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ßÙßÇÂþ»­'s Additional Needs and Disabilities (AND) Partnership brings together key partners from all the sectors that are responsible for supporting children and young people with AND. It’s the forum that ensures these various partners are held accountable for their roles and responsibilities in delivering improvements to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.

The AND Partnership Board meets every half term, and includes representatives across Education, Health, Social Care and the Voluntary Community sector who represent the voice of families, children and young people.

The Board has committed to make every effort to overseeing and guiding all the work and improvement plans being undertaken across these different partners to support children and young people with AND and their families.

Welcoming a New Independent Chair!

The Board has recently welcomed a new independent chair, André Imich. Below you can find out more about André and his ambitions for the Board.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and experience?

I have spent my full career over the past 40 years working on behalf of children and young people with special educational needs. I have worked as a teacher in primary and secondary schools, an educational psychologist, a leader in local authorities, and, for the past 14 years, as a government SEND professional adviser in the Department for Education.

Why have you decided to step into the role of independent chair?

This role provides a real opportunity to contribute to the improvement of ßÙßÇÂþ»­’s strategy and delivery of special educational needs provision and support. This is an area I am extremely passionate about. I also feel I bring to the role the ability to provide objective governance and strategic direction, ensure robust oversight, and foster better decision-making by bringing external perspectives to the council and its partners’ work across the AND sector.

What do you hope to achieve with the partnership and through the board meetings?

I want to support ßÙßÇÂþ»­ to achieve improvement in all of the areas for development identified in the local area inspection.  I aim to ensure that there are strong actions being undertaken, using emerging data and evidence to demonstrate improvement. Most of all, I want children and families in ßÙßÇÂþ»­ to feel the impacts of positive change. I also plan to highlight the varied good practice by the council and many of its providers that too often goes unrecognised and yet demonstrates the art of the possible.