SEND Work Group minutes – 15.11.16
Minutes of the SEND Work Group meeting held on
Tuesday, 15 November 2016 in CR3, Sans Souci
Present:Antoinette Fisher (Chair) Governor, Dorridge Primary
Jane Davenport (Vice Chair) Reynalds Cross
Louise Minter Streetsbrook Infant & EY Academy
Julie McCarthy Coppice Juniors
Julie Carter Burman Infants
Marie Murphy St Peters RC
Janet Marsh Sharmans Cross
Debbie Brindley Cranmore Infants
Steve Barrett Langley Secondary
Andrew Wilkins Governor, Hazel Oak
Diane Newton Governor, Yew Tree Primary
David Lewis TU Representative
Geoff Onyett SEND, SMBC
Lesley Wright Interim Head of SEND
Steve Fenton Business & Performance, SMBC
Ian Murray Financial Operations & Planning, SMBC
In Attendance
Derek Sheldon Forum Chairman (Observer)
Charlotte Vale Governor, Reynalds Cross
Diane Fellowes Solihull AP Academy
Peter Roadknight-Scott
Alison McWilliam, Senior Forum Administrator
Item / Action
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5
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8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 / Apologies for Absence
Apologies were received from Janet Marsh, Jackie Denton, Lynda Mackay, Nick Halligan, Hazel Clarke, Paula Thompson and Liz Tomkins.
Minutes of Previous Meeting (29.9.16)
The minutes were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
Matters’ Arising (29.9.16)
Post-16 Information for Families – At a recent Parents’ Forum meeting, parents raised concern at the ‘black hole’ of access to post-16 provision information. Previously the Careers Service offered advice, however this now lies with schools. Information is available, but parents do not always know where to look and there are long delays between making a choice and confirmation of placement. For a number of reasons, some parents are unable to access the websites and youngsters in EHE may also miss relevant advice. There can be particularly lengthy delays for seriously disabled youngsters who require input from Social Care.
LW is working with the Statutory Assessment team, Adult Social Care and special schools to review the post-school options and PR-S is tightening up the process.
PR-S has written to parents signposting them to websites and schools’ careers officers, requesting responses by 15 December and a clear picture is expected by 31 January, with offers made to families by March. In some cases, places will depend on exam results and discussions are taking place with colleges about back-up courses. In addition, a specialist careers adviser will be recruited through the Youth Employment initiative to ensure youngsters are involved in post-16 activities.
It would be useful to instigate transition events for college offerings, (as per secondary provision for Years 4/5), as many mainstream colleges can offer places to SEND students.
The key transition review should take place in the autumn term, using the Transition Support Plan; support can be identified from Year 9 onwards.
It was agreed to retain this item on the Forward Plan.
Strategy for Solihull’s Specialist Provision - The wider Strategy needs to be integrated with Education, Health and Social Care to unify the whole and ensure integrated working. It was agreed to retain this item on the Forward Plan.
Post-16 Report – Lesley Wright, Peter Roadknight-Scott
Reference ‘2016/17 Post-School HNB Funded Placements’ report, copy attached to minutes.
PR-S talked through the figures and the following observations were made:
- EHCPs have encouraged more FE requests with associated increase in budget costs. Colleges request top-up funding. This can be significantly more than the special school cost.
- Solihull College has some funded (by the EFA) places that are currently unfilled. This may be because the college is considered too large and too ‘free’ for HN students, there are historical concerns around health and safety of vulnerable students etc. So there are empty funded local places, whilst Solihull pays for higher cost placements elsewhere. Link courses with mainstream colleges would help transition, whilst providing a step towards the wider world. There is more work to do with local mainstream colleges.
- When a college exceeds its quota, late requests for additional places entail the LA paying the Element 2 funding. This equates to around £7k per place and is on top of the top-up cost. Solihull is currently paying around £70k ‘element 2 funding’ for around 10 places, however this will cease when the process starts earlier.
- Some specialist colleges expect Social Care to fund part of the package. However, Social Care funding has to cover 24/7 care and not just the care element of the placement.
- Specialist colleges have to be able to offer really good outcomes to warrant the placement and associated costs.
- When Birmingham deals with QAC, their Post-16 Co-ordinator goes in to say what they will pay for and PR-S is aiming to mirror that practice.
- The retention level is pretty good once youngsters are in college. However, annual tracking will show gaps where youngsters have dropped out.
- College assessments currently determine the level of support and cost for each placement. The LA needs to determine this – not the college.
- Raising the participation age, and the EHCP entitlement, means the post-school cohort is increasing which will impact on the LA budget.
- As a proportion, statements in mainstream secondary are at or below the top-up funding threshold, SF asked about the process to discontinue them as the current paperwork seems to provide parents with an extensive choice even if their child has only 1 unit. This is done through the Transfer Review Process which provides the options as a legal requirement. There is a need to discuss with schools whether they are managing needs without additional funding so that parents do not feel anxious about discontinuing an EHCP.
- Some of this work has already started and improvements should be seen this year.
It was agreed to retain this as a standing agenda item.
Sign-off Terms of Reference 2016/17
Reference Draft 4 Terms of Reference.
Draft 4 was substantially different to Draft 3, but brought wording into line with DfE’s requirements of Forum.
DS was concerned at the substantial changes and following some discussion, DL agreed to draft an additional sentence relating to ‘strategy’ for inclusion under ‘Role & Tasks’ and it was agreed that this version would then be taken to Executive on 23 November.
High Needs Monitoring Statement – Ian Murray
Reference Draft 2 ‘2016-17 Non-delegated High Needs Block Out-turn’, copy attached to minutes.
