Who we are

The West Midlands Regional Partnership was one of nine Regional Partnerships sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), now know as the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) sponsored Regional Partnerships (RPs), covering all the local authorities in England, from April 2000 - March 2008. The role of the Partnerships was to bring together groups of local authorities, health, social services, the private and voluntary sectors to improve the quality and consistency of provision for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN).

The West Midlands Regional Partnerhisp covered all 14 Local Authorities in the West Midlands.

The Regional Partnerships developed at both a local and at national level. The University of Manchester and, more recently, NfER Nelson evaluated the Partnerships’ work (further information is available at www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/regional/evaluation).

Key Government initiatives that impacted on the work of the Regional Partnerships included:

• DfES Five Year Strategy
• Removing Barriers to Achievement; the Government’s Strategy for SEN (RBA)
• Every Child Matters (ECM)
• Children’s National Service Framework (NSF)
• Improving Life Chances for Disabled People
• The 10 year Childcare Strategy
• Sure Start
• Care Matters
• The Government’s Response to the Education and Skills Select Committee Report

The core remit for the Regional Partnerships was to:

Promote inclusion and positive outcomes for children with SEN and/or disabilities and looked after children through voluntary collaborative effort

Further information

The 'Who we are and what we do' leaflet summarises the work of the Regional Partnerships.

Who We Are (PDF) - 143.6KB
For further information about the Regional Partnerships including links to their websites, see Regional Partnerships.