- Wakefield SEND Local Offer
- WESAIL (Including SENDIASS)
- SENDIASS Steering group
- Chair Role and Responsibilities
Chair Role and Responsibilities
The role of the chair is to facilitate the running of the meeting to ensure everyone’s views are heard in a timely and professional manner.
The Chair:
- Will support the work of the Wakefield SENDIASS (as a part of the WESAIL contract delivered by the charity Family Action)
- Has current, relevant knowledge of SEND and legislation or willingness to learn
- Has current, relevant knowledge of Wakefield or a willingness to learn
- Wants to improve the outcomes for children, young people and parents/carers as described in the SEN code of practice
- Will identify and acknowledge any conflict of interest
- May be a current or recent service user of the service (parent/carer/young person) or professional stakeholder
- Has a confidential, appropriate space to host virtual meetings
- Is willing to commit to 3 meetings a year (each of 2 hours-termly) plus preparation & reflection time
Skills and competencies include but are not limited to:
- Is passionate about SEND & achieving the best outcomes for children, young people and their families.
- A positive viewpoint of individuals with SEND
- Lived or professional experience
- Good listening skills
- Gentle confidence to challenge appropriately
- Ability to mediate to bring different partners together on issues
- Organised
- Attention to detail
- Reflective
- Forward thinking
- Proactive
- Keen to learn
- Respectful of differing viewpoints
The Chair will not:
- act in specific interests of their family, agency, charity or themselves
- use the meeting to air personal disputes
- share details of the meeting outside of the agreed parameters
The role of the Chair is to ensure:
- all business on the agenda is discussed or agreement reached to be carried forward
- everyone’s views are heard
- clear decisions are reached
- meeting is kept to time
- reasonable adjustments are made for members to partake
- all members adhere to the “Terms of reference” for the group (see above)
- new members feel welcomed, included, and informed
Before each meeting the Chair will:
- revisit past minutes
- set the agenda, in coordination with SENDIASS managers
- agree any guest speakers
- consult with admin for confirmed attendance
- familiarise self with any new members expected
WESAIL SENDIASS will:
- Support the chair to create agenda’s
- Provide admin support for invites; minute taking; production & tabling of paperwork; any other task as required
- Provide a “space” &/or technical support for the meetings to be held virtually
- Promote the changing of the chair on an annual basis. In circumstances where this is not possible, members will consult on the best course of action
- Delegate a chair in the absence of one being found
- Take into account & support reasonable adjustments for any stakeholders in attendance. For example –support accessing screen readers (visually impairment etc); provision of a scribe (dyspraxia; dyslexia etc); order of or support for introducing self (anxiety; dysfluency etc)
- Undertake any other task commensurate with supporting the chair
- Facilitate the continual professional development of anyone undertaking the role