Decision details

Sian Rees, Improvement Partner, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities presented the Board with an update report on the assessment of progress on the Improvement Plan and Accelerated Plans.

Following the inspection which was carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in November 2017 there were two fundamental failings and twelve areas of significant concern identified.

Partners in Lancashire were required to produce a Written Statement of Action, setting out the immediate priorities for action.  Progress on the implementation of these actions had been monitored by the Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England.  The Written Statement of Action had been updated and any ongoing actions included in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Partnership Improvement Plan for the period April 2019 to December 2020.

On the Improvement Plan, there were five delayed actions. Of these the review of the Personal Budget policy was expected to be completed in November 2019; the improved Local Offer site was soft launched on 10 October 2019; the development of a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Sufficiency Strategy and work with post-16 providers to develop Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision had commenced. 

Of those actions yet to commence there was risk of delay with one action due in January 2020 i.e. to review the access criteria for support from the Children with Disabilities Social Work team. This was as a result of capacity.

On the Accelerated Plans, there were five plans in total; four were on track. These were focused on: improving the quality of Education Health and Care Plans; improving education outcomes; implementing the Neuro-developmental Pathway and the process of transition from Children’s Social Care to Adult Services. The fifth plan to improve the accessibility of and information on the Local Offer was delayed - the soft launch of the new site took place on 10 October 2019 and information continued to be updated and revised. The full launch, supported by promotion, would take place in January 2020 followed by user testing.

Resolved:  The Health and Wellbeing Board:

i)  Noted the delay in the re-visit from Ofsted.

ii)  Considered the report on progress to date in delivering the actions in the Special Educational Needs Improvement Plan and the Accelerated Plans.