High Needs Review

The council commissioned a strategic review ofRedbridge’s SEND provision 2017-18. Theconsultant’s report is now available. This report includes a substantial number of recommendations for consideration in this consultation. The LA’s response to the consultation on the recommendations will form part of theSEND 0-25 strategic plans and capital implementationplan.

Summary

Thereview confirmed:

  • Parents’ preference is for children and young people to be educated, wherever possible with their peers in local mainstream settings; that settings should have in-house expertise to manage needs, and that support should be available at the earliest opportunity.
  • Increase in requests and issuing of EHC plans with significant upward trend
  • ASD and COMPLEX LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (SLD/PMLD) showing greatest incidence
  • Significant growth of post-16 cohort with EHC plans participating in education beyond 19.
  • Primary and Secondary specialist provision for ASD and complex learning needs at capacity
  • Paediatric therapy support for special schools at capacity
  • Post 16 local provision which prepares all young people for adult life is needed
  • Routes to employment for young peopleincluding work experience opportunities, supported employment and apprenticeshipsunderdeveloped
  • Current “top-up” banding arrangements for funding suitable arrangements have not kept pace with complexity of needs, costs of resources/personnel required to meet needs
  • Schools report anincrease in children and young people presenting withsocial, emotional and/or mental health needs with some presenting challenging behaviour, although thiscohort is not reflected in SEN Support or EHCP data.
  • Some early indications of a rise in exclusion data with primary schools increasing their use of short-term respite interventions.
  • Increasing complexity oflearning needsin PRUs with impact of gang membership requiring multiple locations to manage risk and comply with court orders
  • As mainstream educational settings are managing increasingly complex cohorts, school and college staff require skills and in-house provision to meet needs. There is an increasing unmet demand for early intervention and training from specialist services including early intervention support from paediatric therapy services (Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, mental health)and education specialists.

In summary, there is an increasing complexity of Special Educational Needs andDisability (SEND) and increased demands for local provision. This is set in a context of financial constraints.

A sustainable model for the future must address this need for local provision, provide support at the earliest opportunity and which can successfully prepareall young people with SEND to live productive and meaningful adult lives.

Strategic priorities

1. To enable children and young people with SEND to have their needs met within local mainstream provision, in line with parent preference and legislation.

2. To ensure specialist provision is available locally and resources meet needs

3. To enhance skills and expertise within mainstream settings

4. To better prepare children and young people for adult life within Redbridge

5. To develop strategic partnerships with providers

We propose to do this by:

  • Developing a skilled SEND workforce in Early Years settings ensuring equality of access to specialist EY Advisory teachers and offering a buy-back service for specialist teaching assistants so that settings can have trained staff when needed and the youngest children with emerging SEND needs can be supported in a more timely manner.
  • Revising the top-up funding arrangements for mainstream and specialist education settings so that arrangements can be fully resourced
  • Implementing a revised place planning process so that transitions into specialist provision can be better supported
  • Develop the skills of mainstream teachers and support assistants to meet increasingly complex needs
  • Provide early intervention support to mainstream settings through a formally commissioned 0-25 years specialist support service (SocialInteraction, Communication, ASD and associated behaviours) whose focus will be on equipping staff within settings with the skills, knowledge and expertise to teach and support children and young people with these needs. Existing providers will be encouraged to be involved in this redesigned specialist 0 -25advisory service so that, should they choose to, they will be in a position to bid for the tender either individually or in a consortium when it goes out to the market place.
  • Commission additional speech and language therapy services in mainstream and specialist provision. This will include training for staff and parents as well as support to children and young people
  • Provide a specialist school based early intervention emotional wellbeing and mental health service, establishing a clinically supervised Emotional Learning Support assistants network, building on the training programme of school-based staff and providing a programme of therapeutic interventions within school settings.
  • Provide support and guidance to settings through:
  • an enhanced Educational Psychology Service offer with the deployment of supervised assistant educational psychologists within all mainstream settings so that learning and well-being needs are identified early with intervention and support provided in a timely manner
  • a centralised advisory service for Hi, sensory, medical and physical needs
  • a centralised referral route to access support services so that resources are targeted and deployed efficiently
  • a designated EHCP co-ordinator linked to each school supporting statutory processes
  • an Early Years Advisory service that is available to all Early Years Settings
  • Establish an Early Years/ Key stage 1 specialist assessment provision to support early identification of needs and inclusion into mainstream settings
  • Develop SENDspecialist resource centres within primary and secondary mainstream schools including the establishment and extension of ASD specialist centres
  • Further develop flexible short-term provision within mainstream settings to intervene early and offer support to children and young people who are at risk of exclusion due to social, emotional and mental health needs
  • Provide support and advice to the secondary and post-16 sector in relation to SEND, work experience and supported employment
  • Develop Key stage 4 and 5 specialist provision working with existing local providers, establishing a broader range of vocational and alternative provision in the secondary and FE sector this includes specialist ASD and SEMH provision 16 -19 and 19 -25