Issue - meetings

To receive a progress update on the SEND Improvement Plan 2019-2020.

Sian Rees, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Team, Lancashire County Council reported on the progress following the inspection by Ofsted and Care Quality Commission in November 2017 to judge how effectively the special educational needs and disability reforms had been implemented, as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014.  The inspection identified two fundamental failings and twelve areas of significant concern.

The partners in Lancashire were required to produce a Written Statement of Action, setting out the immediate priorities for action; the progress on implementing these actions had been closely monitored by the Department for Education and NHS England.

Since the last report to the Board meeting in January 2019, work had continued to progress outstanding and ongoing actions, of which many were now completed.  A Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Partnership Improvement Plan would replace the action plan from January 2019 – December 2020.

The draft plan was being considered across the partnership between 29 January and 22 February 2019, following which a revised plan would be presented to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Partnership Board for their consideration and approval at their next meeting on 1 April 2019.  Work to implement the draft plan had already been taking place, to ensure continued momentum.

A revisit was expected by October 2019 and preparation for that had already commenced and the purpose of the visit was to assess the plan against the 12 areas of significant concern and where there were still risks.

Resolved:  That the Health and Wellbeing Board:

i)  Received the update on progress as presented to the Department for Education and NHS England on 18 December 2018.

ii)  Received and considered the current position on the implementation of the Written Statement of Action.

iii)  Received the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Improvement Plan at their next meeting noting that this would continue to drive forward improvement over the next two years.