Alternative provision education providers monitoring

1.Please could you provide me with a list of all your current registered/approved/vetted Alternative Provision Providers in your local education authority

We have interpreted your request to mean Alternative Provision Academies or Pupil Referral Unit/Medical provision, these are listed below:

WAVE providers

  • River Dart
  • Shoreline
  • Stansfield
  • Torlands

ACE are also used for SEN placements.

2. Please provide any information you have on the process of vetting/approval/ or monitoring of these AP providers published in the last 2 years i.e. what check list or criteria you use? Is this process written down.

These providers are State funded Academies and therefore subject to OFSTED inspection and monitoring by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. In addition to this we undertake regular reviews and commission Quality Assurance visits which include a specific focus on safeguarding.

3. Please provide copies of your quality assurance framework / monitoring criteria for alternative provision for approval

Monitoring, Review and Quality Assurance

14.1 The Provider Trust will provide a contact for the DCC Commissioning Lead to monitor contract compliance and liaise on day-to-day matters.

14.2 The Provider will ensure the documentation and reports specified above are provided to the DCC Commissioning Lead for School improvement this includes:

• Roll returns
• Progress and attendance data
• Reintegration rates
• Fixed and Permanent Exclusions
• Termly reports/ Annual Summary

14.3 In order to monitor, support review and quality assure the overall provision and pupil outcomes a termly meeting will take place between the Provider and DCC representatives (including the Commissioning lead for School improvement or their authorised deputy). Minutes of the meeting along with any agreed actions will be circulated to agreed recipients from Wave and DCC

14.4 Where performance causes concern beyond contract monitoring issues, the DCC Commissioning Lead and/or Head of Education and Learning will formally notify the Provider Trust of the nature of these concerns and who will provide a clear action plan to rectify these concerns. Significant or consistent performance issues will be directly reported to the Regional Schools’ Commissioner, Ofsted and Education Skills and Funding Agency. Devon reserves the right to commission education adviser visits providing no less than 24 hours’ notice.

15. Variations to and Termination of the Contract

15.1 Under the DIE guidance headed ‘Fairer schools funding arrangements for 2015 -2016′ or latest guidance, changes to the scale and nature of AP places should be agreed by the Local Authority. The Trust place planning for 2019/21 reflects current demand and has been agreed between the CEO and Senior Managers.

15.2 This agreement reflects national funding frameworks and any change to those frameworks would need to be reflected in the commissioning agreement. If National funding arrangements change within the scope of this agreement a variation to the agreement would need to be made.

15.3 If the service were to fail, DCC would inform the ESFA and decommission the service by way of removal of places.

15.4 Without affecting any other right or remedy available to it, DCC may terminate all or part of the Agreement with six months’ written notice to the Provider if:

• There is a change of control of the Provider; or

• The Provider repeatedly breaches any of the terms of this agreement in such a manner as to reasonably justify the opinion that its conduct is inconsistent with it having the intention or ability to give effect to the terms of this agreement;

• If the Provider is in breach of any material obligation under this agreement provided that if the breach is capable of remedy, DCC may only terminate this agreement under this clause if the Provider has failed to remedy such breach within 30 days of receipt of receiving a default
notice (setting out the breaches) from DCC;

• The Provider takes any step or action in connection with its entering administration, provisional liquidation or any composition or arrangement with its creditors (other than in relation to a solvent restructuring), being wound up, having a receiver appointed to any of its assets or ceasing to carry on business; or

• The Provider suspends, or threatens to suspend, or ceases or threatens to cease to carry on all or a substantial part of its business.

15.5 Liabilities, e.g. redundancy costs, will be the responsibility of the Provider Trust and in line with TUPE arrangements.

Quality Assurance of the SEN provision is carried out annually. Each individual is commissioned as a separate placement using the National Schools and Colleges Contract. In addition each learner has and EHCP which would also be reviewed annually)

4 IF any of the APS are monitored /inspected/evaluated or visited as part of your internal review or monitoring process please provide copies (REDACTED) of the last two (2) visits . THIS MUST BE REDACTED please/anonymised

We hold this information but as disclosure – even redacted – may identify individuals and therefore breach their rights under Data Protection laws we consider the information to be exempt under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Section 40 (2) Personal Data. This is an absolute exemption so we do not have to carry out a public interest test.