Reason for the review.moderngov.torfaen.gov.uk/documents/s697/6a. Scrutiny report Oct 2… · Reason for the review. Contents 3 Introduction. 6 Additional learning needs ( ALN )

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Contents

Reason for the review. 3

Introduction. 6

Additional learning needs ( ALN ) . 7

An inclusive approach. 8

Our Vision. 10

Proposals for change: 11

Inclusion support for schools. 11

Learning support funding and advice. 15

Behaviour support funding and advice 16

Other related services 17

Outcome objectives. 17

Risks. 18

Other areas for future review. 19

Next steps 19

Appendix1 : Cluster additional learning needs coordinators (ALNCOs ) and Local Authority tasks to support school to school working.

Appendix 2: Other services affected by the proposals.

Appendix 3: Review consultee list.

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REASON FOR THE REVIEW

.Current Policy

Torfaen’s current Additional Learning Needs policy was only intended to cover the period from 2008 to 2012 and is therefore in urgent need of review that has been fully informed by children and young people and their parents /carers.

New Legislation

Welsh Government, Estyn and the Wales Audit Office have identified that the current system of SEN provision is complex, bewildering and adversarial. They point to an assessment process which is inefficient, bureaucratic and costly, as well as insufficiently child-centred and / user-friendly. Needs are sometimes identified late and interventions are not planned in a timely or effective way. Often families feel they have to battle at each stage of the system to get the right support for their child, and they don’t know where to turn for advice and information.

As a result Welsh Government have issued a White Paper as an important step in meeting its commitment to reforming the process for children and young people with additional leaning needs (ALN) in either a school or Further Education setting. It outlines the changes to policy and primary legislation it believes necessary to reform effectively the current framework for SEN and deliver improvements in the support provided to learners. In some instances, proposed legislative provisions would constitute a radical break with the current statutory framework. Elsewhere, they will simply build upon existing strenghts.The approach is based on the principle that what works should be retained and strengthened: that which doesn’t work should be adapted or replaced. The changes intend to achieve:

A unified legislative framework to support children and young people aged 0 to 25 with additional learning needs.

An integrated, collaborative process of assessment, planning and monitoring which facilitates early, timely, and effective interventions.

A fair and transparent system for providing information and advice, and resolving concerns and appeals.

It is envisaged that a Bill including these proposals would be introduced to the National Assembly for Wales in 2015. The earliest that any proposals could come into force

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would be in relation to provision for the academic year 2026/2017 (subject to consultation) and therefore needs to inform current thinking with regard to the review of additional learning needs in Torfaen.

Estyn Inspection

The latest Estyn Inspection monitoring visit found that

Improvement in only a minority of shortcomings identified

Insufficient Web based information for parents / carers and children and young people.

Lack of prioritisation and development of an underlying ALN strategy and therefore improvement in strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of ALN has not begun.

Perception Survey

Successive head teacher perception surveys in 2012 and 2013 identified a number of concerns raised by a significant number of head teachers. In 2013 a perception survey for ALN was tagged on to a wider satisfaction survey carried with regard to the Education Achievement Service. Head teachers were asked to grade ALN as;

Fully satisfied with the services ,or

Satisfied with some of the services, or

Not satisfied with services

Whilst 13 schools were fully satisfied with all the services ,7 were only satisfied with some services with 18 not satisfied with any services .The latter 2 categories represents 65% of those that responded were less that satisfied with ALN services. Little detail was attached to the survey and with ALN encompassing such a wide remit it is difficult to draw any detailed implications .However, there is clearly some disquiet among headteachers particularly in the area of consistency, clarity and expectations.

The outcome of the survey in 2012 was much more detailed and some of the main areas of concern expressed by Head teachers were:

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There is no shared vision.

There is no guide that sets out clear expectations on schools and likewise the authority on what each can expect of the other that has lead to tensions in the delivery of services.

