A period of 30 minutes has been set aside for members of the public to ask questions on the agenda for tonight’s meeting.
Minutes:
No questions were received in advance of the meeting.
There were two members of the public in attendance at the meeting who each asked a question
Kiera Delaney referred to the recent Ofsted monitoring inspection and noted that improvement activity had been undertaken across all six priority areas. She highlighted continuing concerns regarding preparation for adulthood and asked what independent evidence officers had that Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) were leading to better outcomes in practice.
Kiera further asked what accountability and governance arrangements were in place to ensure that the findings of the inspection translated into improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND, and how the Council assured itself that EHCP provision was being delivered and adhered to.
Ben Dunne stated that the Council accepted the findings of the inspection and recognised that further improvement was required. He advised that progress had been made since 2024 and that the SEND Partnership Board and SEND Improvement Assurance Board were providing oversight of the improvement programme and monitoring delivery against key priorities.
Wendy Young highlighted that co-production remained an area for development. A draft Co-production Charter had been developed with input from the Parent Carer Forum, and further work was underway to strengthen engagement with parents and carers and ensure their views informed SEND improvement activity.
She added that social care contributions to EHCPs were monitored through statutory reviews and quality assurance processes. Provision within EHCPs was considered non-negotiable, and a range of mechanisms were in place to monitor delivery and take action where provision was not being secured.
The Chair thanked Kiera for her question.
Kiran Hampson asked whether the Committee would agree to allow additional time for public questions if time permits. She also asked how quarterly performance data, including the lived experiences of children and young people and their parents, would be published and whether the Council would commit to making this information available on its website.
The Chair clarified the Committee's procedure for public questions, advising that under the Committee's rules only one public question is permitted per person and supplementary questions are not usually allowed. However, where a question is submitted in advance then a supplementary question can be asked if this relates to the initial question will be accepted
In response, Ben Dunne advised that performance monitoring and governance arrangements are being overseen through the KPI and Governance Sub-Group, which is tracking progress against key measures. He explained that part of this work will include making relevant performance datasets publicly available. He also highlighted the role of specialist sub-groups, including the SEND Sufficiency Sub-Group, and noted that other priority areas within the Improvement and Impact Plan will be incorporated into the sub-group structure.
Councillor Walmsley emphasised the importance of transparency and expressed support for publishing performance information where appropriate. She assured members of the public that she would be available to discuss any concerns or questions and agreed to follow up directly with those in attendance. Councillor Walmsley also asked officers to provide appropriate assurances and committed to being available for further discussions by telephone or email.
The Chair thanked Kiran for her question.