Schools Forum / Item No: 6
Specialist Teacher Advisor Service Team review
Report of the Director of Corporate Resources – Corporate Services and Director of Children’s Services
Contact:Janet Hoff. 01962 847091 /
1Summary
1.1This report outlines the work of the Specialist Teacher Advisory (STA) Service, proposals for making savings on the respective DSG High needs budget and the potential risks and impact of the proposed reductions.
2Background
2.1The purpose of the STA Service is to promote optimum educational opportunity, learning and development for children with significant sensory impairments with an emphasis on early intervention and inclusive practice. The service works in partnership with educational settings, children and young people, families and other agencies with a focus on good outcomes and independence.
2.2The service has been in place for many years and, during this time, whilst there have been minor changes, there has never been an overall review of the whole service. Therefore, whilst the driver for this review is financial, it is timely to undertake a review to ensure it reflects the current context and is fit for purpose.
2.3The service contributes to ensuring the statutory duties for the Local Authority (LA) are met, in particular those relating to the SEN Code of Practice 2014 (COP). Many of the requirements within the COP regarding the education of children with special educational needs lie with the education provider although the LA has a key role to play within this and, in particular, in providing specialist advice and guidance for these children to ensure the needs of this specific cohort of children are met.
2.4The nature of the work provided by the STA service differs slightly from team to team but in general includes the provision of specialist advice and guidance to schools, colleges, early years’ settings and parents in relation to:
Individual Education Plans
Use of specialist equipment and aids
Provision of one to one child level support
Attendance at annual reviews and Team around the Child meetings
Training
Report writing
Acting as expert witnesses at SEN tribunals (SEND, SALT only)
Signposting to other agencies
Representing the service at meetings
2.5There are currently five distinct teams operating within the service which cover the areas of hearing impairment (HI), Visual impairment (VI), Speech, language and communication needs (CAL Team) - mainstream only, SEND speech and language therapists (SEND SALT) - special schools only and physical disabilities (PD).
2.6As at February 2018 there were a total of 56.66 ftemembers of staff with 10 – 15 staff in each team. Additionally there were 5.9 fte admin officers. The service is currently covered by three office bases, Basingstoke, Havant and Winchester, although the majority of staff work from home or within the locality rather than from the office base. Therefore the office bases are primarily administrative hubs. Staff are allocated cases according to their home address in order to manage the travel costs of the service.
2.7In February 2018 approval was given by CSDMT to move forward with a proposed management and administrative restructure (phase 1) and a review of the STA Service in order to develop a revised and re shaped service that delivers savings on the DSG High Needs budget which is currently under significant pressure whilst continuing to deliver positive outcomes for children and young people.
2.8The target date for implementing the changes and realising budget savings is April 2019 although savings and changes for phase one will be realised in September 2018. It is anticipated that savings would be made in each phase with the greatest saving achieved within phase two. Estimated savings are outlined in appendix 3.
3Outline of the proposed changes
Phase 1
3.1It is proposed that administrative functions for the service are centralised and delivered from the current Winchester office and that the number of admin posts is reduced from 5.9 fte to 3 fte. This may result in admin staff currently based in the Havant and Basingstoke offices having to move office bases with associated travel assistance if they meet the relevant criteria.
3.2The anticipated saving for this area of work once fully implemented with the revised structure is £85,000 (full year effect)
3.3There are currently a high number of management roles across Hampshire and the IOW with six professional leads (three of whom also take an office management role) and 6 fte (8 headcount) Assistant Team Leaders (ATLs) who undertake some line and performance management in addition to their caseload work. These management roles account for over 20% of the overall workforce and it is proposed that the proportion of management roles is reduced, as outlined below, whilst retaining sufficient management for the number of staff within the service.
3.4The SEND SALT Team was introduced in 2009 following recommendations made by the then Leader of the County Council Ken Thornber. Additional funding was also made available for this purpose. This team, whilst included within the overall STA Service, has its own management structure and has been managed independently from the Communication and Language (CAL) Team although both teams focus on this area of children’s development and both teams have qualified speech and language therapists within them. The CAL team work only in mainstream schools whilst the SEND SALT team work only in special schools. It is therefore proposed that the two teams are integrated into one with a single manager resulting in a reduction of 0.54 fte.
3.5Therefore in addition to the management reduction outlined at 3.5, it is proposed that there is a further reduction in the team management structure and that a single post of ‘Sensory Team Manager’ is introduced to lead the VI and HI teams rather than the two current posts. This would be supported by two ATLs (one for HI and one for VI) to allow sufficient capacity for line management as well as professional leadership of the respective teams and would result in a further reduction of one FTE post.
3.6This management restructure (as outlined above) would result in a reduction of 1.54 fte management posts with a saving of £105,000 (full year effect) for Hampshire. Please see proposed model at appendix 2.
3.7Currently the 8 (6 fte) Assistant Team Leaders (ATLs) in Hampshire undertake some line and performance management in addition to their caseload work. It is proposed that in phase 1, ATLs would be reduced as part of the overall management restructure with a reduction from six to three FTE. Each ATL would require skills and qualifications for the professional team within which they are placed.
