Agenda item

Helean Hughes (Director – Education & Skills) and Cate Mullen (Head of Inclusion & SEND) will give an update on the work of the High Needs Block Recovery Group.  Attached are the findings from the f40 SEND survey that was carried out in the autumn 2020 and the f40’s submission to the Government review on SEND from January 2020.

Cate Mullen (Head of Inclusion & SEND) gave an overview on the work of the HNB Recovery Group.  There were a number of initiatives as part of the recovery work and with Covid and staffing changes this had meant that some deadlines had had to be amended and with the delays that would in turn mean that some of savings would also be delayed.

Dyslexia friendly schools – This initiative was on track although the shape of the work had changed as schools were closed to many pupils through the last year.  The main priority was to support schools to meet the needs of their children with dyslexia so that they were able to receive their education in their own schools and not have to go to independent providers.

Inclusion and school effectiveness project – Covid had meant that engagement for much of the work had been paused.  The Ordinarily Available provision (OAP) work was starting to gain momentum.

Enhanced Learning Provision and Resource Bases – an update would be provided later at this meeting. 

SEND Assessment and EHCP – The work in relation to EHCNA panel process and pathway had commenced in February 2021 as staffing resource for 2 days per week had been allocated which had enabled this to take off.

Independent Special School Review – Lisa Fryer had been reviewing the learners placed in Independent Special School provision, why they were placed in those settings and to consider it they were value for money.  Lisa was working to identify cost savings to be made and where young people could be brought back into Wiltshire provision at their key points of transition.

Post 16 Transition – Resource was being identified for this work to ensure that the right Officers were in place to work with the SEND, Education Teams, Adult Services and partners to ensure smooth transitions were in place.  FACT funding was in place to enable the employment of SEND lead workers.

SEND Alternative Provision Project – This was positive and now on track.  The new approved provider list was well used by schools already.

Early intervention project – HELM had been in place since September 2020 with meetings across the Wiltshire Council area.  Health, early years and other relevant agencies those who have identified that intervention was required to help with transitions at school.  Positive feedback following a HELM review was received.

A secondary school governor representative asked if the RAG ratings of the projects related to quality of progression and if the anticipated savings were being achieved.  Cate Mullen suggested that the High Needs Recovery Block plan be circulated with the minutes of the meeting which would give more detailed information on the savings and when they were on course to be delivered. – Admin note – At the time of publishing these draft minutes the refreshed High Needs Block plan was not available to be released and would be shared with Schools Forum members as soon as it was available.

Cate Mullen (Head of Inclusion & SEND) gave an update on the Resource Base/Enhanced Learning Provision Strategy highlighting the following:

·         Wiltshire has 16 RBs and they are designated as either communication and interaction or complex needs bases and there is one RB for those with hearing impairments and one for physical impairments;

·         All non-selective secondary schools have an ELP (27 schools) and learners required an EHCP in order to access a place at a RB or ELP;

·         How RBs and ELPs are funded based on 2021/22 values;

·         The links to the priorities in the SEND and Inclusion Strategy;

·         Strand 1 of the work would be unpicking what the provision is intended to do/be, how it is costed and configured and the need it is fulfilling on behalf of the LA. They would also be revisiting and reviewing the Service Level Agreements for RBs and ELPs.  Matt Sambrook was leading on that work and it was hoped to have an outcome by the beginning of the next academic year;

·         Strand 2 – would be looking at the operational and pedagogical elements including the quality of the curriculum offer and the quality assurance associated with the work of the RBs and ELPs.  A small working group had been set up  to work through this, they had met once, and more meetings were planned with the aim to have the plan in place by June 2021; and

·         Strand 3 – This was work on an operational level to see how those working in ELPs meet the needs of the learners we are asking them to support.  A plan was developed from February half term to arrange support and consultation for ELP practitioners via monthly virtual meetings to build up an enhanced support model and a community of practice between them. enable helps feel supported with their practice.

Marie Taylor (Head of Finance – Children and Education) gave an update on the f40 submission to the Government review on SEND as follows:

·         F40 believes that the current SEND system is broken and needs major change and investment in order to meet growing demand and assist the most vulnerable children in our country, many of whom have very complex, challenging needs that require a variety of additional support;

·         The suggested steps to be taken are

-       Increase SEND budget by £2.4bn between now and 2023 and fund current deficits

-       Provide clarity and guidance on how notional SEND funding is spent by schools

-       Reduce demand for EHC plans

-       Place greater emphasis on early intervention

-       Introduce expected levels of SEND support in Mainstream schools

-       Strengthen and amend the Code of Practice and Tribunal system

-       Ensure every teacher receives training in SEND and managing challenging behaviour.

A Councillor representative asked if a reduced demand for EHCP’s and early intervention was linked with hopefully early intervention taking place so that an EHCP was not needed.  Marie Taylor responded that some early intervention work has proved this but that it was difficult to fund early intervention projects from an already overspending HNB which is why the local authority has chosen to fund recovery programmes via FACT funding to help ease this pressure on the high needs block.

·         F40 had issued questionnaire responses in January 2021 and received responses from 77 out of 140 local authorities.  69 out of those 77 local authorities are forecasting a deficit for 2020/21 and most have a rising deficit year on year;

·         Wiltshire is statistical neighbours with 11 other authorities and in the lower deficit range of 49 LA’s only 2 of this are Wiltshire’s statistical neighbours; - there could be some learning from these as they have improved their deficits; and

·         Out of the 28 LA’s that are in the higher deficit range, 9 (from a total of 11) of those are Wiltshire’s statistical neighbours with 4 in a better position and 4 in a worse position.  There could be learning from those in a better position.

Resolved:

1.         That Schools Forum note the following updates

i)        High Needs Block Recovery Working Group

ii)       Resources Bases and Enhanced Learning Provision

iii)     F40’s submission to the Government review on SEND

2.            That the financial savings highlighted within the High Needs Block Recovery plan be shared with Schools Forum within the minutes of the meeting.  See admin note above in relation to this.