Agenda item

Julie Day to report.

Recommendations:-  That the update be received and the contents noted.

Nathan Heath was not yet able to share the outcome of the recent SEN Inspection.  The outcome had been expected by the end of August, but as yet had not been received. 

Once the report had been published this would be cascaded to Forum Members via the Clerk and this would in turn be considered by the High Needs Sub-Group at its next meeting.

Julie Day detailed how the Authority was visited by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), during July to judge the effectiveness of the area in implementing the disability and special educational needs reforms as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice.  The outcome letter was still awaited.

Julie also provided an update on the SEN Inspection process by way of a presentation which covered:-

Main Expectations  

The local area health, social and education services need to work together to:-

·             publish a ‘local offer’ setting out the support and provision in the area for children and young adults with special educational needs or disabilities (or both);

·             provide accessible information to children and young people, as well as parents and carers, about the services and support available in the local area;

·             work with children and young people, their parents and carers, and service providers to make sure that any special needs or disabilities (or both) are identified as early as possible.

The local area health, social and education services need to work together to:-

·             assess (in co-operation with children and young people and their parents and carers) the needs of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (or both) who may need an education, health and social care plan (EHCP);

·             produce an EHCP for all children and young people who are assessed as needing one (all relevant agencies should cooperate to do this and involve the children and young people and their parents and carers);

·             provide children and young people with the support agreed in their EHCP, and regularly review their plans.

Over the course of the 5-days the inspectors:-

•        met with managers and leaders from the area’s education, health and social care services;

•        looked at young people’s case files to better understand how well the local area meets its responsibilities overall;

•        visited early years settings, schools, further education providers and specialist services;

•        spent time speaking to children, young people and their parents or carers.  Many of the meetings and discussions took place virtually;

•        looked for evidence of how children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (or both) are identified, how their needs are assessed and met, and how they are supported to move on to their next stage of education, the world of work and wider preparation for adulthood;

•        There was also an opportunity for parents and carers to express their views through a survey. 

Send Performance Dashboard – Graphical Data.

Graduated Response

·             SEND online resource

·             SENCO virtual network event:  dates   3.11.21, 2.03.22, 8.06.22

·             Local Offer and school information reports

·             Provision mapping – commissioning

·             NASEN and Whole School SEND 

·             Accessibility Planning

·             Outreach

Agreed:-  (1)  That the presentation update be received and the contents noted.

(2)  That a copy of the presentation be circulated to the Forum Membership after the meeting.