ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the statutory and voluntary sector organisations who can offer support to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their families and practitioners/settings. It helps practitioners to understand the changing roles and dynamics of different service sectors, in the climate of shrinking public funding and in the context of the Local Offer. It also explores wider issues of inclusion and participation for children with SEND within the local community. There are a number of different terms used to describe professionals working together. The most commonly used, and the one that is used throughout the chapter is 'multi-agency working'. Services (agencies) to support children and families fall under the three main categories of health, education and social care. Within each of these categories, services in the UK have always been delivered by a mix of three main sectors: the public or state sector; the private or business sector and the voluntary or 'not-for-profit' sector.
