Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Director of Children and Education Services

The Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) received a briefing note and presentation of the Director of Education and Children’s Services that provided an update on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The presentation was attached as an Appendix to the report. The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills and the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People attended the meeting for this item of business.

At the meeting on 13 March 2025 (minute 72/24 referred), the Board requested an update on any reforms proposed at a national level and also on preparation for an inspection. A seminar for all Members was held on 12 January 2026.

Following significant and major SEND reforms announced by the Government, a White Paper had been issued on 23^rd February 2026. The main headlines of the Paper were: staff development – workforce reform; family hubs; inclusion bases; experts at hand – having an expert team available to schools around support to SEND needs; and Individual Support Plans to run alongside EHCPs. Many of the proposals aligned with what Coventry was already doing and the LA’s direction of travel. Work would now be undertaken to understand the mechanisms in the White Paper, including access to funding.

The presentation provided information on the following:

·  Local Area Inspection

·  SEND Self Evaluation

·  SEND Local Reform Plan (new requirement)

·  Focus Areas: SEND & Alternative Provision (AP) Self Evaluation – Outcomes & Experiences and System Leadership

·  Outcomes & Experiences of Young People with SEND and their Families - Identification & Participation and Access, Transition & Inclusion

·  System Leadership across the Local Area Partnership - Ambition & Engagement, Joint Information & Commissioning, and Evaluation & Multi-Agency Working

·  Delivering Change – Governance, SEND Transformation Priorities, Workforce Development, Adaptive Provision, Alternative Provision, Enhanced Resource Provision, Specialist Provision, Further Priorities, and National Direction of Travel

In considering the briefing note and the presentation by officers, the Board discussed issues, asked questions and received responses from officers and the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills on matters including:

·  The Authority was working hard on SEND recognising the growth in this area

·  A SEND Local Area Inspection was due in Coventry, last completed in 2019. The date of inspection was not yet confirmed. Coventry would hope to gain placement in one of the top two rating bands as it had done previously

·  Some work had already been undertaken for the proposal to replace EHCPs by the year 2030, with work ongoing. Funding to support the proposals could be through use of reserves, which had been done previously to support operational change

·  Speech and language therapy – definite recognition for the service which has seen an increase in need. Commissioning arrangements were in place for this provision and the ‘experts at hand’ identified in the SEND White Paper, could also provide further support in this area

·  A review of children at the transition from Primary to Secondary stage was important to recognise any changing needs

·  Coventry had been visited by the Minister for Education to look at what was working well and what needed change or further improvement.

·  Recognition that the best outcomes for children, provided through Education Services and Children’s Services, was achieved by offering relevant support for all their needs and the operation of valuable partnership working to enable them to gain an education.

The Board requested that a Briefing Note on how successfully the Council’s SEND Strategy aligned with the proposals in the Government’s SEND White Paper, be circulated to them.

RESOLVED that, the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2):

1)  Notes the information in the Appendix to the Briefing Note.

2)  Has no further recommendations to make to the Cabinet Member.