Issue - meetings

To progress check if Recovery Plan is bringing timeliness in line with statutory obligations and understand lessons learned from a review of the EHCP statutory process.

Witnesses:

• Clare Curran, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong
  ?Learning
• Rachael Wardell, Executive Director for Children, Families and
  ?Lifelong Learning
• Julia Katherine, Director for Education and Lifelong Learning
• Liz Bone, SEND County Service Planning & Performance Leader
• Kerry Oakley, Headteacher of Carrington School, Redhill

Key points made in the discussion:

1. The Chair said Surrey County Council was required to manage demand and review the Education, Health and Care processes as part of the Safety Valve Agreement with the Department for Education (DfE), which provided £100 million additional funding to offset the cumulative deficit on special educational needs. Part of the Recovery Plan aimed to help reduce the number of EHCP requests by strengthening Ordinarily Available Provision in schools. The End-to-End Review focused on improving the 20-week statutory process from the initial request to the issue of the EHCP, as well as annual reviews.

2. The Chair said the review showed clear progress in completing more EHCPs on time, with rates improving from 9% in December 2022 to 71% in July 2023. The Cabinet Member said the level of timeliness achieved was commendable and ultimately the ambition was 100% wherever feasible. She noted the Council must report to the DfE three times a year on the Safety Valve Agreement.

3. The headteacher, invited to report on progress observed in her school, described more EHCPs being completed and the increased stability and improved communication from having the same case officer for the last four months. The Specialist Teachers for Inclusive Practice (STIP) team had provided a good service with mental health support. She added that the challenge remained of the school not being able to refer to MindWorks. She also had concerns about the reduction in the number of specialist places planned, anticipating requests for EHCPs would continue to grow. Consultation with the Council was also problematic, with three pupils allocated to the school despite them stating at consultation that they could not meet their needs.

4. The SEND County Service Planning & Performance Leader responded that schools had the opportunity to voice concerns about their ability to meet need. There should then be a conversation about what reasonable adjustments could be put in place, and she was sorry that had not happened in Carrington School’s experience. There were plans to streamline the consultation process.^* The Chair said this highlighted the need for better communication with schools. The Executive Director for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning said the Service would follow up on the status of all cases where schools directed to take a student had expressed a view that they could not meet need .

5. The Chair asked what was being done to support disappointed parents after only 16% of a sample of recovery plan EHCPs in July 2024 were rated good or outstanding, down from 22% in May 2024. She had been notified by parents of wrong or missing information and not being able to reach their case officers. The SEND County Service Planning & Performance Leader said the review has identified issues  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38