Accountability

                                                             
What is accountability?

We firmly believe that all public bodies (and this term includes local authorities, schools, NHS hospitals, Government departments, the Ombudsmen, the ICO and the courts and Tribunals) must be open and accountable in everything that they do.  This includes accountability in their decision-making and in their use of public funds.

Accountability is a fundamental part of the duties of a publicly funded body. These bodies are paid for and responsible to our entire community. Accountability is also a personal obligation - an essential part of the job of all employees who are public servants. 

It is essential that our public bodies are trustworthy and we can only be sure that they are if they are transparent. This is particularly so in our SEN system when decisions about children's education can have an impact which may last a lifetime. Without openness and accountability, there can be no public confidence in the bodies we pay for.

At the Educational Rights Alliance, we believe that effective accountability includes:

• openness around information 
• public engagement on important issues
• fair and inclusive decision-making
• clear, written explanations of the reasons for the decisions taken by public bodies
• honest self-reflection and apologies when things go wrong

When complete, this page will detail some of the ways in which we can call our public bodies to account. It will also set out how we believe accountability can be improved.

Until then, please read about our latest campaign here.

Follow @ERA_tweet