Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services.

Recommendation:

That Cabinet approve the response to the recommendations, as detailed in Appendix 1, and note the report.

Consideration was given to the report which set out Cabinet’s response to the findings and recommendations of the Improving Lives Scrutiny Review on Preparation for Adulthood for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND.)

Preparation for adulthood (also known as transition) was the process by which young people who needed support or care, moved from services provided exclusively for children, to services provided for those over the age of 18, aiming to ensure a seamless transition. The Local Government Association described successful preparation for adulthood as “A successful transition from children’s and young people’s services to adult care services, needs the young person, their families, and professionals to work together with the young person at the centre of discussions. Legislation gives local authorities a legal responsibility to co-operate, and to ensure that all the correct people work together to get the transition right for a young person.”

Preparation for Adulthood had been an on-going area of interest for the Improving Lives Select Commission (ILSC) over recent years, following the SEND inspection in 2021. In discussions with the Improving Lives Select Commission, the Rotherham Parent Carers’ Forum highlighted that a greater focus was required to identify what was in place, to support successful preparation to adulthood for children and young people in Rotherham with SEND and consider whether there were any gaps in the available provision.

The review itself took place over a single afternoon, with many partners present to provide a range of perspectives and information. This work enabled the sub-group to establish an understanding of the services that were being delivered in Rotherham to support preparation for adulthood. The review group consisted of Councillor Lyndsay Pitchley (Chair), Councillor Wendy Cooksey (Vice-Chair), Councillor Tony Griffin, Councillor Maggi Clark and Councillor Taiba Yasseen. The recommendations from the sub-group were presented to Cabinet on 14 October 2024 and Cabinet agreed to provide a response.

All of the recommendations had been accepted by Cabinet and Appendix 1 to the report set out further detail on how the recommendations had been or would be actioned.

During the meeting, Members and Officers stated how important this work had been and that they remained committed to delivering the outstanding recommendations.

Resolved:

That Cabinet approve the response to the recommendations, as detailed in Appendix 1, and note the report.