Policies and practices need to be reviewed in a number of ALN related areas such as funding, the role of Inclusion Officers, the Educational Psychology Service, Behaviour and the Pupil Referral Unit ,and access to specialist provision.

Hill Review

In June 2013 Welsh Government published a commissioned report on the future delivery of education services in Wales. The report builds upon previous reviews undertaken to provide options for the future delivery of education services in Wales. It identifies 5 key themes and provides short and medium term options for consideration by Welsh Government. The key themes relate to:

The quality of teaching and learning

Strengthening the school leadership

Increasing autonomy for schools, including funding issues ,through formal partnerships such as federations, trusts and other hard cluster arrangements

The school accountability system

Roles and responsibilities of the local authorities, regional consortia and national government.

Meeting the needs of learners features throughout the report. Specifically in relation to ALN the report suggests the need to share expertise by way of outreach support from existing specialist provision; delegate resources to federations or clusters of schools with the exception of learners with very specialist and intensive needs; provide additional and alternative provision for learners with ALN. This is set against a framework of the need for greater collaboration and consortia working across education services.

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Williams Commission

The first Minister established the Commission Chaired by Sir Paul Williams in April 2013 to independently review all aspects of Wales’ Public Service Governance and Delivery. The Commission has conducted its independent review and in that sense Welsh Government is not bound by its findings and intends to consult widely before coming to any firm conclusions. However, the first Minister has stated that the status quo is not an option. The report examines all aspects of public service in Wales and makes over 60 recommendations which are intended to reduce complexity and duplication in Welsh Public Services.

It is a significant report and recommends that Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly merge as part of creating 12, 11or 10 new look authorities. The report advisers that Welsh Government should support and incentivise early adopters who wish to begin a voluntary process of merger. The report recommends that the programme of mergers should none the less be completed in 2017/18.

INTRODUCTION

This new draft policy statement establishes the framework for the Authority, schools, early education settings and other agencies to work together to successfully meet the needs of all children and young people with additional learning needs and disabilities through an inclusive approach.

It also reaffirms Torfaen County Borough Council’s commitment to increasing the inclusion of all children and young people with additional learning needs in local maintained mainstream schools, with the necessary support to meet their needs. It also recognises the continuing role for specialist provision, including our pupil referral unit, special school and special needs resource bases as an integral part of an inclusive education system.

Within Torfaen the vast majority of children with additional learning needs are educated within mainstream schools locally. Some children due to their level of needs may need to access a local resource base attached to a mainstream school, local special school or local pupil referral unit. In a very small number of cases where a pupil’s need is of such a complex nature that their needs cannot be met locally, arrangements may need to be made with another local authority or independent school outside the borough of Torfaen.

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This policy provides the framework within which all children and young people, regardless of ability, gender, language, ethnic or cultural origin, can be valued and achieve in whatever setting they are educated. It will support more integrated and effective working across all settings and agencies working with children and young people and will contribute towards improving outcomes for them in line with Torfaen Children and Young People’s Plan. Torfaen County Borough Council aims to put children and young people at the heart of its services and to support schools to lead on school improvement.

ADDITIONAL LEARNING NEEDS

Additional learning needs is an umbrella term used to describe individuals or groups of learners with a diverse and often complex range of needs. The term encompasses all children and young people with learning needs which are greater than those of the majority of their peers. It includes learners who may require additional support either due to their circumstances or because they have a longer-term disorder or condition. In many cases, for example through sickness or where a family is experiencing temporary difficulties, children and young people may have additional learning needs for a short period only. For others, their needs may be lifelong and they will continue to need support into and throughout their adult lives.

The term ‘Additional Learning Needs’ is much wider in scope than the term ‘Special Educational Needs’ in order to recognise the diverse and complex needs of learners and to reflect a more holistic approach to meeting the needs of individuals. Learners may therefore require additional learning support if they have difficulty in learning because they have, for example:

special educational needs;

a disability;

medical needs;

gaps in their knowledge or skills due to prolonged absences from the education system e.g. school refusers, school phobic, or young offenders;

difficult family circumstances e.g. due to bereavement;

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accessed education inconsistently e.g. gypsy and traveller pupil’s etc.

AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH

The primary aim underpinning this policy is to ensure that all children and young people with additional learning needs will be given equal opportunities as their peers to progress and to fulfil their academic and personal potential, and are helped to feel worthy and important members of the community. We will strive to develop an inclusive approach across all settings and in the provision of services to our children and young people.

Inclusion is about the ability of society to ensure that all children and young people with additional learning needs participate effectively in all aspects of life and have the same opportunities and choices as any other child. Inclusion is about providing effective learning opportunities for all pupils and removing barriers to achievement. Inclusion is not a simple concept relating to where a child goes to school. It is about attitude, ethos and curriculum.

Torfaen will have regard to the following principles that underpin good ALN and inclusive practice. They will inform all developments planned by the Authority and all partners in the education service are invited to adopt them as the basis for the development of good practice:

Provision will be based on equality of opportunity, so all children and young people, irrespective of ethnic origin, religion, age, gender, impairment, emotional or social needs, care status or personal circumstances have an equal right to develop their skills and abilities.

Children and young people will not be labelled and/or educated away from mainstream because of the way the adults around them have chosen to structure the environment. Until now, specialist resources could often only be accessed in a Special School or in a Special Needs Resource Base (SNRB) thereby making the child or parent’s choice of a mainstream school very difficult to realise and we acknowledge this has to change. We will remove attitudinal, organisational and curriculum barriers that can exist.

All children and young people have a right to play and to learn together within their local community. As a result inclusive education is the ultimate goal -

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children and young people with and without ALN, learning together in ordinary pre-school provision, schools and colleges with adequate specialist support.

Inclusion involves changing the Authority, schools and other education settings to ensure that we all welcome and celebrate diversity and enable all children and young people to develop socially and academically to their full potential.

All children and young people have a right to have their views heard and to have a say in the decision making that effects them - their views will be sought and taken into account.

Parents/carers have a vital role to play in supporting their child's education and will be fully informed of their child's progress and the provision made for them and will be included in decision making about their child.

All children and young people have a right to access a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, including an appropriate curriculum for the Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum.

Schools, other education settings and the Authority will ensure they review their policies, procedures and practices on an ongoing basis to ensure they do not discriminate against pupils with ALN.

The Authority will constantly measure the success of interventions for children and young people with additional needs by looking for improvement in the child's learning and their social development.

Interventions will aim to be preventative and to be offered as early as possible in order to meet identified need.

Schools and other education settings have a responsibility for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning for children and young people with additional needs. The National Curriculum is clear that all teachers have a responsibility for SEN within their classroom. However the responsibility for providing support for them to do this lies with the schools and the Authority.

All staff working on ALN or inclusion issues should have access to a coherent framework for professional development.

OUR VISION

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While there is much effective practice across all of our schools we want to ensure the inclusive principals outlined above are further embedded as we reshape both Local Authority and school based services. We want to achieve each of the following outcomes over the next three years:

All children and young people will be kept physically and emotionally safe.

All children will be educated for life, wherever possible appropriate to the needs of the learner, in their local school.

All children and families will have a central role in planning all required specific interventions.

Schools are best placed to understand learners’ needs best and will be enabled to make timely and appropriate interventions without recourse to the Authority. This will lead to significant change to central staffing and resource allocation processes over time.

All schools will be enabled to have access to resources that enable them to more quickly identify difficulties, find their own solutions internally or with other schools, and where necessary commission additional support themselves. We will remove the requirement for a statutory assessment to access resources in all cases.

The LA will move from directly delivering some services. Instead we want to see schools delivering or commissioning these themselves. The Authority‘s role will be to ensure that statutory rights of children are protected and to ensure all schools have effective ALN/inclusion systems in place that deliver good or excellent learners outcomes.

