Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director, Education and Inclusion

The Assistant Director, Education and Inclusion, submitted a report (previously circulated) to update Members on the Ofsted / CQC Inspection on the provision of Special Educational Needs (SEND) support in Darlington and the subsequent development of a Written Statement of Action (WSoA).

The submitted report stated that between January 2022 and 1 February 2022, the local area of Darlington was inspected by Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) and CQC (Care Quality Commission), and that the purpose of the inspection was to see how well the area had put in place the changes across all services that the Children and Families Act 2014 required for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and their families.

The submitted report highlighted that, whilst the lead inspector identified a number of strengths in the local area, there were also two areas of significant weakness identified across Darlington – namely the ineffectiveness of meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND and the impact of this on their outcomes, and poor preparation for adulthood and post-19 opportunities for children and young people with SEND. It was reported that actions were already taking place to address the highlighted concerns, however the report highlighted the need to accelerate these changes and implement the required improvements.

Members were keen to discover whether partners were working together to receive benefits, and to understand how the voices of young people were heard. Members were disappointed to learn that job opportunities frequently broke down within six months, due to a lack of SEND support, and wondered whether the YEI team would have capacity to coach employers to ensure that these opportunities weren’t lost.

Members wanted to learn more about the scrutiny within the school setting, to ensure that actions identified within the Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) were being undertaken by a school, and how the reported feedback aligned with the perception of parents. Members were keen to understand how those with SEND needs were involved in the governance development and arrangements.

Discussion ensued on the work undertaken by Third Sector providers, with Members enquiring as to whether there were any metrics as to the success. Members also highlighted the 20% year on year reduction target in terms of the numbers of requests for specialist provision for children and young people whose needs could continue to be met in mainstream education, noting the graduated model.  

Focus returned to the relationship between parent and school, with Members seeking assurances around a parent’s right to challenge, and the mechanisms in place to facilitate that challenge.

RESOLVED – That the Written Statement of Action be noted.