Agenda item

(a)  Noted the progress made as set out in the body of the report.

(b)  Agreed that from the next municipal year, an annual update report will be provided to Cabinet on the SEND improvements, with the Lead Member receiving more regular updates on progress.

The Lead Member for Education and Children’s Services introduced a report that updated the Cabinet on the actions taken to address the priorities identified by Ofsted and the CQC in their inspection report from 2021 as well as the key information from the December monitoring report for the Safety Valve Agreement / High Needs Deficit Recovery Plan.  The report sought to ensure that Cabinet members are fully informed about the Council’s special educational needs (SEND) improvement journey and was able to offer appropriate support and challenge.

The Cabinet was informed that there was clear evidence of increased pace in completing the individual actions since the new Improvement Action Plan was agreed in June 2023.  The backlog of Educational Psychology assessments had been cleared and the backlog of Education, Health and Care Plans was beginning to reduce slowly.  It was recognised that the improvements were from a low base and there was significant further progress needed to reach a good level of service.  Some of the challenges to service improvement included maintaining a stable team of case officers and it was noted that five officers had recent given notice, although managers were confident on the basis of the recruitment process underway that new officers would be joining who could take the organisation to the next stage of its SEND improvement journey.

Lead Members welcomed the updated and thanked the Executive Director for Children’s Services and staff for the work they had done to contribute to the turnaround of the service.  It was proposed and agreed that an annual update be provided to Cabinet in the next municipal year, with the Lead Member receiving more regular updates.  This was agreed.

Resolved –

(a)  That the progress made as set out in the body of the report be noted.

(b)  That it be agreed that that from the next municipal year, an annual update report would be provided to Cabinet on the SEND improvements, with the Lead Member receiving more regular updates on progress.