Supporting Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
A major new programme launching across Devon aims to expand and strengthen access to inclusive leisure and physical activity opportunities for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Active Devon has been appointed by Devon County Council to lead this work, placing the voices and lived experiences of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at the heart of the change. The programme will support physical activity and leisure providers across the county to better understand the barriers faced by children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and make tangible improvements that create welcoming, inclusive environments where every young person feels confident, connected and able to take part.
Why this matters now
Across Devon, many children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities still struggle to access consistent, enjoyable and inclusive activity opportunities alongside their peers. These children and young people continue to face barriers to participating in and accessing inclusive leisure and physical activity.
This programme is designed to change that. Over the next two years, Active Devon will work closely with children and young people, families, leisure providers and community partners to drive long term, sustainable improvements that make local activity safer, more accessible and genuinely inclusive.
The ambition is to create a lasting cultural shift—embedding inclusive practice as a standard part of physical activity provision, not an optional extra. The programme will offer young people greater choice, ensure their needs and voices shape decisions, and help activity providers develop the confidence and skills to deliver high quality inclusive sessions.
Young people leading the way
As a first step in this work, Active Devon have partnered with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Network for Change, including the Champions for Change – a group of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, committed to ensuring youth voices are heard and acted upon. Early conversations have explored barriers to taking part, what young people want from activity providers, and the changes that could make the biggest difference.
A young person who is part of the Champions for Change said:
“We want to support all young people to be able to access sport and leisure facilities. There are not enough places at the moment that are accessible. We want young people with and without disabilities to feel proud, happy, safe and included.
“Active Devon have been listening to the Champions because we have lots of knowledge about what works and doesn’t work in our communities. They are going to pass this information on to leisure and sports facilities in Devon to help make things more accessible.
“We want to be able to have fun and to meet other people that also enjoy the same things as us.”
Programme Lead, Cara Baer from Active Devon said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be working on this important initiative because it places the voices of young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at the heart of positive change. Their insight is vital, and we are committed to helping turn that insight into practical action that transforms how access to opportunities are made more available and how inclusive activity opportunities are delivered across Devon.”
Councillor Richard Jefferies, Devon County Council’s lead Member for Children’s Services, said:
“The early collaboration we carried out in 2025 with children, young people and their families made it absolutely clear that inclusive access to sport, leisure and community activity is really important to them. They told us what helps them feel welcomed, what gets in the way, and what needs to change. This programme builds directly on that work, ensuring their insight continues to drive improvement across mainstream providers. We’re proud to see their voices shaping a countywide approach that gives every young person the chance to take part, belong and thrive.”
What the programme will deliver
Working with Champions for Change and leisure providers/ partners across Devon, the programme will focus on:
- Co-designed sessions to better understand what children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities want and need from physical activity
- Co-created resources such as welcome packs, videos, venue guides and accessibility information
- Greater engagement with leisure centres and providers, including staff training and mentoring to support real, long term change
- Improved visibility of inclusive opportunities, supported by enhanced listings on Devon Connect and partner platforms
- Countywide campaigns celebrating inclusive activity and showcasing real stories from young people and providers
Using insights gathered directly from young people, the next phase will work with specific partners and providers across the Devon County Council area to identify and remove barriers, trial improvements and build a practical blueprint for inclusive activity provision in the future.
Cara from Active Devon added:
“Over time, this piece of work will help young people build a deeper, more positive relationship with movement and stay engaged in physical activity well beyond the life of the programme. It will support the embedding of inclusive practice across mainstream provision and ensure collaboration becomes a standard and expected part of developing new or adapted activities in the future.”
If you would like to get involved in this programme, please email hello@activedevon.org or you can register interest and share some initial views by completing this form here.