West Northamptonshire SEND & AP Partnership Improvement Board Summary (20 June 2024)

SEND & AP Partnership Improvement Board Summary (20 June 2024)

Feedback from Senior Officials Meeting 

• Whilst the Ofsted/CQC inspection report remains embargoed until publication, the inspection outcomes and next steps have been discussed with NHS England and Department for Education.
• Inspection outcome letter will be published after the election; the partnership will remain committed to a Priority Action Plan (PAP) which will be shared in due course. 
• Progress on 5 key priority actions needs to be demonstrated within 18 months.
• Deep dive reviews will take place over the next 18 months and will focus on priority actions and being able to demonstrate significant differences for families and CYP.
• New independent chair for the Board is likely to start in September.

Proposed Priority Action Plan (PAP)

• PAP was co-produced with key partners and outlines 5 priority actions and 5 areas for improvement.
• The document outlines the partnership commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and effective communication, focusing on strategic actions, leadership, and stakeholder engagement. 
• Clear monitoring, scrutiny approaches, and impact measurement were discussed.
• Transport will move to the 'Right Support, Right Time' workstream.
• A summary document, Easy Read version, and detailed PAP will be published.

Proposed Transformation to Workstreams

• Transition from current workstreams to the new proposal will take effect from 1st September 2024. Ongoing task and finish work should continue with time for handover.
• Confirmation of all partner involvement in new structures should be submitted by early July.
• All board members are to produce pen portraits and a roll out pen portraits across the system was agreed. 

Education, Health & Care Plan Tracker

• Colleagues have been conducting an analysis of EHC journey and improvement plans. Focus on improving both timeliness and quality of EHC plans. Importance of transparency in waiting times and communication strategies. 
• Some data is currently manually inputted; new system procurement underway.
• Improved communication with families is a key focus together with managing waiting times more supportively.

SEND Data Dashboard

Highlights: 

• increasing numbers of EHC plans and requests, reduction in accepted referrals.
• Focus on new data and trends, including population growth.
• Pupil forecasts, including geographical trends and future projections to be discussed in September.

EBSA Update

• Early warning sign document and good practice home visit guidance being developed, also the training package and toolkit for schools are being developed, aimed for a pre-Easter launch.
• Focus of the working group is supporting children and young people with less than 50% attendance. So strong partnership involvement with a focus on improving support and communication is required.