SEND Partnership Board Meeting

Thursday 4th February 2016 – 10.30am to 12.00pm

Room 4f, Level 4, Civic Centre

Attendees:

Caroline Sutton (CS) - Director of education & Early Years, OMBC (chairperson)

Gill Hoar (GH) - Head of School Place Planning & Access, OMBC
Andrew Robinson (AR) - Director, POINT Forum

Elaine Robinson (ER) – SEND IASS
Saul Ainsworth (SA) – Head of Service, Assessment, Prevention & Supporting Families, OMBC
Ed Francis (EF) – Head of Integrated Commissioning, OMBC
Laura Owen (LO) – ALS Manager, Oldham College

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

Graham Quinn (GQ) – Executive Principal, New Bridge School

Karl Newell (KN) – Headteacher, Crompton House CE School

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

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

Minutes

Apologies
Carolyn Brennan, Associate Directorate Manager, Learning Disability Directorate, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
Emma Hart, Oldham Sixth Form College
Cath Dalton, Head of Faculty, Development Studies, Oldham College
Gill Barnard, Commissioning Business Partner, NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group

Feedback from previous meeting (7th January 2016) and matters of accuracy
Amendments to 07.01.16 minutes - attendance:
Suzanne Pass not Parsons.
Karl Newell not Newall.

SEND Accountability Inspection – update (Gill Hoar)
GH advised that the inspection is due to commence 1st May 2016. Inspectors are being recruited who are currently, or until recently, LA practitioners who are involved in the delivery of the SEND reforms and also across Parent/Carer Forums (those who are living with additional needs). Closing date for applications is Friday 5th February 2016. They are specifically looking for those that understand the business, understanding reforms as well as data analysis etc. and putting children and young people at the centre of decision making. It is becoming clear there will be a huge focus on those children in settings on SEN Support. Oldham are doing well but there could be challenge for us currently due to the 0-4 commission. At the recent Keeping in Touch event on 30.11.15 there was a strong message given about SEN Support.

GH advised that the inspectors will not be grading but will be issuing a report. They will be looking for evidence that LAs know they are doing well and what good looks like.
Jo Charlan will be organising a position statement/self-assessment workshop to take the place of the next SEND Partnership Board on 3rd March – time extended from 9am to 12pm (venue TBC).
The majority of the SEND Partnership Board members will be invited and are asked to advise times they can attend. JC will then structure the morning accordingly. An amended invite will be sent out with the draft framework and information on any pre-work required.
ER advised that she is attending a meeting of the North West SENDIASS on either the 2nd or 3rd March and may be able to feedback inspection information at the workshop.
ACTIONS:
3a) SD to send out amended meeting invite for 03.03.16.

SEND Reforms Transformation Group – Highlight Report (Gill Hoar)
Refreshed programme to reflect the work completed and new programme development.
Local Offer – Rate, Review and Development
Moving forward and interaction with communications is improving. Workshop was held on 28.01.16 to identify new/outstanding actions and any gaps within the services/information contained on the Local Offer. New categories and filters have been proposed which will hopefully improve the customer journey. In line with the new categorisation, the group are looking to launch the Rate & Review function pilot at the same time (11.04.16). Will then carry out a demonstration/user-testing/consultation with parents, children and young people of all abilities.
Joint Strategy & Commissioning
Work is progressing within the task and finish group to draft a new Complex Case Panel joint protocol. Six month timeline for the finished article.
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment – being carried out looking at all population needs and broken down into sub-sets (i.e. SEND). Carrying out a deep dive with more focus regarding SEND i.e. demographic/population data and then need/outcome and holistic view of how SEND children are progressing in Oldham. As the JSNA is a priority for the Health & Wellbeing Board it gives us access to Public Health funded resource. H&W Board is a statutory board made up of LA, CCG, Councillors, Members and Health. The Best Start in Life Partnership (formerly Children’s Trust Board) is accountable to the H&W Board. Schools are around the table for the BSLP so will feed into the H&W Board.
Key Risks & Issues
Issue of meeting needs within SEND and the wider workforce having the skills to accomplish this. Will be raised with the Integrated Children’s Workforce Group.

Implementation Grant 2016/2017 (Gill Hoar)
GH informed that the funding for 2016/2017 has been confirmed as £80m. There will be further funding for 2017/2018 but the amount is unknown at present. 2016/2017 is allocated as follows:-
35.8m- Implementation Grant (LAs) – currently not ring-fenced
27.3m - Family Fund Trust
15m - Independent Supporter
2.3 m- Parent Carer Forums

Oldham LAs allocation is £180,778. GQ raised the question of whether schools would be allocated funds from the grant. GH advised that she will bring a proposal on priorities to the next board in April 2016 and look at the issue of allocation to schools.

Priorities currently identified are the continued expansion of the EHC team and significant Early Years workforce development. GH advised that the expected influx of requests for Educational Psychology input Post 16/19 did not transpire. This will be discussed in relation to the 2016/2017 allocation.
GH will be requesting a carry forward of any unspent monies from the 2015/2016 grant allocation.
ACTIONS:

5a) GH to bring grant priority proposal to SEND Partnership Board in April 2016.

EHC Planning – Kingfisher approach (Anne Redmond)
ARed advised that herself and Suzanne Pass cannot attend the next Secondary SENCo hub and unfortunately the date for the summer term has not yet been set. KN advised that he had raised Kingfisher’s EHC Planning approach with the Secondary Heads and they feel it is common sense to look at a consistent approach. ARed advised that she will be meeting with Chadderton Primary who are interesting in talking about the approach. Potential to look at Chadderton piloting the approach and ARed would also look at inviting a couple of secondaries to carry out a pilot as well.
Discussion was held around the different hubs/forums and collaboratives and the lack of consistency and links. They all appear to have evolved differently. The Board members felt it would make more sense to look at one meeting to bring secondary and primary together where commons areas are discussed and then breakout to workhubs. This would ensure consistency across SENCOs development, understanding and input. Some concern that if it is one meeting open to all then they will lose their strategic focus. The overall view is that the groups definitely need to be streamlined and more easily accessible i.e. what they are, what they do, who attends, how are they managed?
SC advised that Lesley Parry, the secondary SENCo rep for the Primary SEN workhub as not been able to attend due to teaching commitments. KN will speak to the school regarding releasing LP where possible. Next Primary SEN workhub is on 23rd February at Kingfisher. At the last workhubthe group looked at the Kingfisher approach. The group have also been looking at a set form for submitting a request for assessment, which could be included with the LA guidance document. SC distributed the template they have produced. GH advised that from a statutory point of view the LA cannot insist on any particular advice/evidence and that the LA need to evidence their decision making. The board members were keen to develop the template but as there are an increasing number of parental requests this factor needs to be taken into account. GH advised SC to liaise with Matthew Prenton and the EHC team on how to structure the template so it supports parents, the panel decision and ties in with Early Years advisors. If agreed this could then be linked into Kingfisher’s approach.
ACTIONS:

6a) ARed to arrange meeting with Secondary heads (via KN) to discuss piloting the approach.

6b) KN to speak to Failsworth School regarding releasing LP to attend SEN workhubs.

6c) SC to liaise with EHC team to look at the submission template.

6d) Submission template to be distributed to the Board members.

A.O.B
Kingfisher
ARed advised of a potential pressure on placements due to 8 pupils leaving and expecting 23 new early year’s pupils.

Next meeting: Thursday 3rd March, 9.00am to 12.00pm

Position Statement/Inspection workshop – invitees only
Venue: TBC
Next Board meeting: Thursday 14th April 2016, 10.30am to 12.00pm
Room 4e/4f, Level 4, Civic Centre