High Needs Block
Martin Wilby read out an update prepared by
Jo-Anne Sanders the meeting on feedback from the SEND Area
Inspection.
- The inspection was led by Ofsted and
the CQC.
- Our outcome was the ‘middle
judgement’ being ‘The local area partnership’s
arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for
children and young people with SEND. The local area
partnership must work jointly to make improvements.’ The
emphasis was on the Partnership and not just the LA
- ‘Inconsistent Outcomes’
is the middle band outcome and it is where most Local Authorities
come.
- The feedback positives were
summarised for the meeting. The feedback was very positive about
many things including our Big Plan and cluster working. We put
children at the heart of what we’re doing and decision
making, we listen to children and young people’s voices and
that means that children and young people shape local developments
that affect them for example, our student’s getting involved
in the design of the rebuilding of their schools.
- We also know there is more to do,
and we are extremely ambitious for every child and family in
Kirklees.
- Areas for focus were summarised for
the meeting including.
-
Preparing for Adulthood (PfA)
-
Waiting times for some Health services (therapeutic services,
Mental Health Services and access to wheelchair services)
-
Education Health and Care Plans
-
Communication.
- We have been preparing a post
inspection plan ‘Big Plan 3’ and have a meeting with
the DfE and NHS England on Monday and subject to sign off will
publish this plan by Friday 17 October 2025.
- The Primary AP Pilot (as discussed
at the last meeting) has been sent out for Expressions of Interest,
and we should be in a position to report back at the next meeting
on next steps.
- We held an AP review of existing
provision (thanks go to Forum members, Helen Pearson, Darren
Christian and Dave Wadsworth for coming to that session), this has
informed next steps regarding what to extend/where there are gaps
etc.
- The need to use independent and
non-maintained Special Schools has increased, as has the cost. We
are working through sufficiency priorities and have agreed to have
a focussed conversation with Regions Group at the DfE about next
steps.
- There is no further feedback on AP
Free School.
- Compliance for EHCPs continues to
‘hold’. Our cumulative in year performance now stands
at 54.4% which is better than last year’s national average
(SEN 2 was 46% and Kirklees last year was 22%).
Q: Is that 54.4% of EHCPs that hit the 20-week
deadline cumulative year to date?
A: Yes. The
challenge will now be to do Annual reviews within timescales.
Q: Do we still have a backlog of EHCP
cases?
A: No, the
backlog has been cleared.
Q: What is the delay with the AP free
school?
A: This is a
question for the DfE.
Q: The LA received the middle judgement, do we know
who has received the top judgement and can we work with them to
gather learning?
A: Wakefield
received the top judgement and we do work with them closely. It was
noted that the next SEND inspection will use the new framework.