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Subject:
Date of Meeting: |
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy 2021-2026 Update Report
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Report of: |
Deb Austin Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning |
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Contact Officer: |
Name: |
Georgina Clarke-Green |
Tel: 01273 292257 |
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Ward(s) affected: |
Email: |
Georgina.ClarkeGreen@brighton-hove.gov.uk All |
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FOR GENERAL RELEASE
1. PURPOSE OF REPORT AND POLICY CONTEXT
1.1 The report provides an update on progress made towards the SEND Strategy.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS
2.1 To note the progress made under the six workstreams.
3. CONTEXT/BACKGROUND INFORMATION
3.1 The City’s SEND strategy 2021-2026 is delivering a City-wide agreed vision
for the commissioning and delivery of SEND services, providing a framework against which provision can be measured and improved.
3.2 The SEND Strategy has six priority workstreams. They are co-led by representatives from Multi-Agency Education, Health and Care, Parent and Carers Council (PaCC) and Amaze. Within these workstreams work has been carried out to prioritise key actions to progress in the first year.
3.3 Workstreams are meeting every 6-8 weeks to review and update on progress. Workstream Leads are also meeting as an overall SEN Strategy group to identify any cross-workstream opportunities and review the associated risks/barriers to delivery. Each workstream is also presenting updates to SEN Partnership Board which gives assurance that the strategy is being held to account by the Board in ensuring progress can be measured and reported on.
4. WORKSTREAM PROGRESS REPORT
4.1 Inclusion Workstream:
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· SEND Review Tool has been developed and launched in Schools and the profile is being raised through School Action Planning meetings. (Action Reference: Inclusion 2)
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RAG Rating |
Green |
· Partnership Group Meetings are being organised to discuss ways of ensuring equal access to universal learning and leisure. (Action Reference: Inclusion 5)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· The Hidden Children Missing Education Action Plan is underway and close to completion, with guidance on part-time timetables also being developed. This work is being led by the Hidden Children Officer (Action Reference: Inclusion 7)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· BHISS and the new HSEND Commissioning Team are focusing on whole School training and developing a mentoring programme for children and young people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds with SEND. Senior Officers have met with a representative from the community and current providers to scope out the programme. The programme will include support, activities, events, and opportunities. (Action Reference: Inclusion 14)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· Findings so far have shown that the gaps communicating with BAME children and young people with SEND are not around translating written correspondence, but more around appropriate use of interpreters to feed back diagnoses, and this is also EMAS’s experience of the gap. The strategy action is specifically about translating written documents, so will need further unravelling as to what is wanted/needed by a diverse range of parents. EMAS are joining the Workstream, to ensure that there is opportunity to raise the profile of their work and to work with the Group to identify and fill any gaps (Action Reference: Inclusion 16)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· Brighton & Hove Inclusion Support Service (BHISS) & PaCC have developed a training plan for school staff on creating more child led and relationship led support for children with SEND. Parents/carers are being surveyed to identify where improvements to the offer can be made. (Action Reference: Inclusion 19)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
4.2 Early Identification and Intervention (EIAI) Workstream:
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RAG Rating |
Green |
· Government guidance on delayed entry to school is expected shortly and any implications will be reviewed (Action Reference: EIAI 2)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· Pan Sussex Review of Emotional Mental Health and Wellbeing services is focusing on a Single Point of Access (SPOA) and understanding of the Thrive model across the City. Multi-disciplinary SPoA workshops are held monthly and led by CCG. Two options for BHCC are being discussed with wider partners and a consultant working pan Sussex is providing recommendations on these options that complement the NDC pathway and pan Sussex. Thrive workshops have been offered across the stakeholder partners and are currently running. We have a new CCG commissioner for mental health which will support workstream understanding of progress on this item. (Action Reference: EIAI 4)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· The Working group is continuing with their development of an accessible SEND guide for families. This guide will enable better understanding of the tools used by schools to identify and support additional needs. (Action Reference: EIAI 6)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· SEN Governor training took place in October, which focused on mental health and behaviour policies in Schools and how these interact with SEND. Guidance on suspension and permanent exclusion now incorporates guidance around SEND and CiC (Action Reference EIAI 8)
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RAG Rating |
Green |
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
4.3 SEND Pathways Workstream:
