DECISION:

1.    Note the contents of the SEND Improvement Board Annual Report 2022/23.

ACTION BY:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR CHILDREN AND CULTURE, (J. THOMAS)

Director of Education, (L. Fraser)

Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, introduced the report that provided an overview of the progress and impact of SEND improvement work during 2022/23 and explained how NHS Northeast London and the Council worked together with other partners across the local area to deliver on priorities set out in the SEND Strategy and SEND Improvement Plan.

James Thomas, Corporate Director Children and Culture, provided further detail. James explained that whilst SEND support continues to be an area of significant pressure on the Council, new investment and a strong focus on partnership working had contributed to driving improvements in the past few years.

Further to questions from the Mayor and Cabinet, James provided more detail on the support available for SEND post-16. James expoained that support is provided up to 25 and the Council has expanded provision for that older age group. Lisa Fraser, Director of Education, provided details of new apprenticeship programmes launched January 2023, some of which are specifically for SEND residents.

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Notes the contents of the SEND Improvement Board Annual Report 2022/23.

The Board:

v  Noted that EHCPs are for those children (0-16) or young people (16-19) or adults (19-25) with special educational needs who require support beyond that which an educational setting can provide at SEN support. A child who has educational needs may also have additional health and social care needs and those can be included in the plan so long as they relate to education.

v  Noted that whilst there had been a sustained increase in demand post-Covid with concentration of need amongst younger children. Positive progress had been made in addressing Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) timeliness and backlog with a tentative but promising improvement in quality of new EHCPs. Accordingly, LBTH is proud of the progress that has made so far but does recognise that the profound level of change needed to fully embed the revised processes.

v  Noted that difference the changes made so far are making for parents and young people with regard to: (1) co-production which has provided a “face” & humanised process as parents felt both “included” and “listened to”; and (2) the process being made noticeably clear e.g. One parent involved with Co-production of Family Hubs approach said that they felt incredibly happy and empowered to give their opinion as a parent of a young SEND child and that they were listened to and appreciated for their time.

v  Agreed that access to safe, affordable, good quality housing can have a positive impact on a person's health and well-being. Housing conditions can influence physical and mental health, and children living in crowded homes are more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression. A warm, dry, and secure home is associated with better health, and poor housing is associated with a wide range of health conditions such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, injuries, mental health, and infectious diseases. Whereas inadequate living space, low and high indoor temperatures, injury hazards in the home, and accessibility of housing for people with functional impairments are major health risks associated with poor housing conditions. Therefore, it is important that Board Members should all be working together to make the best use of the available assets that support people’s health and wellbeing (e.g.. helping families in navigating through a process as many may not be aware of the available support and may therefore be suffering in silence).

v  Noted that the current figures in relation to the EHCP timeline have been affected by having to clear the existing backlog in referrals for statutory assessment and additional resource have therefore been provided to eliminate that backlog. Whilst at the same time taking a view on how much of that resource should be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5