Dedicated School Grant

1. Please provide the council’s response to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities consultation on the removal of the current statutory override on Dedicated School Grant (DSG) deficits.

Please refer to the Devon Survey document.

2. What is the current forecast in-year underspend/overspend outturn on the DSG for 2022/23?

£40, 510,000 (after planned carry forwards)

3. What is the current forecast cumulative position on the DSG by the end of 2022/23?

£127,000,000

4. What is the forecast level of reserves (that can be used to cover any DSG deficit) by the end of 2022/23?

None.

5. Is the council’s special education needs and disabilities (SEND) provision covered by a safety valve agreement, a delivering best value arrangement, or any other agreement with the national government?

No

6. Please provide:

6a. a list of the council’s key performance indicators (KPIs) (or similar targets) in 2022/23 concerning SEND

The actual data and targets are part of our SEND Improvement Plan.

Establish a baseline in May 2023

  • Parent Carer Survey and Young People’s Survey – working with the parent and carer forum and SEND participation lead and young persons survey through the impacts group
  • Repeat the surveys for milestone 1 – September 2023 and target end January 2024

Parent carers rate their lived experience of local area SEND services as “good” or “better” identifying improvement in relation to joint working and communication.

Percentage of parent carers who rate their confidence as “good” or “better” regarding information provided for SEND pathways within local SEND system.

Percentage of parent carers who rate their understanding of the arrangements to support children and young people with SEND as “good” or “better”.

Percentage of parent carers who rate the communication in relation to EHC needs assessment and drafting of plans as “good” or “better”.

Percentage of parent carers who rate the communication in relation to the neurodiversity pathway as “good” or “better”.

Percentage of parent carers who rate the annual review process as “good” or “better” in amending existing EHC plans and provision.

Percentage of parent carers who rate their confidence in the EHC process as “good” or “better”.

Girls who are neurodiverse are able to access support.

Children and young people with mental health conditions alongside ASD, can access support.

Percentage of parent carers that report their experience of the support available while waiting for diagnosis as “good” or better”.

Young people rate their lived experience of local area SEND services as “good” or “better” identifying improvement in relation to joint working and communication.

Percentage of young people’s confidence regarding information provided for SEND pathways within local SEND system.

Percentage of young people who rate their understanding of the arrangements to young people with SEND as “good” or “better”.

Percentage of young people carers who rate the communication in relation to the neurodiversity pathway as “good” or “better”.

Percentage of young people rate the annual review process as “good” or “better” in amending existing EHC plans and provision.

6b. the 2021/22 benchmark for those KPIs

Please see below our KPI tables. Please note that we did not have the relevant KPI data for 2021/22 but are now capturing this in our SEND Improvement Plan

Key Performance Indicators:

KPI Baseline Baseline Date

Milestone 1

End July 2023

Milestone 2

End November 2023

Target

End January 2024

ASW A – clear and understood strategic plan and SEND arrangements
No of vacancies within the 0-25 Team 16 January 2023 10% reduction 25% reduction 50% reduction
No of vacancies within the Educational Psychology Service TBC 10% reduction 25% reduction 50% reduction
No of permanent starters within the 0 – 25 Team TBC 10% increase 25% increase 50% increase
No of permanent starters within the Educational Psychology Service TBC 10% increase 25% increase 50% increase
No of permanent leavers within the 0-25 Team TBC 10% reduction 25% reduction 50% reduction
No of permanent leavers within the Educational Psychology Service TBC 10% reduction 25% reduction 50% reduction
Staff sickness within the 0-25 Team TBC 10% reduction 20% reduction 40% reduction
Staff sickness within the Educational Psychology Service TBC 10% reduction 20% reduction 40% reduction
Levels of Interim / agency staff within the 0-25 Team 29 January 2023 10% reduction 25% reduction 50% reduction
Levels of Interim / agency staff within the Educational Psychology Service TBC 10% reduction 25% reduction 50% reduction
Number of initial requests for assessment made – percentage of 0-24 population 0.83% TBC 0.63% 0.56%
Percentage of children and young people absence from school with EHC Plans 13% TBC 12.1%
Percentage of children and young people absence from school with SEN Support 11% TBC TBC TBC TBC
Percentage of children and young people absent from school – fixed term exclusion with EHC Plans 20.6% TBC 13.1%
Percentage of children and young people absent from school – fixed term exclusion with SEN support 15.9% TBC 11.9%
Percentage schools that meet quality assurance criteria To be developed TBC
Percentage of new EHC Plans that meet the quality standard in the Quality Assurance framework To be developed TBC

The following Key Performance Indicators have been coproduced with the Parent Carer Forum Devon to hold us to account for the improvement plan and monitor progress

KPI Baseline Date

Milestone 1

End September 2023

Target

End January 2024

ASW A – clear and understood strategic plan and SEND arrangements
Parent carers rate their lived experience of Local Area SEND services as ‘good’ or ‘better’, identifying improvement in relation to joint working and communication Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Young people rate their lived experience of Local Area SEND services as ‘good’ or ‘better’, identifying improvement in relation to joint working and communication Baseline to be established May 2023 40%-point increase 40%-point increase

Key Performance Indicators:

