Devon’s SEND Local Offer

The SEND Strategic Partnership Board

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Strategic Partnership Board is working to ensure that all children and young people in Devon can thrive and achieve positive outcomes.

The SEND transformation programme addresses the significant challenges that the local area faces, improve the experiences of children, young people and their families in Devon and lead to the financial sustainability of the council.

Already extra resources have been identified in the Council’s budget to strengthen our SEND casework team and to help us compete with other local authorities to recruit and retain experienced staff.

The SEND Strategic Partnership Board is a key part of helping us to meet this challenge. It is independently chaired and is responsible for the implementation of the SEND Transformation Programme, including an Accelerated Progress Plan, produced after the local area SEND inspection in May 2022. The board will bring oversight, monitor progress, and provide support and challenge to all partners in the local area. This includes holding those partners to account.

Whilst the Accelerated Progress Plan is a huge area of focus for Devon there is a focus on improvement across all service providers to ensure children, young people and their families are able to access the support they need at the right time.

A detailed overview of the board’s vision and purpose, objectives, responsibilities, and more can be found in the SEND Strategic Partnership Board’s terms of reference.

The SEND Strategic Partnership Board includes representatives from the following organisations and groups:

  • Devon County Council (with overall responsibility for SEND services in Devon) including the Chief Executive, councillors, chief officers and representatives from education, children’s and adult social care and public health and early help.
  • NHS Devon (with overall responsibility for health services for children and young people with SEND).
  • Parent Carer Forum Devon.
  • Educational settings and schools.
  • Commissioned services (which provide health, care and education support to children and young people with SEND) – Children and Family Health Devon.
  • Devon Children’s Safeguarding Partnership.
  • Children and young people with SEND.
  • Department for Education advisors.
  • NHS England advisors.

Meetings

The SEND Strategic Partnership Board is held monthly at County Hall. Minutes of the board meetings will be published within 10 working days of the meeting.

2025

2024