We want to see the role of Crownbridge Special School to be expanded to include the management of some/all special needs resource bases.

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PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE

The proposals for change are significant but will be manageable when phased in over a 2 to 3 year period. Although grouped together under the following headings each of the areas are interlinked:

1) Inclusion support to schools -moving from LA led support to schools supporting each other. Includes proposed changes to :

o Reduction in LA posts and the development of Cluster Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator’s

o Changes to the Education Welfare Service and the Specific Learning Difficulty Support team

o Recommissioning of the Schools’ Counselling Service

2) Learning Support funding and advice

3) Behaviour Support funding and advice

Inclusion Support to Schools

Consultations with headteachers to date have indicated that the current configuration of the Education Service Inclusion team no longer reflects the needs of schools and in some instances appears to create unnecessary bureaucratic burdens on schools and can replicate what schools are already doing. The Local Authority largely accepts this view. We also agree that teacher practitioners with proven expertise in delivering good outcomes for learners should be driving practice within and between schools. Consequently we propose to:

PROPOSAL 1:

Cease to maintain the current generic Inclusion Officer posts and transfer the additional resources to school clusters to support the appointment of 6 part time Area SENCOs to coordinate support for children and young people with additional learning needs.

These newly appointed 0.5 full time equivalent posts will be funded at a deputy head grade commensurate with the responsibility they will have. These postholders will

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ensure the sharing of good practice and ALN professional development opportunities across the cluster. They will facilitate school to school working including the coordination of provision across designated schools. This will include over time, the coordination of the cluster’s allocated ALN funding as detailed below. In consultation with headteachers they will quality assure ALN process across their cluster. Key development tasks for the LA and Cluster ALNCos are outlined in Appendix One

Proposed completion date : April 2015 for LA staff changes to be completed. Appointment of Cluster ALNCo to begin thereafter to enable training and preparation over the Summer term.

PROPOSAL 2:

Over time, we will delegate the majority of named pupil funding (including all funding for statemented and non statemented pupils) to clusters of schools to be administered by schools through the Cluster ALNCo.

The LA will retain a proportion of the overall budget as a contingency for unexpected issues such as pupils with significant needs moving into a cluster from outside the LA, part way through the year.

This will enable schools to access support more quickly and with less bureaucracy. We propose to introduce this change in clusters where the Cluster ALNCo has been in post for at least a term in the first instance and where the headteachers agree to pilot this new system for one year. This pilot will involve two or three clusters and there will be a full evaluation of the effectiveness of the new methodology before introduction across all clusters.

Proposed completion date: September 2015 for the pilot to begin in identified clusters – the pilot will run for the academic year up to May 2016 with an evaluation report to headteachers and the CYIPB by the start of July 2016.

PROPOSAL 3:

All schools will implement the ALN quality assurance system for all learners.

This will facilitate common data systems for ALN across all schools, allow for easier transfer of pupil information across schools and enable the work of the Cluster ALNCos.

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Proposed completion date: April 2015

PROPOSAL 4:

We will amend the constitution of the SEN Panel to include each Cluster ALNCO.

Having to resort to the statutory process will be seen as a significant event in a child / parent/carer’s life and for the education community and will only be agreed in exceptional circumstances and based on a collective responsibility. All funding requirements for statements (or eventual equivalent) will be met by the cluster where the child attends. For any reason where a child is not on a school roll, the catchment school/cluster based on the closest school to the pupil’s registered address will bear the costs.


PROPOSAL 5:

We will change the name of the Inclusion Team to Pupil Services and refocus support for the statutory assessment process and transition reviews in particular.


PROPOSAL 6:

The Inclusion Officer post with specific responsibility for LAC / EAL / Travellers / Out of County will be retained and refocused with regard to the statutory assessment process and transition reviews in particular.

This officer will offer support to and quality assurance of schools / clusters work in this area. The post will be renamed Vulnerable Children’s Officer.


