Terms of Reference (SEND Operational Group)
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Operational Group Terms of Reference
1. Operational Group Purpose
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Operational Group is a collective of local partners who should be involved in the strategic planning and commissioning of the statutory Local Offer of services and provision for Children and Young People with SEND. The purpose of the group is to support the individual partners to carry out their existing statutory duties more effectively.
The SEND Operational Group is part of the wider governance structure and reports to the SEND Strategic Group.
2. Operational group aims and objectives
The aims and objectives of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Operational Group are to:
- act as a decision-making group with oversight to support with the implementation of identified projects through the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Strategy and Local Area Improvement Plan
- set the priorities for and oversee identified workstreams relating to the SEND strategy
- improve joint accountability and shared responsibility, across all partners enabling inclusion of children and young people with SEND in early years, mainstream and post 16 settings
- facilitate alignment to and engagement with the health and social care system
- ensure quality assurance of the Education Health and Care Plans and advice
The core priority of the SEND Operational Group is to promote and improve educational and wider outcomes for children and young people with SEND, through joint working and co-production with parents, carers, children and young people with SEND.
3. Responsibilities
The key responsibilities of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Operational Group are to:
- support the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Service to make decisions about new initiatives and direction in relation to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND
- monitor implementation and progress of key initiatives
- work in partnership to fulfil workstreams linked to the SEND and AP Strategy
- ensure that the voice of children informs initiatives carried forward by the group
- ensure that all key partners are engaged
4. Success factors
Measures of the success of the group and its work will include, but not be limited to:
- all services demonstrate strong communication and evidence collaborative working
- fulfil workstreams linked to the SEND and AP strategy
- children and young people with SEND secure good outcomes and fulfil potential
- children, young people, and their parents and carers feel increased satisfaction with their services as a result of improvements
- services are provided at the right time and in the right way, underpinned by co-production and therefore meet the needs of the local community
5. Governance
The SEND Strategy action plan will function as the core work programme for the SEND Operational Group, with oversight and challenge provided by the SEND Strategic Group to ensure strong governance across the local area.
6. Membership
Job roles of members within the operational group include:
- Strategic Lead SEND and AP Practice, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (Chair)
- Strategic Lead AP and Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH), Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Strategic Lead Assessments and Reviews, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Virtual School Headteacher, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Strategic Lead SEND Partnerships, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Project Coordinator SEND and AP Change Programme, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Children's Strategy and Commissioning, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Senior Accountant, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Senior Business Partner Strategic Planning, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) representative
- Stockton Parent Carer Forum Strategic Lead
- Stockton Parent Carer Forum representative
- Service Lead for Education age 0-11, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- SEND Early Years Team Manager, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
- Area SEND Co-ordinator Forest Friends, Early Years representative
- Headteacher, Mainstream Primary School representative
- SEND Co-ordinator, Mainstream Secondary School representative
- Headteacher (Ash Trees) Primary Special School Representative
- High Needs Manager, Post-16 representative
- Disabled Children Team Manager, Children's Social Care
- Children and Young People Health and Care Lead and Designated Social Care Officer
- Head of Service Children and Young People, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
- Designated Clinical Officer, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
- SEND Lead and age 0 to 19 team, health representative
- Lead for Children's Therapies (Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy) health representative
- Community Team Manager Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS)
- Clinical Team Leader Paediatric Therapies, health representative
7. Local arrangements
The SEND Operational Group will meet bi-monthly. All diary dates for the year will be outlined at the beginning of each academic year. Due to pressure on diaries, on occasion, members may not be able to attend and apologies will be sent in advance of the meeting. Requests for agenda items will be received two weeks in advance and the agenda, along with relevant documents, will be shared with the group a week prior to the meeting.
Rolling agenda items will include:
- welcome, apologies and introductions
- actions log - previous actions log approval, and review of open actions
- quality assurance report (quarterly - every other meeting)
- performance and data (quarterly - every other meeting)
Administrative support for organising and minuting meetings will be provided by the SEND and AP Service.
Meetings will be no longer than 90 minutes unless specified in advance and at the direction of the chair.
Members will have at least one month's notice of the meeting date.
Apologies from members of the group will be sent in advance of the meeting should a member not be able to attend.
Minutes from the meeting will be shared in good time after the meeting.
Group members are responsible for following up on their own actions arising from each meeting and should not wait for the meeting minutes to be issued before taking requisite action.
8. Review
The SEND Operational Group Terms of Reference will be reviewed at least annually. The next review is due to be complete in September 2026.
