Matt Clarke

Senior SEND manager with over 20 years’ local authority experience, including 13 years at team management level with a County Council. Specialist in statutory assessment, Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), tribunal representation, and senior multi-agency partnership working. Known for an inclusive, solutions-focused approach and a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

• Led an area team of 8–12 SEND professionals, including performance management, well-being support, and day-to-day operational oversight.
• Held decision-making authority — including chairing panels — for statutory assessments, EHCP issuance, school placements, educational provision, and associated funding.
• Managed EHCP oversight for over 2,500 children and young people, ensuring statutory compliance, timely review, and high-quality outcomes.
• Successfully represented the Local Authority in SEND Tribunal hearings and mediation, preparing and presenting complex casework under legal scrutiny.
• Quality-assured new EHCPs following statutory assessment, maintaining consistency and legal rigour across the team.
• Led the area team’s transfer of Statements to EHCPs following the Children & Families Act 2014, managing a large-scale statutory change programme.
• Maintained senior multi-agency partnerships across Health, Social Care, the voluntary sector, schools, and families to deliver coordinated, child-centred support.
• Member of the council’s SEND management group, contributing to strategic planning and service development.

BA (Hons) French with Philosophy — First Class 1996 University of Sunderland

CTEFLA (Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language) 1992 RSA Examinations Board / University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate

A-Levels: French, English, Mathematics

GCSEs: 9 subjects including Mathematics and English