Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education

Further to Minute No. 25 of 26 January 2021, the Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education updating Committee Members on the progress made against the actions taken and progress made with regard to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Continuous Improvement Plan.

The report indicated that the Health and Wellbeing Board provided system leadership, kept the Council’s Cabinet informed of progress and, if necessary, would escalate concerns to this Committee to provide additional scrutiny.

The report set out the background to the matter, together with an update against actions required in delivering the Improvement Plan.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised issues on the following:

• Personal Health Budgets (PHBs) and the process involved to access them. Additional information could be provided.
• The process for Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans, together with the process to convey information on them, particularly since the pandemic.
• A breakdown of the number of people accessing PHBs by age category; opportunities for families to provide feedback on the process for EHC Plans; and areas of priority for outcomes of joint commissioning. A more in-depth summary of integrated care could be submitted to the next meeting, to include a glossary of terms used.
• The possibility of a further Care Quality Commission (CQC)/Ofsted re-visit of the service.
• The promotion of the Kooth facility in schools, as some teachers were not aware of the facility.
• CAMHS waiting times and the anticipated increase in demand for mental health services, including how demand would be met. Detail could be submitted to the Committee.
• Promotional material used to publicise services, including where and how it is publicly available. This could be brought to the Committee.
• Numbers of young people awaiting EHC Plans and who are in transition. Exact numbers could be provided.
• Year 11 reviews for young people awaiting EHC Plans.

·       Data on Kooth, to include the number of referrals, length of time for responses, calls missed, waiting lists, etc. Information could be provided.

• How training delivered to relevant health professionals with responsibility for EHC Plans could be measured in terms of improvements.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the progress made and the fact that activity has continued to be prioritised during the pandemic, be noted;

(2)      the progress made to date be noted;

(3)      the Interim Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education be requested to obtain information on the following:

• Additional information on Personal Health Budgets and the process involved to access them, including a breakdown of the number of people accessing PHBs by age category;

• CAMHS waiting times and the anticipated increase in demand for mental health services; to include how demand would be met;

·       Data on Kooth, to include the number of referrals, length of time for responses, calls missed, waiting lists, etc.; together with assurances that schools are aware of the resources available;

·       Numbers of young people who are in transition requiring Education, Health and Care Plans;

• Promotional material used to publicise services, including where and how it is publicly available; and

(4)      the Interim Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education be requested to submit a report on future priority joint commissioning plans for Children’s Services, together with an update on the development of the Integrated Care Programme, to the next meeting of the Committee scheduled for 28 September 2021.