IM raised the following items:
- There is a £50k underspend against LACES due to a staff vacancy.
- There is an optimistic underspend of £400k against top-up funding for Post-16.
- The Travel Training budget increased to £150k, but is now predicting a £43k saving.
- £228k in-year revenue (running) costs have been allocated for the ARCs (Alderbrook, Dickens Heath and Yew Tree), this does not include capital costs.
- The HNB is showing a £496k underspend. This is deliberate and planned for ARC funding and, in three years time the Free School.
With regard to traveller children, the £50k funding was expected to link to work associated with the permanent site at Damson Parkway. However, at present there are no families on the site and short-term plan is therefore to continue to use the £50k funding as previously, organised through Loraine Lord. JMc has applied for funding for three children and will take this up with LL. AF would like to add this to the January agenda for an update.
Solihull AP Academy Update – Diane Fellowes
DF provided the following update:
- The bid went through in September 2015 and the school has now found a site on Cranmore Industrial Estate, (The Quadrangle, Cranmore Avenue, B90 4LE) for which ‘change of use’ is currently awaited. Once this goes through, work will start on physically making the building fit for purpose.
- Planning permission has been delayed due to transport issues around postcodes of pupils and teachers in terms of routes to the school and Michele Sadler is working on this. A number of options are being considered, including hiring 2 mini buses to pick up the most vulnerable on a route and some youngsters will be taxi’d. There will be a reward system for timeliness, attendance etc. SF will speak to DF about specialist transport and travel training.
- The building is much bigger than expected, with outside space for a multi-purpose sports pitch at the back and an internal quadrangle area.
- The recruitment process will be staggered, with the advert for Principal running until 21 November and 10-15 applicants received to date. It is hoped the start date will be Easter or September. This will be followed by Deputy Head, Curriculum Leader, English, Maths, Science staff and coaches. One school’s Head of Sixth Form has been seconded to cover some of the policy writing workload.
- Eleven of Solihull’s 14 secondary schools have committed to be part of the Free School, each giving at least an hour a week and with heads/principals as trustees.
- An Operational Group meets once or twice a term to discuss areas such as curriculum offer, pathways, etc. The bid was based on high quality education, aiming for Progress 8, but there at will also be opportunities for Year 10 and 11 students to attend vocational courses at college.
- The Academy will take a holistic view to developing the child as a whole, addressing emotional trauma to enable students to move forward.
- Dual registration is an issue; the Academy wants them on their roll, not on the roll of the home school, so that students see the placement as permanent. There will be an opportunity to move students to other AP provisions in Birmingham or Solihull if necessary and at end of Year 11 students will go back to Post-16.
- DF has developed links with 16 other APs, so there are other options if Solihull is unable to meet need.
- Heads are already looking at their cohorts and admissions will be through a Fair Access Protocol Panel; there will be no direct application form to the Academy.
- Capacity has increased from 90 to 110 mainly due to need and to the availability of space.
- The EFA has agreed in principle that the spare space will not be let. This could in future be allocated to a KS3 turnaround model for a few weeks intensive course before re-integration to mainstream in a bid to avoid exclusions at Years 10 and 11 or a specialist or sensory unit. There is a lot of potential to develop the remaining site in support of AP provision.
- DF will make a full presentation at the 7 December Forum meeting, with site photos, timelines, the curriculum plan, etc.
Questions:
Q What will DF’s role be going forward?
A DF is in discussion with the schools involved about where they feel her skills sit, she may apply for the Principal post and there are a number of other roles, but she will remain involved in one or other roles.
Q What will the Panel base their decisions on?
A Students are likely to have been through a raft of strategies and had 2 managed moves. Each of the 11 schools will be able to refer; the remaining 3 can pay £7k for a place. The FAP is working on its Terms of Reference. Summerfield will continue to take permanently excluded pupils.
Q Will this include pupils with EHCPs?
A Access will be based on the needs of the child, with or without EHCPs.
Q Year 9-11 children go out-of-borough at huge cost, will this provision reduce these placements?
A The process is likely to evolve. This is not a special school, but one or two cases may be suitable for AP, with access through the usual process.
Many governors are unaware of what AP is available in the Borough. A mapping paper produced some months ago requires updating and will go back to SSSAB SEND in January for further circulation.
Early Years National Funding Formula – Steve Fenton
Reference ‘Early Education NFF’ report to Forum dated 17 October.
On 17 October Forum agreed:
- That the deprivation element would continue at the current level
- That no supplement would be implemented
- That a Contingency fund of £100k would be held
- That funding would be phased in, with PVIs receiving the maximum increase in Year 1 and schools receiving their increase over 2 years.
- That an Inclusion fund of £250k would be allocated
Item 5.13 and Appendix 2/item 4 of the report refers to how the Inclusion fund should be deployed with the aim of improving support
Previously the LA did nothing for the inclusion of young children with HN in nursery and PVI settings. Last year a £30k fund was set up from the HNB for children with the greatest need and already known to SISS (from birth data from Health). Over two terms, this rose to £45k. This year some HNB headroom has increased the fund to £90k. Additional support cannot be based on a lengthy process due to the amount of time children are in EY.
We now need to consider support for the next level of need. The £250k can be used for any combination of:
- Support for settings
- Support for individual pupils
- Additionality to our current pupil support services
A draft document has been produced, laying out what all settings would be expected to do. This needs to be circulated to all relevant groups – SSSAB SEND, SEND WG, SENCOs, PVIs etc. for consideration before launching post-Christmas. The funding will be available from 1 April 2017, however the system may not be fully operational until September 2017.