Issue - meetings

A Written Statement of Action is in place to respond to the Local Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Inspection that took place in June 2021. An improvement programme to deliver this is in train and reports to the SEND Improvement Board. The SEND Inspection identified eight areas of significant weakness which need to be addressed. This resulted in a set of actions being put into the Written State of Action to address the weaknesses. 

Improvement activity is underway, and progress is being made in several areas, however in the key area of statutory performance the service performance has decreased, and this data places BCP Council as the 5^th lowest performing authority in the country, in terms of adhering to the statutory 20-week timescale for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Plans.

This business case puts forward the reason for the poor performance and the actions being taken to mitigate this. It also includes a proposal for urgent investment in the SEND Service on a short-term basis to manage the backlog so that the service can meet its statutory duties going forward. The concerns about this performance and the action plan have been raised at the SEND Improvement Board as have the capacity issues to manage the backlog and the increased demands. 

RESOLVED that Cabinet approved £784k one-off investment in the Children’s Services SEND Service to manage the backlog funded from a specific Earmarked Reserve.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Children and Young People

(Councillor Vikki Slade declared an interest in this item and refrained from voting thereon)

Reason

Failure to act will result in children and young people continuing to not receive the support they are entitled to and risks further escalation by the DfE. 

The Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'E' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that a Written Statement of Action is in place to respond to the Local Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Inspection that took place in June 2021, and that in relation to this an improvement programme to deliver this is in train and reports to the SEND Improvement Board. 

Further to this Cabinet was advised that the SEND Inspection identified eight areas of significant weakness which need to be addressed which had resulted in a set of actions being put into the Written State of Action to address the weaknesses. 

Cabinet was informed that improvement activity is underway, and progress is being made in several areas, however in the key area of statutory performance the service performance has decreased, and this data places BCP Council as the 5^th lowest performing authority in the country, in terms of adhering to the statutory 20-week timescale for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Plans.

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that this business case puts forward the reason for the poor performance and the actions being taken to mitigate this, and that it also includes a proposal for urgent investment in the SEND Service on a short-term basis to manage the backlog so that the service can meet its statutory duties going forward.

Cabinet was advised that the concerns about this performance and the action plan have been raised at the SEND Improvement Board as have the capacity issues to manage the backlog and the increased demands. 

Members spoke in support of the recommendations, stressing the importance of robust governance and of the importance of this one-off investment.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approved £784k one-off investment in the Children’s Services SEND Service to manage the backlog funded from a specific Earmarked Reserve.

Voting: Nem.Con (1 abstention)

Portfolio Holder: Children and Young People

(Councillor Vikki Slade declared an interest in this item and refrained from voting thereon)

Reason

Failure to act will result in children and young people continuing to not receive the support they are entitled to and risks further escalation by the DfE. 

Councillor Vikki Slade declared an interest in this item and refrained from participating in the vote.