The Regional Partnerships
Regional Partnerships have had a name change and have a new remit: To promote inclusion and positive outcomes for children with special educational needs and / or disabilities and looked-after children.
Regional Partnerships are voluntary partnerships of local authorities and their key partner agencies. There are 10 Regional Partnerships in England and their remit is to: "Promote inclusion and positive outcomes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and looked-after children." From April 2007 there will be nine Regional Partnerships, completely coterminous with Government Office regions.
Formerly, Regional Partnerships were called the Special Educational Needs Regional Partnerships (SENRPs). The name was changed to reflect their new, broadened brief to include children who are in the care of local authorities (looked-after children) and work on safeguarding of children.
Fulfilling their remit
Regional Partnerships fulfil their remit by:
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bringing partners together on a voluntary basis to enable the sharing of best practice regionally and nationally
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supporting the development and delivery of key areas of national policy including safeguarding
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working in partnership with Government Offices on the delivery of regional priorities
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supporting the development of more inclusive policies and practices.
In addition to their core remit the Regional Partnerships are also commissioned by others to deliver a range of other services.
Regional Partnerships take forward Department for Education and Skills priorities as well as their own regional priorities. Each Partnership has a Regional Strategic Plan (2006-08) and detailed annual action plan (2006-07).
Each partnership also has its own website. To find out more about the work of each of the Regional Partnerships click on the map below.
History
The 1997 report Excellence for all children, highlighted a need to improve the consistency of SEN provision across the country, so that every child gets the best education available, regardless of where they live.
To help make this happen, the Department for Education and Skills has sponsored Regional Partnerships, formerly the SEN Regional Partnerships (SENRPs) covering all local authorities in England since April 2000.
In the first five years of their existence the Partnerships particularly focussed on the needs of children and young people with SEN helping to make sure that:
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the right SEN services are available to those who need them
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services are provided as efficiently as possible
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examples of best practice can be learned from and extended
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local and regional expertise is used to inform central government policy making.
Their remit has consistently been:
- developing more inclusive policies and practices
- improving the efficiency and effectiveness of SEN processes and services
- making sure that Government initiatives are put into practice
- strengthening cooperation between different agencies
- responding to and engaging with Government initiatives.
Links
Who we are and what we do
Explains more about the Regional Partnerships
Contact details
Who's who in the Regional Partnerships
RP news
A regular newsletter
Case studies
Produced quarterly and in conjunction with RP news
National steering group
Overseeing the work of the Regional Partnerships
Evaluation
Evaluation of the Regional Partnerships
Product information update
Products, protocols and guidance developed by the Regional Partnerships and
how to get them
Subscribe to RP publications
Keep up to date by subscribing to publications
Removing Barriers to Achievements
The Government's strategy for special educational needs
Page created 2 November 2007
