Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, which provided a summary of the High Needs Strategic Planning Review.

The Board was advised that the 2014 Children and Families Act introduced some of the most far reaching and significant changes to the way the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) were identified, assessed and addressed.

It was reported that over the same period of time, local authorities had experienced a rise in demand for SEND services, whilst the system of funding had changed. Support had been extended to children and young people aged 0 to 25 years. In Halton, High Needs Budget costs were outstripping available funding and therefore the current system was unsustainable.

Halton had commissioned an independent review of SEND by Peopletoo in 2018; the first phase of the work was complete, with three key findings, as set out in the report. Members noted that to address these key findings, five high level recommendations had been made, and it was proposed that the next steps would be to share this with all partners across the Borough, including those in health, schools and colleges, Parents, Carers and all Officers involved in SEND provision.

It was further noted that a second piece of work to set out the actions needed to implement the main recommendations would be required; it was proposed that Peopletoo be commissioned to undertake the implementation phase of the review.

          RESOLVED: That Executive Board

1)    agree the five recommendations identified by the Review; and

2)    agree to commission Peopletoo to undertake the implementation phase of the review.