We’ve had an update from Leeds City Council on changes to the way support is offered around autism. This follows on from consultation with parent carers, facilitated by Leeds PCF.
From January 2026:
- The SENIT & STARS teams will come together as the new Inclusion Advisory Team.
- The four distinct professional disciplines in SENIT (Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Team) and STARS (Specialist Training in Autism and Raising Standards) will be maintained. These are: Early Years, Communication & Interaction (including autism), Learning & Cognition, and SEMH.
- The STARS team will be known as the ‘Communication and Interaction (including autism) Team’. Overall though, the team will be known as the Inclusion Advisory Team.
- The Communication and Interaction (including autism) Team will no longer require an autism diagnosis as a pre-requisite for settings accessing support for focused Children & Young People work.
- The Communication and Interaction (including autism) Team will no longer provide an early years (EY) offer. The EY team will continue to provide this comprehensive support including a SEND home visiting offer (portage).
These changes are a big step towards a more inclusive, needs-led approach. Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey and meetings – your feedback has directly shaped this decision.