Agenda item

Report by Director of Education and Skills.

The purpose of this agenda item is for the Committee to scrutinise the County Council’s approach to inclusion.   

The Committee is invited to explore what is working well, how objectives are being met and identify areas for improvement or focus.  Key areas for Committee discussion include:

·       The performance of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2019-2024 against its action plan;

·       The proposed plans for Alternative Provision for Children and Young People in West Sussex; 

·       Schools approach exclusion and how the voice of the child is heard. 

The meeting will take a 40 minute break.

52.1     The Committee considered a report by the Director of Education and Skills setting out the County Council’s approach to inclusion.

52.2     The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, Cllr Nigel Jupp, introduced the item reminding the Committee that the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion Strategy 2019-24 was now 18 months into its five-year term, and asked the Committee to look at how implementation was proceeding.

52.3     The Director of Education and Skills introduced the report which highlighted the key focus of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2019-24 and the aim to identify children’s needs early and to focus on pathways to overcome issues of transition.  The Director thanked all schools and officers who had been able to pursue the longer-term priorities of the Strategy despite the pandemic.  The Chairman and Committee Members endorsed these thanks.

52.4     The Director reported that there had been a national increase in the number of children being identified as needing support and that those children had increasingly complex needs.  The number of children being supported had also risen due to the extension of support of young people with Special Educational Needs Statements from 19 years to 25 years.  However, the Government had not provided any additional funding to cover those added years.

52.5     The Committee heard that officers had worked with schools to produce the guidance they wanted and would find helpful.  The approach focussed on improving mainstream processes and ensuring the right specialist support was in place.

52.6     The Committee heard from Mrs Val Evans, Chief Executive of the West Sussex Parent/Carer Forum, who highlighted the following:

·       Welcomed that the Forum had been involved from the beginning in the Co-production of the Strategy.

·       The Strategy was both robust and wide-reaching, and good progress was being made, particularly where teams were child centred. 

·       There could be wider marketing, for example in the launch of the Local Offer website and the co-production and promotion of the Easy Read version of the Strategy. 

·       There could also be more focus on providing tools and information to young people and families, especially on promoting the message and evidence around the importance of inclusion and how this is the best for most children with SEND.  

52.7     The Committee heard from Mr Mark Wignall, headteacher of Downlands Secondary School and a member of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy Board.  Mr Wignall highlighted the following:

·       Good Progress had been made on the Strategy 2019-24, especially in the context of the current pandemic. 

·       It was now time to focus on the impact and outcomes of the Strategy implementation on SEND learners and ensure there was focus on areas where less progress had been made. 

·       Highlighted the importance of Special Support Centres (SSCs) and asked if the current plans for those due to open in 2023 could be accelerated.

·       That the dashboard targets should be ambitious and benchmarked with national and regional statistics.

52.8     Members of the Committee then asked questions and a summary of those questions and answers follows:

·       An Educational Need and Health Care Assessment (EHCNA) is an agreement to assess which leads to an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).  Children can be on EHCPs for short or long periods of time or can go in and out of a plan as their circumstances change.

·       There is a standard process for decisions on EHCPs and a quality assurance process to review decision making accuracy.  Inconsistency of information provided can sometimes affect the decision process.  Work is progressing to ensure SENCOs are part of the Panel to gain further knowledge and understanding of the process. 

·       Concern was raised on how teachers, and in particular supply teachers, are trained in SEND matters.  It was agreed this should be a whole school approach and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) in each school should ensure every teacher and member of staff is capable of supporting SEND in their school.  Additionally, the County Council works with Chichester and Sussex Universities on this area with students and newly qualified teachers.

·       The Committee recognised the importance of identifying children’s needs early so that the right support can be put in place.  The Director of Education and Skills confirmed that Early Years’ service would be moving into his directorate from April 2021, which would further help to work more closely with Early Years to improve earlier identification and outcomes.

·       Children without an EHCP can receive support through mental health teams, work with colleges, etc. 

·       A standard framework for Alternative Provision was being developed.  A Service Level Agreements was also being developed with the Alternative Provision College to enhance their offer. 

·       Exclusions are a last resort.  Schools work through many different options with pupils to establish the cause of problems before such decisions are taken.  There is a comprehensive programme of training for Governors on the exclusion process run by the County Council. County Council Officers attend Governors Disciplinary Committees and Independent Review Panels in LA maintained schools and if invited by Academy or Free Schools or the parents of children in these schools. Parents are supported through the process by County Council officers. 

·       Best practice for dealing with behavioural support is shared at Area and Inclusion Boards in West Sussex.  Sometimes school to school support is commissioned.

·       The Therapeutic Thinking programme had been in place during the pandemic and the workshops were open to most schools.  Work continued to embed the programme so it can help communities.

1.08 pm Cllr Bridges left the meeting.

52.9     Resolved – That the Committee:

1.   Thanks officers and schools for the progress they have made on the implementation of the SEND and Inclusion strategy 2019-24, recognising the delivery of outcomes should be considered in the context of the impact of Covid-19.  The Committee welcomes the co-creation of the Strategy and is assured that those children who do not have a SEND diagnosis but are at risk of exclusion are not precluded.

2.   Notes the importance of measuring outcomes and the impact of the SEND and Inclusion strategy on children and young people and requests that the progress update on the Strategy due in the Autumn is shared with the Committee to seek assurance that outcomes are being delivered and identify any potential areas for scrutiny. 

3.   Is glad to hear of the ongoing work to focus on professional development in teacher training and training for all school staff and governors to bring a more consistent level of awareness of SEND and inclusion across all schools in West Sussex. 

4.   Recognises the importance of identifying the issues of SEND in children and early as possible and supports the move of Early Years to Education and Skills so that this can be strengthened.

5.   Agrees on the importance of a consistent framework for the assessment and outcomes of Education Health and Care Plans.  The Committee supports the development of SENCO representation on EHCP assessment panels and that work continues with schools to identify and address inconsistencies.

6.   Welcomes the ongoing work to share best practice on SEND and Inclusion and support for children at risk of exclusion.  The Committee suggests a framework for schools could be developed to ensure best practice is shared and a consistent pathway for children at risk of exclusion is provided across West Sussex schools.

7.   Recommends that the department works directly with schools with higher than average rate of exclusions and/or managed moves to identify what support is needed to keep more children learning within the school

8.   Highlights the importance of developing the Special Support Centres and new special schools at pace, and requests that these are prioritised in the Capital Programme to ensure there is the provision of improved learning opportunities and experiences for SEND learners and to reduce the pressure on the High Needs Block.  The Committee further suggests the exploration of provision of SSCs or similar units for children without SEND diagnosis.

9.   Recommends that the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills continues to lobby government on the review of the High Needs Block to reflect the extension of the SEND up to the age of 25.

1.37 pm Cllr Wickremaratchi and Mr Cristin left the meeting.