Agenda item

Purpose of the report: Policy Development

To endorse the key principles and the realignment of commissioning responsibilities detailed in the proposed joint commissioning strategy

Witnesses:

Zarah Lowe, Provision and Partnership Development Manager

Peter-John Wilkinson, Assistant Director for Schools and Learning

Adrienne Knight, Headteacher, Woodlands School

Anne Breaks, Guildford and Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group

Andrea Collings, Family Voice

Key points raised during this discussion:

1.    Officers outlined the realignment of commissioning responsibilities detailed in the proposed joint commissioning strategy. The Committee was informed that Speech and Language Therapy was mainly identified as an educational need rather than a health one in Surrey, and that the current service required improvement due to a disjointed relationship between education services and clinical practice.

2.    The Committee was informed that the joint commissioning approach would mean that both health and education provisions would have a single service specification, rather than the two separate specifications in place. The Committee was informed that the joint commissioning strategy would potentially see an increase in cost to the High Needs Block in the short-term, but would improve outcomes for children and families. It was clarified that the speech and language budget quoted in the report included provision to Special Schools.

3.    The Committee highlighted that the strategy could mirror that of the Services for Young People, by developing a “hub and spoke” model to share knowledge and training. The view was expressed by some Members that more training for early years teachers was necessary. 

4.    Witnesses informed the Committee that speech and language therapy across the county is often focussed on delivering support for the individual student, when it would be more beneficial to adopt a whole school approach. The Committee was told that teachers and Learning Support Assistants would need training from qualified practitioners in order to help deliver the support. Witnesses supported the concept of a county-wide, uniform approach which included a “hub and spoke” model. It was further highlighted that it was important that families were involved in the training process.

5.    The Committee commented that it would like to see a number of performance indicators linked to the outcomes outlined in the report, in order to measure the impact of the joint commissioning strategy.             

6.    The Committee was informed that there was a need to improve transition planning between stages of education. Officers highlighted this was particularly the case when moving from school onto college, where it was important to encourage a move away from one-to-one support in order to develop the student’s independence.

Recommendations:

The Committee endorses and commends the general principles of the Joint Commissioning Strategy. It asks that officers note the following recommendations:

a)    That a consistent universal offer of speech and language therapy is developed across all Surrey early years settings, education settings and schools through training for staff and carers. It is suggested that a “hub and spoke” model is implemented as part of this, in order to allow schools and therapists to share good practice.

b)    That the strategy outlines how it will support children and young people who transition between stages of education.

c)    That the strategy expands on how it will meet the needs of young people in Further Education colleges, given the new responsibilities as a result of Children and Families Act, 2014.

d)    That the implementation model includes performance indicators linked to the outcomes set out by the Joint Commissioning Strategy.