Issue - meetings

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which summarised the response to the statutory consultation undertaken on Primary Special Education Unit (SEN) Provision in Halton. An outline of the decision making process was included in the report for information.

            Members were advised that the review of SEN units resulted in a set of proposals designed to provide flexible provision within mainstream schools that allowed pupils to spend as much time as possible learning alongside their peers, depending on their individual needs.

            It was noted that consultation took place in March 2009 and the feedback from the initial consultation had led to revised proposals with a second round of consultation in June 2009 after approval to commence consultation on the revised proposals which was given by Executive Board in 2009. Detailed in the report for information were the provisions that were proposed. The consultation procedure undertaken was outlined in the report in addition to a copy of the statutory notice and proposal for information.

            It was reported that there had been 137 responses to the formal consultation with 135 responses in support of the proposals published in the statutory notice.

            Members were advised that the decision maker (Executive Board) must decide the proposals within two months of the end of the representation period otherwise the decision must be referred to the adjudicator for a decision. Appended to the report for information were details of the issues the decision maker needed to consider.

            The report also set out the proposals in detail for each school that would be affected by the proposals.

            The Board noted that all parties involved had been consulted despite reports in the local press to the contrary. Members discussed and welcomed the increased provision set out in the review.

REASONS FOR DECISION

            To enable the process to be completed within statutory timescales. Decision to proceed to implementation must be made within two months of the end of the formal consultation.

            Mainstream Primary SEN units are not matching the present and future requirements of the Borough. At present, there are surplus places within Primary mainstream SEN units.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED

            To leave provision as it is. This would leave vulnerable to challenge on the basis of need and value for money.

IMPLEMENTATION DATE

            Approval to proceed with the proposals for primary SEN unit provision must be agreed within two months of the end of the six weeks statutory notice period (21^st April 2010). Implementation in September 2011 to be in line with the implementation of the agreed Secondary resourced provision.

            RESOLVED: That

1)                 to receive the report on the proposals for Primary SEN Unit provision; and

2)                 to approve the proposals, in line with the response to the formal consultation, within the statutory timescale of two months from the end of the representation period (deadline 24^th April 2010).

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People, on the proposals for formal consultation for Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Primary Schools.

            The Local Education Authority (LEA) had undertaken a review of SEN provision within the Borough. The Council was committed to providing a range of SEN services to meet the individual needs of children and their families. The diverse range of provision in the Borough had meant that schools could cater for individual needs and were able to personalise the curriculum for certain individuals. This broad range of services placed the Council in a strong position to meet both current and emerging needs.

The report detailed the review stages of Primary SEN provision, with an analysis of the responses to informal consultation carried out in June 2009. The reasons for the Primary SEN review were listed in the report and details of the present SEN unit provision in Primary mainstream schools in the Borough was attached at Appendix 1.

            The Board noted that the LEA would ensure that Pathways for learning for SEN pupils would be personalised for the child and their family, and this would involve the current Primary SEN unit being re-designed to provide flexible provision within the appropriate setting. There would be joint working with other areas of Children’s Services, for example Health and Social Care, providing a wrap around provision for children and their families.

Reasons For Decision

To formally consult on Section 4 of the report.

There were surplus places within Primary mainstream SEN units.

Mainstream Primary SEN Units were not matching the present and future requirements of the Borough.

Alternative options considered and rejected

To leave provision as it was. This would potentially leave the Council vulnerable to challenge on the basis of need and value for money.

Implementation date:

The proposals for Primary SEN resourced provision must be implemented by September 2011 to be in line with the implementation of the agreed Secondary resourced provision.

            RESOLVED: That Executive Board

(1)               endorse the proposals and recommendations contained in the report; and

(2)               gives approval to proceed to statutory consultation on the proposals on 7 January 2010, and report back to Executive Board on 4 March 2010.