Issue - meetings

The Interim Corporate Director, Children, Education & Communities to present a report which provides an update on the review of processes and provision for children with special educational needs and / or disabilities (SEND) and seeks approval for projects forming part of the SEND scheme in the Children’s Services capital programme.

Resolved:  (i)      That the progress of the Inclusion Review, and the actions being taken to meet additional need and manage the pressures on the High Needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant, be noted.

                   (ii)      That the progress of the capital plan being developed through the Inclusion Review be noted.

Reason:     To confirm that Members are aware of the action already being taken in this area.

                   (iii)     That the capital projects outlined in the report, which form part of the SEND scheme in the Children’s Services approved capital programme, be approved, noting that these will be partly funded from the Department for Education Special Education Provision Capital Grant, with additional resources coming from the basic need grant.

Reason:     So that work can be undertaken to develop provision to meet the needs identified by the review.

The Interim Corporate Director, Children, Education & Communities presented a report which provided an update on work taking place to review processes and provision for children with special educational needs and / or disabilities (SEND).

The number of children with SEND was growing and requests for statutory assessment had also increased in the past five years, in particular for children and young people with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH).  As a result, the council had embarked on an Inclusion Review, to identify areas where provision should be developed to meet need.  The recommendations from Phase 2 of the review were attached as Annex 1 to the report.

Over the next 3 years, York had been allocated £590k from the government’s Special Provision Capital Grant to fund additional provision for children and young people with SEND; this was in addition to capital resources of £525k allocated by the council.  A number of capital projects had been identified for support from the SEND Capital Scheme, including:

·        Developing additional special school and mainstream provision for children with complex autism;

·        Developing Social, Emotional, Mental Health (SEMH) provision at the Danesgate Community;

·        Work to develop more local provision for young people aged 19 to 25.

Approval was sought for the use of this funding, as detailed in the report.

Members expressed their thanks to the Interim Director for her work on the review over recent months, and to Applefields and Hob Moor Oaks Special Schools and the Danesgate Community.

Resolved:  (i)      That the progress of the Inclusion Review, and the actions being taken to meet additional need and manage the pressures on the High Needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant, be noted.

                   (ii)      That the progress of the capital plan being developed through the Inclusion Review be noted.

Reason:     To confirm that Members are aware of the action already being taken in this area.

                   (iii)     That the capital projects outlined in the report, which form part of the SEND scheme in the Children’s Services approved capital programme, be approved, noting that these will be partly funded from the Department for Education Special Education Provision Capital Grant, with additional resources coming from the basic need grant.

Reason:     So that work can be undertaken to develop provision to meet the needs identified by the review.