Agenda item

The Committee received a report, presentation and an appendix with a copy of the self-evaluation, on improving outcomes for children with Special Educational Needs (SEND) or a disability from Vikki Monk-Meyer, Head of Service Delivery SEND, as set out in the report pack at pages 33-74. The paper set out the scope of recent reforms, the response by partners in Haringey and the key next steps to continuing to improve outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and or a disability. The following was noted in discussion of this item:

a.    The Board raised concerns with weakness in the JSNA impacting on joint-commissioning. In response, officers acknowledged that the JSNA did not sufficiently reflect SEND needs. Officers added that there was a detailed piece of work underway to drill down on SEND issues within the JSNA. The Board suggested that this highlighted a further example of where there needed to be tighter strategic leadership. In reference to joint commissioning, officers advised that there was joint commissioning of speech and language therapy and on equipment but acknowledged that the strategic oversight could be improved.

b.    In response to a question around what could be done to improve dissatisfaction from parents on education, health and care plans, officers advised that this was primarily an issue about how the SEND team wrote plans and the need to ensure that training, advice and support was offered to staff in writing those plans.

c.    In response to a question about the workings of the Joint Executive Committee and whether commissioners and providers were being brought closer together, officers advised that the Joint Exec had been set up in recognition of the need for strategic oversight of key issues across the partnership. There had been two meetings so far and these included representation of commissioners. It was anticipated that the group would grow and develop further in due course.

d.    The Committee raised concerns with a lack of equalities comments in the report. In response, officers acknowledged that this was an oversight and commented that there was significant equalities data at a local level  but this data needed to be drawn out from the JSNA at a borough-wide level. The Chair requested that the equalities section be added in to the report. (Action: Will Maimaris).

e.    The Board asked officers to say a bit more around the support offered for the transition from childhood to adulthood. In response, officers set out that there were a number of areas of employment support being introduced such as offering supported internships in Haringey and work experience placements at the DWP. At a more local level, support was being offered around basic advice in terms of paying rent and accessing support services. Officers gave details about the Community First programme, which was a low level early intervention model and offered a one stop shop advice service.

f.     The Board raised the link between youth violence and SEND and queried whether there was sufficient consideration given to the wider links involved when identifying people and undertaking early-years assessments.

g.    The Chair raised concerns about the level of support for school exclusions and questioned whether there was an action plan in place. In response, the Chief Executive acknowledged these concerns and set out her concerns in relation to the length of time taken to diagnose conditions such as autism and ADHD, leading to long delays in those children getting the support they required.

h.    The Chief Executive also set out the need for good tapered services to prevent people from falling through the gaps and the need for capacity building work to improve the drop off from childhood to adulthood. The Board also heard that following a high profile child protection case, the Council had brought in focused health visits for families with significant child protection risks, and that there was then a significant exercise to expand this. The Board considered that there was some lessons to be learned from this as a system. The Chief Executive set out the Government’s decision to expand the age range of SEND services had introduced significant additional cost pressures to the Council and advocated the importance of having a place for the Council and partners to adequately track how much the additional costs were.

i.      In response to the above points, officers acknowledged some of the concerns raised and highlighted the challenges faced in expanding age ranges for SEND whilst many other services still had a cut-off point of 18. Officers also highlighted the association between children that had poor speech and language skills at a young age and who were subsequently over-represented in the high needs block and later school exclusions.

j.      The Cabinet Member for Children and Families highlighted the issue of 2 year old children not taking up free nursery care places and the need for the Board to get a better understanding of why some parents did not make use of this, given the significant improvements to speech and language skills involved. It was suggested that of the 1200 eligible children in the borough only around 700-800 took up this offer, which was paid for by central government. The Cabinet Member advocated that, as part of a whole systems approach, the Board should be focusing on and improving provision for 2-3 year olds and chasing families to take up the offer of free nursery placements. In response, officers advised that a Huddle group had been established at children’s centres to help families with SEND, who wouldn’t ordinarily go to a children’s centre, and give them access to a health visitor amongst other services. The programme also matched the family to a nursery placement and gave support to transition them in to that placement. There had been three sessions so far, each with 13 families attending and take up had been positive.

k.    In response to concerns raised about the tension between inclusion and exclusion for older children and what additional support was being offered, officers advised that they were working with the college to encourage more entry level placements, such as a Level 1 Catering course that was now on offer. There were also 70 specially funded entry and foundation level places on offer, with another further 50 places which offered additional support needs. The Board were also advised that a new high needs provision at The Grove was being opened in September to provide additional support around exclusions.

l.      The Chair requested that officers come back to the Board at a future date to provide a further update. (Action: Vikki Monk Meyer).

RESOLVED

That the Health and Wellbeing Board:

1. Endorsed the emphasis on partnership working needed to underpin the effective implementation of the SEND reforms;

2. Supported the new governance arrangements recently put in place through the SEND Board to ensure improved outcomes for children and young people; and

3. Agreed to receive an updated Self Evaluation Framework on an annual basis.