Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

Duty of Authority to publish plans relating to its arrangements for special educational provision

2.  After Article 6 of the 1996 Order insert—

“6A.    Duty to prepare and publish plan of arrangements for special educational provision

(1) The Authority shall prepare a plan setting out the arrangements made or proposed to be made by it for special educational provision.

(2) The plan shall include, in particular, a description of—

(a) the resources and the advisory and support services the Authority proposes to make available for the purpose of discharging its functions in relation to special educational provision;

(b) the arrangements for securing the provision of any training for staff in grant-aided schools which is required for the effective discharge of their functions in relation to special educational provision.

(3) The Authority—

(a) shall at least once in every year review the plan; and

(b) may at any time revise the plan.

(4) In preparing, reviewing or revising the plan the Authority shall (subject to any provision made by regulations under paragraph (7)(c)) consult such bodies or persons as it considers appropriate.

(5) In each year the Authority shall publish its plan on or before 31st July or such other date as may be prescribed.

(6) Publication under paragraph (5) shall be in such manner as the Authority considers appropriate for the purpose of bringing the plan to the attention of persons likely to be affected by it.

(7) Regulationsshall make provision in relation to a plan under this Article and may, in particular, prescribe—

(a) the form and content of a plan;

(b) the procedure to be followed in connection with the preparation, reviewing or revision of a plan; and

(c) the persons to be consulted by the Authority under paragraph (4).”.