Issue - meetings

Christy Holden (Head of Strategic Commissioning – Children’s) and Mark Walker (Director of SEND) were in attendance for this item.

Ms Holden introduced the report which set out a proposal for a more co-ordinated approach to securing placements for children in Non-Maintained Independent Special Schools and asked the cabinet committee to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services.

In response to questions from Members, Ms Holden said that soft market engagement had been conducted to explore the relationship with the providers and work was being done to develop a predictive modelling tool to enhance the relationship with those providers.

RESOLVED to endorse the proposed decision of the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services to:

A)   Implement a Dynamic Purchasing System to procure Non-maintained and Independent Special School (NMISS) placements; and

B)   Delegate decisions about the establishment of the new arrangements to the Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education (CYPE), or another Officer as instructed by the Corporate Director for CYPE

Mr Brady and Dr Sullivan asked for it to be recorded that they did not support the proposed decision