Minutes of the SEN Reorganisation Steering Group

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JW – The DfES funding announcement will now be made in January, although some embargoed technical information will be provided at the end of November.  HTs concerned about the impact the lack of announcement is having.  The indications given at the end of November, however, may help.

The FM Task Group has completed its recommendations which were passed to Secondary HTs last week and will go to Special School HTs next week for Governor consideration.  Included are: building maintenance, grounds, cleaning and security.  Not included: catering and ICT, although ICT infrastructure to be included in the design of the buildings.  For future discussion will be the facilities of reprographics, media support and local school transport.

PG thanked the group for the commitment made and for completing ahead of schedule.

Twelve mainstream school representatives visited a PFI extended community school with an FM contract in Sunderland.  JW asked if other visits should be arranged for any interested group members.  PG and CH suggested visiting a special school under PFI.

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The report now going to Executive on 2 December.

Riddlesden St Mary’s no longer proposed as a co-located site.  PG - Although it was not unanimous from the school, their views were such that it would be impossible to pursue further despite good support from the CE Diocese. Now looking at another site which will require further consultation in the Keighley area.  HTs will be kept informed of developments.

All sites visited with the exception of one concerning the review of designated specialist provision.  Report to EPP in the spring to increase/decrease provision.

Deaf provision will be considered discretely from the rest.  A paper to begin consultation going to EPP in December with formal consultation beginning in the spring term with a paper returning to EPP just before/after Easter with ideas.

LA suggested that Mafees Nazir could assist with the consultation.

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Vision into Practice (CH):  Colleagues were thanked for passing information to the subgroup.  All details gathered to form a pack with the specifications and thinking tested through a series of visits to special schools over the next 4 months.  CH agreed to CD’s request for someone from Social Services to be involved with the process.  DfES templates expected in May.  PG commented that this would be a good opportunity to involve parents.  General agreement to this and CH stated that there should be a series of opportunities arising.  SG and GB agreed to consider ways of engaging parents in the process.  CH – co-located schools cannot be involved until after Executive approval.

Buildings (RM): At the moment the group is dormant.  The visioning work undertaken by CH’s group should lead to the following process: visioning, DfES guidance, exemplar designs, funding.  These four strands need to come together before furthering the process through working with architects.

Buildings Transition (BD): Last meeting taken place at Bolling Special.  Opportunity taken to look around the school at existing equipment to be moved.  Visit planned to Lister Lane on 2 December and later to Branshaw.  Ultimately, a full list of equipment will be drawn up.  SG enquired about the equipment from Temple Bank - she recognised that the partnership schools will have first call and that some equipment will follow particular children - presumably the rest will go to other special schools.

LA stated that it would be useful to let the health subgroup have any decisions made for their comment.

Brent Fizpatrick is now a member of the subgroup.

HR (MB): Continuing to meet with OJC weekly.  Focusing on Temple Bank but running alongside also considering the other special schools.  At present mapping children and staff using information provided by Nina Mewse from the Education Client Team.

A further letter has been sent to Temple Bank staff and another to the ten special schools’ staff.  Regular communications will be maintained.  The next step is to send special schools’ staff their personal details to update.  SG commented that it would help if support staff had one single contract.

PG – funding and staff will follow children where ever possible. 

MB stated that an issue was raised at the OJC meeting concerning accessing health records, bearing in mind confidentiality.  It was pointed out at the meeting that information can only be accessed through the school nurse.  A request for further clarification concerning this would be taken back to the OJC meeting next week.

Update from the HR subgroup – it was unanimously agreed that parental involvement on the subgroup would be inappropriate, although general communications with parents was vital - LS visited the subgroup concerning this.

JW enquired about the timing of the establishment of temporary governing bodies.  This would be undertaken via John Hesketh (Governor Service).  The timeline for HTs and staff will have to wait until after Executive and perhaps also after SOC.

Training (CH):  Meeting again next Thursday and meeting with HTs also next week.  Staff spending time in schools across the district to further their skills.

Communications (JW / LS):  Continuing to develop the short, medium and long term strategy.  Short term:  Briefing sheets to special and co-located schools.  Meetings being arranged with co-located schools, together with a staff bulletin which will then be adapted possibly for parents.  Consulting with schools to arrange meetings with interested groups to allay local concerns.  Intended also to publish “good news” stories including positive inspection reports from schools with a strong inclusive ethos.  JW – meeting on Tuesday with Wallace Sampson’s department to finalise approval for the website. JR enquired about communication with health groups.  It was agreed that the SEN briefing sheets be circulated for use / to form the basis of within-service updates etc. 

Early Years (RH): The last meeting on 13 November was very productive, building on key principles.  Now working on the location of the Children’s Centres. JW confirmed that minutes from the subgroup meeting should be circulated around the Steering Group.

Health (LA): Met twice already and in future meeting monthly.  Remit considered.  The group will be task orientated and will disband when completed.

Training strategy centred around joint training provision and best practice.  Pilot pursued around speech and language.  A principle requirement will be to work on service mapping and reconfiguration of services.

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Transition group pupils (CH)  Agreed under transition – Glenn Allgood from Education Bradford SEN proposed to co-ordinate the group and involve a member from Parent Partnership and a HT rep.  CH asked for further membership suggestions to be passed to him before/at next week’s meeting.

LA – the Green Paper (Every Child Matters) has major implications for the SEN proposals.  Agreement that this should be an agenda item for the next meeting.

SG enquired about the wider publication of minutes from meetings.  It was agreed that confidential items be placed on a separate back page.  JW added that minutes from subgroup meetings will be published on a secure area of the website.  It was generally appreciated that the group had to strike a balance between good communications and confidentiality.

SG wished it to be noted that the involvement of HTs and staff from special schools in meetings was putting strain on school staffing.  PG replied by stating that there was a possibility of funding to help to alleviate this problem.

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