What a SEND consultant is
A SEND consultant is an independent specialist a school hires for in-house advice it lacks: audits, training, EHCP paperwork or casework. It is an unregulated title, not the statutory SENCO every school must have. Most consultants come from a teaching, educational psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, nursing or social work background, and you bring one in for capacity or expertise you do not hold internally.
Here is the part the marketing pages skip: SEND consultant is not a protected or statutory title. There is no register, no required qualification and no legal definition, so anyone can describe themselves that way. That is a real difference from the SENCO, the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. Every maintained mainstream school and mainstream academy must designate a qualified teacher as its SENCO, who holds day-to-day responsibility for SEN provision (SEND Code of Practice 2015, paragraphs 6.84 to 6.91), and since September 2024 a new SENCO must complete the NPQ for SENCOs within three years of appointment. A consultant supplements that role. They do not replace it.
When a school typically needs one
Schools usually buy in a consultant for a specific, time-bound piece of work rather than a permanent need. Common reasons include:
- a SEND audit or review, often before an area SEND inspection or to test provision against the Code;
- staff training and help with differentiation across the school;
- support with EHC needs-assessment evidence, EHCP wording, and annual or transfer reviews when the caseload spikes;
- complex individual casework that is beyond current capacity; or
- interim cover: a SENCO vacancy, a new-to-post SENCO, or maternity cover where you need experienced hands quickly.
If the gap is ongoing rather than a project, look at whether a part-time or shared post fits better than open-ended consultancy: see recruiting a SENCO in a shortage, commissioning a SEND review and buying in EHCP casework support.
Why the qualifier matters before you commission
Because the title guarantees nothing, the vetting is on you. Ask for the person's actual background, recent school-side experience, and how current their statutory knowledge is, not just a polished website. That last point is live right now: the Schools White Paper Every child achieving and thriving (February 2026) and the Education for All Bill propose a new Individual Support Plan duty and a narrower EHCP system over the next decade. None of that is law yet, and current rules are unchanged, but a good consultant should be able to explain where the reform stands without overclaiming the timeline.
One thing a consultant can never take off your hands: the legal duties stay with the school. Whatever a consultant advises, the SENCO keeps day-to-day responsibility and the governing body remains accountable for SEN provision. Buy in expertise and capacity, but treat the advice as input to your decisions, not a transfer of your duties.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.