Agenda item

– Report of Cabinet member for Education and Health Reform, Mr Roger Gough and Corporate Director of Education, Learning and Skills, Mr P Leeson)

(1)     Cabinet received a report seeking approval of the Council’s Strategy for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

(2)     The Cabinet Member forEducationandHealth Reform,Mr Roger Goughprovidedan introduction to the item, he reported that:

(i)     Thestrategyhadbeenthesubjectofa comprehensiveconsultationand had beenconsideredandendorsedbythe Education Cabinet Committee.

(ii)  Thefocusofthestrategywasextremelycomprehensivebuthadthree overarchingprinciples,set out in the report.These were:

•        Capacity  –  Over  £100m  had  been  spent  over  the  last  decade  to increasecapacityinSpecialSchoolsacross the Countyandthiswork wouldcontinue.  Inaddition further workwasunderwaytoincrease capacity for provisionofserviceswithinmainstreamschoolsinorderto ensurethatprovisioncouldmeetthechangingemotional,social and other needsofchildreninKent.  As aresultofthisworkcapacitywould be further increased and thenumberofchildrenwithspecialneeds placedoutside thecounty wouldreducethereby providingthechildin questionwitha better, moreappropriate, servicewhilecostswere simultaneouslyreduced.

•        ImplementationoftherequirementsoftheChildrenandFamiliesBill.  KentCountyCouncilcontinuedto takea lead role in the work to implement the Bill andwouldcontinue to doso.

•        EnhancingtheconfidenceofParentsandCarersinthesystemand reducinganyconfrontationalelementsthat currentlyexisted.

(iii)       Theresponsestotheconsultationhadbeenoverwhelminglypositive,as had the endorsement of theEducationCabinetCommitteeandherequested that Cabinet nowapprove the strategyforimplementation.

(3)     TheCorporateDirector of Education,learningandSkills, Mr Leesonaddedtothe commentsof the Cabinet Member, he reported thefollowing that:

(i)        The changes to national policy, contained within the ChildrenandFamiliesBillandreflectedinthestrategy currentlybeing consideredwere themostsignificant seen inover 30 years.

(ii)     Theimplementationofthestrategywouldrequiremuch worktowardintegrationofservicesparticularly relevantwouldbethe transformationagenda and how the Councilsupported disabledchildrenand theirfamilies.

(ii)       The  Cabinet  Member  was  right  to  refer  to  the  aim  to increasecapacityandtheinvestments madetowardsthisendoverthelast decade.  Currently,a further £41mwascommittedtotheSpecial Schools review and sixofthe nineremainingspecialschoolsweremovingtowards expansion.  Thestrategy aimedtoachieve700extraplacesinspecialschools in the county overthenextthreeyearsinordertoreduceout of county placementsandrelianceonhometoschool transportthereby reducingcosts anddeliveringbetterservices to childrenandfamilieswith special needs.

(4)     TheLeadersought confirmationoftheCapitalbidtogovernmentforschool expansions,theoutcomeofwhichwouldbecrucialtodeliveringtheaims of the strategy.  MrLeesonreportedthatnoannouncement had yetbeen madebutthat the councilwouldhavesignificantlymoreresourceinthefuturetodeliverthestrategy thanwascurrentlyavailable.  Healsoclarified,followinghisearlierrepresentations, that  mainstream  schools  in  the  county  had  received  the  strategypositively  and soughttodeliver100moreplacesforchildrenwithspecialneeds, particularly autism relatedandspeechdevelopmentneeds,withinmainstreamschoolsinKent. It was hopedthat thatadditionalcapacitywouldnot requireany capitalinvestment,although therewouldbea revenuebudgetneedinthatspecialistteachers couldbeprovided. TheLeaderhopedthat that wouldbethecasebutconsideredthatcapitalspend may be neededdependent on the outcome of thebid.  Heremindedmembersofthe seriousconsequencesoftheoutcomeofthebidnotbeingsatisfactory and the potential forthecounciltostruggletodelivertheschoolexpansionprogrammeinthe medium term.

(5)     TheCabinetMember for Adult SocialCareandPublicHealth,MrGrahamGibbens spoketo the item.  Heparticularlyreferred to the following:

(i)        Thatthecouncilhadrecentlyinheritedadditionalpublichealth funding as a resultoftaking on functions onceownedby thehealthservice. Someofthat fundingwasearmarkedtoaddressthelongstanding disbalance infundingbetweenwestKentandeastKent.  Inparticularandrelatedtothe strategy at hand,wastheplannedreviewofschoolnursingserviceswhich wouldcommenceshortly and to whichthepublichealthbudget hadreserved funding  to  increase  school  nurse  provision  in  West  Kent.    The Cabinet Memberhopedthatthisworkwouldsupporttheethosofthestrategytobe adopted.

(ii)       Thathewelcomedtheexplicitreferencewithinthestrategyto youngpeoplewithmental healthproblemsandthesometimesinsufficient provision for thoseyoung people.  Hehopedthat thepublichealth funding targetedthisareaofworkcouldalsoensurethattheaimsofthestrategy were delivered.

(iii)      Thatthetimeoftransitionbetweenchildhoodandadulthood, particularly forthoseyoungpeoplewithspecialneedswasa crucialtimeand that he wasreassuredthatit featuredinthestrategy, specifically by aimingto ensurethatallyoungpeoplewithadditionalneedswereproperlysupported through to the ageof 25.

(iv)      Thathewelcomedtherecognitionwithinthestrategyofthe difficultiesthat young peoplewithspecial needs experiencedwhenseeking employmentandhopedthat thestrategy wouldenablethecounciltobetter supportthoseyoungpeopleto findworkinboththeprivateandpublicsectors. He confirmedthata further paper toCabinetwouldaddressthisissueinmore detail.

(6)     The Corporate DirectorofPublicHealth, Ms M Peachey,addedto the remarks of the Cabinetmember.  Sheagreed that joint workingbetween the Health, SocialCare and Education professionswouldbecrucialtothesuccessful deliveryoftheproject and would  require  a  change  in  the  way  that  some  professionals  currently  worked. Relatedtothispoint sheexpresseddisappointmentthat KentCommunity Health Trust, Kent’slargestproviderofservicestoyoungpeoplewithspecialneedshadnot respondedtotheconsultationand feltthat thismightindicatea need for further engagement work withhealthcareprofessionals.

(7)     In additionMsPeachey referredagaintotheissueofschoolnursingandplansfor provisionacrossthecounty to be standardised,inlinewiththeaimsofthestrategy under consideration.

(8)     The Cabinet Member forSpecialistChildren’sServices,Mrs JennyWhittleresponded to commentsreceived.  Shereportedthatthreenewcentres,allbenefiting fromKCC investment hadrecently opened tosupportchildrenandyoungpeoplewithspecial needsinKent.  TheseMulti-Agency Hubs,whichshesuggestedmightbebetter named, Specialist Children’sCentresinordertorecognisethose thatthey served ratherthan those thatprovidedtheservice,hadrecently openedinGarlinge, Sittingbourne andAshford.  Thesecentres providedmanyservicesforChildrenwith additionalneedsandtheirfamilies  in  one  place  which  meantthat  pressures  of multipleappointmentsondifferentdaysandindifferentplaceswerealleviated.   In addition  they  had  encouraged  healthcare  professionals  to  work  more  closely together,helpingtomeet anotheraimof the strategy.

(9)     TheLeader agreedthata changeofname wouldbewelcomedandwassomething that wouldbepursuedthrough the correctchannels.

It was RESOLVED