Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from County Councillors Terry Hurn, County Councillor Stewart Jones and John Withington, Parent Governor Representative for Primary Schools.

Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the agenda.

None.

To be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 29 January 2025 be confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

The Chair welcomed County Councillor Jayne Rear, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, Cerys Townend, Head of Service – Inclusion and SEND, Paul Turner, Director of Education, Culture and Skills and Peter Chapman, Interim Associate Director for SEND & Complexities, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board to the meeting.

The presentation provided an update on the next steps and priority actions since the Joint Area SEND Inspection Outcome and is included in the minutes for reference.

The Chair invited questions from the committee and a summary is outlined below:

• Members were informed that the planned Improvement Board, unlike the existing SEND Partnership Board, would operate with a different structure and membership would include a SEND Advisor from the Department For Education.

• In regard to workforce challenges, it was highlighted that the need for professionals who specialised in educational psychology and speech and language was due to these professions requiring a high degree of specialism such as a doctorate. 

• The committee further queried if doctoral trainees in educational psychology could assess children with lower level needs to help address workforce challenges. It was noted to members that there was a national shortage of educational psychologists, as well as a shortage of training places and any amendment to training routes or assessment structure would be decided nationally.

• The committee expressed concern regarding meeting the "EHCPs Priority Action" amid workforce challenges. It was highlighted that whilst successful recruitment in the EHCP team and the use of educational psychologists through agencies had helped mitigate demand on the workforce, it remained difficult to procure them exclusively for Lancashire County Council. Members were further informed that approximately 250–300 assessments were completed monthly.

• It was queried whether the prospect of Local Government Reorganisation would affect the 2027 timeframe for the next OFSTED inspection as outlined in the report. Members were informed that the DFE conduct deep dives every six months to track progress and that a further inspection would occur within three years, possibly before 2027/28.

• The committee raised concern over the lack of SEND school places and the delay to neurodivergent pathways. The committee were informed that significant investment has been made for commissioning of school places including SEND places as well as the introduction of a new commissioning framework. It was noted that neurodivergent pathways were a challenge and placed additional pressure on outside resources such as CAHMS however a pathway was being created and this was a priority for the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB and has been identified as being high risk.

• It was clarified that although the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB did not receive an improvement notice, any improvement would be undertaken in partnership with both Lancashire  County Council and the ICB. It was further clarified that the ICB's Quality Committee Board would receive the same updates and reports as the planned Improvement Board.

• It was noted that around 2,000–2,500 EHCP requests were received annually, but there were insufficient special school places to meet this demand. While appropriate local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The committee considered the work programme for the 2024/25 municipal year, and an update on actions and assurances.

Resolved: That

i.  The work programme for 2024/25, as attached at Appendix 'A' of the report, be noted;

ii.  The formal written responses from Cabinet Members to the outstanding recommendations of the Committee at Appendices 'B', 'C' and 'D' of the report, be noted;

iii.  The information provided as part of the actions and assurances to the Committee at Appendix 'E' of the report, be noted.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the minutes, the chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency. Wherever possible, the chief executive should be given advance warning of any member's intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There were no items of Urgent Business.

The next meeting of the Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee will be the Annual Portfolio and Service Area Update held on Thursday 12 June at 10.30am in Committee Room C – The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.

The next meeting of the Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee will be theAnnual Portfolio and Service Area Update on Thursday 12 June at 10.30am in Committee Room C – The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.