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· The Neurodevelopmental pathway project, led by Health, has been prioritised by all stakeholders and work is ongoing to review pathways, look at action plans and plan timescales. Work is underway with the Brighton & Hove NDP Family Training and Navigation Service to set up the service with internal and external review and test resources. The soft launch of the navigating element of the service is scheduled before Christmas, with the training element due in Spring. (Action Reference: Pathways 5)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· Short Break and Respite Policy is priority for the new HSEND Commissioning Team, with service analysis and review taking place with all internal and external stakeholders. The expected review will conclude at the end of 2022. (Action Reference: Pathways 10)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· A new Quality Assurance (QA) Framework looking at the quality of Education, Health and Care planning has been produced and agreed by the Corporate Performance Team. A digital QA tool has been developed, and a co-produced parent/carer questionnaire will be digitised and accessible through Amaze. Amaze will also be commissioned to carry out parent/carer feedback to help inform improvements to service delivery. (Action Reference: Pathways 13)
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RAG Rating |
Green |
4.4 Achievement and Outcomes (AO) Workstream:
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RAG Rating |
Green |
· Work is ongoing within other Workstreams towards expanding the City-wide vocational and alternative qualifications offer in Secondary schools for those with SEN. The SEN Young People Network are aligning schemes of work to support the SEN Strategy and City Employment and Skills Recovery Plan and are currently exploring opportunities with the Youth Employment Hub and SENCOS to identify a pathway from schools to colleges and beyond. (Action Reference: A4)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· The Neurodevelopmental pathway project, led by Health, has been prioritised by all stakeholders and work is ongoing to review pathways, look at action plans and plan timescales. Work is underway with the Brighton & Hove NDP Family Training and Navigation Service to set up the service with internal and external review and test resources. The soft launch of the navigating element of the service is scheduled before Christmas, with the training element due in Spring. (Action Reference: A9)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· The workstream is working to reduce school exclusions in line with the development of a Hidden Children Action Plan (Action Reference: AO7) and raising the profile of the
Ethnic Minority Achievement Service and the support it can provide to SEND EAL families.
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RAG Rating |
Green |
· John McKee (Chair of Secondary School Partnership) has been developing outputs around exclusion for the School Behaviour and Attendance Partnerships (BAP). Although this work is not primarily aimed at SEND and those with SEND from a BAME background there are plans to review this work to see how it can be adapted. A new Anti-Racist Advisor has been appointed and this is also within their remit to progress. (Action Reference: A10)
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RAG Rating |
Green |
· A working group is being set up to review assessment methodology for children and young people with SEND (Action Reference: A14)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
4.5 Preparing for the Future (TPF) Workstream:
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· Discussions are ongoing to address the Year 9 Review being part of the QA Framework, to ensure that there is a bridge between the worlds of education and employment (Action Reference: TPF 2)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· Work is progressing on the preparing for adulthood part of the Local Offer website, with visits and meetings having taken place with Team Dominica, Amazing Futures, and the Cullum Centre. Covid caused delays to this work. However, a further to Downsview Link College will happen the new year (Action Reference: TPF 3)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· The supported internship model GB MET piloted was not sustainable (as it is an expensive model to offer). Converting employer interest to actual opportunities has also been difficult to sustain. Team Dominica (TD) have been successful in supporting 10 young people who had been furloughed back into work. This is important as people with learning disabilities could have been at risk of losing their jobs without support. TD were not resourced/funded to do this, however, were able to achieve it through external fund raising (due to their Charity status). There are plans in place to review the scope of the supported internship offer for 2022. (Action Reference TPF 6)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· The Brokering Commissioning Team are in place, and progress is being made on putting a re-commissioning process into place which has the voice of the child embedded into the process (Action Reference: TPF 13)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
· A review of current Post-16 opportunities for children and young people with SEND across the City has identified that this objective needs to refocus on signposting the opportunities available to the Secondary cohort, including work experience options, annual reviews in year 9 and gaps in provision. This is being discussed and progressed in SEN Young People Network meetings which are held regularly. (Action Reference: TPF 22)
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Amber |
4.6 Sufficiency for SEN Services and Provision Workstream:
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RAG Rating |
Green |
· A meeting with finance has occurred where a scoping out of the costs for the additional investment has taken place. We are hopeful that the additional DfE High Needs Block funding in financial year 22/23 will be able to support these developments
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RAG Rating |
Green |
· We are working with partners, the CCG, SPFT, SCFT and Amaze to share data to improve our services. (SSPW 6)
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RAG Rating |
Amber |
5. RISK AND OPPORTUNITY IMPLICATIONS TO DELIVERY
5.1 Children and young people with SEND are particularly vulnerable to the sweeping changes that have accompanied the Covid 19 pandemic, and this has translated into a sharp increase in workloads for SENCOs and School Leaders as Schools adapt to the needs that have been experienced as a result. Centrally, guidance and support during Covid 19 has been prioritised, which has minimised strategic resource to deliver in other change projects and programmes.
