Decision details

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Decision Maker: Children's Services Scrutiny Committee

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: No

Decisions:

Brendan Lee, Head of Service Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provided a brief overview on SEND and three key areas of work for the Committee to consider as a focus for the sub group.

 

The Committee was advised that there were five distinct services within SEND which includes Education Psychology, Integrated Assessment and Monitoring, Children with Disabilities, Social Work and Specialist Inclusion Support Service.

 

Brendan informed the Committee that most or all of these services could be involved with a child depending on the level of disability and the support structures around the child (family situation, safeguarding issues etc).  All of these services would work together to ensure the right outcome for that child.

 

Brendan then outlined the three key areas of work to the Committee for consideration:

 

1. Best Interest within the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) - this was reported to be a key area for the SEND service as it impacted across all areas and there was a need to identify what was the definition of best interest.

 

2. Service provision in Education Psychology – there continues to be a national problem in recruiting Education Psychologists and there are considerable vacancies in SEND.  All EHC plans must have educational psychology advice (6500) in addition to their normal workload which is causing issues in service provision. As a result, work to identify what a high quality service would look like would be very beneficial.

 

3. Brendan reported that they are currently reshaping the Lancashire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF).  From this work it has been identified that 95-98% of the services are to white British middle class which was reflected in the membership of the LPCF.  As a result, there was a need to identify why this imbalance has occurred and what could be done to address this.

 

Resolved: The Committee:

i.  Confirmed and noted the members for the SEND sub group of the Committee

ii.  Considered which area of the SEND service to review through the sub group

iii.  Confirmed a review to be completed by the sub group on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (Best interest)

 

Report author: Wendy Broadley

Date of decision: 20/04/2016

Decided at meeting: 20/04/2016 - Children's Services Scrutiny Committee

Accompanying Documents: