Contents
Attendance
- Amy Bickford, Senior Participation Officer, Devon County Council
- Angie Sinclair, Director of Finance and Public Value, Devon County Council
- Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Devon County Council
- Damien Jones, Senior Programme Manager, Deputy Director – Transport Operations, Environment and Waste, Devon County Council
- Darryn Allcorn, Chief Nurse, NHS Devon
- Donna Manson, Chief Executive, Devon County Council
- Emma O’Connell, Children’s Alliance Deputy Director, Children and Family Health Devon
- Hannah Pugliese, Head of Women and Children’s Commissioning, NHS Devon
- Heather Campbell, South-West Lead for SEND
- Jackie Ross, Interim SEND Strategic Director, Devon County Council
- Joanne Siney, Head of Service – Disabled Children Service, Devon County Council
- Julia Bonell, Co-chair of Parent Carer Forum Devon (PCFD), Parent Carer Forum Devon
- Julian Wooster, Director of Children and Young People’s Futures, Devon County Council
- Keith Thompson, SEN and Disability Professional Adviser, Department for Education
- Liz Halliday, Internal Communications and Relations Stakeholder Manager, Devon County Council
- Louise Taylor, SEND Local Area Programme Manager, Devon County Council
- Meg Booth, Director of Transport Operations, Environment and Waste, Devon Council
- Nick Crippa, Early Help Improvement Lead, Devon County Council
- Sarah Pickering
- Shayna Stanbury, SEND Programme Officer, Devon County Council
- Tony Parker, Head of Communications and Media, Devon County Council
- Trevor Doughty, Chair of SEND Improvement Partnership Board, Independent
- Victoria Mitchell, Co-chair of Parent Carer Forum Devon (PCFD), Parent Carer Forum Devon
Apologies
- Beverley Mack, Children’s Alliance Director, Children and Family Health Devon
- Cllr John Hart, Leader of the Council, Devon County Council
- Jane Milligan, Chief Executive, NHS Devon
- Jassi Broadmeadow, Deputy Chief Officer – Children’s Services and Head of Social Care, Devon County Council
- Jo Turl, Director of Commissioning Primary, Community and Mental Health Care, NHS Devon
- Kate Stephens, Head of Public Health Nursing, Devon County Council
- Liz Davenport, Chief Executive, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Devon
- Simon Winward, Headteacher of Southbrook School, Southbrook School
- Vikki Hill, Devon NHS-Lead neurodiversity pathway, NHS Devon
1. Welcome, introductions and apologies
T Doughty welcomed the group and a round of introduction took place.
2. Review of the previous meetings minutes and actions
The group reviewed and agreed the minutes of the previous meeting and the action log.
3. Devon Local Area SEND Improvement Plan
The SEND Improvement Plan has been reviewed, this included presentation, refining the KPI’s, removing repetition and lining up the success criteria and what families have told us.
Action: Members to share feedback by close of play Thursday 23rd for final amendments to be made and sent to the Department for Education on Monday 27th February.
A presentation was shared to the group setting out the plan across the whole strategic piece and the board was informed of the work being carried out, some of which include:
- The curriculum in schools is not as strong as it should be, therefore a workstream has been set up to look at the universal offer and a consultant is looking at the quality of education.
- Team around the school – the community, police and youth justice are involved.
A school representative raised the community work with schools in reach and outreach work has been very successful. However there are no baselines on the expectancy for special school provision and on the current offer.
PCFD representation highlighted it should be celebrated there is a demand and that should reflect the increasing understanding of childrens needs and developing the aspects of the offer which has a lack of supply. From this there are two pitch factors in the demand, one positive and that should be reflected in the sufficiency strategy and then ensuring the universal offer and graduated response is excelled to ensure the offer at the start of the journey is consistent and does not result in pushing children and young people up the triangle.
Devon County Council Chief Executive agreed with the PCFD and suggested it is clear description which needs to be articulated out to families. There are many children and young people who require specialist provision and most of the time that is evident from an early age therefore they shouldn’t be put through the process. We need to learn the triangulation better and how we articulate that is important.
PCFD representation highlighted the need to be open and honest with children, young people, and their families.
The group agreed the local area needs to know more about the strengths and weaknesses of schools and individual areas resulting in time, meeting SEND needs at an appropriate level.
Devon County Council Chief Executive, we need to coproduce that work with families, recognising it will take time.
4. Devon County Council Gold Command
Gold Command is a whole council approach, strategic themes, reviewing and taking forward risks and completing tasks.
Supporting staff’s wellbeing, learning and development and helping them to get the job done. Engaging with families and recognising we have fantastic people working in the Parent Carer Forum Devon ensuring they have enough structure and support.
Gold command is working together to coproduce to make change happen through the following areas:
- EHCP – looking at the whole process, talking to stakeholders and reviewing what is and is not working well.
- One front door, what does a front door for SEND look like in Devon and how can we construct that?
- Schools and the education in Devon
- Cabinet has SEND as a standing item on their agenda.
Finance and legal – understanding the provision and quality improvement.
We have a responsibility to inform the council of work being done, provide the details to what is not working and be held to account. This has been recognised in a collaborative and constructive way and positive of the contribution of all elected members in the chamber.
Key decision: Have gold command as an agenda item at each board meeting.
5. Case study: Communication Strategy
The communications strategy was presented to the group and principles explained. The strategy it is a high level, live document which sets out what we are doing differently.
Cabinet member highlighted it is great to see work underway and noted to involve MP’s, councillors, schools and all parents and carers.
The document will be coproduced at different levels, at the early stages PCFD and health colleagues were liaised with, next stage is stakeholder analysis and engaging with those for the best solutions.
There is a communications workstream which has developed a quick read of the SEND Improvement Plan. It will also look at the action in section B of the plan which include service actions, and how we support staff in answering the phones.
- Risk: The group raised there is a lack of resources around the service led actions.
- Action: DCC Chief Executive agreed to take this to the gold command group.
PCFD representation raised it would be good to see communications to families following meetings, informing of what work is happening on the ground.
In addition, DiAS do a fantastic job of providing accessible information to families.
6. SEND Improvement Plan Workstreams
he workstream leads (section A: J Wooster, Section B: T Parker, Section C: J Ross, Section D: H Pugliese) provided an update on the work in the workstreams as set out in the attached document.
Section B – the number of subscribers to the SEND News has increased 160 from December along with the open rate. The SEND Facebook page subscribers has also increased, the most engaged post was the information around the 0 – 215 team.
A calendar of regular channels is being created to ensure communications are being coordinated. Along with research about how parents wish to receive information.
Section C – Social care and health colleagues cannot access the EHCP data. This is a risk and is being worked on.
The EHCP workstream are looking at options to come out of the EHCP hub, it was also agreed a few months ago to streamline the EHCP template.
The figures were reviewed in the group to EHCP’s delayed, DCC Chief Executive asked for a focus at the next board on work being carried out to mitigate the delays, looking at areas of best practice and how we can use those in Devon.
7. AOB
Key messages to communicate:
- We are at the start of our journey to ensure children and young people have early and appropriate and intervention.
- Message about commitment and understanding the challenge, where the gaps are and commitment to delivery.
Date for next meeting: Wednesday, 29 March 2023 10:00 – 12:00