PROPOSAL 7:

The current ALN Manager role will be refocused on support for the statutory assessment process and transition reviews in particular (or equivalent subject to ALN statutory reform).

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This post will be renamed Pupils Services Manager and will also have responsibility for pupil admissions in future. Generic advice on ALN will be available from Cluster ALNCos.


PROPOSAL 8:

The Inclusion Officer post with specific responsibility for safeguarding and anti-bullying training will transfer to Social Services.

This will be supported by a robust service level agreement with a stronger focus on delivering multi agency safeguarding training on a whole school and/or cluster basis.


PROPOSAL 9:

We will undertake a pilot devolving 5 Education Welfare posts to be managed on a day to day basis by schools on a cluster basis.

This will be supported by a robust service level / partnership agreement with a principal focus on improving attendance levels and to develop the welfare element of the EWO role thereby contributing to the family support agenda. In effect this means the LA would remain the employer but day to day management will be the responsibility of the Headteacher of the secondary school in each cluster.

Proposed completion date : We propose to run this pilot from April 2015 for at least one year (although this could be brought forward subject to approval from schools). Subject to agreed performance outcomes we propose to then move to full delegation from in year 2 ie April 2016.

PROPOSAL 10:

We will retain the post of Senior Education Welfare Officer renaming it Senior Attendance Officer so that the LA can discharge its statutory functions (prosecutions, pupil employment, entertainment licences, and target setting with schools). This post will work directly with the senior leadership team in schools.

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Proposed completion date : April 2015

PROPOSAL 11:

The current contract for the counselling service is due to be retendered.

We will use this opportunity to ensure the new contract specifies the core entitlement for schools and provides opportunities for schools/clusters to commission additional support at specified prices over the course of the contract.

Proposed completion date : April 2015

PROPOSAL 12:

We propose to delegate the resource associated with the Specific Learning Difficulties Team directly to schools in September 2016, once the Cluster ALNCos are established. This process will be subject to a further consultation process in Spring 2016.

Proposed completion date : September 2016

Learning Support Funding and Advice

PROPOSAL 13

We will review the reconfiguration of our Special Needs Resource Bases (but not reduction in the number of placements). The majority of pupils in SNRBs have more complex and multiple needs than has historically been the case. The complexity of the needs of these pupils is such that small resource bases may not be as well placed as our special school in their ability to plan and deliver effective learning opportunities and excellent teaching for these pupils. We believe Crownbridge is well placed to provide the best management and oversight of these resources holistically on behalf of the LA.

We therefore propose:

o To establish a virtual Special School component of Crownbridge school with appropriate resourcing in staff to provide leadership for all learning resource bases i.e. Maendy SNRB, Pontnewydd SNRB and Abersychan SNRB.

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o To agree an appropriate staff model within Crownbridge governing body and headteacher to facilitate this development including enhancements to the management team structure.

o To consult with the governing bodies of Maendy, Pontnewydd and Abersychan School about the transfer of responsibility of pupils and staff to Crownbridge but the retained presence of the SNRBs on their sites.

o To review the admission and exit criteria and implement a process that ensures that appropriate processes are agreed with parents before changes are agreed. We will have to seek support from WG for these changes.

o To maintain and develop those services that are well established and providing excellent support.

o To ensure provision is flexible to meet the changing nature of our pupil profiles particularly older pupils

o Crownbridge outreach (funded by the LA) will continue in its current form but the LA will support Cluster ALNCos in commissioning additional support where required.

o These consultations to conclude by May 2015 with proposals including timescales to Cabinet in June 2015.

Behaviour Support Funding and Advice

Albeit in context of high but reducing exclusions, there have been a significant number of suggestions that the LA look to develop new SNRB or PRU provision for Key Stage 2 aged pupils. The creation of such a resource will mean the current ALN budgets will need to bear this cost and an existing school will need to identify willingness to host the provision and to potentially manage it.

