ABSTRACT
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Practitioners in the UK have a key role to play in preparing SEND children and young people to take their place in society and in the world of work. A key aspect of the changing role of the SEND practitioner is the role that professionals work within a multi-agency framework. This chapter explores how multi-agency practice is at the centre of the changing role of the SEND practitioner and examines the roles that a Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and a teaching assistant (TA) carry out within the SEND context. It describes how multi-agency working has developed. The chapter discusses the role of integrated working and the multi-agency team in relation to the SEND practitioner. It examines some of the key practitioner roles within practice. The chapter explains the benefits and issues surrounding multi-agency working. It reviews the changing roles of the SENCO and the TA in a historical and contemporary context.
