The governance and operation of SEND/ALN decision-making panels

This request relates to the governance and operation of SEND/ALN decision-making panels within your authority.

Please provide:

1) Copies of the current and any previous Terms of Reference (or equivalent governance documents) for all SEND/ALN-related panels, including but not limited to:

a) Request to Assess panels
b) Placement panels
c) Resource / Funding panels
d) High Cost panels
e) Any multi-agency SEND/ALN panels

2) Where no Terms of Reference are held, please confirm:

a) What formal governance documents regulate the panel's operation
b) The specific section(s) of your Scheme of Delegation relied upon
c) Whether quorum rules exist and where they are recorded
d) Whether voting procedures exist and where they are recorded

3) Please provide:

a) The template used to record panel decisions
d) The template used for decision letters following panel discussion
e) Any written 'criteria', 'threshold guidance' or 'decision-making framework' used by panels

4) Please confirm:

a) Whether cost of provision is considered by panels prior to determining suitability of provision
b) Whether parents or young people attend panel meetings
c) Whether minutes are formally approved and retained

1a) Provided TOR and decision making sheet

b) We do not have a placement panel.

c) Provided 16wk panel TOR and decision making sheet

d) This is included within the EOTAS panel TOR as below.

e) Provided EOTAS panel TOR, SEND hubs Placement policy and S.19 process has a panel which is described on the Lincolnshire County Council’s website.

2a-d) N/a

3a) As above

d) These are generated through our online EHC hub.

e) Only criteria are within the TOR and policy documents

4a) The LA considers a range of factors when determining suitability. These factors include but are not limited to and in no particular order; age of Child/Young Person (CYP), the CYP’s SEND, parental preference, cost of placement, distance of educational provision from family home, type of school whether mainstream, specialist Non-S.41 school.

b) There is a representative from the Lincolnshire Parent/Carer forum on the 16 week panel. c) No formal minutes are retained as all decisions are made within the individual decision making sheets.

Should you require the attachments mentioned above please contact customerinformationservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the below reference number and these can be provided.