SEND Strategic Partnership Board minutes – 17 October 2024

Attendance

• Angie Sinclair, Director of Finance and Public Value, Devon County Council
• Brian Gale, SEND Adviser, DfE
• Councillor Lois Samuel, Cabinet member for SEND, Devon County Council
• Councillor Tracy Adams, Chair of the Children’s Scrutiny Committee, Devon County Council
• Frank O’Friel, Lead for Neurodiversity, NHS Devon
• Heidi Watson-Jones,SEND Programme Officer/minutes, Devon County Council
• Jennie Harvey, Head Teacher for Lampard Community School and Chair of DSSH (Devon Special School Heads)
• Julia Bonell, Co-chair of Parent Carer Forum Devon (PCFD)
• Kellie Knott, SEND Improvement Director, Devon County Council
• Liam Ennis, Intervention Case Lead for SEND and Social Care, Department for Education
• Melanie Coleman, Programme Manager for SEND Transformation Programme, Devon County Council
• Mike Bomford, Media and PR Manager (Strategic), Devon County Council
• Paul Walker, CEO, First Federation Multi-Academy Trust and Chair of Devon Schools Leadership Services (DSLS)
• Rachel Shaw, CEO Exeter Learning Academy Trust
• Trevor Doughty, Chair of SEND Strategic Partnership Board, Independent
• Victoria Mitchell, Co-chair of Parent Carer Forum Devon (PCFD)

Apologies

• Ceri Morgan, Deputy Director – Education and Learning, Devon County Council
• Donna Manson, Chief Executive, Devon County Council
• Liz Wood, Assistant Director for Disability Services, Adult Disability Leadership, Devon County Council
• Penny Smith, Chief Nursing Officer, NHS Devon
• Shayna Stanbury, SEND Programme Officer, Devon County Council
• Stuart Collins, Director of Children and Young People’s Futures, Devon County Council
• Su Smart, Deputy Director of Commissioning – Out of Hospital, NHS Devon

1. Welcome, introductions and apologies

T Doughty welcomed the group to the board and a round of introduction took place.

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.

• ICB- Action: TD to liaise with Donna to seek an update on action regarding system co-ordination.
• Multi-agency QA auditing – KK reported that schools’ representatives will be fully involved in the EHCP audits.

3. One Devon Autism Waiting List Recovery

• FO’F outlined the current situation with Autism Waiting List Recovery programme. Funding has been identified and providers have agreed a project plan, led by Frank O’Friel; monthly updates to be provided to the Board.
• Over 5000 young people in the Devon ICB area are awaiting an assessment, 1500 of which may be able to receive an expedited diagnosis where they will already have seen a paediatrician and further information has been gathered from school and the parent carer. Strategy is in place increase assessment capacity. While the task remains significant, it is hoped that by March 2025, no children are waiting more than 52 weeks for an assessment. The Board considered the prioritisation process, which will take into account length of time on the waiting list, care status, and children at significant school transition points.
• The assessment and diagnosis processes were explained to the Board.
• The Board considered potential unintended consequences of addressing backlog of autism diagnoses on requests for EHC needs assessments. It was reiterated however that children should be able to have their presenting needs met in school regardless of diagnosis. Peer support, a website, navigators and a helpline will form an enhanced network of support which is being put in place for families awaiting autism assessment and diagnosis. Acknowledged that families will still seek the assurance of a formal diagnosis.
• Details of the programme are planned to be communicated shortly to families on the waiting list. Noted the importance of linking with Preparing for Adulthood teams in a timely manner.
• Messaging to schools will be important to promote positive understanding of the programme and to explain how to continue to support children effectively.
• Further update will be available for information at the November Board – Action: FO’F

4. Coproduction

• Feel a renewed strategic commitment to coproduction at strategic partnership level is required to embrace a changed culture and attitude in the system; coproduction should become the primary method of working, and not a discrete process.
• Considered the need for a renewed commitment to stakeholder engagement, acknowledging that administrative systems potentially create barriers to effective organisation and bringing people together. Different approaches to engagement should be considered.
• The Board heard that while it is understood that embedded coproduction produces better outcomes, project timeframes have not always built in sufficient time to coproduce effectively.
• The Board agreed to bring together coproduction change champions to collectively promote coproduction as a preferred way of working. This group could model good practice and work alongside a wider stakeholder group to move forward and embed good practice. Liam Ennis confirmed that DfE resource has been secured specifically to assist Devon to develop coproduction practice.
• Action: PW to liaise with M Coleman in convening a working group to consider how best to bring partners together to plan an event to set out a renewed approach to embedding coproduction practice.
• PCFD acknowledged that the SEND Strategy development has been a good example of coproduction.
• Brian Gale urged an urgent renewed focus to demonstrate to Ofsted that at every level there is closer working with families and young people to understand their experience. 

5. SEND Transformation programme progress report.

Programme overview

• A new decision-making process has been put in place around High Needs placements. 
• The Board considered challenges and concerns escalated from the Programme Board including around moving on sufficiency projects.  Noted a capital update is due to be considered at the November Board. 
• Additional commitment to partner engagement in the Workforce Development and other strands is required to ensure pieces of work are completed and that momentum is maintained.  
• Action: AS and KK Lack of representation from DCC colleagues to be escalated to SLT.   
• Action: FO’F and SS to identify key leads within Health to work with project lead to develop and drive forward SEND workforce development implementation. 

Programme milestones

• A SEND Governance review has been proposed by the Programme Board, with support by Brian Gale and Mark Tucker. ICB agreement to be sought; D Manson has endorsed this approach.
• Action: TD to liaise with Donna re. The SEND Governance Review
• Noted there has been renewed slippage on many programme areas which will impact on the ability to meet Safety Valve targets.
• It was agreed that SEND Transformation milestones would be reviewed by SLT; the Board heard that a new Gold Command governance approach will be put in place to monitor the financial situation.
• Leadership commitment is needed to ensure there is accountability across the piece, and to ensure that system-wide risk is managed effectively.
• Brian Gale commented that all Safety Valve LAs are currently struggling to meet their targets in the difficult climate.

Programme Delivery Tracker

• Board queried the accuracy of project level RAG ratings and shared concerns that RAG ratings are shifting negatively across the programme.
• Considered timeframes for financial monitoring against projected savings targets, mindful that timing of termly monitoring updates do not always fit well with Board scheduling. 

DfE/NHSE Agreed Delivery targets

• Weekly performance meetings are beginning to drive accelerated improvement. 
• Number of EHCPs being issued is increasing and this is being acknowledged by schools, however there are ongoing challenges around quality assurance implementation. 
• Noted that the elevated numbers of EHCPs being issued as a result of accelerated DfE targets, and the funding associated with those EHCPs, will have a direct impact on Devon’s ability to meet agreed Safety Valve targets.  It was acknowledged that there are conflicting priorities across DfE departments Action: Liam Ennis to refer this specific concern back to the DfE. 

Communications update

Noted there has been an expanding reach on social media and SEND newsletter circulations.

6. Accelerated Progress Plan

• Accelerated Progress Plan
• APP will be updated for upcoming monitoring with DfE and NHS England. Some drift has been identified overall.
• Have identified areas of positive progress, particularly around reduced levels of complaints, increased timeliness and timely advice from partners
• There are ongoing challenges remain around exclusions and suspensions and increased numbers of requests for EHC needs assessments.
• It was suggested that fixed-term exclusions and suspensions are revisited as an agenda item at a future Board.

7. AOB

None raised

Date for next meeting: Thursday 21 November 2024