A progress update will be provided on the Authority’s strategic reviews of SEND and Alternative Provision.

Recommended –

Members are asked to consider and to note the update.

(Lynn Donohue – 01274 439606)

A progress update was provided by the Deputy Director, Education and Learning and the Intelligence & Sufficiency Manager on a number of matters related to the Authority’s strategic reviews of SEND and Alternative Provision.

The Deputy Director presented the position of the Authority’s traded services offer, which has been reviewed. The Authority will continue to trade services around Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH) unless there is specific reference in an EHCP to the Local Authority SEMH team. For other areas of Special Educational Needs, the Authority will provide schools with a subsidised allocation i.e. at no charge to the school from the 0-25 SEND Inclusive Education Service.  Schools who have already previously bought packages of support will be contacted by a member of the service to discuss if the school would like to convert this package to meet the needs of pupils with SEMH, to explain the subsidised allocation and to discuss their needs. The Chair of the Forum asked whether schools will be able to purchase a greater amount of support that allocated. The Deputy Director responded that schools would be able to do this.

The Deputy Director provided an update on the strategy, which is focused on developing a wider offer and greater number of specialist places. A ‘Plan A’ for specialist places is currently being developed, which includes the expansion of resourced provision. The Authority is currently talking to interested schools and schools that have spare capacity. The Authority has also arranged a meeting with special schools to discuss the development of more Bradford-located specialist provision as an alternative to the use of OLA / independent provision. The Chair stated that there is a tension in resourced provision due to the DfE’s standards agenda and that the DfE should be asked to consider their stance on this. The Deputy Director responded with the view that Ofsted now assessing inclusion within its inspection framework will be quite powerful in supporting this.  An Academies Member stated that some of the progress that our children make is outstanding and that we don’t capture and present this enough. This view was supported by the Forum.

The Intelligence & Sufficiency Manager provided an update on new free school provision. The closing date for applications for a sponsor for the approved SEMH Free School is the 9 November and the Authority has had communication from number of interested parties. The Authority has submitted an application to the DfE for an additional 140 place ASD free school. The Vice Chair asked for clarification on whether this is an application or a pre-registration of interest. The Intelligence & Sufficiency Manager clarified that this is an application. The Deputy Director added that, as we have already secured a new SEMH Free School, we are unlikely to be successful in our application for this and, in any case, this will be some years off and outside our 3 year strategy. Our places development strategy needs to focus on the creation of additional specialist places ‘here and now’. However, our application is an important marker to the DfE that Bradford needs additional places capacity.

The Vice Chair asked what work is taking place to bring health and social care into the District’s SEND strategy and to clarify this strategy. The Deputy Director responded that the SEND Board has been re-launched so that its membership is reflective of the SEND Reform agenda. Underneath the Board there are focused workstreams, which will bring agencies together quickly. The next Board meeting is at the end of October when the Board will begin to pull its revised strategy together. The Strategic Director, Children’s Services added that he will Chair the Board.

An Academies Member asked that, as the Authority moves ahead with the implementation of a ‘Plan A’ for places creation, the Forum be given sight of the Authority’s capital plan as this becomes available.

Resolved –

That the information provided be noted.