Agenda item

To receive and consider a report containing an update on the SEND Innovation and Improvement Programme.

The Committee consider a report, set out at Agenda pages 29 to 35, which provided an overview of progress relating to the delivery of the SEND Innovation and Improvement Programme (SEND IIP).

Sarah Clarke – Chair of SEND Voices Wokingham, introduced the report alongside WBC officers. Sarah confirmed that SEND Voices Wokingham was the parent carer forum representing the voices of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

The report reminded Members that the SEND IIP had been established to deliver the SEND Strategy 0-25 (2021-24). The aspiration of the SEND Strategy was to ensure that the Borough was a great place for children and young people with SEND to grow up. There were already a number of good services in place alongside a range of private and publicly funded resources and an active and engaged parent carer forum. This was supported by a number of outstanding independent, voluntary, community and charity sector organisations. The SEND IIP was co-produced by WBC and this range of key stakeholders.

The SEND IIP meets every three months to review progress made by its four working groups which met monthly to drive improvements to services and support for children with SEND.

In the ensuing discussions, Members raised the following points:

What were the key messages being presented to the Committee? It was confirmed that the four working groups were working hard to deliver improvements on the ground. The four working groups focussed on:

·           Strengthening local provision and quality of practice – better outcomes from appropriate, sustainable local provision;

·           Efficient and effective processes, e.g. timeliness and quality of Educational, Health and Care Plans;

·           Effective transitions at all ages, key stages and between different types of provision;

·           Impact, intelligence and sufficiency – predicting need, strategic commissioning, performance management and effective use of resources.

Matthew Booth, SEN Consultant, stated that SEND impacted on every part of the Council. Members and officers needed to maintain a focus on continuous improvement. Positive change had been delivered but there was still room for improvement in order to achieve effective transitions for children and young people of all ages.

In 2021 there were a number of issues relating to transport – how had services improved in 2022? It was confirmed that there had been a significant focus on transport during the year, e.g. through improved letters to parents, improved processes and greater consistency of drivers and escorts. Although there had been overall improvement, work was ongoing to focus on outstanding issues in order to deliver a consistent high quality service for families.

What was the composition of the SEND IIP Board and how were the members selected? It was confirmed that the Board contained representatives from the education sector, health partners, SEND Voices, the voluntary and community sector, Children’s Services officers and the Executive Member for Children’s Services. A list of Board members would be circulated to the Committee.

One of the working groups was focussing on improving Education, Health and Care Plans. Were there any issues relating to academies? It was confirmed that the approach was the same for pupils at maintained schools and academies.

Was the Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) involved in developing the SEND IIP? It was confirmed that SENDIASS was more involved in providing impartial guidance and support to parents and children up to the age of 25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The experience and feedback from SENDIASS had been embedded into the improvement programme. It was suggested that SENDIASS be invited to a future meeting of the Committee.

One of the key challenges facing WBC related to matching SEND provision to growing levels of demand within the Borough. How was this challenge being addressed? It was confirmed that the majority of out-of-Borough expenditure related to special schools and residential places for children. Officers were continuing to explore options for the delivery of two new special schools within the Borough.

How was data being used to demonstrate progress relating to transitions? It was confirmed that various data sets were being used to build a picture of the experiences of children and young people as they transitioned at every stage. Data was also being collected on the experiences of young people and families through a range of activities. These included the outcomes of annual reviews, employment and training data. SEND Voices supported this work and had carried out a local survey which generated 440 responses from a cross section of the community. The new Ofsted inspection regime required that the views of children and young people be an integral part of the process, so this work would be of great benefit moving forwards.

Helen Watson confirmed that an update report on SEND and the Safety Valve Programme would be submitted to the Executive at its September meeting.

RESOLVED That:

1)     progress relating to the delivery of the SEND Innovation and Improvement Programme (SEND IIP) be noted and welcomed;

2)     the positive role played by SEND Voices Wokingham in driving progress be recognised;

3)     the Chair and Vice-Chair be authorised to work with officers to develop recommendations from the Committee on the SEND IIP, for submission to the Council’s Executive;

4)     the recommendations to the Executive include a focus on accountability for all SEND services, including shared services;

5)     the Committee’s comments emphasise the view that SEND improvement and innovation is the shared responsibility of all Members and officers at WBC – part of everyone’s business;

6)     a list of SEND IIP Board members be circulated to the Committee;

7)     a representative from SENDIASS be invited to attend a future meeting of the Committee.