Roles and Responsibilities of The
Learning Trust and other bodies
Roles and Responsibilities of the Learning Trust and other bodies
Roles and Responsibilities of
The Learning Trust and other
bodies
This section gives a broad overview of the roles and responsibilities of The Learning Trust and
partners in other statutory agencies.
Roles and Responsibilities of The Learning Trust
The key functions of The Learning Trust in respect of Special Educational Needs, are
to make effective arrangements to:

ensure that the needs of children and young people with SEN are identified and assessed
quickly and matched by appropriate provision

provide high-quality support for schools and early-education settings, including making
arrangements for sharing good practice in provision for children and young people with SEN,
for example, through education psychology and other Learning Trust services

enable children and young people with SEN to benefit from co-coordinated provision through
close-partnership working with parents, schools, health and social services, and voluntary
agencies

consult with schools and others in strategic planning and developing systems for monitoring
and accountability

keep The Learning Trust’s arrangements for SEN provision under review
Publishing Policies
Regulations require LEAs to publish their policies on SEN and provide information
about how the authority is:
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
promoting high standards of education for children with SEN

encouraging children with SEN to participate fully in their school and community and to take
part in decisions about their education

encouraging schools in their area to share their practice in providing for children with SEN

working with other statutory and voluntary bodies to provide support for children with SEN
Roles and Responsibilities of the Learning Trust and other bodies
The Learning Trust must also publish general arrangements, including any plans
setting out objectives, targets and timescales covering local arrangements for:

identifying children with SEN

monitoring the admission of children with SEN (whether or not those children have a
statement) to maintained schools in their area

organising the assessment of children’s SEN statements, including any local protocols for so
doing

supporting schools in making provision for children with SEN

auditing, planning, monitoring and reviewing provision for children with SEN (generally and in
relation to individual pupils)

supporting pupils with SEN through School Action and School Action Plus

securing training, advice and support for staff working in SEN

reviewing and updating the policy and the development plans on a regular basis

explaining that element of provision for children with SEN (but without statements) which the
LEA expects normally to be met from maintained-schools’ budget shares and that element of
such provision that the authority expects normally to be met from funds which it holds
centrally.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Health Service
Local health trusts (i.e. City and Hackney NHS Primary Care Trust) and GPs providing
child health services should:
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
inform The Learning Trust of specific local arrangements for the early identification of children
who they think may have SEN

inform The Learning Trust about any child who may have SEN

be aware of the timescales for statutory assessment and provision of advice.

consider, with The Learning Trust and with regard to available resources, the health services'
contribution to the provision specified in a statement and how the Health Act 1999 powers on
pooling budgets and integrating resources can best support children with SEN

work with senior Learning Trust and social services representatives to plan and coordinate
strategic and operational activity.

ensure that a health professional be designated as Medical Officer for SEN.That person
should ensure that all schools have a contact (e.g. via school health service), and assist other
health staff in compiling medical reports for schools and the LEA,

co-ordinate the provision of Statutory Assessment advice, contributions to reviews and the
health service provision for a child with SEN

help The Learning Trust in connection with children with SEN, in the light of available
resources and reasonableness, unless that help is not considered necessary.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Learning Trust and other bodies
Roles and Responsibilities of Social Services
The Social Services should:

give LEAs information on services generally available for families of children in need;

make available any relevant information on planning processes or data collection (e.g.
Register of Children with Disabilities);

inform the LEA of particular arrangements for the early identification of children who they think
may have SEN

ensure that local schools and early-education settings are aware of the range of local services
provided

ensure that all social workers are aware of the time scales for Statutory Assessment and
provision of advice

plan appropriate local provision; consider, with LEAs the social services' contribution to the
non-educational provision to be specified on a statement; meet senior representatives of LEAs
and health services to plan and coordinate strategic and operational activities

appoint a representative as Designated Officer for Social Services, who in turn should
coordinate information to the LEA on children who are thought to have SEN; ensure that all
local schools have a contact for seeking social work advice on children with, or who may have
SEN; support other social services staff in preparing reports and contributing statutory advice
to the LEA within the time limits; ensure the mechanisms for contributing to annual reviews;
coordinate the social services provision for a child with SEN
Where children with statements of SEN are Looked After, social workers should attend the annual
reviews, and assist the child's head teacher in deciding who else to invite to the meetings; contribute
to realistic planning and support parents in the process; at least one care review per year should
coincide with the annual review.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Learning and Skills
Council
The local Learning and Skills Council (LSC):

is responsible for the development, planning, funding and management of all local post-16
education and training - except higher education - and work -based training for young people

should have regard to the needs of people with learning difficulties and must take account of
the assessments of such people

should ensure that young people with learning difficulties have access to high-quality learning
and should monitor the local arrangements in place to meet their needs

should work closely with the local Connexions service, the LEA and local schools as
necessary, to ensure that appropriate support and funding arrangements are in place for the
provision set out transition plans
Roles and Responsibilities of the Connexions Service
The Connexions Service should ensure that each young person with a Statement in
Year 9 is assigned a Personal Adviser. The Adviser

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should attend the Year 9 Annual (Transitional) Review. Following this Review the Transition
Plan is developed with all parties (including the young person).
Roles and Responsibilities of the Learning Trust and other bodies

should attend all subsequent Annual Reviews

should assist the young person in identifying the most appropriate post-16 provision, working
with the parents, LEA and providers (including schools) as appropriate

will have particular responsibility, where the young person is likely to leave school, for
ensuring that an assessment of their learning needs and provision is undertaken
The Connexions service is also able to undertake assessments for young people with SEN but no
Statement in their last year of compulsory education. It can also undertake assessments for young
people who have already left school but have then developed learning difficulties
Advice to young people should be based on a fully-informed range of provision, the full involvement of
the young people and their parents, and advice from a full range of professions.
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