Agenda item

1. Ms Atkinson, Assistant Director Management Information and Intelligence, introduced the report, providing the Committee with an overview of the performance data of the individual indicators.

2. In response to comments and questions it was said:
   1. Ms Atkinson clarified that some targets were based on the academic year, while others aligned with the financial year. She emphasised the importance of ensuring the service had access to the latest national and statistical neighbour benchmarks to set appropriate and meaningful targets.
   2. Ms Atkinson explained that recruitment varied across different areas of the county, noting that it was particularly challenging in districts located deeper within Kent.
   3. The Department for Education (DfE) published annual Education, Health and C    are Plan (EHCP) data each July, based on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) returns from local authorities. This enabled comparisons across school types and geographical areas. The Kent Commissioning Plan (KCP) was reviewed annually and included a specific focus on SEND. While efforts were made to reduce out-of-county placements, some children had complex needs that could not be met within Kent, necessitating external placements. As part of a wider SEND improvement journey, a special school review was undertaken to assess the provision and distribution of special schools. Several internal initiatives were introduced to support individuals entering social work, resulting in the recruitment of over 50 newly qualified social workers during the year. However, it was acknowledged that burnout led many to leave the profession early, both nationally and locally, creating a need for ongoing recruitment. Challenges were also identified in university programmes and the student pipeline. In response, local programmes were developed and implemented to maintain a steady flow of professionals into children’s services.
   4. It was noted that upcoming reforms under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill were expected to shift responsibilities not only to qualified social workers but also to alternatively qualified staff. Consequently, key performance indicators (KPIs) would need to be reviewed and adjusted to reflect the broader workforce contribution.
   5. There was a focus on schools working collaboratively at a local level. Through a local agreement, a permanently excluded pupil could be placed in another school and supported to succeed as quickly as possible. Mrs Atkinson confirmed that there were no Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) for primary-aged children.
   6. A Member highlighted the potential impact of the merger between the Universities of Kent and Greenwich.
   7. The timeliness of the Performance Monitoring report was influenced more by submission deadlines for Cabinet Committee reports than by technology. Ms Atkinson explained that if later submission dates were permitted, the service could provide more current data. In response to concerns about the number of primary school exclusions, she suggested that the Head of Service could be asked to provide a more detailed report.
   8. Efforts were made to streamline and improve processes in educational psychology. Measures included reviewing previous reports from independent educational psychologists, shortening report lengths and periodically using local educational psychologists to increase capacity. As part of the 20-week EHCP process, work was undertaken to improve inter-service communication, with a pilot running during the zero to six-week stage to identify potential time savings. Early learning from the pilot was already emerging and the initiative continued to be closely monitored with the aim of further improvement.
   9. Mrs Fordham agreed to request a list of providers whose funding had been cut, with the intention of initiating direct conversations to offer support and foster collaborative relationships aimed at better serving young people in need.
   10. Provisional results for the Early Years Foundation Stage were reviewed. Although results had dropped significantly in the first year following the Covid-19 pandemic, they had gradually improved since. Analysis of the provisional data revealed that children in care faced fewer challenges than other vulnerable groups. A detailed analysis was commissioned from the Corporate Analytics Team to examine learning patterns and identify areas where children were falling behind. This work aimed to inform future strategy, including school support and alignment with the Start for Life initiative focused on family hubs.
   11. Ms Atkinson acknowledged the ongoing challenges in educational outcomes since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Corporate Analytics Team was tasked with conducting a deeper analysis to identify patterns and provide more detailed insights.
   12. Ms Atkinson explained that the average duration for EHCP cases open beyond 20 weeks was below 24–25 weeks. She noted that the structure of the educational psychology service meant that psychologists undertook more than just EHCP reporting. A calendar of training and drop-in sessions was in place and while not continuous, it did not delay EHCP turnaround times.

RESOLVED that the Committee noted the report.