CONSTITUTION
1. The Name of the Conference shall be “The London and Home Counties Regional Conference for Officers with responsibility for Special Education and Disability” (hereinafter referred to as “The Conference”). The Name for web site purposes shall be”The SEN and Disability Regional Conference (London and the South East)”
2. The Aim of the Conference is to contribute towards the professional development of Officers responsible for Special Education and Disability
2. The Function of the Conference includes:-.
- exchange of information and ideas, including sharing best practice
- consideration of legislation and DfE Circulars and responses to consultations, as appropriate
- contact with DfE, HMI (Special), OFSTED, SEND Tribunal and other relevant agencies/organisations
- commissioning and/or monitoring data on Special Educational Needs/Provision
- monitoring trends in Special Educational Needs/Provision in the Conference area
- co-ordination of matters relating to effective provision in the Conference area
- contributions to the development of good practice and best value
- other matters as Conference shall decide
3. Authorities within the Conference area are:-
3.1 all London Boroughs and the City of London (33)
3.2 Counties (7) i.e., Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex
3.3 Unitary LAs (16)
a. Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire
b. Bracknell, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Wokingham,
Windsor & Maidenhead
c. Brighton & Hove
d. Thurrock, Southend
e. Portsmouth, Southampton
f. Medway
g. Luton
h. Isle of Wight
4. Each LA of the 56 stated above has the right to send two representatives on payment of the Annual Subscription. Additional officers from the LAs may attend but do not have a vote in any decision making. Representatives of appropriate bodies such as HMI, OFSTED, DfE have a standing invitation to attend, as does any other person(s) as Conference shall decide.
5. Conference shall meet once each term (three times in each academic year) at a venue to be agreed. Any additional meetings shall be as decided by Conference or by the Steering Group or by unanimous act of the Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. Dates and times of Conference and Steering Group shall be decided as far as is possible at the Autumn Term meeting for the following academic year one year on.
6a. The Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected at the first meeting in each academic year i.e. at the Autumn Term Meeting and shall serve until the next Autumn Term meeting one year on. The Secretary and Treasurer will be appointed at the same meeting and his/her salaries shall be determined at the same meeting on the recommendation of the Steering Group.
6b. The Conference shall elect a Steering Group at the first meeting in each academic year i.e. at the Autumn Term Meeting which shall serve until the next Autumn Term meeting one year on. It shall consist of all those in 6a. above (with the exception of the Vice Chair) with the addition of:-
3 representatives elected from the 7 counties (or 2 plus 1 additional unitary);
2 representatives elected from the 15 unitary LAs
7 representatives elected from the 12 ex Inner London LAs and the City of London and from the 20 Outer London LAs
It will be expected that members of Steering will attend at least two meetings of Steering in order to be eligible for re-election at the following AGM, unless there are exceptional circumstances acceptable to the Group and Conference.
7. The Agenda and Minutes of the meetings of Conference shall be sent to all 55 LAs, DfE and others as may be agreed under 2. above. In addition, the Agenda and Minutes shall be made available, as required, to meetings of CEOs relevant to the geographical areas covered by Conference.
8. The Agenda for each meeting of Conference shall be agreed at a meeting of the Steering Group to be held approximately five weeks before each Conference.
9. The Quorum for both Conference and Steering Group meetings shall be 20% – that is 21 and 4 respectively.
10. There shall be an Annual Subscription for each financial year (running from April to March) to be paid by each Conference LA at a rate to be fixed at the Autumn Term meeting of each Conference year. Payment of the Subscription shall entitle that Authority to send up to 2 (two) delegates to each Conference and to receive passwords and access to the web site for that year. The Treasurer shall give a Financial Report to each Meeting of Conference.
11. The Conference shall, from time to time, elect Honorary Members of Conference. Such persons shall receive all papers of Conference and shall not be required to pay an annual subscription. They will usually be retired and shall have the “acclaim” of Conference by virtue of their service to the Conference. They will receive passwords and access to the web site.
