Agenda item

To receive a verbal update on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspection. The Ofsted report is included as background information.

A briefing was circulated to Members of the Health and Wellbeing Board on 26 October 2021 and the OFSTED inspection is included in the agenda as background information.

Ms Jackie Di Falco introduced the item. She noted that there were key actions which needed to be addressed. This included the quality of educational care plans in terms of compliance with timescales, but also their general quality and the annual reviews particularly for young people transitioning into adulthood. Improvement was also required on partnership in co-production and communication with parents. Furthermore, the unacceptable waiting times for the diagnosis of autism needed to be addressed and support needed to be given to families whilst waiting for that diagnosis. This was a part of a wider working area which needed to be completed alongside the SEND strategy.

A deadline of 70 days had been asserted to provide a written statement of action. This would calculate to a deadline date of 11 January 2022.  A number of forums and boards would be attended to discuss the inspection and how the issues would be addressed.

A number of key actions had been taken. The statutory assessment team had been increased so that adequate plans and annual reviews would be completed in timescales. A full time SEND Communications officer had been employed. The Travel Buddies team had been in-sourced which would help support young people to travel to their place of learning independently.

The work was expected to take between 18 months to two years (although there would be actions taken over a more imminent period of time) and there would be shared accountability and ownership. There would be a systematic change to help young people and their families and it was acknowledged that there was a high level of dissatisfaction from parents.

Work was being undertaken between parents, carers and stakeholders to consider how the proposals would work and how the outcomes hoped for would be achieved. This would include the use of workshops which would be attended by a focused range of representatives including parents and carers.

The SEND Executive would approve the written statement of action and would be receiving regular progress reports. Updates would also be provided to the parent-carer forum.

An annual progress report would be published. The SEND strategy consultation had closed and would be published in March 2022 after it had worked its way through the governance boards and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Board commented that:

·      It was not possible to deliver SEND programmes without working with families.

·      Parents needed a forum to discuss their circumstances. 

·      The work was welcomed and it was important to address the issues raised.

·      Parents had indicated at meetings their frustration regarding the issue. Parents felt that there had been historic neglect over the issue for a lengthy period of time. Parents had indicated that they had not been informed of the parent-carer forum and that meetings had been arranged with very little notice. It was important that improved levels of trust needed to be built within the community and this would be done with additional investment but additional investment alone would not be enough.

·      The issue regarding the lack of notice stated by parents were often to do with the parent-carer forum. 

·      The Health and Wellbeing Board would receive a further update in March 2022.

RESOLVED: That the update be noted.