Assessment and Monitoring Team
The Assessment and Monitoring Team is based at Borough Hall in
Bedford, and is a highly professional team with an excellent
reputation for working with schools, parents/carers, agencies and
children within the Authority.
Its administrative and professional staff currently undertake
activities relating to Code of Practice on the Identification and
Assessment of Special Educational Needs.
In brief, Assessment and Monitoring Officers operate on a
geographical "patch" basis, receiving requests for assessment from
both schools and parents, determining if these requests match the
necessary criteria and then overseeing the statutory process
through to the completed statement stage. At this point, the
Officers monitor the provision, attend annual reviews and amend
statements accordingly.
The Assessment and Monitoring Team has close links with many other
services and agencies, particularly the Educational Psychological
Service, Health and Social Care.
Within Bedford Borough there are approximately 700 statemented
pupils. 290 are placed in special schools and the remainder in
mainstream schools. The Authority undertakes about 75 assessments
each year following requests from schools and parents. The
Authority attends Special Educational Needs and
Disability Tribunals throughout the year.
In addition to the above, the Team undertake the administrative
process relating to the admission of statemented pupils into
schools, both in and out of county, as well as making appropriate
financial allocations (relating to the statement) to mainstream
schools.
The Team is also responsible for maintaining the inter-authority
recoupment database and its associated budget, as well as
submitting recommendations to the LSC in relation to placements at
specialist residential college.
The Team provides a "front line" service which operates within a
self-contained busy and lively office environment.
Contact information
Jennie Newman
Head of Assessment and Monitoring
Bedford Borough Council
Borough Hall
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK42 9AP
Tel: 01234 267 422
Fax: 01234 228 306
Email: statass@bedford.gov.uk