Issue - meetings

Councillor Lionel Grundy Cabinet member for Children’s Services presented the report and outlined the responsibilities of the Young People’s Support Service. The service was inspected by Ofsted and placed in special measures and the report presented details of the Department for Education’s proposal to invite Wiltshire to take part in a trial of ‘Alternative Provision’ for secondary school pupils excluded from, or at risk of, exclusion from school.

It was noted that an update report would be brought back to Cabinet in six month’s time.

Resolved:

a)    that Wiltshire accepts the invitation from the Department for Education to join the Alternative Provision trial and, for a three year period, delegate the responsibility for making educational provision for permanently excluded young people to secondary schools, with devolved funding.

b)   that a request is made to the Secretary of State to close the existing Young People’s Support Service from 31 August 2012.

c)    that Secondary schools are supported in using the devolved funding either individually or in groups to provide high quality alternative provision. The Local Authority provides robust quality assurance of the provision.

Reason for decision

This proposal will support better outcomes for the young people who are permanently excluded.