are holding providers to these as well. Areas can then assess their progress in achieving these outcomes, both at population level and for individual children and young people, and adapt their approach if necessary.
The case studies on this page look at examples where areas have developed shared outcomes and are using these to inform commissioning decisions.