Tender: Independent Scrutineer for Northumberland Strategic SEND Partnership

About

Northumberland County Council is seeking a suitably experienced provider to act as Independent Scrutineer for the Northumberland Strategic SEND Partnership, providing independent scrutiny, rigorous constructive challenge, an independent chair role and objective assurance to support improving outcomes, experiences and inclusion for children and young people with SEND and their families. The role requires assuring the effectiveness of local multiagency SEND arrangements with a focus on practice, co-production, lived experience and impact; supporting inclusion of the voices of children, young people and families in decision-making and quality assurance; and providing an independent view of the effectiveness, pace and impact of SEND improvement activity, including progress against inspection findings and the Local Area SEND Reform Plan. The Independent Scrutineer will provide scrutiny and challenge across the Partnership and across education, health and care, hold partners to account, chair quarterly Partnership Board meetings and operate within an evolving role aligned to the national SEND reform programme (2026-2035), the Local SEND Reform Plan and the Local Partnership Maturity Assessment.