Minutes:
Chelsea Barnes, Principal Educational Psychologist gave a verbal update on the SEND banding matrix which added detail to the DSG Management Plan item in relation to some short term actions. The banding matrix that was introduced in 2019. The LA’s key duty is to make sure that all children with an education, health and care plan have their provision appropriately funded, but also needs to ensure that the banding mechanism used fits within the financial envelope.
The robustness of the process at the SEND panel, where decisions around assessing, issuing plans and banding are made, has been looked at. Some impact on the overall cost of the banding system from that has already been seen through a comparison of the three month period from 2020 compared to the same period in 2021.
The new banding matrix was introduced incrementally, with young people whose plans still had a banding from the old system due to be updated at the next phase transfer point. A lot of young people with EHCPs in the old system typically had a banding of either £6k or £9 as the most common banding levels achieved. The new banding system doesn't have an equivalent banding level to these; there are eleven levels from £2k to £40k but no specific levels set at £6k or £9k. This has created an inflationary pressure as when the banding for young people going through phase transfer is considered, they are often going up to the nearest level above the old banding eg from £6k to the next available level at £7.5k, or from £9k to £10k.
For this year's phase transfer the intention is to still re-band under the new matrix where the annual review or the amended plan shows a change in need, necessitating a change in provision and therefore resource attached. However, for young people where their need and provision is being met through the level of the old banding, they will be kept at that level of funding until the whole matrix system has been fully audited and proposals brought forward.
The Chair thanked Chelsea Barnes for her update. There were no questions or comments.