Governance and Oversight

The Local Area Partnership SEND Improvement Board will meet quarterly to drive and evidence progression against the SEND Strategy Improvement Plan (which includes the Local Area Partnership Priority Action Plan). It will assign, along with clear and measurable targets, accountabilities for all actions covering the areas of priority action and improvement and will hold assigned officers to account for delivery and impact of these actions. Reports to the Board will provide data, analysis and evidence of the impact of improvements on the lived experience of children and families. The focus and effective operation of the Board will be supported by Executives and led by an Independent Chair.

The Local Area Partnership SEND Programme Committee will meet half termly to oversee operational delivery of the SEND Strategy Improvement Plan. The Committee will review and monitor the programme Key Performance Indicators and outcomes and assist in resolving escalation from the SEND Programme Office. The focus and effective operation of the Committee will be led by the Local Area Partnership Senior Responsible Officers.

Panel Scope

• To consider all new requests for EHC needs assessments (EHCNAs), and to decide whether to carry out an EHCNA, informed by the Code of Practice and the Suffolk EHC needs assessment guidance document.
• To consider requests for re-assessment.
• To ratify decisions made at Tribunal and any extraordinary decisions made outside of panel (as per Scheme of Delegation) and record outcomes in agenda in relation to placement

Panel Membership

• Family Services Operational Manager * (Chair)
• Family Services Area Managers (Vice Chair rota)
• Senior Educational Psychologist
• Head of Service from Specialist Education Service teams
• School and setting representatives
• Designated Lead from Social Care/Family Support (formerly known as Early Help)
• Designated Health Representative
• Suffolk County Council Early Years team representative

This panel is held weekly.

Panel Scope

To consider:

• whether to issue a new EHCP;
• the content and resourcing of proposed new EHCPs;
• significant changes following annual reviews (defined at changes of 2 or more High Needs Funding bands, or a change of placement type)
• the content of EHCPs adopted from local areas if there is not a straightforward equivalent within Suffolk to the provision in the EHCP.
• To sign off EHCP Health (Section G) element
• if Independent Placement should be considered
• proposed placements in relation to tribunal resolution

To ratify decisions made at Tribunal and any extraordinary decisions made outside of panel (as per Scheme of Delegation) and record outcomes in agenda in relation to placement.

Panel Membership

• Area Family Services Managers * (Chair/Vice Chair)
• Senior Educational Psychologist
• Head of Service from Specialist Education Service teams
• School and setting representatives
• Designated Lead from Social Care
• Designated Health Representative
• Suffolk County Council Early Years team representative

This panel is held weekly.

Panel Scope

To consider:

• any request for a personal budget, and/or bespoke package of education
• an independent and/or out of County education placement and associated funding
• proposed placements in relation to tribunal resolution

To ratify decisions made at Tribunal and any extraordinary decisions made outside of panel (as per Scheme of Delegation) and record outcomes in agenda in relation to placement.

Panel Membership:

• Head of SEND Services* (Chair)
• Headteacher of SES* (Vice chair)
• Principal Educational Psychologist
• School and setting representatives
• Designated Social Care Officer
• Designated Clinical Officer Health Representative

This panel is held fortnightly.

If your son/daughter is being excluded on a regular and increasing basis, their school may mention IYFAP to you. This protocol aims to ensure that any child or young person who is without a school placement in-year is allocated a school place as quickly as possible. The panel meets monthly in each area (North/South/West) - further information on IYFAP can be found here.

You can also request more information from the SEND Family Services Team to discuss what the next steps might be. In the first instance, please contact your local team on the numbers below:

West Suffolk: 01284 758806

North Suffolk: 01502 674720

South Suffolk: 01473 264465

Alternative Provision settings are places that provide education for children who can't currently attend school. You can read more about Alternative Provision here.

The Government definition of Alternative Provision is as follows:

• Education arranged by local authorities for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education;
• Education arranged by schools for pupils on a fixed period exclusion;
• Pupils being directed by schools to off-site provision to improve their behaviour

The role of Alternative Provision is to provide children and young people with another education setting that may suit their current needs, that provides:

• Early and short-term intervention to support pupils in their school or in placements between schools and AP;
• Education in the local community;
• Pupil centred interventions to ensure engagement in a curriculum that is appropriate and includes core subjects;
• Flexible support, according to need and which considers the whole child within their family context;
• Opportunities for pupils to develop positive relationships, build resilience and emotional wellbeing;
• Range of approaches, strategies, and skills to enable pupils to reintegrate into mainstream school as soon as possible.

Alternative Provision is for children and young people who are:

• At risk of being permanently excluded;
• Permanently excluded and in need of an education setting until their new placement begins; 
• In need of targeted and specific support and early intervention;
• Struggling to have their needs met in the current setting (where the AP can temporarily meet these needs while other provision is being sourced).

There is a Monitoring and Evaluation Group (formerly known as Alternative Provision panel) that meets monthly to discuss children and young people where alternative provision is being requested. Referrals to this group must come from the school the child or young person is currently on the roll of.

The group consists of staff members from Whole School Inclusion (WSI), Specialist Education Services (SES), Alternative Provision and Transport. The group tracks children and young people’s academic progress, attendance, and reintegration.

Until 2024, the SEND Accountability board monitored performance and outcomes across the various Specialist Educational Need and Disability (SEND) Services.

SEND Accountability Board Terms of Reference

Following the recommendations of the November 2023 Ofsted/CQC inspection, the structure of SEND Governance in Suffolk has changed. This board has been replaced by the Local Area Partnership SEND Improvement Board, which will meet quarterly.

The SEND Programme Board had oversight and direction for all areas of the SEND transformation plan until 2024. It in turn reported to the SEND Accountability Board and Integrated Care Board.

SEND Programme Board Terms of Reference

Following the recommendations of the November 2023 Ofsted/CQC inspection, the structure of SEND Governance in Suffolk changed. This board has been replaced by the Local Area Partnership SEND Programme Committee, which will meet half termly.