Herefordshire Council to form a collaborative agreement with Worcestershire County Council under Regulation 12(7) of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015, based on a ‘co-operative’ concept, for the delivery of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIAS service) across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The participating authorities will co-operate to perform public services they provide, meeting common objectives.

Section 113 of the Local Government Act 1972 allows a local authority to enter into an agreement with another authority to place its officers at the disposal of the other authority. Staff who are made available under such an arrangement are able to take binding decision on behalf of the body at whose disposal they are placed, although they remain an employee of their original authority for employment and superannuation purposes.

This enables the Worcestershire SENDIAS manager to manage SENDIAS services across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The total staffing cost to Herefordshire Council for delivering the service including the management cost (£25,000) is £73,731 per annum.

For Herefordshire SENDIAS staff this will stabilise management of the service and will enable greater staff capacity due to alignment of services across the two counties, whilst retaining a local presence.

The decision will require both authorities to commit to the joint performance management of the SENDIAS service.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be in place between the two councils to set out each authority’s responsibilities, on the understanding that there will be a three year agreement, to be reviewed after year one. This will commence on 1st April 2020.