PROPOSAL 14:

We therefore propose to consult upon the following questions:

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Should a new Key Stage 2 provision for pupils be established for learners with behavioural, social and/or emotional difficulties? If so, governing bodies should indicate their willingness to host this provision.

Should this provision provide short-term placements only, i.e. up to one year maximum (this would mean the establishment of a PRU), and/or longer term placements (this would mean the establishment of an SNRB and this would require a statutory consultation).

As outlined before, we propose to provide the majority of ALN funding directly to clusters of schools. We believe there should be a Torfaen graduated response to support pupils with BESD. This guidance for clusters will be devised following consultation on the creation of Key Stage 2 provision outlined above.

We will ensure each stage of the continuum of provision there is clear entry and exit criteria with appropriate involvement of professionals.

Other Related Services

Other services affected by the above proposals can be found at Appendix Two

OUTCOME OBJECTIVES

We aim to ensure that the needs of children and young people with additional learning needs and disabilities can be increasingly met through high quality local provision. We plan to evaluate options for future service delivery against the following statements.

1) The early identification and promotion of high standards to raise attainment and achievement for all pupils. Supported by tracking progress and measuring the success of interventions.

2) There is a sense of ownership by schools of even the most challenging pupils regardless of where they live, how poor their attendance, how low their achievement, how difficult their behaviour and how complex their needs.

3) Provision will be based on equality of opportunity, so all children and young people, irrespective of ethnic origin, religion, age, gender, impairment,

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emotional or social needs, care status or personal circumstances have an equal right to develop their skills and abilities.

4) Encouraging children with additional learning needs to participate fully in school and community life and to participate in decisions about their education. Parents/carers will also be informed and included in decision making about their child.

5) Encouraging and promoting effective multi – agency working and professional co-operation through cluster working at school level and consortia at authority level. Schools are best placed to lead on school improvement particularly with regard to children and young people with additional learning needs.

6) Ensuring that the Local Authority continues to meet its statutory duties in respect of additional learning needs providing an efficient, transparent and accessible service to children and young people and their families through increased autonomy for schools including funding with less bureaucracy.

7) Auditing, planning, monitoring and reviewing provision for children and young people with additional learning difficulties in Torfaen to ensure a continuum of high quality and effective provision including through the medium of welsh where possible.

8) Leading and supporting the development of an effective workforce particularly with regard to leadership and teaching children and young people with additional learning needs.

RISKS

Inclusion officers carry out a range of functions many of them of a statutory and / or essential nature .In addition some schools have become over dependent on the service and some officers in particular. The above proposal if approved reduces the number of education welfare officers at the education centre from 6 to 1 and the number of inclusion officers from 6 to 2 with one of the remaining 2 (i.e. manager) currently on maternity. In addition one of the 2 administrative officers is also on maternity .Changes imposed during their absence poses a significant risk to service delivery, continuity and the ability to achieve a seamless transfer.

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This risk will be further enhanced if there is not a significant cultural shift by all school’s taking ownership of their problems and work together to identify them and reach solutions.

OTHER AREAS FOR FUTURE REVIEW

Education psychology Service School transport Speech ,language and communication difficulties Autistic spectrum disorders Hearing impaired Education other than at home Elective home education Looked after education Ethnic minority achievement Gypsy and traveller’s Exclusions

NEXT STEPS

This paper has been amended following consultation with the Recovery Board, Following the Overview and Scrutiny Committee it is anticipated we will proceed to formal consultation this term. Following a consultation period of 6 weeks members will be asked to formally adopt the new policy after considering the responses received from the list of consultees (Appendix 3).

Subsequently, where staff changes are proposed then appropriate statutory consultative processes will be undertaken.

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Appendix 1

ALNCo and LA development tasks to support school to school working

Agree a conflict resolution process where agreement can not be reached on funding allocations within clusters.

Agree planning, evaluation and monitoring processes for use by all Cluster ALNCos.

