Agenda item

35.1     The Director of Children’s Services introduced a report on SEND pressures which included a briefing note prepared for MPs and the Department of Education (DfE) on a number of proposals for changes to SEND policy which would help address pressures in the system. This briefing was raised in the House of Commons by Sally-Ann Hart MP during a debate on SEND funding.

35.2     The Director highlighted the Department’s work with the DfE on a change programme, trialling a new format for Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP), multi-agency governance and multi-agency panels.

35.3     The Committee thanked officers for the report and discussed and asked questions on the following areas:

•     SEND legislation – The Committee asked about any planned changes to SEND legislation from 2014, which had lowered the threshold for SEND support and increased pressures on local authorities. The Director outlined the historic lobbying for the rights of SEND pupils, which was supported by the House of Lords, and noted that it would be very contentious if legislation was changed to increase the threshold for SEND support.

•     Special schools in East Sussex – The Committee asked about the timeline for the opening of a new special school which had experienced problems with contractors towards the end of completion. The Lead Member for Education and ISEND noted that pressure had been put on the DfE to resolve this issue and the school was now operating with the use of temporary classrooms, however the Council did not have any control over this issue.

•     Number of SEND pupils in East Sussex – The Committee enquired about the higher number of SEND pupils in East Sussex compared with the national average. The Director responded that although there had been an increase in the number of families seeking EHCPs, partly due to legislation currently allowing families to appeal at various stages, East Sussex County Council (ESCC) was now in line with the national average of pupils with an EHCP. There was a higher proportion of special school placements in the county than other authorities, with a number of well known independent special schools, and some families moving into East Sussex to attend these. The Director outlined the challenge with creating more placements to meet the needs of SEND pupils, as well as supporting mainstream schools to be more inclusive. The Lead Member for Education and ISEND noted the high expectations from parents as well as significant pressures on the budget, however commented that ESCC was in a stronger position than some other local authorities due to previous funding decisions.

•     Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) – The Committee asked if the Department was able to provide EHCP reviews in the prescribed time. The Director responded that they were able to produce the reviews on a timely basis and had invested in additional staff to support this, including ensuring quality and well informed EHCPs for pupils transitioning from primary to secondary school. A recent number of staff vacancies had impacted on some of these timelines, but this had been reviewed in the recent Education restructure. The Department also monitored comments from parents as part of its efforts to understand how well the process was working.

•     Attendance - The Committee recognised the complexity of providing support to children with SEND and noted the resolutions provided, including support for attendance and with alternative provision. The Director highlighted the additional investment in attendance including monitoring attendance of pupils on part-time timetables and noted that they were working with schools to ensure these were only in place for a short period of time.

•     Funding – The Committee sought clarification on funding, including details on a graph in the report which showed ESCC receiving less funding for SEND than the national average. The Director said the Department would provide a more detailed answer after the meeting.

35.4     The Committee RESOLVED to note the report and asked for further information on the Department’s work on the school run projects and involvement in national programmes.