Invitees

Deborah McMillan, Corporate  Director – Education and Transformation

Cllr Huw David, Cabinet Member Children & Young People

Nicola Echanis, Head of Strategy Commissioning and Partnerships

Sue Roberts, Group Manager – School Improvement

Michelle Hatcher, Group Manager - Inclusion

Lorraine Silver, ALN Casework Manager

The Corporate Director Education and Transformation presented an update on children and young people who are educated outside the Authority (OOA pupils) and on local Authority changes to the statementing of children with Special Educational Needs.  She stated that prior to the re-structure of the Inclusion Service in 2014, the Authority did not have a system in place for tracking children placed OOA.  The cost to the Authority of OOA provision was extremely high, with the quality of provision and ability to meet the needs of the young person often unchallenged. 

The Corporate Director Education and Transformation reported that Bridgend was the worst performing Authority in Wales for statutory assessments of children’s special educational needs.  The aim was for children and young people to remain within their local community with family and friends, attending a local authority school which was able to meet their educational needs.  She informed the Committee that a strategic approach had been adopted and a data base implemented which had led to significant improvements being made.  The data base identified type of Additional Learning Need, current placement and the date of statutory annual review.    The data base had identified that 32% of statemented pupils educated OOA have a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder, (ASD).  A significant development had been a proposal for two classes for pupils with ASD attending Ysgol Bryn Castell Special School commencing in September 2015 to accommodate KS4 and KS4/5 pupils.   

The Corporate Director Education and Transformation informed the Committee the Authority’s approach to statementing pupils had changed with greater emphasis placed on the statutory assessment of pupils to ensure the right decision had been reached by the Authority in matching educational provision to need and that this was captured in a statement.  She stated that the Authority’s performance had risen to 100% new requests for statements being issued within 26 weeks, with the Authority now placed 1^st out of 22 in Wales for performance in 2014/15.   

The Corporate Director Education and Transformation informed the Committee of the estimated savings of £304k in 2014/15 through the ending of external placements.  A net saving of £152k had been identified of providing ASD support within Bridgend.  She stated that the Authority had been able to avoid £200k additional costs by multi agency working which meant two pupils with complex needs being kept in county instead of being placed out of county. 

The Committee commented that they were impressed of the changes being made so that pupils were educated locally as opposed to being educated out of county. 

The Committee questioned whether there had been resistance from parents where children were brought back into county.  Officers had identified issues of resistance from parents to bring children back in to county due to the potential for disrupting children.  However this had been prevented by the Children’s Commissioner in some cases.  Officers advised that communication with parents and young people is of paramount importance.      

The Committee questioned the suitability of the new provision for pupils with ASD in Ysgol Bryn Castell.  The Group Manager Inclusion informed the Committee that pupils with ASD were placed in a unit in Penarth, although it was of paramount importance to educate locally.       

Conclusions

Following detailed discussion the Committee commented that they were favourably impressed with the report and the changes being made for educating all pupils locally rather than some out of Authority. 

The Committee commented on the links that needed to be ensured between educating pupils with complex needs and any new remodelling of Children’s residential homes due to the fact that the report stated that 50% of OOA pupils are also Looked After Children.  If this figure continues but they are now being kept in house, the Authority needs to ensure that there is sufficient foster care or residential places for these pupils.

Members queried the sustainability of the new provision being placed in YBC Special School for pupils with ASD in light of the Authority’s current financial situation.  The Committee strongly supported the long term continuation of this provision and thus agreed that it, as well as the work in general relating to the education of OOA pupils and pupils with complex needs, needed to closely monitored from a budgetary aspect to ensure it is funded accordingly to meet the needs of these vulnerable children.

Additional Information

The Committee requested a brief update on whether there had been any progress on Weston House for Post-16 learners as there were potential savings to be made here.