Agree ALN moderation processes identifying common descriptions of need and appropriate interventions to enable greater consistency across schools and clusters.

Appendix B forms to be replaced by simplified form devised by schools that meets all requirements including a clear audit trail and details of all interventions and outcomes (new QA Tool). A robust service level / partnership agreement will need to protect funding attached to statements of SEN.

We will retain a budget for pupils who needs can not be met in an educational setting in Torfaen and need an out county placement.

We will set up a new panel comprising of headteachers, Area SENCOs and officers to manage the out county budget and determine placements. We need to ensure that placing a child out of county is seen as a significant event in a child’s life and for the educational community and is only agreed in exceptional circumstances and based on collective responsibility.

We will set 3 year ALN budgets for all schools and clusters in Torfaen so they will be able to plan effectively and together for vulnerable children and before crisis point.

We will ensure transparency and openness with all SENCos, senior managers in schools and Governors fully are aware of all available funding for children with additional learning needs.

We will ensure support for learners with ALN is timely, effective and appropriate to meet individual learner’s needs without the need for recourse to a statement of Special Educational Needs wherever possible.

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ALNCO’s will be responsible for developing a comprehensive training plan for school staff at all levels to ensure that all teachers are teachers of ALN and supported by a comprehensive ALN handbook.

. To ensure the 6 designated officers meet on a termly basis specifically to moderate the work of each cluster and report accordingly to all head teachers.(this will also help support the sharing of good practice across clusters.

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Appendix 2

Other related services affected by the above proposals

PROPOSAL 14:

To ensure all head teachers designate an “inclusion champion “within their senior management team who has the authority, vision and enthusiasm to bring about the necessary cultural change in schools through strong and purposeful leadershipPractical completion date :April 2015

PROPOSAL 15:

To ensure governing bodies designate an “inclusion champion “ who has the authority, vision and enthusiasm to bring about the necessary cultural change in schools through strong and purposeful leadership.

Practical completion date :April 2015

PROPOSAL 16:

To transfer responsibility for the anti-bullying training element of the Safe Guarding post transferred to Social Services to the post of Healthy Schools Officer and line managed by the new post of Senior Manager for School Improvement .This will also increase the capacity of the above post transferred to Social Services from 2 to 3 days to support the use data more effectively.


PROPOSAL 17:

To transfer the post of Admissions Officer from the Access, Engagement and Performance team to Pupil Services .All admissions to educational settings in Torfaen would be processed in the same team with a more co-ordinated and inclusive approach for children with additional learning needs.


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PROPOSAL 18:

To transfer the post of Administrative Officer (80%) from the Access, Engagement and Performance team to Pupil Services to provide support specifically for the Admissions Officer and the Senior Attendance Officer and other administrative duties currently carried out by the Generic Inclusion Officers.


PROPOSAL 19:

To transfer the post of Equalities / Compliance Officer (80%) from them Safeguarding and Support Team to Pupil Services with additional responsibility for exclusions.


PROPOSAL 20:

To retain the existing Administrative Officer Post (80%) to provide specific and additional support to the Vulnerable Children’s Officer and the Equalities / Compliance / Exclusions Officer and other administrative duties currently carried out by the Generic Inclusion Officers.


PROPOSAL 21:

To ensure that parents / carer’s are provided with accurate information particularly with regard to choices in a timely manner. In doing so we need to develop schools as a one stop shop with regard to educational issues within their communities. This needs to include an improved website with frequently asked questions and regular surgeries’ supported by appropriate staff such as EWO’s

Practical completion date :September 2015

PROPOSAL 22:

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To retain the existing full time Administrative Officer Post providing specific support to the Pupil Services Manager and other administrative duties currently carried out by the Generic Inclusion Officers


PROPOSAL 23:

All schools to agree a common managed moves policy and be given the opportunity to plan and problem solve together in the interests of the child. Failure to reach agreement on a transfer would be referred to a panel of head teachers to resolve and who’s decision would be binding on both schools.


