Issue - items at meetings - Report on 'Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability - A Consultation by the Department for Education (Green Paper)
Briefing on the South East 7- application to be a Pathfinder for the Green Paper proposal

Report of the Strategic Director, People (copy attached)

17.1    Jo Lyons, Lead Commissioner, Schools, Skills and Learning and Gill Henry, Acting Head of SEN & Specialist Placements introduced the report on the SEN Green Paper and the work of the South East 7 (SE7).

17.2         CYPOSC were taken through the main areas of the Green Paper including it

            proposals regarding:

·     a new approach to identifying SEN

·     a single assessment process and a ‘Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)’

·     a local offer of all services available

·     parents to have the option of  a personal budget by 2014

·     giving parents a real choice of school

·     greater independence to the assessment of children’s needs.

17.3    Members were advised that the SE7 pilot bid had been successful and that the authority would one of the lead authorities. Whilst it was an ambitious programme that had been put forward there was confidence it could be delivered.

            17.4    Members were advised that there were 9 core elements to the pathfinder       programme as outlined in the report, Brighton and Hove has then prioritised      the optional elements in the following way:

1.  Personal Budgets

2.  Banded funding models

3.  Support to parents and carers

4.  Support to vulnerable children

5.  Age range and employment.

17.5    It is the SE7 intention to test all 5 optional areas with one or two LAs leading on each work strand. The Change Board will have to be established urgently to oversee the programme.

17.6    There was general agreement that the work of the PaCC should be used to inform the pilot work going forward and that parents and other stakeholders should be ‘round the table’ as the pilots developed. Members felt the expertise and knowledge of parents should be utilised more by the council.

17.7    There was discussion as to the power of the local authority with regard to statementing and the support offered to children and their carers. Members were advised that the local authority could step in where it was felt the needs of child were not being met. However support offered in schools was felt to be improving.

17.8    The timetable for future work was questioned; it was explained that the SE7 had to move quickly, and a draft strategy should be ready by summer 2012.