Agenda item

The report provides the background information and the update is set out from section 5. 

Reena Bhogal Welsh (Director of Education) presented the report that provided the forum with an update on the progress on the DBV in SEND Programme.  The report sets out the historical narrative.  A grant of £1m was awarded to support the programme from the DfE.

The DBV programme is part of a wider programme of work to address the DSG deficit. This Programme includes work set out in the High Needs Block Recovery Plan, which was approved by the School’s Forum in September 2022.

Section 5 of the report provides the update; details of the team(5.1); sets out the Governance structure(5.2).  Section 5.3 Workstream 1 Test and Learn methodology working with small groups of schools to improve relationships between schools and families.  The pilots are to take place between September 2023 and March 2024; the focus to review and codesign the SEND Guidance Reports with staff and parents/carers in 4 participating schools.

Forum asked for information on the selection process, this is detailed in (5.4) of the report; it is expected that up to 20 schools to be involved (15 primary and 5 secondary) based on combined inclusion data.

Workstream 2 progress is reported in (5.5 – 5.7) of the report.

The Forum will be provided with a report on the outcome of the consultation in November 2023;  details of the delivery partners will be provided on request, via Claudette Campbell, Schools Forum Clerk.  All were encouraged to feed into the consultation process.

The following was noted from the decision that arose:

Chair thanked RBW for the report; for providing the update on The Programme and details of the progress made to date; and invited Forum members to comment.

a.       How should we measure value for money?  How to ascertain whether the outturn meets this threshold? How do you account for the competing voices in Bristol and how is the line drawn? What does success look like?

b.       RBW:  Success is the production of an option appraisal; that those options can be shared with all Bristol stakeholders; that the option shows how to utilise funding at the right time and right place; a sustainable model that addresses needs and that is financially viable.

c.       Unable to forecast the outcome and state how many options will be presented but support the concerns that the outturn must not be onerous and must be a finite workable number.

d.       The Director of Finance confirmed her involvement and supported the provision of a strong governance framework; to provide rigor to deliver on the ambition; consultants are a useful tool, but they must be targeted in their approach and pressed to produce define outcomes. 

e.       Forum members were concerned that ‘success’ may involve pain to several settings and the option adopted would be detrimental to some.

f.        Unfortunately, no guarantees could be given but officers provided assurance that children with high needs will continue to be supported to have better life experiences.

g.       Chair commented that there will always be challenges and it was hard to ask for guarantees from the LA and Officers.

h.       Forum members were invited all to work together and to collaborate on the proposal. The Programme is not intended to put schools in a difficult position but to support the aspiration to put funding where it is needed.  Forum members were invited to provide early indication, to flag immediately if they are aware of unintending consequence, so that it can be included in the conversation.

i.         Forum members were Invite to feed back any comments to the Clerk Claudette Campbell.

j.         Clarification was given on the schemes noted in the report that were established before the programme, to work on alternative mitigations.  These schemes run in parallel with Workstreams 1 and 2.

k.       Action: A report to explain the original schemes; these schemes form part of the review process in the main programme.

Resolved to note the report.