Councillors and committees

Agenda item

SURREY INCLUSION AND ADDITIONAL NEEDS STRATEGY

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

  1. That Cabinet endorses the Inclusion and Additional Needs Strategy 2023-26 and in doing so approves the following ambition statement for children with additional needs and disabilities:

 

“Our aspiration is to enable Surrey children and young people aged 0-25 with additional needs and / or disabilities to lead the best possible life. ?This strategy sets out our ambition that all Surrey children and young people with additional needs and/or disabilities and their families:?

 

·         are heard and are involved in the decisions that affect them?

·         achieve positive outcomes, including the opportunity to lead healthy lives?

·         develop positive relationships ?

·         learn and achieve their educational potential, and ?

·         become increasingly independent where possible and flourish within their community?.

 

To achieve this, we will work in partnership with families and colleagues across education, health, social care and the third sector to:?

 

·         improve experiences and outcomes for children, young people and their families and ensure that no-one is left behind?

·         be a champion for children and young people with additional needs and/or disabilities?

·         ensure children and young people are rooted in Surrey and educated locally, wherever possible?

·         learn from our feedback and continue our improvement journey”.

 

Reasons for Decisions:

 

It is  a requirement of the Children and Families Act 2014 and associated SEND Code of Practice to “ensure that all children and young people are able to access the right support and provision to meet their needs”.

 

The Inclusion and Additional Needs Strategy 2023-26 replaces the Surrey ‘SEND’ Partnership Strategy 2019-2022 and underpins the additional needs and disabilities transformation programme. The strategy sets out the commitment of the partnership to work together to enable all children with additional needs and disabilities in Surrey to thrive and achieve their full potential.

 

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee)

 

 

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Education and Learning presented the Inclusion and Additional Needs Strategy to Cabinet which sets out the commitment of the Surrey Additional Needs and Disability Partnership to work together to enable all children with additional needs and disabilities in Surrey to thrive and achieve their full potential. It was explained that the strategy was an example of great partnership work and had taken on the views of children and their families. The strategy had been scrutinised by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee whose views had been considered and incorporated into the strategy. The Cabinet Member explained that the number of EHCPs had massively increased in the last five years and there had been very little financial support from the government. The council is committed to the principle of early identification and support for children and their families. The Cabinet Member explained that a small number of parents had staged a powerful protest outside the council offices. The Cabinet Member had listened to the stories of these parents and apologised for the delays and the stress and the strain that sometimes these parents and families are put through. The Leader stated that he also had an opportunity to speak to these parents and that it was important that the council listens to the lived experiences of residents.

 

RESOLVED:

 

  1. That Cabinet endorses the Inclusion and Additional Needs Strategy 2023-26 and in doing so approves the following ambition statement for children with additional needs and disabilities:

 

“Our aspiration is to enable Surrey children and young people aged 0-25 with additional needs and / or disabilities to lead the best possible life. ?This strategy sets out our ambition that all Surrey children and young people with additional needs and/or disabilities and their families:?

 

·         are heard and are involved in the decisions that affect them?

·         achieve positive outcomes, including the opportunity to lead healthy lives?

·         develop positive relationships ?

·         learn and achieve their educational potential, and ?

·         become increasingly independent where possible and flourish within their community?.

 

To achieve this, we will work in partnership with families and colleagues across education, health, social care and the third sector to:?

 

·         improve experiences and outcomes for children, young people and their families and ensure that no-one is left behind?

·         be a champion for children and young people with additional needs and/or disabilities?

·         ensure children and young people are rooted in Surrey and educated locally, wherever possible?

·         learn from our feedback and continue our improvement journey”.

 

 

 

 

 

Reasons for Decisions:

 

It is  a requirement of the Children and Families Act 2014 and associated SEND Code of Practice to “ensure that all children and young people are able to access the right support and provision to meet their needs”.

 

The Inclusion and Additional Needs Strategy 2023-26 replaces the Surrey ‘SEND’ Partnership Strategy 2019-2022 and underpins the additional needs and disabilities transformation programme. The strategy sets out the commitment of the partnership to work together to enable all children with additional needs and disabilities in Surrey to thrive and achieve their full potential.

 

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee)

 

 

 

Supporting documents: