SEND Advice Surrey Steering group

Introduction

The SEND Advice Surrey Steering Group works with us to help us meet the national minimum standards for an information, advice and support service and ensures that we meet the impartial information, advice and support needs of our customers.

The Steering Group has representation from a number of services and professionals supporting children and young people with additional needs. The group includes parents who have been with the service and are well placed to providing parental perspective on the effectiveness of services delivered, representatives from Family Voice Surrey (our parent/carer forum), colleagues from the SEND Advice Surrey team, education, health and social care and various relevant Surrey County Council teams.

The meetings are held termly, 3 times a year, and a copy of the latest minutes can be sent on request by emailing sendadvice@surreycc.gov.uk.

Terms of Reference

Purpose

The SEND Advice Surrey Steering Group will ensure the service operates effectively and is continually shaping the impartial information, advice and support it provides based on local needs.

The vision and development of the service will be considered against the statutory remit for any information, advice and support service and information contained within the national minimum standards

Within these there are two clear functions related to the Steering Group:

1.7 The Governance arrangements outline a clear management structure, encompassing a strategic manager within the information, advice and support service (IASS) and a steering group or advisory body which includes representatives from service user groups and key stakeholders from education, social care and health.

(Please note that 'service users groups' are parents, carers and young people).

1.8 The IASS has a development plan reviewed annually with the steering group/advisory body, which includes specific actions and improvement targets.

Aims

To aim of this group is to provide governance for SEND Advice Surrey, by:

  1. providing support, encouragement and holding the service to account to ensure minimum standards for an IASS are met
  2. contributing to the planning of the annual development plan for the service
  3. regularly reviewing and monitoring the annual development plan, ensuring all agreed outcomes and/or tasks are on track to be achieved and meeting minimum standards.
  4. helping to shape the service on a strategic level, reflecting local needs.

Membership

Members will represent a range of service users, individuals and agencies with an interest in SEND Advice Surrey. All members will be responsible for ensuring they share information and decisions with the group or service they represent. Meetings will be chaired by SEND Advice Surrey. Members will include, but are not restricted to,

  • Parent or carer of a child with additional needs and/or disability (SEND)
  • Young person with additional needs and/or disability
  • Colleague from the local authority (LA) SEND teams
  • Colleague from the Learners' Single Point of Access (L-SPA) team
  • A member of Surrey's Parent Forum, Family Voice Surrey
  • Colleague from the Family Information Service (FIS) / Local Offer
  • Early Years representative
  • Tribunal Officer
  • Health representative
  • Social Care representative

All members are equal partners and their knowledge, skills and views are recognised and valued by all.

Members will not act in the specific interest of their own agency, service, group or family member. They will identify a conflict in interest to the group should it arise as soon as it is known.

We will strive for 100% of representatives to be present at each meeting. If the nominated person from a service is unable to attend a meeting, a relevant representative of the service can attend.

Frequency of meetings

It is proposed that the Steering Group should meet three times a year with the opportunity for ad hoc meetings when appropriate or necessary. In between meetings any work that arises (for example updating policies and procedures) will be actioned virtually. The Steering Group Chair will email any information and what is required, and it will be the members' responsibility to respond in a timely manner.

Member Code of Conduct and eligibility

The Member Code of Conduct and Eligibility (PDF) gives clear guidance on the standards of behaviour expected conduct, eligibility and commitment of being a member of the Group.

The SEND Advice Surrey Steering Group will:

  • promote and support the development of SEND Advice Surrey
  • ensure that SEND Advice Surrey operates at 'arms-length' from the LA
  • identify and promote good practice, raise issues and concerns, identify gaps in the service
  • pass on the above information to relevant agencies
  • have a formal mechanism for presenting this information to the LA
  • have a formal mechanism for the LA and relevant agencies to respond to the above
  • have a formal mechanism for the LA to keep the group informed of developments in the local area
  • promote a culture of challenge and support, supporting both SEND Advice Surrey and the LA in service delivery and the arrangements for maintaining impartiality.