Agenda item

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, Specialist Children’s Services and Community Services; and the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education and Young People’s Services that monitors performance on all key measures.

1.    Matt Dunkley introduced the report which set out the directorate’s performance management framework and the targets and milestones for each year up to 2020 to monitor performance on all key measures.

a)    In response to comments and questions, Matt Dunkley said that there were significant issues with several looked after children who were placed by other local authorities who were not given a suitable place within schools but remain in placements in Kent. He said that Kent were seeking additional support from Ofsted regarding these children. He said that despite the large number of children in this category, it was important for Kent to find a way to support schools where planning is in place as smoothly as possible and meet those children’s needs.

b)    In response to comments and questions, Sarah Hammond said that in addition to children being placed in Kent by London Boroughs, there were a large number of migrant families settling in Kent from Eastern Europe legitimately and very often their children could not speak English at the start.

c)    In response to a question relating to Social Worker caseloads, Sarah Hammond said that a number of gaps had been identified where there were additional resource needs across the whole of the county, and those areas had been staffed. This in turn put pressure on the staffing budget. She said that whilst it continued to be a challenge, Kent’s social workers were working as efficiently as possible.

d)    In response to a question, Matt Dunkley said he would ensure that a briefing note was distributed to all Members of the Committee which would provide persistent absence figures, indicators and an explanation as to why this was a high percentage.

e)    In response to a question relating to fostering payments, Sarah Hammond said that relatives and friends of carers would automatically receive the same maintenance element as foster carers. They were given the opportunity to undertake a training programme and obtain a professional fee, but many of them did not want the professional fee element. She said that payment received would be exempt from any calculation of other welfare benefits, Kent would assist families but would not fund over and above what was paid to foster carers.

f)     In response to a question, Mr Gough said that Kent had supported specialist support provision for mainstream schools and that demand pressures had risen to a greater extent than anticipated.

2.    Matt Dunkley said that it was important to reflect on the Special Educational Needs and Disability strategy (SEND) and what had happened in Kent. He said that the measures taken by Kent were supposed to dampen demand but had not worked. Therefore, looking at the relationship between development and demand was crucial.

3.    Sarah Hammond said that the Head Start strategy was a school-based programme and was introduced on a gradual phased roll out. She said that although not all schools or areas had head start provision at present, it would be rolled-out throughout 2019.

4.    RESOLVED that the report be noted.