About
The Somerset Inclusion Forum brings together schools, the local authority, health services and other partners. They work as equal partners, influencing strategic change. The Forum’s aim is to make life better for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and help them achieve important outcomes.
Purpose
The Forum speaks for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) and school leaders in Somerset. It makes sure their views are heard by decision-makers. The Forum works with the local authority to improve how things run. Working together to find and fix parts of the system that are not working well. It shares information between education settings and the SEND Partnership Board and makes sure there is a simple way to raise and deal with problems. It also keeps SENCOs and leaders updated on priorities, progress and results.
Membership
The Forum includes representatives from:
- Primary and secondary schools
- Special schools and SEND Network groups
- Early years and further education
- Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)
- Educational psychology
- Local Authority teams
- Health and social care
Voting members: SENCOs, early years and FE representatives.
Local authority and NHS members act in an advisory role.
Meetings
Meetings are held three times a year (termly), with extra meetings if needed.
- 12 November 2025
- 11 March 2026
- 1 July 2026
Agenda includes updates from the local authority, feedback from education settings and a SENCO temperature check.
All SENCOs can share what is happening in their setting and the experiences of families they support. The aim is to share your voice on the bigger picture so the Somerset Inclusion Forum and SEND Partnership Board can use it to guide strategic decisions and improve the system. (Please note, this form is not for solving individual problems.)
SENCO Feedback FormReporting
The Forum shares updates with:
- Somerset SEND Network groups
- Somerset SEND Partnership Board
- Local workstreams and priorities