PROPOSAL 24:

To prioritise the number of bodies and groups attended by officer’s .Where attendance is withdrawn the group / body will be informed by the Interim Education Officer .Any new requests to attend to be referred to the Senior Management Team for consideration.


PROPOSAL 25:

To ensure transparency and openness with all SENCo’s, senior managers in schools and Governors are aware of all available funding for children with additional learning needs.


PROPOSAL 26:

To ensure that a headteacher from the out county panel sits on the multi agency complex needs panel.


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PROPOSAL 27:

Appendix B forms to be replaced by simplified form devised by schools that meets all requirements including a clear audit trail and details of all interventions and outcomes (new QA Tool) .A robust service level / partnership agreement will need to protect funding attached to statements of SEN.


PROPOSAL 28:

. To enable clusters to employ and /or access additional behaviour support directly which would have the expertise, resources and capacity to be able to intervene early and according to immediate need without unnecessary delay or paperwork.


PROPOSAL 29:

To encourage and support all secondary schools to develop in school provision as part of the graduated response for behaviour.


PROPOSAL 30:

To identify and support lead behaviour schools to promote sharing good practice at level of the whole school.


PROPOSAL 31:To retain a budget for pupils who needs can not be met in an educational setting in Torfaen and need an out county placement.

To establish a representative panel to include head teachers to manage the out county budget and determine placements. We need to ensure that placing a child out of county is seen as a significant event in a child’s life and for the educational community and is only agreed in exceptional circumstances and based on collective responsibly. This could be the SEN Panel if the composition is amended appropriately.

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PROPOSAL 32:

To set 3 year ALN budgets for all schools and clusters in Torfaen to be able to plan effectively and together for vulnerable children and before crisis point


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Appendix 3

Proposed Consultees

The Governing body of each school maintained by Torfaen LEA; The Headteacher of each school maintained by Torfaen LEA; The Diocesan Director of Education of the Roman Catholic Church; The Diocesan Director of Education of the Church in Wales; The Board of Mission of the Church in Wales; Awdurdod Cynwysterau, Cwricwlwm ac Asesu Cymru (the Qualifications,

Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales); The Welsh Joint Education Committee; The Welsh Language Commissioner; The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales; Welsh Government(Welsh Ministers); ESTYN; Pan - Gwent Chief Education Officers (Caerphilly, Newport, Monmouthshire,

Blaenau Gwent, to distribute to schools in their areas as appropriate); The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership; Children & Young People’s Partnership Children & Young People Coleg Gwent; The Careers Service; Torfaen Association of school Governors; The Parent Teacher Association of Wales; The Welsh Primary Schools Association; The Welsh Secondary Schools Association; Libraries; (Blaenavon, Cwmbran and Pontypool); Other Directorates of Torfaen County Borough Council; Schools Library Service; Blaenavon Community Council; Cwmbran Community Council; Pontypool Community Council; Ponthir Community Council; Henllys Community Council; Croesyceiliog and Llanyrafon Community Council; DCELLS (Welsh Government) National Council for Education and Training in Wales; All relevant Professional Associations; Local AM – Lynne Neagle;

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Local MP - Paul Murphy; and AMs and MPs for other authorities in Pan-Gwent area. All Elected Members of Torfaen County Borough Council; Parents/Carers of all pupils affected by proposals RhAG (Parents for Welsh Medium Education); Registered Private/Voluntary Early Years Settings/Providers in Torfaen; Torfaen Voluntary Alliance; Communities First Partnership Board. CYDAG (Cwmdeithas Ysgolion Dros Addysg Gymraeg) Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin Education Achievement Service (EAS) The relevant Regional Transport Consortium The Police and Crime Comm

Documents

Reason for the review.moderngov.torfaen.gov.uk/documents/s697/6a. Scrutiny report Oct 2… · Reason for the review. Contents 3 Introduction. 6 Additional learning needs ( ALN )