Agenda item

(Chris Prosser, Jacquie Davies and Maria Morgan rejoined the meeting at 5.45pm)

Susan Tanner introduced the report (Agenda Item 8), which provided an update on the Delivering Better Value Programme (DBV) and its impact on the SEND system in West Berkshire, improving outcomes for children and young people.

Susan Tanner referred to the action from the last meeting and reported that the information within the report was a replica of what had been submitted to the DfE as part of West Berkshire’s quarterly submission. Susan Tanner provided detail on the key points of the report as follows:

Progress against the implementation plan:

• Key posts in the programme team had been recruited to, enabling work to be pump primed and capacity to be increased in the first busy phases of the programme.
• The DBV Programme and the SEND and Inclusion Strategy were now fully aligned under the umbrella of Innovation in SEND. This enabled a single strategic approach, and a coherent delivery plan to work from. It also enabled the transformation programme work to continue as sustainable business as usual once the DBV Programme came to an end.
• DBV working groups were meeting regularly.
• Support was continuing with the Primary Care Forum to develop and increase its membership.

Grant Expenditure:

• Spend to date was £114k, which was lower than anticipated.  This was primarily due to a delay in some recruitment and a delayed start to the Whole School Mental Health Project. There was a struggle to recruit to Educational Psychologist posts generally, so alternative ways to staff the project were being explored.

Work streams:

·      An update was provided on the following two work streams, which was detailed under section four and five of the report respectively:

-       Clear communications with families and wider local partners to support access to services and the SEND System.

-       Enabling settings, schools and colleges to meet the diverse needs of their communities locally.

Deficit Management Plan:

·       It was highlighted that the mitigated deficit as at 2027/28 was estimated to have increased by £4.5m to £65.9m. This was the mitigated deficit position.

Trevor Keable referred to section 3.2 of the report, which set out that two key posts had not yet been appointed to. He queried if there had been any change in this since the report had been written. Susan Tanner confirmed that the commissioning post had been appointed to and shortlisting had just taken place for the coordinator post and interviews were due to take place later that week. Susan Tanner confirmed that she was the Service Director for DBV. It was clarified that her appointment had been delayed and she was appointed in May 2024 rather than the beginning of April and this had formed part of the underspend.

Trevor Keable referred to the situation with Educational Psychologists (EPs), which schools were aware of. His understanding was that there was an issue around whether EPs were buying into the process. Susan Tanner believed that reference was being made to the delay with the School Mental Health Project and commented that the recruitment of EPs was challenging as they were in short supply. The recruitment and retention of EPs was an issue for every LA. Susan Tanner provided reassurance that the proposal for the School Mental Health Project had come from EPs themselves and they were the authors of the project initiation document.

RESOLVED that the Schools’ Forum noted the report.