Agenda and draft minutes

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Venue: Microsoft Teams

Contact: Mrs C Ashworth 

Items
No. Item

1.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members of this group are asked to consider if they have any interest in any of the matters on the Agenda and if so to formally declare that interest.

Minutes:

Councillor Walsh declared an interest as she is the Acting Head of Learning Support at Holy Cross.

2.

Appointment of Chair

Minutes:

Councillor S Southworth was appointed Chair for the Committee for the municipal year 2020-21 subject to further guidance on the meeting.

 

3.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 62 KB

Minutes of the meeting held on 28th January 2020 are attached.

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

The minutes of the meeting held on 23rd January 2020, be approved as a correct record.

4.

MATTERS ARISING

Minutes:

It was asked if an update could be provided on the Practice Hub of Excellence that took place on the 04th February 2020. Julien Kramer confirmed he will include this under Item 6 of the agenda.

5.

Resetting the Education Service pdf icon PDF 95 KB

Julien Kramer, Interim Assistant Director (Education & Inclusion), to provide an update at the meeting. Report attached.

Minutes:

Julien Kramer, Interim Assistant Director (Education & Inclusion), provided an update at the meeting.

 

Following Julien’s presentation the following topics were discussed:

 

The National COVID-19 Catch Up one-off funding grant, to primary and secondary schools, will be available during the next academic year to support ‘catch up’ due to lost teaching time. However questions were asked how Headteachers will spend this money. Discussions took place around what ‘catch up’ means and how Children need support back into the Education system. The Committee were also advised part of the funding will be nationally administered and therefore we are still awaiting guidance on these funds.

 

The Committee were advised that success for resetting the education service would take place in 3 clear phases:

 

1.   Getting our young people back into school, settled and confirm their wellbeing

2.   To have audited all strategic performances with effective targets

3.   To have demonstrable recovery

 

Discussion took place regarding, should a second wave of COVID-19 effect people in the winter months how will schools receive fair universal offers that are prescriptive. It was clarified that a commissioned piece of research is taking place to understand ‘what is the best of distance learning by age and subject?’

 

It was resolved:

 

1.   Julien Kramer will circulate the report refereed to within his report under Item 3.6.

2.   Julien Kramer to circulate a summer activities programme

3.   Julien Kramer to provide an update report on distance learning and IT support.

4.   Julien Kramer to provide a supplementary note on details of how the funds will be spent.

6.

SEND Governance Arrangements pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Julien Kramer, Interim Assistant Director (Education & Inclusion), Children Young People and Culture. Report attached.

Minutes:

Julien Kramer, Interim Assistant Director (Education and Inclusion) presented the SEND Governance Arrangements.

 

There are seven key performance indicators:

 

·         Out of Borough children are now tracked and monitored effectively.

·         Cleaned up the internal data

·         Extended the in borough provision

·         Reducing out Borough Spend

·         Have opened 3 Hubs

·         Refreshed Governance

·         And reviewed 500 EHC Plans

 

With Bury Together our parents group we are moving from EHC Plan Hours to bands as it provides more flexibility and a better outcome for Bury Children. We are Band of resources that can be varied up and down rather than only allowing hours.

 

It was agreed:

 

1.   A further update to be provided on the SEND Governance arrangements and an updated diagram at a future meeting.

 

 

7.

COVID-19 response pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Sandra Bruce  - Assistant Director Early Help & School Readiness, Tony Decrop – Assistant Director Social Care & Safeguarding and Julien Kramer – Interim Assistant Director Education & Inclusion to provide an update at the meeting (presentation attached).

 

Minutes:

Sandra Bruce Assistant Director (Early Help and School Readiness), provided an update on her service area. Staff responded well in her service area. They had massive amounts of closures from Children Centres, Nurseries and Early Help Providers.

 

At the height of the pandemic there was around 38% of Nurseries open. There was a good uptake of vulnerable children taking places in nursery with around 50% taking their places. Two Centres were kept open, one in Radcliffe and another in Whitefield and we were able to provide practical support to families.

 

We now have 60% of early year’s open along with now entering back into the home. It has been acknowledged that some parents like the virtual meetings and this, on some occasion could be maintained.

 

Virtual provision in place such as parenting and child support.

 

Looking at creating a family offer and will be using the ‘troubled family’ offer to develop a more sustainable approach and different models of intervention to meet demand.

 

Want to build flexibility and agility to improve the response for parents following the opportunities that working from home has presented.

 

Tony Decrop, Assistant Director (Social Care & Safeguarding) provided an update on his service area.

 

The revised way of working has been adapted to allow statutory visits and virtual offers. Foster Carers have been supported and offered Counselling and advice that staff have. Participation has increased from young people via using the virtual reviews.

 

Julien Kramer Interim Assistant Director (Education & Inclusion) provided a brief update of his work area. He advised four main points; Bury’s Education Service in COVID is showing great resilience; communications and moral are as good now as it has ever been; there is great evidence of determination and that the School staff and services that can have a break must do so, that way they can come back refreshed after summer.

 

It was agreed:

 

1.   That Sandra, Julien and Tony all be thanked for their responses and hard work.

 

 

 

 

8.

Work programme/ future agenda items

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

1.   Update on distant learning including the digital offer

2.   Detailed update on the sectors within education Primary Secondary and FE entitlement to the same deal.

3.   Review of Nursery provision and support – can any be taken under Council control?

4.   SEND Provision in the Borough