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Agenda item
SEND Area Inspection - Director of Education & Skills
Minutes:
a. Alison Hurley, Director of Education & Skills addressed the board on the outcome of the SEND inspection. The service was not permitted to share the outcome during the election period but had published the findings on the 20th December a few days before the deemed published date of the 23rd December. This was to ensure that the principle of transparency continued in that the report would not be overshadowed by Christmas.
b. The findings did identify areas of strength but overall noted five areas of significant weakness in Bristol’s practices. The service must deliver to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) a Written Statement of Action before the 27th March 2020.
c. The findings report reflected the self-assessment investigation undertaken by the service and provided to the Inspector. The observation from this was that it enabled all parties involved in the inspection to come to the table, with less tension, creating an atmosphere that allowed participants to be open and transparent during the assessment process.
d. The required action plan must be co-produced, to ensure it is fit for purpose as it forms a binding agreement, with actions that must be delivered over an 18 month period to address the weaknesses in Bristol’s practices. Included in the action plan are the necessary checks and balances incorporating; 3 monthly reviews; monthly data monitoring; leading to the review, of the promised outcome from the action plan, sometime during October/ November 2021.
e. The following was noted from the discussion.
f. Members asked what fundamental changes were necessary to ensure improvement over the 18 month time period? What funding was available to support the Written Statement of Action?
g. The service intended to increase the size of assessment team, with additional 23 team members; to ensure that teams have the right resources to deliver service provision; work towards ensuring that families have a voice in the process, to element the ‘done to’ feeling that currently exists amongst families involved in the service; to ensure that Bristol, with its particular requirements are properly reflected in the way the service provision is delivered; £1.3 million had been allocated to support the written statement of actions; the service is also working on a project known as ‘test & learn’ that will assess what is needed going forward, that brings with it an additional funding stream.
h. The question was then posed on whether SEND should be a priority for the Board. Members considered SEND of such importance, that it should be a standing item on the agenda, as it was integral to all areas of learning. The Director Education & Skills addressed the Board on this question;
i. The action plan was dependent on the delivery of a complex package of support that must be delivered jointly with local Health Partners; SEND currently sits and is reported on at the SEND partnership group and to the Children Improvement Board to name two; it was proposed that the board will receive quarterly review reports and in this way avoid duplicate reporting.
j. Resolved:
i. That the Director of Education & Skills is to provide a quarterly report to the Board.