KPI Baseline Baseline Date

Milestone 1

End July 2023

Milestone 2

End November 2023

Target

End January 2024

ASW B – Communication            
Reduction in number of complaints about communication To be established May 2023

The following Key Performance Indicators have been coproduced with the Parent Carer Forum Devon to hold us to account for the improvement plan and monitor progress

KPI Baseline Date

Milestone 1

End September 2023

Target

End January 2024

ASW B – Communication
Percentage of parent carers who rate their confidence as ‘good’ or ‘better’ regarding information provided for SEND pathways within the local SEND system Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of Young people’s confidence regarding information provided for SEND pathways within the local SEND system Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of parent carers who rate their understanding of the arrangements to support children and young people with SEND as ‘good’ or ‘better’ Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of young people who rate their understanding of the arrangements to support young people with SEND as ‘good’ or ‘better’ Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of parent carers who rate that communication in relation to EHC needs assessment and drafting of plans as ‘good’ or ‘better’ Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of young people who rate that communication in relation to EHC needs assessment and drafting of plans as ‘good’ or ‘better’ Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of parent carers who rate communication in relation to the neurodiversity pathway as ‘good’ or ‘better’ Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of young people carers who rate communication in relation to the neurodiversity pathway as ‘good’ or ‘better’ Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase

Key Performance Indicators:

KPI Baseline Baseline Date

Milestone 1

End July 2023

Milestone 2

End November 2023

Target End January 2024
ASW C – Timeliness and Quality of EHC Plans
Percentage of EHC Plans issued within 20 weeks (including exceptional cases) 38.8%

40%

45%

59.9%
Percentage of EHC Plans issued within 20 weeks (excluding exceptional cases) TBC
Number of EHC Plans finalised within 30 weeks TBC
Number of EHC Plans finalised within 52 weeks TBC
Number of annual reviews outstanding 1,600 January 2022 800 of current backlog 400 of backlog remaining 0

 The following Key Performance Indicators have been coproduced with the Parent Carer Forum Devon to hold us to account for the improvement plan and monitor progress

KPI Baseline Date

Milestone 1

End September 2023

Target

End January 2024

ASW C – Timeliness and Quality of EHC Plans        
Percentage of parent carers who rate their confidence in the EHC process as ‘good’ or ‘better’ Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of parent carers who rate the annual review process as ‘good’ or ‘better’ in amending existing EHC Plans and provision as appropriate Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase
Percentage of young people rate the annual review process as ‘good’ or ‘better’ in amending existing EHC Plans and provision Baseline to be established May 2023 20%-point increase 40%-point increase

Key Performance Indicators:

KPI Baseline Baseline Date

Milestone 1

End July 2023

Milestone 2

End November 2023

Target

End January 2024

ASW D – Weaknesses in the identification, assessment, diagnosis and support of those children and young people with autism spectrum disorder.
Children and young people will be seen for an assessment for autism within 18 weeks. 27% March 2023

34%

41%

50%

% of infants who received a face-to-face New Birth Visits (NBV) within 14 days of birth 60% March 2023

70%

80% 85%
% of babies who received a 1-year developmental health review by 12 months old 30% March 2023

35%

50% 65%
% of children who received a 2 – 2.5 -year developmental health review by age of 2.5 years 37% March 2023 55% 65% 75%

 The following Key Performance Indicators have been coproduced with the Parent Carer Forum Devon to hold us to account for the improvement plan and monitor progress

KPI Baseline Baseline Date

Milestone 1

End January 2024

Milestone 2

End September 2023

Target

End May 2024

ASW D – Weaknesses in the identification, assessment, diagnosis and support of those children and young people with autism spectrum disorder.
Families with girls who are neurodiverse say that support is targeted to meet specific needs of their daughter / girls Baseline established May 2023 25% 40% 65% satisfaction
Children and young people report that their experience of the support available while waiting for a diagnosis is good. Baseline established May 2023 20% 40% 75% report a good experience of support
Percentage of parent carers that report their experience of the support available while waiting for diagnosis as ‘good’ or ‘better’ Baseline established May 2023 20% 40% 75% report a good experience of support

6c. any targets/benchmarks in 2022/23

As above

6d. the performance against those targets/benchmarks

• EHC plans issued on time = 11%
• EHC plans reviewed = 94%
• EHC plans reviewed on time = 53%

Outcomes for SEN are published by the Department for Education in the specific Key Stage releases.  Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and  Key Stage 4.

Data can be manipulated on the website by creating tables and selecting local authority’s. Alternatively, there is an option to ‘explore data and files’ where all the data tables can be downloaded. These includes outcomes by pupil characteristics, and SEN is one of the cohorts covered.

7. What are the staff roles within the SEND team?

•  Director of SEND
• Senior SEND Manager
• Team Manager
• Area Education Commissioning Officer
• SEN Education Officer
• SEN Area Coordinator
• SEN Assessment Coordinator
• SEN Planning & Contracts Manager
• SEN Tribunal Officer
• SEN Resource & Data Manager
• SEN Data & Resource Officer
• SEN Support Officer

8. Is performance against these KPIs (as referred to in question 6) considered in the pay, bonuses or performance management of any SEND staff/management?

No