Issue - meetings

The Board will receive information on The Big Plan – SEND Strategy Refresh; SEND Governance arrangements, and an update on the Written Statement of Action.

Contact: Jo-anne Sanders, Service Director, Learning and Early Support

Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director, Learning and Early Support, provided an update on Special Education Needs and Disability Programme, thanking the Board for the opportunity to bring an update on children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or those who have additional needs.

The Board was informed that the update would also provide a progress update on context and data, governance arrangements, and to share information and receive views on the refreshed SEND area strategy entitled, ‘The Big Plan’ and then to respond to Board questions. In addition, an update would be provided on the significant progress made towards improving things that were in the Written Statement of Action, where things currently are, and the preparation being made for the next inspection.

In summary, the Board was informed that the Health and Wellbeing Board holds the executive governance for the local area, around children and young people as they progress towards, and prepare for adulthood.

Referring to a set a slides entitled “what difference are we trying to make, and for whom,” the Board was informed that there is a complex improvement agenda, so that children young people and their families are able to achieve and succeed.

This is a complex area with a great deal of activity across the partnership, to enable children to have the best start in life from when they are born, putting all the necessary arrangements in place, to ensure that whatever their start in life, they can achieve their potential. Some children and young people need additional help and support, and it is the role of the partnership to get them that support at the earliest opportunity and support them throughout their childhood and into adulthood.

Wherever possible, the aim is to educate young people within the borough, however this is not always possible because of the specific nature of their needs. When young people can be educated locally, services can be wrapped around them in a coherent way by the partnership. It is important that there is consistency and inclusion and that can then be seen in educational outcomes, post 16 opportunities, in working life and that barriers are removed for young people to enable them to excel.

The Board was provided with the following information in terms of background and context:

-      New responsibilities on health, education and social care through the Children and Family Act 2014, placed a statutory duties on all partners in local areas. Prior to that date, there were statements of special educational needs for young people in education, this moved on to what is now in place with the Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) providing a real impetus for partners to join together

-      At the same time that the new statutory duties came into being, a new inspection regime jointly between Ofsted and CQC began to inspect local arrangements. Kirklees, was possibly one of the last local authorities under the old inspection framework to be inspected, and that inspection took place in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19