Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absense were received from Councillors Lee Wilkes, Phillip Irwin and John Currall.

The chair asked members to declare any interests on items present on the agenda.

No declarations were registered.

RESOLVED that:-

The minutes of the meeting held on 5^th March 2024 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Neil Goddard, Assistant Director, Education attended the meeting and provided members with a presentation regarding the North Northants SEND Partnership Priority Improvement Plan.

Members heard that following a CQC /Ofsted Area SEND inspection of North

Northamptonshire Local Area Partnership between 22nd – 26th January 2024. The inspectors found that:

 “There are widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which the local area partnership must address urgently.

Following the inspection four key areas for priority action were identified including partnership working & establishing a shared strategy with plans,

Joint strategic commissioning, governance arrangements and providing accurate and timely assessment of needs. Additional areas for improvement were identified as:

•        Long waiting times for health services

•        Access to specialist equipment

•        Approach to coordinating early years support

•        Relationships with mainstream schools

•        Strategic commissioning of alternative provision

•        Support for transition services / preparedness for adulthood

In addition to the areas for improvement several areas of effective practise were also recognised during the inspection including:

•        Initial Strategic planning

•        Voice of the Child

•        Co-Production

•        Early Help

•        Early years Support

•        Support for Complex Needs

•        Special Schools

•        19-25 Neurodiverse community activities

•        Emotional and well-being offer

•        Sensor Impairment Service

•        SALT needs assessment

Members then heard that the priority improvement plan governance structure including a North Northants SEND Improvement Stakeholder Assurance Group, SEND Inspection Steering Group and SEND Accountability Board to oversee the improvement plan.

The inspection found that leaders across the partnership needed to ensure that there was a clear and cohesive strategic direction for the local partnership. This included a secure understanding of what good-quality partnership working looked like. Leaders needed to ensure that the agreed strategy included effective underpinning plans which clearly demonstrated how improvements will be made in a timely manner for key areas such as transitions, waiting times in health and support available while waiting, and the accurate identification of children’s and young people’s needs.

It was then heard that There was evidence of improved and strengthened strategic planning and delivery of SEND services across the partnership, with clear joint leadership, more specific accountability in place, and a drive to deliver the priorities to sustainably improve outcomes for children and young people and improve the experience of the SEND system for families.

Members then heard that A Joint Commissioning Strategy ensured an agreed approach to service delivery which met the needs of children and families and enables partners to work collaboratively towards achieving clearly defined and measurable outcomes. In addition there is now clarity following the inspection about the respective roles and responsibilities of partners and what is being jointly commissioned at both the Northamptonshire (ICS)

and North Northamptonshire levels.

It was heard that following the inspection leaders across the partnership must put in place the appropriate governance arrangements to deliver and monitor

their SEND and AP strategy across the wider partnership.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

Anna Wong, Transformation Manager within the Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board attended the meeting and provided members with a presentation with regards to the Speech and Language Therapy Service.

It was noted that the Speech and Language therapy service (SALT) provided support to children and young people provides support for CYP who have speech, language, and communication difficulties. This included difficulties with:

·       Understanding language 

·       Using language

·       Communication and interaction 

·       Dysfluency (stammering)

·       Speech sounds

·       Social skills

·       Eating and drinking difficulties (dysphagia) – a key contributor for premature deaths for Learning Disabilities

·       Some children supported may have identified needs such as cleft palate, hearing impairment and special educational needs and disability (SEND).

The service offered assessment, management planning, training for parents and education staff, direct therapy provision where required and outcomes evaluation. The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service was commissioned by the ICB on a countywide basis from Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT). The service provided support for children and young people from the age of 0-19 years and continues to deliver positive outcomes for children in Northants but struggles to achieve the wait times it would like. This reflected the national position for CYP SALT. An Improvement Plan with mitigating actions is in place and being implemented.

It was noted that the Speech and Language Therapy service was experiencing challenges in meeting the 18-week referral to treatment time core internal performance requirement leading to delays in users getting the right support. Several causes were identified including significant workforce capacity challenges, lack of Joint Commissioning for SALT, Increased caseload size and increased number of EHCP assessment requests and Limited early intervention and targeted support in SLCN system.

To mitigate the challenges an Improvement Action Plan had been put in place whilst

Improvements to NHFT internal processes had helped reduce the numbers waiting in recent months.

Joint commissioning for SALT provision in EHCP part F  had been agreed with ICB, NNC and WNC to commence April 2024.

The Better Communication CIC has been jointly commissioned to undertake a gap analysis using the Balanced System approach to understand population needs and make transformation recommendations. The final report had recently been released end of Feb 2024.

The following items were agreed for the July 2024 meeting:

Item 1:  Wilby CEVA Primary relocation to Glenvale Park Update

Item 2:  SEND Update Plan

RESOLVED that:  the Executive Advisory Panel Future Communities agreed

Future items for its meetings.

There being no further business, the Chair thanked Members and Officers for their attendance and closed the meeting.