Venue: Virtual Meeting
Contact: Georgina Moore
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Declarations of Interest Minutes:
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Minutes - Children and Young People's Learning Scrutiny Panel - 6 September 2021 PDF 173 KB Minutes: The
minutes of the meeting of the Children and Young People’s Learning Scrutiny
Panel held on 6 September 2021 were submitted and approved as a correct record. |
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Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) - Further Information PDF 713 KB Officers
from the Local Authority and the NHS will be in attendance to provide the
Scrutiny Panel with: a) key data in respect of special
educational needs and disabilities in Middlesbrough, specifically data on type
of needs and pupil characteristics and how these compare regionally and
nationally; and b) a detailed overview of how
Education, Social Care and Health work collectively to deliver SEND provision
at a local level, including information on the SEND Strategy and the SEND
Strategic Group. Additional documents: Minutes: Officers from the Local Authority and the NHS
were in attendance to provide the scrutiny panel with further information in
respect of its current review of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
(SEND). The
Strategic Lead for the Inclusion and Specialist Support Service advised that
the submitted report, which had been circulated with the agenda pack,
contained: a)
key
data in respect of special educational needs and disabilities in Middlesbrough,
specifically data on type of needs and pupil characteristics and how those
compared regionally and nationally; and b)
a
detailed overview of how education, social care and health worked collectively
to deliver SEND provision at a local level, including information on the SEND
Strategy and the SEND Strategic Group. Members were also informed that a copy of the
SEND Strategy had been circulated with the agenda papers. It was advised that
the SEND Strategy had recently been updated and shared across the local area.
In respect of the strategy, briefing sessions were currently being arranged for
October/November and colleagues across education, health and social care would
be invited to attend. Members heard that The Children and Families
Act and the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice (2014
updated 2015) transformed the system for disabled children and young people and
those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), ensuring that services consistently
supported them to achieve positive outcomes. The scrutiny panel was provided
with a brief outline of the SEND Code of Practice 0-25. The reforms had created
a system from birth to 25 through the development of coordinated assessment of
a single Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which aimed to improve cooperation
between all services responsible for providing education, health and/or social
care and giving parents and young people greater choice and control over their
support. Alongside the SEND Code of Practice, the Local
Area SEND Inspection Framework had been implemented. In 2017, Ofsted and the
Care Quality Commission (CQC) conducted a joint inspection of the local area of
Middlesbrough. Following the inspection, the local area was required to produce
and submit a Written Statement of Action, focussing on four areas, which aimed
to: ·
develop
stronger leadership and governance at all levels to ensure that the SEND Code
of Practice was fully implemented across the local area; ·
introduce
greater strategic planning for the joint commissioning of services across
education, health and social care; ·
improve
the local offer and its co-production with families; and ·
utilise
data to drive improvement in provision and promote positive outcomes for
children and young people who had SEND in the local area. The local area was revisited in 2019 and
inspectors commented that significant and sustained progress had been made in
respect of the four priority areas and the implementation of the SEND Code of
Practice. As a result, the local area no longer required formal monitoring from
Ofsted or the CQC. Members were advised that the Local Area SEND Inspection Framework was currently being updated/revised and it was anticipated that the new framework would include ... view the full minutes text for item 21/22 |
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Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) - Terms of Reference PDF 156 KB The Scrutiny Panel will be asked to
consider, discuss and agree the terms of reference for the review. Minutes: Members were invited to consider, discuss and
agree the terms of reference that had been proposed for the review, which had
been circulated with the agenda pack. AGREED That the
terms of reference be agreed as follows: a) To examine key data in respect of children and young people
with special educational needs and disabilities in Middlesbrough. b) To identify: ·
the range of special
educational needs and disabilities that children and young people may
experience; and ·
the impact of special
educational needs and disabilities on the ability of children and young people
to learn and achieve alongside their peers. c) To examine how the Local Authority works with early years
providers, schools and colleges to identify and support all the children and
young people in Middlesbrough who have or may have special educational needs
and disabilities. d) To investigate how Education, Social Care and Health work
collectively to deliver SEND provision at a local level. e) To examine how the views, wishes and feelings of the
child/young person and their parents are gained and how the child/young person
is encouraged to participate as fully as possible in decisions. f) To identify best practice strategies in supporting children
and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. |
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Education and Covid-19 Recovery The Director
of Education and Partnerships will provide a verbal update. Minutes: The Director of Education and Partnerships
advised that: ·
as
schools returned from the summer break, initially the number of COVID-19 cases
had risen; ·
cases
of COVID-19 were being monitored and managed effectively by schools, resulting in
less disruption for pupils; ·
the
rollout of vaccinations in schools, for 12 to 15 year olds, had begun; and ·
contingency plans were in place to
ensure the effective delivery of online/remote learning continued. NOTED |
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Overview and Scrutiny Board - An Update The Chair will present a verbal update on the matters that were considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 8 September 2021. Minutes: The Chair advised that at the meeting of the
Overview and Scrutiny Board, held on 8 September 2021, the Board had
considered: ·
an
update from the Mayor on his aims and aspirations; ·
updates
from the Scrutiny Panel Chairs; ·
the
Children and Young People’s Learning Scrutiny Panel’s Final Report on
Behaviour, Discipline & Bullying in Schools, which was approved and would
now be submitted to the Executive on 9 November; ·
the
Executive Forward Work Programme; and ·
an update from the Chief Executive in respect of
the Council’s response to COVID-19 and other organisational matters. NOTED |
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Any other urgent items which in the opinion of the Chair, may be considered. Minutes: The Chair advised that a member of the scrutiny
panel had put forward a suggestion that, at a future meeting, a brief update be
requested in respect of the Council’s School Meal Service. The importance of a
school meals providing nutrition and improving a pupil’s ability to focus was
outlined. The importance of physical activity being offered in schools was also
referenced. Following discussion, Members were in agreement
that the topic of School Meals and Physical Education would be added to the
work programme for the current municipal year. A Member commented that a briefing paper had
recently been published on Free School Meals. It was agreed that a copy of the
document would be circulated to the scrutiny panel. AGREED That the
topic of School Meals and Physical Education be added to the work programme for
the 2021/22 municipal year. |