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.
“We all want to make things better in Devon and we will do everything we possibly can with our partners to meet this challenge”
Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Schools
“I recognise that what children and their parents experience on a day-to-day basis does not match the level of service we would want to deliver.
“We have listened to parents and understand that tinkering around the edges is not going to deliver the improvements that are needed and that is why is I fully support a compete system-wide transformation of how the service is managed and delivered.”
Councillor Lois Samuel, the Cabinet member for SEND improvement
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.
“We know, from what parents and young people are telling us and from our data and intelligence, that the current improvement activity alone will not drive the significant change required. We need everyone working together with a clear vision of what good looks like so that children and young people with SEND, and their families, receive the right support at the right time and in the right place so they can thrive”.
Stuart Collins, Director of Children and Young People’s Futures at Devon County Council
“We are fully supportive of these plans and will be looking at how we further develop effective ways of working with our council partners.
“Our focus will be on building services that help children and young people achieve their goals in life and ensuring they aren’t held back by their health issues.”
Dr Nigel Acheson, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Devon
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.
2024
- Thursday 11 January, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 8 February, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 14 March, 10am – 12pm
- Wednesday 17 April, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 16 May, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 13 June, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 11 July, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 19 September, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 17 October, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 21 November, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 19 December, 10am – 12pm
2023
- Wednesday 25 January, 10am – 12pm
- Wednesday 22 February, 10am – 12pm
- Wednesday 29 March, 10am – 12pm
- Wednesday 26 April, 10am – 12pm
- Wednesday 24 May, 10am – 12pm
- Wednesday 28 June, 10am – 12pm
- Wednesday 19 July, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 14 September, 10am – 1pm
- Wednesday 15 November, 10am – 12pm
- Thursday 14 December, 10am – 12pm