3.8Current ATLs who are unsuccessful in securing one of the posts within the new structure would remain within the service due to their case-holding responsibilities, but would no longer retain management responsibilities or associated leadership allowances bringing them in line with the new management structure. There is 3 years pay protection for the removal of TLR allowances under teacher’s pay & conditions and, the further work to be undertaken in phase 2 would involve reviewing the roles of the STAs to identify any additional responsibilities that attract TLR payments.
3.9 Implementation of phase 1 would be completed by September 2018 (see timetable at appendix 4).
3.10It is anticipated that the overall estimated saving in phase one would be £190,000 full year effect (part year effect for 2018/19 would be £111,000).
4Phase 2
4.1Phase two would focus on re shaping the service offer. Given the complexities and variation across the service, as well as the anticipated concerns that are likely to be raised from key stakeholders including schools and parents, it is proposed that a period of consultation is undertaken so that there is confidence in the new model which would reduce potential risks such as an increase in requests for EHCPs. There is a firm commitment to engaging schools in the process of re modelling to ensure the needs of children and young people within schools have their needs met and are able to access their educational entitlement.
4.2In re shaping the new service offer, consideration would be given to:
- Limiting the services to specific groups of children who are most in need of support. This could, for example, be only providing services directly to those children who have EHCPs which equates to approximately 53% of the current caseload (excluding CAL Team) or only those in mainstream schools given that special schools by their very nature would be expected to have increased skills and a workforce experienced in working with children with complex needs. In reality, it is likely that, whilst the balance between EHCP and non EHCP may change, there would continue to be some support for both cohorts. This would require revision of the current criteria for support and would most likely lead to a significant reduction in staffing.
- Increase the use of digital technology to change the way staff work thus reducing the travel costs, venue costs (e.g for training) and time for face to face work, for example increasing on line support and training. At this stage it is difficult to estimate the level of saving for this area of work and this will become clearer as the service development work gets underway.
- Introduce charges for services where schools continue to request services that no longer meet the criteria for the ‘core’ service. For example, training that enables schools to deliver their statutory requirements and to meet children’s needs most effectively and provision of SALTs in special schools. At this stage it is difficult to estimate the level of saving for this area of work and this will become clearer as the service development work gets underway.
4.3The savings at phase two have yet to be identified and will become clearer as proposals for the re shaped service are developed though the initial engagement process.
5Finance
5.1STAs has a budget of £3.133m of which £2.887m relates to staffing and £246,000 relates to equipment and training. These budgets are funded via the dedicated schools grant within the High Needs block.
5.2In 2017/18 there was a budget pressure on the STAs budget of £200k. This is due to the budget not being uplifted to take into account the rising costs of pay and if no changes are made this would continue to increase year on year. The savings will be applied to offset this pressure and assist in other pressures within the DSG High Needs block.
5.3The current phase 1 proposal will generate a saving of £190,000 and as phase 1 will be implemented by September 2018 there will be a part year saving in 2018/2019 of £111,000.
5.4Approval has been given to offer voluntary redundancy for Team Managers and admin staff in scope of phase 1. The anticipated maximum departmental redundancy costs are £79,000 whilst the maximum enhanced redundancy costs are £31,000. The maximum pension strain costs are £37,000. There will also be the potential for travel assistance costs arising from the centralisation of administrative staff in Winchester. Pay protection of up to 3 years will also apply to the removal of TLR allowances for 3 fte Assistant Team Leaders.
5.5Although this service falls under schools’ budget, the regulations require that the costs are met from the local authority budget. It is therefore anticipated that any termination costs resultant from the re-structure are met by the Children Services Department cost of changeand, if agreed, any enhanced redundancy costs are met corporately.
6Change management
6.1A staff consultation has taken place on the proposed new staffing model and HR implications from 19 March – 2 May 2018.
6.2Timescale
The target date for implementation of phase 1 is September 2018 and for phase 2, April 2019. Given teacher’s pay and conditions which specify notice periods there is a risk that some staff may leave at the end of April 2019 rather than the end of March. A proposed timeline is set out in Appendix 4.
7HR
7.1The proposals for phase 1 set out in this report require a total of 4.44 fte redundancies made up of 1.54 fte Team Manager roles and 2.9 fte administrative staff. EVR (Enhanced Voluntary Redundancy) applications have been sought to assist in achieving these reductions. Where EVR does not achieve the necessary reduction, a selection process will be undertaken to identify those staff who will be retained in the new structure. Staff not appointed to the new structure (and who are not subject to EVR) will be provided with redeployment support and compulsory redundancy will be a last resort. In light of teacher recruitment and retention difficulties in Hampshire schools, discussions are underway to identify how to maximise the redeployment of qualified teachers within this process; albeit that the LA does not have absolute ability to redeploy staff where the powers of appointment lie with governing bodies.
7.2In addition to staff reductions, it is proposed to centralise Team Manager and administrative roles at the Winchester office as part of phase 1. This would require a change of work base for some staff with travel assistance where the relevant criteria are met.
