Agenda item

The Written Statement of Action Programme of Improvement Work has been underway for ten months and as required by Department for Education and NHS England has been concentrating on improving eight areas of significant weakness. The Department for Education and NHS England have a regular monitoring session with BCP Council and NHS Dorset to ensure progress is being made against the eight key areas.

The Director of Education & Skills and Head of SEND presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The Written Statement of Action Programme of Improvement Work had been underway for ten months and as required by Department for Education and NHS England had been concentrating on improving eight areas of significant weakness. The Department for Education and NHS England had a regular monitoring session with BCP Council and NHS Dorset to ensure progress was being made against the eight key areas.

The Committee discussed the report and comments were made, including:

• The Chair enquired about joint working between agencies and the Committee was advised that improvements take time to embed and of the journey to change culture of the system wide approach.  Reference was given to the coproduced seven values which were embedded in every aspect of work in the whole system approach
• In response to a query about the coproduction wok to date, the Chair enquired whether this could be shared with the Committee. ACTION
• The Committee was advised of the Annual SEND Survey which was circulated from colleagues from health and education as well as Children’s Services which helped to drive the improvement.  It was noted that there had been approximately 170 responses received to date.  The challenge was to get the feedback from the young people affected.  There was a request that the MYPs shared the survey as much as possible with the Headteachers and SENCOs to increase the response and how this could be done was discussed.  ACTION
• A Participation Worker advised that targeted groups would be beneficial to help engagement with the young people and would support the SEND Participation Worker to progress this.
• In response to a concern regarding the rise in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), the Committee was advised there had been a rise nationally and the reasons for that were highlighted including a backlog from Covid and an increase in parental request
• The Committee were advised that there were Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) being developed and requested sight of them once developed. ACTION – present to next Committee.
• A Committee Member congratulated the team on the work that had been undertaken and the Committee was advised about the work done to keep track on the improvements and acknowledged the time that parents and carers were giving to the improvement journey
• In response to a query regarding the cultural issues referenced in the initial inspection letter, the Committee was advised if referred to the lack of communication and oversight.  The Director of Education advised she could send the inspection letter to the Committee which provided further details. ACTION
• In response to a query regarding pre exclusion panels, the Committee was advised that they were now referred to as an Education Entitlement Meeting and the remit of them was detailed, it was noted that they had led to none of the pupils being considered being permanently excluded.

The Chair summarised the discussion as follows:

• Increase in EHCPs and the reasons for that
• Partnership working issues and resolutions
• SEND survey and how to increase engagement
• Draft KPIs
• Keeping track of progress of the improvement journey
• Cultural issues
• Education Entitlement Meetings

RESOLVED that

(a)     the current progress against the eight areas of significant weakness, as detailed in the attached Monitoring Report, be approved;

(b)     the live risks that the SEND Services across BCP Council were under in trying to deliver these improvements, be noted.