Agenda item

The Scrutiny Panel will be asked to consider and approve the content of the draft final report and determine recommendations for submission to the Executive.

The Democratic Services Officer presented a brief overview of the draft final report on the topic of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The following information was provided:

 

·         The aim, terms of reference and background information were detailed on page 2 of the report.

·         Information in respect of Term of Reference A was included on pages 3 through to 6 and included key data and graphs in respect of children and young people with SEND in Middlesbrough, including their individual characteristics and primary needs.

·         Information in respect of Term of Reference B was included on pages 6 through to 8 and covered the range and impact of SEND, referencing the four main areas of need which were - Cognition and Learning; Communication and Interaction; Physical, Medical and Sensory and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).

·         Information in respect of Term of Reference C was included on pages 9 through to 17 and provided details of how the Local Authority worked with early years providers, schools and colleges to identify and support children and young people with SEND. The section of the report included evidence received from the Early Years and Primary Support Service, Green Lane Primary Academy, Caldicotes Primary Academy, Rosedene Easterside, Discovery Primary Academy, Ayresome Primary School and Middlesbrough College.

·         Information on Term of Reference D was included on pages 17 through to 20 and provided details of how Education, Social Care and Health worked collectively to deliver SEND provision at a local level and referenced Education, Health and Care Plans, the SEND Strategic Group and its workstreams and key developments.

·         Information on Term of Reference E was included on pages 21 through to 24 and covered how the views, wishes and feelings of the child/young person and their parents were gained and the section referenced coproduction and the evidence received from Parents4Change.

·         Information on Term of Reference F was included on pages 24 through to 28 and covered best practice strategies in supporting children and young people with SEND and referenced guidance published by the Education Endowment Fund and the Local Government Association.

·         There was a section of the report covering information that had come to light throughout the investigation, which, while not directly covered by the terms of reference, was relevant to the work of the panel on the topic. Pages 28 through to 31 referenced the increasing demand in the local area and the fact schools and settings were under pressure to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND and those who were at risk of exclusion.

·         The conclusions were detailed on pages 31 through to 33, a) through to k). The conclusions summarised the main points of the report and identified key areas for further consideration.

 

Draft recommendations were presented for the scrutiny panel’s consideration.

 

A Member commented on the importance of the scrutiny panel receiving regular updates on the implementation of the proposed recommendations and the work undertaken to develop and sustain an effective local SEND system. The inclusion of a recommendation, requesting updates on a six-monthly basis, was agreed.

 

A Member commented that it would be useful to provide further clarification in respect of the data included at paragraph 13 of the submitted report. The Strategic Lead for the Inclusion and Specialist Support Service advised that of the 4800 children and young people classed as SEND in Middlesbrough, 1300 had an EHCP and 3500 did not require an EHCP. It was commented that the Local Authority’s Inclusion, Assessment and Review Service and Model provided targeted inclusion support, which had impacted on the number of children and young people requiring an EHCP. It was agreed that the report would be updated accordingly to outline the information provided.

 

Following discussion, the following recommendations were agreed for inclusion in the final report:

 

a)    That awareness raising activities are undertaken to ensure that all of Middlesbrough’s schools and settings are aware of the Local Authority’s explicit offer of targeted inclusion support. There is a need for schools and settings to receive clear and concise information on what targeted support can be accessed, what is part of the “core” offer open to all schools and settings (without requiring a statutory assessment and plan), and the additional offer that settings and schools can tap into by using their own resources.

 

b)    That work is undertaken with Legal Services and the Data Protection Officer to develop an effective transition planning process for all stages of education, which addresses the restrictions associated with GDPR. For example, Durham County Council has developed an electronic process for primary school headteachers to share the names of students who may require additional transition support into secondary education. Wording, informing parents that information will be shared to support transition, has been included in the admissions brochure, on Durham County Council’s website and in secondary application forms and offer letters.

 

c)    That the Local Authority links up with Middlesbrough College to provide placements for the college’s supported internships programme. Supported internships have been introduced at Middlesbrough College to give a greater focus on preparing young people with special educational needs and disabilities with the skills needed for adulthood and employment.

 

d)    That, to support continuous improvement, a regular cycle of SEND reviews takes place across all educational settings and outcomes are reported to the Children and Young People’s Learning Scrutiny Panel.

 

e)    That SEND annual reports are published to demonstrate how data, intelligence and feedback has been used to support strategic planning arrangements and ensure that there is sufficient local provision and support.

 

f)     That work is undertaken with the Integrated Transport Service to explore and identify solutions to ensure children and young people with SEND are provided with travel assistance to enable them to access respite care.

 

g)    That, to further promote effective partnership working, a local area partnership agreement is developed, which outlines how partners will work together and sets out responsibilities and agreed working arrangements. Investing time in fostering relationships and partnerships, given their importance to the local SEND system, is highly important - as there is a risk that those relationships can change very quickly.

 

h)    That the collaborative work undertaken by Education, Social Care and Health is commended and continues to drive further improvement in the SEND system. Given the increasing demand for provision to support those children and young people with SEND, it is vital that work continues to expand specialist provision and enable mainstream settings to provide support.

 

i)      That data/intelligence is collected, analysed and reported on to demonstrate the specific strategic approaches and practices that have been effective in supporting children and young people with SEND, enabling them to achieve the best possible educational outcomes and preparing them effectively for adulthood.

 

j)      That regular updates are reported to the Children and Young People’s Learning Scrutiny Panel, on a six monthly basis, in respect of the progress made with implementing the above recommendations and the work undertaken to develop and sustain an effective local SEND system.

 

AGREED

 

That, subject to the inclusion of the agreed recommendations, the final report on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) be approved and submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Board for consideration.