7.3The proposals under phase 1also result in the reduction of Assistant Team Leaders from 6 to 3 fte. Consideration will be given to staff preferences; however, it is likely that a selection process will be required to confirm these appointments. Those who are not appointed to Assistant Team Leader roles will step down to STA roles pending phase 2 of the review, with up to 3 years salary protection of their TLR allowance.
7.4Many of the staff are teachers and therefore in putting forward the timeline at Appendix 4 consideration has had to be given to teachers pay and conditions and in particularthe specific dates for giving notice to teachers. As a result notice for teachers would need to be given by the end of May 2018 in phase 1 for staff to leave by 31 August 2018 and in phase two; notice would need to be given by 28 February 2019 for staff to leave by 30 April 2019. Subject to continuous service some teachers will be entitled to up to 12 weeks notice and this has also been taken into account in drafting the timeline. Staff under EHCC terms and conditions are entitled to up to 12 weeks notice which can be given at any time.
7.5Unions and professional associations will also be party to this consultation process.
Appendix 1a – current team structure Hampshire
Basingstoke Team 01252 814776/7
/Winchester Team 01962 876345/4
/Havant Team 02392 441405/9
Ruth Hartland (VI Professional Manager & Basingstoke Office Manager)
Louisa Gray (CaL)Grainne Yeatman (CaL/SLT)
Alison McGregor (CaL)
Josephine Hutchinson (CaL/SLT)
Heather Marshall(CaL/SLT)
Kate Crowson (HI)
Dawn Egerton-Kemp (HI)
Margaret Ellwood (HI)
Ghislaine Fletcher (HI)
Sandy Pearce (HI)
Petua Sumner (HI Assistant Team Leader)
Janet McGarry (EY Deaf Instructor)
Jules Barker (PD)
Rachel Copes (Paediatric Continence Advisor)
Kate Johnstone (PD)
Sarah Easley (VI & 0.2 Assistant Team Leader)
Jo Trigg (PROVI)
SEND Speech & Language Therapy Team
Lisa Crane (SEND/SALT)
Sarah Dodd (SEND/SALT)
Donna Ravening (SEND/SALT)
Beccy Ham (SEND SALT)
Becks O’Hearn (SEND SALT)
Admin Officers
Clare Fletcher
Amanda Stait / Caroline Willoughby
(PD/AT Professional Manager & Winchester Office Manager)
Barbara Browne (CaL Assistant Team Leader)
Sukey Silvester (CaL/SLT)
Carolyn Elliott (CaL Assistant Team Leader)
Sarah Bowditch (CaL)
Sonia Aurora (CaL)
Nicky Kelly(CaL/SLT)
Avril Paylor (HI)
Betsi Davis (EY Deaf Instructor)
Beverley Eastwood (HI)
Katherine Swift (HI Assistant Team Leader)
Anne Bailey (HI)
Dawn Wrench (HI Professional Manager)
KirstinRobb (PD)
Lesley Statham (PD)
Debs Main Risk Assessor (PD)
Carolyn Smith (VI)
Gill Stopforth (PROVI)
Sue Lee (VI)
Val Lucas (VI & 0.6 Assistant Team Leader)
Alison Davies (Speech & Language Therapy Manager)
SEND Speech & Language Therapy Team
Hannah Trotter (SEND/SALT)
Cleo Barron (SEND SALT)
Clara Ngwenya (SEND/SALT)
Admin Officers
Anna Hallett
Mikaela Holyoake
Danielle Simpson
Fenella Jarvis( SEND/SALT) / Chris Vinall
(CaL Professional Manager & Havant
Office Manager)
Teresa Boden (Cal/SLT)
Katrina Brown (CaL)
Lucy Prosser(CaL/SLT)
Peter Harris (HI)
Fran Stuart (HI)
Vicky Barber-Crimes (EY Deaf Instructor)
Eliza Swain (PD)
Jenny Sheppard (Paediatric Continence Advisor)
Sonia Crabb (PD Assistant Team Leader)
Angie Smith (AT)
Debs McCluskey (AT Support Officer)
Maria Hansen (PROVI)
Donna Irving (VI & 0.2 Assistant Team Leader)
Libby Mitchell (VI)
SEND Speech & Language Therapy Team
Joanna Thompson (SEND/SALT)
Rhian Gardner (SEND/SALT)
Admin Officers
Penny Kendrick
Michael Lucy
Gemma Bosher
Appendix 2 proposed structure - Phase 1
Appendix 3 – Savings profile
Area for saving / Estimated potential saving full year effect(pending financial modelling) / Saving for 2018/19 / Expected date of saving realisation
1 / Management restructure / £105k initially with further savings in phase 2 when ATL roles are reduced / £61k / September 2018
2 / Centralising and admin functions and restructuring of admin team / £85k / £50k / September 2018
3 / Rationalise SEND SALT service / £148k / April 2019
4 / Revise service model and criteria / TBC / April 2019
5 / Revise staffing model to reflect new service delivery model / TBC / April 2019
6 / Increase sold services / TBC / April 2019
7 / Increase digital approach (reduced admin and travel costs) / TBC / April 2019 (some savings realised Sept 2018)
Total / £838k / £111k
Appendix 4 – Timetable