Agenda item

Following a local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in late June 2021, the local authority (LA) and Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) must produce and submit a Written Statement of Action (WSoA) by 7 December.

The WSoA is being co-produced by a partnership process involving families, schools, Health, the Council and other partners.

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

Following a local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in late June 2021, the local authority (LA) and Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) must produce and submit a Written Statement of Action (WSoA) by 7 December 2021.

The WSoA was being co-produced by a partnership process involving families, schools, Health, the Council and other partners.

The Interim Corporate Director advised the Committee that this would be part of the Transformation Programme with a clear governance process which was detailed to the Committee. There was eight focused areas, underneath strands of appreciative inquiry and WSoA.  The Committee was advised that capacity was needed to be able to progress and implement the changes at pace.

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

• The Chair referred to the eight focus areas and in response to a query regarding timescales for implementation, the Committee was advised the WSoA would be scrutinised by Ofsted and the CQC for the next 12-18 months.  The timescales for the Appreciative Inquiry and Transformation Programme was for actions to be embedded and the impact being seen within three years.
• In response to a request, the Committee was advised that the Transformation Programme would be available early next year – ACTION - add to Forward Plan.
• In response to a query regarding whether the Department for Education (DfE) had had sight of the draft WSoA, the Committee was advised that they were being kept updated and BCP was ensuring transparency and co-production were key in the actions however Ofsted would be interested in the delivery and translation of what can be seen.
• The Committee was advised that 60% of Local Authorities have had to produce WSoAs which demonstrated how hard it was to deliver SEND services.
• The Committee was advised that the risk of Department for Education would only happen if there were no improvements within the 12-18 months and that SEND doesn’t have the same intervention protocol as Social Care.

The Chair summarised as follows:

• Eight work streams which were moving at pace
• Timescales for implementation and to see the impact
• Drafts back to scrutiny
• Add Transformation Programme to Forward Plan for early 2022
• DfE feedback to date

With regard to the Recommendation, the Portfolio Holder for Covid Resilience, Schools and Skills advised that she was awaiting advice from the Monitoring Officer, but that it was anticipated that the sign off of the WSoA would be the Interim Corporate Director and the Portfolio Holder Covid Resilience, Schools and Skills.

RECOMMENDED that Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee endorse to Cabinet the partnership approach to radically improving special educational needs and disabilities across the BCP area; and delegate authority to the Portfolio Holder for Covid Resilience, Schools and Skills to sign off the Written Statement of Action on behalf of the Council.