Action

1

Minutes of 29 April 2004 meeting approve.  Issued to Liz Wilson for publication on website.

FSM

2

Matters arising

2.1

Susan Gill and Gary Bowden to raise concerns about access to health records at the SEN Steering Group – Keith to liaise with them.  Hayfield are to lose their school nurse, new arrangements have yet to be identified.

KF/SP

2.2

John Hesketh (Governor Support) has written an advisory note to schools explaining on how the Temporary Governing Bodies will be constituted.  TGB’s possibly to commence September 2004.

2.3

Impact of Remodelling the Workforce.  Consultations are ongoing with Trades Unions and it was agreed that there was a sensitive balance to be achieved between the needs of individual schools and reasonable parity within the workforce.  This item to be put on the agenda for all future meetings.

Secretary

2.4

If vacancies occurred, it was proposed that these be ring fenced to Special Schools initially, HM to raise at Recruitment and Retention strategy group.

HM

3

Feedback on Staff Preference Consultation Document

There had been a very good response from those schools that returned the document, unfortunately two schools did not.  School colleagues were asked to pass on appreciation to everyone who had participated in the survey.  Keith and Hilary commented that the survey had been welcomed in school; it was the first indication for some staff that concrete action was occurring with regard to reorganisation.  Chairperson requested that apologies be passed on to all Nursery Nurses as they had not been separately identified on the form – despite large consultation and piloting of the consultation document!  No group had been omitted on purpose, it was purely accidental – sorry.  More detailed feedback would be available when initial analysis had been completed and this would be shared with this group and the Joint OJC.

All

4

Variable Implementation between Primary and Secondary Phases

4.1

The SEN Steering Group had requested all sub-groups to consider the possibility of Primary schools opening 09/06 and Secondary schools opening 09/07 because of the delay on closure notices caused by a lack of decision from the DfES on funding for the Secondary phase.  The Council had committed to funding the Primary phase.  Critical issues were identified as:

4.1.1

Staff morale and detrimental effect on staff at some schools.

4.1.2

Recruitment and retention.

4.1.3

Money to fund primary schools already committed and the impact on secondary school staff of this decision.

4.1.4

Condition of buildings and the difficulties of teaching for a further year in these circumstances.

4.1.5

Finance.

4.2

Positive and negative issues were then considered:

4.2.1

Positive

4.2.2

Negative

Overall, it was felt that it was not possible to implement the phases with separate timing.  Furthermore, concern was expressed that TGB’s needed to be in place by 09/04 to implement any phase by 09/06, given previous indications that all staff would know 12 months prior to implementation where they would be placed.  It was also felt that more consultation was required in each school.

5

Next Meeting

23 June, 1300 hours, HR Director’s Officer, 6^th Floor, City Exchange.