SEND Strategic Partnership Board minutes - 15 July 2025

Contents

Draft

These are the draft minutes of the SEND Strategic Partnership Board. This note will be removed once the minutes are signed off at the next meeting.

Attendance

Amy Bickford, SEND Participation Lead, Devon County Council
Amy Coombes, Personal Assistant, Devon County Council
Ben Williams, Senior Management Information Officer, Devon County Council
Brian Gale, SEND Adviser, DfE
Councillor Denise Bickley, Cabinet member for SEND, Devon County Council
Derek Blackford, Head Accountant, Devon County Council
Donna Manson, Chief Executive, Devon County Council
Elliot Glover, Deputy Director, Legal and Democratic Services, Devon County Council
Emma O’Connell, Children and Family Health Devon Acting Director
Hannah Wicks, Senior Media and PR Officer, Devon County Council
Jack Newton, Deputy Director – Education and Schools, Devon County Council
Julian Wooster, Director of Children and Young People’s Futures, Devon County Council
Kellie Knott, SEND Strategic Director, Devon County Council
Lauren Cole, Personal Assistant/minutes, Devon County Council
Liam Ennis, Intervention Case Lead for SEND and Social Care, Department for Education
Liz Wood, Assistant Director for Disability Services, Adult Disability Leadership, Devon County Council
Mark Tucker, Senior Learning Disability and Autism Programme Assurance Manager and SEND Lead NHS England and NHS Improvement South West, NHS England
Melanie Coleman, Programme Manager for SEND Transformation Programme, Devon County Council
Mike Bomford, Media and PR Manager (Strategic), Devon County Council
Mim White, Head of SEND, Petroc
Su Smart, Director of Women and Children’s Improvement, NHS Devon
Trevor Doughty, Chair of SEND Strategic Partnership Board, Independent
Victoria Mitchell, Co-chair of Parent Carer Forum Devon (PCFD)

Apologies

Angie Sinclair, Director of Finance and Public Value, Devon County Council
Jennie Harvey, Head Teacher for Lampard Community School and Chair of DSSH (Devon Special School Heads)
Keri Denton, Director of Performance and Partnerships, Devon County Council
Phill Adams, SEND Assistant Director, Devon County Council
Rachel Shaw, CEO Exeter Learning Academy Trust
Sally Heath, Deputy Director of Business and Transformation Service, Devon County Council

1. Welcome, introductions and apologies

Introductions were made by all attendees. Apologies were noted from Liz Wood who had to leave early. New members were welcomed, and the importance of an induction process for new members was emphasised.

2. Review of previous meeting minutes and actions

The group agreed accuracy of the minutes of the previous meeting, actions were discussed, and updates provided.

The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and agreed as accurate. Outstanding actions were discussed as below and action items were assigned to relevant individuals.
Action: Shayna/Mel to amend the minutes from the last meeting to note that Su and Mark are picking up the action around the APP submission. Updated action will be Su and Mark to amend the accelerated progress plan to ensure that health aspects such as waiting times and neurodiversity are included.
It was discussed in the last meeting for L Ennis to share more information on the discission at a senior level on system reform between the Department for Education and Department for Health once confirmed with J Wooster – this is regarding national issues. A white paper announcement is expected in the Autumn. Conversations are continuing at ministerial level, and an update will be provided in due course.
The action concerning young people and health remains outstanding, as the meeting has not yet taken place.
Actions around neurodiversity have been completed.
It was discussed in the last meeting for Councillor L Samuel to arrange with A Bickford to meet or young people present their views on a regular basis to councillors. Update – Amy and Denise have met, but the action is not yet completed.
There is no update on the joint accountability framework.
Partnership board reporting has now been broken down into the four strands, and changes have been made to data reporting for the programme to include benchmarking.
The governance review may need to be discussed again.

3. User Voice

H2O is a personalised transition plan for learners with EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans) in Year 11 and above, supporting a wide range of learners in post-16 education.
A case study was shared involving a bespoke offer combining home mentoring and college-based learning.
The overall aim is to support learning in an alternative environment with a plan to transition into mainstream education.
Programme goals include transitioning to onsite learning, supporting progression to further education, employment, or training, promoting social interaction and engagement.
Challenges include learners adapting to site-based learning and peer interaction, recognising that all learners have different needs and transport to the programme. There is an aim to expand to more locations across Devon.
Engagement with feeder schools and providers is underway to encourage onsite visits and interaction with current learners.
The programme focuses mainly on vocational areas, with personalised learning opportunities, including GCSEs and A-levels, supported by learning aids.
Outreach is being developed, and EHCP engagement mentors have been recruited.
There are now three learner intakes.
A whole floor at the Tiverton campus is dedicated to the programme, including cafés to encourage parent and carer involvement.
A gradual transition model is being explored for apprenticeships, starting as a ‘pre-apprenticeship’ in September and moving to full apprenticeships by December, with job-coached work experience.
Donna highlighted this as a strong example of success and suggested showcasing it to government. Liam will advise on how to do this.
Emphasis was placed on the need to build therapeutic environments for young people, with this programme serving as a model.
A clear communication package is needed to help families in Devon understand anxiety.
The board commended Petroc for its progress and leadership in this area.
While further funding and long-term support cannot be committed to at this time, Liam is open to discussions and linking with DfE policy colleagues.
Emma noted the growing importance of this package for young people transitioning to adult services, especially post-COVID. She raised concerns about limiting access to only those with EHCPs.
Julie raised that anxiety often stems from school experiences. She stressed the importance of early intervention and expanding support to more schools.
A suggestion was made for special schools to conduct similar outreach for young people on EOTAS (Education Other Than at School) packages.
Decision – The H2O programme was endorsed as a model of good practice.
Action – Denise to write to Petroc College to commend their work and offer a visit.
Action – Donna to follow up with Liam regarding additional MHST Funding.
Action – Su to lead on anxiety and communication work, and report back to the board in September alongside the mental health strategy.
Action – Liam and Mim to draft and send communication to government on the success of the H20 programme.
Action – Emma to meet with Mim White in order to integrate health services with H20.

