Agenda item

a)    Report of the Corporate Director Children and Young People’s Services

b)    Presentation by the Strategic Manager Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Strategy and the Strategic Manager Specialist Inclusion Support

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Children and Young Peoples Services which provided an update on Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in County Durham. This included current information available about children and young people with SEND, the Education Health and Care (EHCP) process, and a focus on the strengths and challenges of the mainstream offer (for copy see file of minutes).

The Committee received a joint presentation from the Strategic Manager SEND Strategy and Accessibility and Strategic Manager Specialist Inclusion Support.

Members were advised  of the definition of SEND and that a child with SEND was not necessarily required to attend a special school but instead for the service to identify ways in which a child’s needs could be met, either in a mainstream school setting or by other agencies.

Members were advised that in County Durham there were just over 13,000 children and young people aged 0-25 years with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and of that figure just over 12000 were of school age.  Since 2016 there had been an increase in the numbers of children with SEN by approximately 20%.

The majority of primary needs were classified as Autism, moderate learning difficulties and social emotional and mental health needs, however, it was much more common for children to have a combination of those needs and in some cases all three.  Just over a quarter of children and young people had their needs met through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) with approximately three quarters having their needs met via SEN support.  Since 2016 there had been a 34% increase in the number of children and young people with an EHCP.

Members were given data comparisons in relation to where County Durham’s children with an EHCP were educated, which indicated that most attended a special school and this was in line with regional neighbours, although above national comparators.  The number of young people with SEND attending post 16 education was much higher in County Durham than both regional and national comparators.

Social and emotional wellbeing was a priority nationally and locally, and the service was working across the partnership with colleagues in Child and Adolescent Mental Health services and the Thrive Model had been adopted by Children and Young People’s Services.  This model recognised that everyone had a part to play in the promotion of good mental health, but if children were to experience an episode of poor mental health or provide challenge and knew how to get help, advice and support, this model was threaded through areas of work including the SEND Health Framework.

Members were advised of the Wellbeing for Education Return programme, funded by the Department for Education and partners across county Durham were working with schools, of which there had been a good take up.    Other key areas of work included the Mental health in Schools Framework which had been taken up by almost 60% of schools and the service expected this to eventually be taken up by all.  There were three Mental Health School Support teams in place across the County located in central, east and south areas and work was continuing with Public Health on the Youth Aware Mental Health (YAM) Programme and developing nurturing provision across lots of schools.

The service had developed a resource ‘Learning, Safe, Happy and Settled’ which supported children and young people back into learning.  The resource was regularly refreshed and updated and had received a wide range of contributions that were linked to the Thrive Model.

In response to a query from Councillor Coult, the Strategic Manager Spec. Inclusion Support confirmed that despite parents finding a diagnosis helpful, this was not a requirement to access services.

Councillor Coult advised that resolving mental health issues at an earlier stage could reduce the need for more significant support at a later stage.

Resolved:

That the report be received.