Management Information Sheet

Changes of key Children's Services roles in SEND

MI Sheet TypeInformation
MI Number:43/24
Publication Date:27/02/2024 10:00:00
LA Contact:Nicki Rider
Audience:School leaders

Changes of key Children's Services roles in SEND

We want to let education settings know about changes to key roles within Children's Services relating to SEND.

As we continue to develop and implement our ambitions relating to Local First Inclusion, we have strengthened our leadership capacity in key strategic areas of planning, sufficiency and delivery of specialist provision in the SEND & AP system.

Nicki Rider, who has been our Assistant Director for High Needs SEND since 2020 and has led our operational services for EHCPs and Educational Psychology, is taking up a new role as our Assistant Director SEND & AP Sufficiency and Strategy. This new role will be a central tenet of our overall Local First Inclusion strategy, providing dedicated leadership in ensuring that Norfolk has the right volume, spread and supply of specialist provision to meet the needs of our local population based on ongoing and dynamic needs analysis. Nicki will continue to lead the areas of admissions, placements and funding to the specialist estate combining this with a strategic focus on the SEND population and its relationship to the supply of all specialist provision across Norfolk, including special schools, AP and SRBs.

Dan Newbolt, Assistant Director Family Help and High Needs will take responsibility for EHCP and EPSS operational services from 4 March. Dan will work closely with Nicki and other key colleagues ensuring coherence of assessment and planning for individual children with high needs with the overall strategic ambitions of Local First Inclusion led by Michael Bateman, Assistant Director SEND Strategic Improvement and Partnerships. Support for mainstream schools, including Element 3 funding, remains located with our Assistant Director for Inclusion and Opportunity, Andy Tovell.