4. Updates and reports – SEND Transformation Programme

We are now focusing on the four strands. The reporting format has been updated following feedback from the last meeting.
At the last board meeting, we asked members to consider these strands and assess whether we are on track.
Decision – the board agreed that the four strands are appropriate and that the presentation style and level of detail are suitable.
We need to collaborate further with NHS colleagues on this.
The current approach is very data-driven. However, milestones and delivery progress are not clearly reflected. Similarly, the parent voice and how this work feels from their perspective are missing. The process feels overly procedural. We need to ensure the four cornerstones are embedded throughout humanising the work and remembering the purpose behind it.
Brian suggested it would be helpful to include a note outlining what we hope to achieve. It’s important that the child’s voice is central and clearly represented.
Denise emphasised the need to ensure updates are provided once deadlines have passed. It takes time after implementation to see the impact.
Mark highlighted the importance of showcasing what has been achieved and the experiences of young people. This should be embedded within the four strands.
Donna proposed that we shift focus towards action: What improvements are needed? What messages should we communicate? Decision – board members to come prepared with specific actions and requests for our services for each item on future agendas. This will be taken forward to the next board meeting.
Decision – when papers are submitted, they must clearly state their purpose, content, and what is expected of the board. A standard covering sheet will be used from September.
We need to consider how we communicate this work.
A review of our governance and the support required to manage risk is necessary.

5. ICB-led SEND Improvement, including emotional wellbeing and mental health needs of young CYP

Paper shared outlining the national context and the changing presentation of young people, along with how we respond to these changes.
Strategy to be presented to the board in September. A local area implementation plan has been suggested.
From 1st July there will be implementation of the emotional wellbeing and mental health service, offering both face-to-face and online support.
A range of offers is available and not all require a specialist services.
Neurodiversity is not explicitly named in this piece of work, but it is central to every pathway. Needs are individual and support is varied. This presents an opportunity. Action: Su, Emma and Amy to collaborate with Champions for Change group around how we engage with young people and incorporate their voice.
Challenges remain in bringing services together into a collective pathway to reduce the sense of handover. This will require changes for some providers.
NHST rollout – a prioritisation matrix is being used to ensure the right areas are targeted. Concerns have been raised about funding to reach 100%. Action: Liam to discuss with Emma and Mark what support he can offer and to clarify the future funding situation for NHST rollout. This is provided by health, but benefits education.
At the whole-school level, it would be useful to gather any evidence of success or an established evidence base.
There is a need to improve communication with schools – a piece of work is required to ensure briefings are effective and that information reaches the right people in the right way. Action: Su to link with Mark to ensure she has invitations to school briefings in Devon.
Communications and signposting are often provided but are not always personalised or appropriate for young people.

6. Controls – Performance report

Board agreement is needed to focus on a key set of indicators based on feedback from families and young people. Are these the right areas? Analysis will be provided by various leads.
The indicators align with the Department for Education (DfE) progress plan.
Current data does not compare favourably with statistical neighbours.
It was raised that the board often skip over items or move on too quickly. Fewer, longer meetings might help. It’s important to strike the right balance and clarify the roles of both boards. Some areas may require a deep dive.
National context and comparisons are essential for this reporting. It is helpful to have a one-page summary per KPI.
We must ensure the right people are working on each area and taking appropriate action. The board should maintain oversight.
It’s important to consider qualitative data. What’s missing is a way to measure the four cornerstones and other qualitative aspects. This will be incorporated into the framework.
Decision – deep dives into selected KPIs will be scheduled for future meetings where appropriate.

7. Strategic discussions – SEND Strategy Impact Report 2024/25

When co-producing the SEND strategy, we committed to having an annual delivery plan and a progress and impact report outlining what we said we’d do and what we’ve done. This will be published on the website.
A draft impact report has been shared. It reflects on the past year, covers the four cornerstones, includes a foreword from partners, summarises SEND strategy work, and details each commitment, delivery point, and its impact.
Action – Su to decide on the name of the NHS partner for the foreword.
Action – Kellie to share the SEND Strategy Impact Report to board members via email outside of this meeting.
Action – board members to review the SEND strategy impact report and provide feedback via email.
Decision – the board agreed that Kellie will finalise the report outside of the meeting. Comments and feedback will be sought via email by the end of this month.
We may need to promote this more widely in the Autumn when schools return.

8. AOB

The Education, Employment and Training slide was not clearly understood due to the low percentages. Action – Kellie and Ben to collaborate to ensure clarity around the Education, Employment and Training data.
There was a distinction noted between good practice in service provision and user voice experience. While we would not want to exclude the presentation, it did not reflect user voice. It was a provider-led presentation and lacked a user-centred approach.
Decision – board members to clarify the intention and purpose of presentations for the board moving forward.
Debbie is preparing a forward plan of positive and negative experiences to present to the board.

Date for next meeting: Tuesday 23 September 2025