Agenda item

Report of Cabinet Member for Education (and SEND)

The Committee considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Education (and SEND) regarding the outcome of the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED) re-visit inspection in January 2022 and the progress which had been made since towards implementation of an Accelerated Progress Plan (schedule 1 to the signed minutes).

The Inspection had taken place between 18 and 20 January 2022 with the purpose of determining whether sufficient progress had been made in addressing the areas of significant weakness as detailed in the Written Statement of Action. The subsequent Re-visit Inspection Report, published in March 2022, identified that significant progress had been made in addressing six out of the eight original weaknesses within the following areas still requiring improvement ie:-

·       ‘Co-production, particularly with parents’;

·       ‘Quality of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans’.

In response, the local area established a task and finish group comprising representatives from The Parent and Carer Forum, The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS), schools, local Clinical Commissioning Groups together with officers from the Social Care and Education Authorities in order to develop an Accelerated Progress Plan (APP).

The APP set out:-

·       The governance and accountability structures and processes that would support the next phase of improvement;

·       The actions the local area was now taking to respond to their outstanding concerns;

·       The impact measures and milestones to which the local area was working including the improvements expected to be delivered in the next 3, 6 and 12 months.

The Department for Education (DFE) and NHS England Advisers conducted a six-month review of progress against the APP in September 2022 and concluded:-

·       ‘The inspectors were particularly grateful for the contributions from parent carer forum (PCF) and school representative;

·       It was clear that the local area is beginning to make sustainable improvements to SEND services and to the lives of children and young people;

·       The evidence provided alongside the feedback from partners demonstrated the range of actions in place to accelerate improvement.

·       Parent representatives confirmed that they are building good foundations within the SEND Strategic Partnership. It was noted that the PCF is embedded in the work being undertaken in the APP along with other SEND developments including, contributing to the SEND newsletter’.

In addition, they were encouraged that:-

·       ‘The Strategic Partnership continues to show commitment and engagement in the SEND improvement programme.

·       SCC have good systems in place to oversee the improvement programme;

·       The programme management is focused on the need to capture evidence of impact, in addition, to completion of actions;

·       The eight district hubs have provided an opportunity to strengthen the strategic partnership between the LA, health and schools;

·       Work on the Voice Project included the Voluntary Youth Service (VYS), the PCF and SENDIASS;

·       Staffordshire County Council undertake quarterly surveys to inform panel practice and use the analysis of that along with analysis of complaints and tribunals to inform improvements;

·       Staffordshire County Council have introduced tight monitoring of annual review amendments and made changes to the district model to improve SEND key worker capacity’.

In the full and wide-ranging discussion which ensued, Members gave detailed scrutiny to the findings of the six month review, asking questions, seeking clarification and raising areas of concern as necessary including:- (i) the importance of resolving on-going issues surrounding the timely production of acceptable EHC Plans; (ii) the staffing structures required to enable further progress to be made towards addressing the two outstanding areas of weakness as identified in the January 2022 inspection and; (iii) clarification of the processes undertaken prior to receipt of statutory requests for EHC Plans with a view to their speedier production.

In conclusion Members were encouraged that significant progress had been made as highlighted in the six-monthly review report. They were especially mindful of the Authority’s responsibilities and aspirations for all children and looked forward to further improvements being made during the period until the twelve-month review in April 2023.

RESOLVED – (a) That the report be received and noted.

(b) That the outcome of the Department for Education and NHS England’s six-month review of progress against Staffordshire’s SEND Accelerated Progress Plan be welcomed.

(c) That their commitment to assisting with the achievement of the various actions set out in the Accelerated Progress Plan, by the Authority be re-affirmed.