SEND Partnership Board Meeting

Tuesday 8th September 2015 – 2.00pm to 3.30pm

Room 4f, Level 4, Civic Centre

Attendees:

Gill Hoar (GH) - Head of School Place Planning & Access, OMBC (Chairperson)
Andrew Robinson (AR) - Director, POINT Forum
Saul Ainsworth (SA) – Head of Service, Assessment, Prevention & Supporting Families, OMBC
Anne Redmond (ARed) – Headteacher, The Kingfisher Community Special School

Sue Callaghan (SC) – Headteacher, Christchurch Primary School Denshaw

Paula Healey (PH) – School and Learning Settings Performance Advisor, Early Years, OMBC

Janet Wray (JW) - Nurse Consultant, Oldham Community Health Services

Jennifer Barker (JB) – Strategy, Partnerships & Policy Manager, OMBC (part)

James Robinson (JR) – Corporate Policy Development Officer, OMBC (part)

Julie Hawkins (JH) - Short Breaks and Transformation Manager, OMBC (part)

Sharon Davies (SD) – SEND Project Co-ordinator, OMBC (minutes)

Minutes

1. Apologies
Caroline Sutton, Director of Education & Early Years, OMBC
Carolyn Brennan, Associate Directorate Manager, Learning Disability Directorate, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
Emma Hart, Oldham Sixth Form College
Ed Francis, Head of Integrated Commissioning, OMBC
Gill Barnard, Commissioning Business Partner, NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group

2. Translation and Interpretation Services Briefing (Jennifer Barker and James Robinson)
Concerns had been raised regarding issues arising with the funding of interpretation and translation services primarily in completing EHC Plans. Tracey Harrison had been tasked with carrying out a scoping exercise to look at the areas affected and potential costs and alternative options. TH worked with the Policy Team to look at the demographics and languages within Oldham.
Jennifer Barker and James Robinson presented this briefing/presentation to the Board. The briefing paper summarizes the current position in relation to translation services and presents potential short and medium term options in respect of future translation and interpretation needs within families whose first language is not English (see attached briefing report and presentation).
The Board discussed the fact that the majority of families and young people will require support and subsequent planning over a long period of time, not just in the short term.
Changes in funding for basic language courses such as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) may also be impacting on Oldham’s ability to provide effective translation services, as funding for the courses has been significantly scaled back. The Policy Team took this into consideration while carrying out the scoping exercise. The option of commissioning a translation provider would present the opportunity to embed a social value clause which could include the provision of ESOL classes.
Although there is no statutory requirement within the Code of Practice to provide interpreter/translation it is recognised by the Board that without this support parents and children would not be fully engaged in the whole EHC process and that we would therefore not be able to confidently fully implement the SEND reforms.
Discussion was held on how our workforce could be reflective of the population within Oldham which gives the option of staff volunteers. However, it was recognised that there needs to be governance of the quality of translation and being culturally familiar with how services operate. It was also recognised that due to ongoing budget issues we need to look how we can support our communities in recruiting bi-lingual staff and retaining those staff members.
Short term options were discussed and the Board asked for more details on costs, likelihood of consistency of translator used, availability/timeframes and range of languages. Long term the Board felt a procurement contract should be looked at.
ACTIONS:
2a) JB and JR to continue to look at a procurement contract as a long term option and feedback to TH.
2b) JB and JR to feedback requested details for short term options to TH.

3. Local Offer Rate & Review Briefing (Julie Hawkins)
Julie Hawkins presented the briefing report to the Board (see attached report).
As part of the SEND Reforms, POINT Forum were asked to lead a workstream to ascertain the viability to introduce a Rate and Review system that will provide feedback on Local Offer providers that could meet the requirements of families but also have a degree of moderation in place that would mitigate the risk to the council of legal challenge and the potential to destabilise providers and risk to businesses.
Following legal consultation in August 2015, the briefing report from JH advises on progress to date, where the moderation of this system would best fit and any further considerations.
JW will discuss with JH the rate and review system within Health.
The Board are asked for agreement on the briefing report’s recommendations:-

· Agreement to seek further legal advice regarding disclaimers outlined in 2.5

· Agreement to scope out costs regarding implementation and additional resource in the Complaints and Representations Team.

ACTIONS:
3a) JH will take forward with Board agreement and feedback on progress to the Board in November 2015.

4. Feedback from previous meeting – action log update (2nd July 2015)
2b) To be added to a future agenda at the request of Barbara Guest
3a) Completed
3b) Meeting arranged for 28.09.15
3c) To be arranged after above meeting
4a) To advise Caroline Sutton of action required
4b) Completed
4c) Completed
4d) Briefing report presented to Board 08.09.15
4e) To confirm with EF
5a) Completed
6a) Values being presented at H&WB Board on 17.09.15
6b) Deferred to October Board agenda
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
Group met on 23.07.15 to look at what needs to be done in the first instance.
ACTIONS:

4a) Update to be given at October Board regarding Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (EF, GH and AR)

5. SEND Reforms Transformation Group – Highlight Report (Gill Hoar)
GH advised that the SEND Reform Programme has been included in the work across Economy and Skills.
GH produced a summary report of the SEND Reforms progress to date which will be used to inform on self-assessment to support the Inspection Framework.

6. Early Years workstream (Paula Healey)
PH advised that the workstream has been set up to discuss and identify current roles and responsibilities and agree future priorities for these functions until delivery of the new 0-4 commission in April 2016.
The first meeting took place on 24th August 2015 and identified three initial key areas:-

· Review of current referral processes

· Review of EHC application process for PVI settings

· Review of additional funding process

The group felt there could be the possibility of using the funding in a different way i.e. funding training or settings employing additional support staff.
Finance will advise on what the budget amount is for DSG/High Needs as well as the separate equipment amount. Equipment audit will be carried out to ascertain what is already available.

7. Review into Assessment of Pupils with Lower Attainment (Gill Hoar)
DfE publication distributed to the Board members. GH highlighted the comment by Schools Minister Nick Gibb:
“Parents of pupils of all abilities have the right to know how their children are progressing at school. My concern is that too many pupils have bene at risk of falling into a gap created by a lack of comprehensive assessment for pupils with lower levels of attainment”.

GH asked that the review be added to the Board agenda after the final report is published in December 2015 for further discussion.
ACTIONS:-
7a) Review report to be added to January 2016 agenda.

8. SEND Reforms Sustainability
Deferred until October meeting.

9. A.O.B
None

Next meeting: Thursday 1st October 2015, 10.30am to 12.00pm

Room 4F, Level 4, Oldham Civic Centre