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ITEM EX9

EXECUTIVE – 11 NOVEMBER 2003

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SCRUTINY REVIEW

Report by Director of Learning & Culture

Background

  1. On 28 November 2002 the Executive considered the report of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee on the Scrutiny Review of the Special Educational Needs Service. The Executive requested a further report in October 2003 on progress in implementing the agreed measures and their impact on the Service. The measures are listed in the Annex (download as .rtf file) and dealt with in turn below.

  2. Since November 2002 the Executive has received a number of reports on Special Educational Needs (SEN) including one from an independently chaired Member Panel on Inclusion. This report, received on 13 May 2003, led to the creation of a number of working groups and a consultation, the results of which were reported to the Executive on 14 October 2003. The work of the Member Panel and the resulting draft SEN Strategy agreed by the Executive for consultation has built on the developments identified by the SEN Scrutiny Review Report.

  3. Since the review there has been a major reorganisation of the Directorate that has resulted in dedicated SEN team in Children’s Services. This will allow for better coordination and management of the Service and the ability to work in a consistent and efficient manner.

    4. Identification of SEN in Nursery/Early Years

  4. An Education Officer with responsibility for Early Years SEN was appointed in December 2002 to manage both the Preschool Teacher Counsellor Service and the Area SENCOs (who provide expertise on the identification and support of children with SEN in non maintained settings). She also leads on policy development and intervention on Early Years SEN and works closely with the Early Years Teams through the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. An action plan was developed by April 2003 and further Early Years developments are currently being consulted upon as part of the SEN Strategy referred to above. These include enhancement of SEN funding of Early Years to support the improvements envisaged by the Scrutiny Review.

    5. Improvement in Timescales for Completing Statutory Assessments and Improvement in Primary/Secondary Transition

  5. There has been a significant improvement in this area since 2000/01, the period examined by the Scrutiny Review, with performance close to or exceeding the SEN Development Plan targets. During the period April to August 2003 70% of statements were completed within 18 weeks (56% in 2000/01). 90% of assessments (excluding exceptions) were completed in 18 weeks in this period compared with 83% in 2000/01. Annual reviews of all children with Statements are now being held in the summer term of Year 5 to plan transition into secondary schools. All Statements are now amended by February 15 in year 6 to give parents and schools plenty of time to plan. Secondary SENCOs are then invited to the final review in the summer term of Y6.

  6. Further steps to improve transition arrangements for children with SEN without statements are being considered by one of the groups set up as a result of the Member Panel report.

    7. Improve Statement Writing

  7. Since September 2003 the new SEN Team responsible, for the first time, for casework as well as policy development and service management, has begun to improve monitoring of Statements. Each Assistant Education Officer has a weekly supervision session to ensure high and consistent standards of Statements and other aspects of SEN casework. Training in Statement writing has been provided and more is planned.

    8. Funding

  8. As a result of the initial consultations on inclusion there is agreement with schools to explore the further delegation of the Statementing budget. A working group will produce detailed proposals for consultation. An explanation of the current funding scheme and clarification of the requirement on schools to provide the first 5 hours per week of Teaching Assistant (TA) support for children with SEN has been included within the Schools SEN Handbook and published on both the Intranet and the Oxfordshire County Council website.

    9. Diversification from Teaching Assistant Hours and Enhance Therapy Provision

  9. The resources allocated to children with SEN are largely dependent on advice received as part of the statutory assessment. The result continues to be a heavy reliance on TA support. However, training and salaries have been improved and TAs are increasingly skilled and valued members of schools’ SEN teams. If the Statementing budget were to be delegated this would allow schools greater flexibility and creativity in the provision of support for all children with SEN.

  10. Additional speech and language therapy has been purchased through the use of Standards Funds (£60,000) and a pilot exploring the development of school-based therapy has been established.

    11. SEN "Resources Matrix" and the SEN Assessment and Resources Panels

  11. The Executive has already received interim reports on these (on 13 May and 30 September). Further examination and consultation is taking place through the independently chaired Member Panel. A survey of other LEAs has taken place and will form part of a full report to the Executive in December.

    12. Improved Communication

  12. The Parents Advisory Group (PAG) worked with officers to redraft all the standard letters used as part of the statutory assessment process. This has resulted in positive feedback from parents about their clarity and they have been adopted by at least one other LEA. Termly meetings with PAG are now in place and they have now agreed to provide an information/training session for officers and administrators aimed at improving communication between the Directorate and parents.

  13. In the new structure all letters to parents communicating news, which they might find difficult to hear, have been scrutinised by the three responsible SEN Education Officers. All decisions to refuse to carry out statutory assessment or similar major decisions are now being communicated in person and then confirmed in writing.

  14. The annual survey of all parents whose children have been assessed has provided a positive feedback on clarity of communication (as well as a high level of satisfaction with the process and outcome).

    15. Court Cases

  15. It is now policy for all relevant court cases to be reported to the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee and the Executive in an Annual Report.

    16. SEN Development Plan

  16. A revised SEN development Plan has been produced for September 2003 and an Annual Report will be provided to the Scrutiny Committee, scheduled for July 2004.

    17. Children’s Services

  17. At the time of the Scrutiny review, work was under way to ensure closer working between Health, Social Services and Education. The creation of a Children’s Service within the Learning & Culture Directorate was one outcome and has been in place since April 2003. To ensure close working a joint management team involving Health and Social & Health Care managers has been set up. A Best Value Review of Children’s Services across the Learning & Culture and Social & Health Care directorates is scheduled for 2004.

    18. Training

  18. The importance of training has been highlighted to SENCOs and SEN governors through newsletters and in face-to-face meetings. An SEN Governors Forum is being established to improve communication and plan training.

    19. SEN Service in the South of the County

  19. No Education Officer who had previously been involved in delivering the SEN service in the south (or any other part) of the County is any longer involved in that service. It is intended that the clear geographical links between schools and their communities with the SEN team officers and administrators will ensure that effective monitoring of parental satisfaction will be facilitated.

    20. Financial Implications

  20. The Scrutiny Report asked for a response to each of three options for statements:

    • To statement on individual need and demand – this is current practice in Oxfordshire and has resulted in 2.5% of children having statements. This has resulted in increasing pressure on the Statementing budget.

    • To "cap" the number of statements – this would theoretically "cap" expenditure but would be illegal and would, in any case, lead to further increases in costly SEN Tribunals.

    • To delegate funds to schools - further work is being carried out on this option

Impact on the Service

  1. The measures set out in the SEN Scrutiny Review report have largely been incorporated into the strategy derived from the work of the Member Panel on Inclusion and in the organisation of the SEN Team in Children’s Services. These are leading to improvements in the service which are becoming manifest in improved school and parental feedback. That said, the new structure and the work of the various groups have yet to bear fruit completely and there is still much scope for improvement in performance.

    2. RECOMMENDATIONS

  2. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. endorse the actions taken as described in the report and note the progress made to date;

          2. ask the Director for Learning & Culture to report to the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee and the Executive, in July 2004, on progress made towards targets in the SEN Service Plan.

KEITH BARTLEY
Director for Learning & Culture

Background Papers: Nil

Contact Officer: Simon Adams Senior Education Officer (SEN) Tel. 01865 810602

November 2003

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