Agenda item

To receive a report from the Chief Executive of Education Leeds which updates Members on the progress made in relation to the SILC Strategy and invites Members’ involvement in the consultation process for the refreshed Inclusion Strategy

Further to Minute No. 114, 8^th March 2007, the Board received an update on the progress which had been made by Education Leeds in relation to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Board (Children and Young People), following the Board’s inquiry into SILCs which was conducted during 2005/06. The report also sought Members’ involvement in the consultation process for the refreshed Inclusion Strategy.

Appended to the report for Members’ information were two documents entitled, ‘Parent Partnership Service Scrutiny Board – Action Plan Response, June 2007’ and ‘The Revised Inclusion Strategy in Leeds 2007-2010: Achieving Excellence by Inclusion’.

Carol Jordan, Strategic Manager, Behaviour and Attendance, Education Leeds,  Rosemary Archer, Director of Children’s Services and Adam Hewitt, Public and Political Executive Support Manager, Children’s Services, were all in attendance to present the report and answer Members’ questions.

Having received a brief summary of the key issues detailed within the report, a question and answer session ensued. The main areas of debate were as follows:- 

Issues relating to accessibility to Special Educational Needs Provision in Leeds

·  Members made enquiries about the ability for pupils to transfer between specialist and mainstream settings and vice versa. Members noted that through the revised Inclusion Strategy, the Authority aimed to deliver a consistently high standard of provision across the education spectrum, whilst also having sufficient capacity to accommodate parents’ preferences;

·  The extent to which there would be a choice of education provision available to those young people who had been through the statementing process, and whether a statement remained a prerequisite to attending a SILC;

·  Members also learned that a forum had been established comprising of professionals from both the mainstream and specialist settings in order to consider such issues.

Issues relating to Communication

·  The Board made enquiries into the actions which would be taken to improve the levels of communication and interaction with parents. In response, it was acknowledged that parents’ confidence in the system was key, and that they needed to be accurately and clearly signposted to the most appropriate educational pathways for their child;

·  Members discussed the extent to which the responses to the Board’s recommendations had fully addressed the issue of communicating with parents in a clear and co-ordinated manner, covering all aspects of support, not just educational support.

General Observations

·  Having discussed the funding arrangements for the provision of services for those with special educational needs, Members learned that such funding required a greater degree of flexibility, in order enable an individual to undertake the most appropriate educational pathway;

·  The Board sought further information on the provision of staff training and development;

·  Members raised concerns regarding the lack of detail in the ‘Revised Inclusion Strategy in Leeds 2007-10’, and were assured that the version of the document provided for this meeting outlined the principles rather than full details;

·  Members then discussed the timescales for the consultation with stakeholders on the refreshed Inclusion Strategy, including a further report to the Scrutiny Board.

RESOLVED –

(a). That the report and information appended to the report be noted;

(b). That an update report on the Inclusion Strategy be submitted to the October 2007 meeting of the Board for consideration.

(Councillor Lancaster declared a personal interest in relation to this item due to being an LEA Governor of the North West SILC)