Issue - meetings

6. Update on HNB & SEND Innovation & Improvement Programme

 

 

Meeting: 14/07/2021 - Schools Forum (Item 60)

60 Update on HNB & SEND Innovation & Improvement Programme pdf icon PDF 344 KB

To receive and consider the Update on HNB and SEND Innovation and Improvement Programme report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Update on HNB and SEND Innovation and Improvement Programme (IIP) was presented by Matthew Booth, IIP Strategic Lead and Daniel Robinson, IIP Operational Lead.

 

Some of the points made during the presentation are listed below:

 

·           The report contained details of strategies being implemented to alleviate the pressure on the NHB;

·           The HNB deficit was approximately £2.5 million, this did not includ previous cumulative historical pressures;

·           With respect to the National Funding Formula , Wokingham did not benefit from local deprivation factors;

·           The government increased the funding for HNB in recent years by 23%.  However, the demand for services had increased by around 60% in the same period;

·           There were approximately 1,400 children with EHCP in the borough, this represented a 60% increase since 2017/18;

·           There was a high conversion rate from children being assessed for EHCP and receiving one.  A significant amount of work was undertaken to ascertain the appropriateness of the high number of EHCPs being issued and it was found that if anything, some younger children were arriving in Year 7 without EHCPs that should already have one;

·           The number of EHCPs for Wokingham was lower than its statistical neighbours in the South East;

·           Improvements in early intervention were likely to further increase the number of EHCPs;

·           The aim of the IIP was to deliver the SEND Strategy by:

1)    Strengthening local provision and quality of local practice

2)    Improving the efficiency of processes (including timeliness and quality of EHCPs and the Annual Review process)

3)    Ensuring effective Transitions at all ages and stages

4)    Strengthening sufficiency of local provision, more effective strategic commissioning and Value for Money, and greater impact on outcomes

5)    All of the above enabled through effective and meaningful coproduction

·           The lack of local provision was the main cause of the pressure on the HNB.  There was a compelling business case to invest in local provision in order to alleviate the pressure on HNB and prepare for future increase in demand;

·           Providing local provision would also alleviate pressure in other budgets such as home to school transport;

·           The new special school was going to provide more local provision and was set to open in 2022;

·           Work to implement the SEND Strategy was being undertaken in partnership with all stakeholders;

·           Wokingham was allocated £1.26 million from the DfE High Needs Provision Capital Allocation for 2021/22.  Detailed plans were currently being drawn up for the use of this funding;

·           The management of the HNB deficit was under constant review, with a focus on value for money and delivery of local provision.

 

During the discussion of the item the following comments were made:

 

·           Emma Clark expressed concerned about a child who was still waiting to be allocated to a special school for the new academic year in September.  She suggested that budget meetings should be held in a more timely manner, in line with term holidays.  Officers did not believe that this was a budgeting issue and agreed to discuss this specific case outside of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60