Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Education & Cultural Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/201

Contact: Jayne Howarth, Head of SEND Tel: 07776 996944

Report by Head of SEND (CA10).

The final SEND re-visit report was published by Ofsted on the 23 December 2019, following the revisit on the 15 - 17 October 2019.  The findings of the report detail the outcome, which advised that the Local Area had made significant progress in three out of five areas of significant weakness, which was highlighted in the Ofsted SEND Inspection held in September 2017.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the outcome of the SEND Local Area Re-Visit report, published on the 23 December 2019.

Recommendations Agreed.

The Cabinet had before it the final SEND re-visit report, which had been published by Ofsted on the 23 December 2019, following the revisit on the 15 - 17 October 2019.  The findings of the report detailed the outcome, which advised that the Local Area had made significant progress in three out of five areas of significant weakness, which was highlighted in the Ofsted SEND Inspection held in September 2017.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, speaking as Chairman of the Performance Scrutiny Committee explained that the Scrutiny Committee had considered the report at its meeting on 9 January.  Overall, the Committee had been pleased that Ofsted had recognised the progress that the Council’s partners had made in relation to supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities, with 3 out of the 5 significant weaknesses identified having made significant progress.

A key aspect the Committee wished to highlight was the level of joint working with colleagues in the NHS to produce EHCPs.  The Committee wanted everyone involved in making these plans, to keep the language as simple as possible as the documents were often very complex.

The Committee had noted through their monitoring reports that keeping to the timescales for EHCPs had been challenging due to rising demand and were pleased to see that Ofsted acknowledged the progress made in relation to timeliness. However, quality should not sacrifice, and the Committee remained concerned over the variable quality highlighted through the inspection.  The Committee supported Ofsted’s view regarding officers working directly with parents for co-production of solutions.

The Committee would continue to keep as an area of concern the long waiting times for Child and Mental Health Services, until children were seen in a timely fashion.  The Committee further noted that the decision to exclude children from Academies was out of the local authorities control and under the responsibilities of the Multi Academy Trusts.

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay Gale, Cabinet Member for Education & Cultural Services welcomed the report.  Despite the fact that only 3 out of the 5 areas had made significant progress, the comments from the inspectors on the remaining 2 areas had been encouraging, rather than hyper-critical.  The inspectors had been very pleased to hear of the plans to improve those areas.  Therefore, it was not expected that there would be a further inspection but would instead be monitored on the action plan going forward.  She commended and moved the report.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of the Council emphasised the importance of the co-production with parents.

RESOLVED: to note the outcome of the SEND Local Area Re-Visit report, published on the 23 December 2019.