5.2 Workstreams are aware of these resource issues, and these are being monitored closely during workstream, SEN Strategy and SEN Partnership Board meetings. Programme management support is also helping to identify any slippages and provide up-to-date information on overarching progress, diverting resource to assist in those areas that may need more support in their deliverable outcomes.
5.3 There are lots of examples of where “business as usual” activities are ongoing and being developed within Schools and other networks. Work on the SEND Strategy have highlighted that there are lots of initiatives and programmes in place – this information is being evaluated along with ways to raise the level of this work and make it more strategic as well as looking at the impact, to be able to offer further resource and collect information on best practice and successful interventions.
5.4 Workstream Project Management of the SEND Strategy is a new process. During this approach it has been identified that there are cross-over issues spanning several Workstreams. It has been recognised that communication of progress in these areas is key to enable each of the Workstreams to carry out their commitment to achievement. Cross-workstream updates are being developed to ensure that this is addressed.
6. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CONSULTATION
6.1 A key principle of the advancement of the strategy is incorporating the voice of children, young people and adults with SEND. The SEND Strategy was developed through a co-production process, and PaCC and Amaze representatives are also an important and significant part of every Workstream. They are also providing valuable feedback via Workshops, Focus Groups and Surveys as well as other activities.
6.2 Focused pieces of work are also taking place with the BAME Community, to ensure that their voice is heard and reflected throughout the development.
7. FINANCIAL AND OTHER IMPLICATIONS
7.1 Financial Implications
Future strategies and priorities will need to be considered in conjunction with available budget. In terms of council finance, the scope of the services included crosses both Council General Fund and Dedicated Schools Grant budgets. As part of the Dedicated Schools Grant settlement for 2022/2023 the Government has announced an additional sum of £780m nationally for high needs. For Brighton and Hove, this equates to an increase in the High Needs Block (HNB) allocation of c. £2.3m. This additional resource will give the LA some capacity to develop strategies in line with agreed priority areas. However, there are existing significant and growing pressures that also need to be addressed within this funding settlement.
The government has also recently announced additional future £2.6bn capital funding to create 30,000 new school places for children with SEND
Finance Officer Consulted: Steve Williams Date: 23/11/2021
7.2 Legal Implications
The Council has statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014to provide for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The SEND Strategy sets out an approach which supports the achievement of positive outcomes for young people with SEND, within the framework of the legislative duty to ensure efficient use of public resources
Lawyer Consulted: Serena Kynaston Date: 23/11/2021
7.3 Equalities Implications
The ability of residents with disabilities to access services and make progress has
been a key consideration in the development of his new strategy. Improving
outcomes for all in the City with SEND is a key priority for all partners and will be
monitored as part of this work.
Many protected characteristics feature heavily in the strategy, we continue to work
closely with our partners and parent groups to ensure that we reflect the diversity in
the City.
The Equalities Impact is continuing to be monitored as the strategy is implemented
by the SEND Partnership Board. Actions identified from this will be incorporated into
the priority action plans, where appropriate. This will ensure that those actions will
be part of the regular monitoring of progress and scrutiny of data.
7.4 Sustainable Implications
An agreed SEND Strategy within the City allows for more informed commissioning in this area, supporting best value for public resources.
7.5 Public Health Implications
The new SEND Strategy continues to be monitored to ensure that it is aligned with the City’s existing Health & Wellbeing Strategy.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Appendices:
1. SEND Strategy prioritised actions for Year 1 document.
2. Glossary of Terms
3. RAG Rating Key