Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) for SEND

Designated Clinical Officers are part of the leadership team for SEND in Local areas, ensuring health meets its statutory duties. This can include working alongside commissioners to co produce health improvements in Local Areas. They will also represent health teams at meetings and support health teams on their improvements to SEN offers and services. They engage with other partners such as SENDIASS, Parent carer forums, children voice projects and schools.

On a day to day basis they support the SEND case worker team answering any queries, supporting with obtaining health information and complex cases whilst ensuring health teams deliver advice and services to meet the needs of Children, Young People up to 25 with SEND. 

Integrated Care Boards take on the NHS planning functions previously held by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG's ). They have their own leadership teams which include members from local authorities in order to bring together all system partners to produce an area health and care strategy. Stoke and Staffordshire have recognised they will have several focus areas including Maternity, Children, Young People, Learning Disability, Autism and Mental Health. Our SEND families will be key to coproducing improvements in all of  those focus areas.