91 High Needs Review PDF 83 KB
Minutes:
The Board considered a
report of the Strategic Director, People, which provided a summary of the High
Needs Strategic Planning Review.
The Board was advised
that the 2014 Children and Families Act introduced some of the most far
reaching and significant changes to the way the needs of children with Special
Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) were identified,
assessed and addressed.
It was reported that
over the same period of time, local authorities had experienced a rise in
demand for SEND services, whilst the system of funding had changed. Support had
been extended to children and young people aged 0 to 25 years. In Halton, High
Needs Budget costs were outstripping available funding and therefore the
current system was unsustainable.
Halton had commissioned
an independent review of SEND by Peopletoo in 2018;
the first phase of the work was complete, with three key findings, as set out
in the report. Members noted that to address these key findings, five high
level recommendations had been made, and it was proposed that the next steps
would be to share this with all partners across the Borough, including those in
health, schools and colleges, Parents, Carers and all Officers involved in SEND
provision.
It was further noted
that a second piece of work to set out the actions needed to implement the main
recommendations would be required; it was proposed that Peopletoo
be commissioned to undertake the implementation phase of the review.
RESOLVED:
That Executive Board
1)
agree the five
recommendations identified by the Review; and
2)
agree to commission Peopletoo to undertake the
implementation phase of the review.