Bristol City Council has come under scrutiny due to an alleged lack of progress made on targets to tackle the crisis in support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Campaigners have criticised the council for failing to assess and approve support for SEND children, in a timely manner, through education and health care plans (EHCPs). It comes two years after Ofsted and the CQC declared Bristol's services as 'not fit for purpose'.
A progress report was presented to councillors at a council scrutiny meeting on March 7. The report detailed that there had been key improvements since the inspection in the latter half of 2019, which included better data on waiting times for EHCPs, monthly meetings of a partnership group with representatives from schools and parent groups, as well as training in schools and other early years settings as a means of helping to identify children who may be in need of additional support.
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A new broader SEND Partnership Plan is said to be underway, detailed to be co-produced with parent and carer groups. But, in spite of this, campaigners have put forward strong criticism on the council's lack of progress.
At the council scrutiny meeting, the director of education Alison Hurley said: “There have been improvements since 2019, but we’re not where we want to be as a council. This is an area that has been impacted by Covid, staff shortages and increased demand in the system.
“Waiting times overall have reduced and there are families that have had a positive experience but there’s still a lot to do to ensure all families receive a more efficient service.”
The progress report gave a break down of assessment waiting times, stating that there had been 'significant improvement in the uptake of Health Visitors' two-two and a half year reviews' - from 60% in 2019 to 91% exceeding the 90% target in Q2 2021/2022.
When it came to paediatrician waiting times, the percentage reportedly seen within 18 weeks is said to now be "more consistent at around 60-70%", which was dubbed "a good improvement on figures reported in 2020 which were as low as 14.2%".
The report stated that "demand continues to outstrip capacity with a 160% increase in Autism Hub referral rates in the second half of 2021".
It also detailed how Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG CCG) are now funding a 12-month initiative to assess children on the waiting list with lower clinical complexity by piloting a new model of locality-based ASD assessment service from December 2021.
The report also outlined five key priorities that the council's plan from July 2021 wanted to focus on. They were:
The lack of accountability of leaders at all levels, including school leaders
The inconsistencies in the timeliness and effectiveness of the local area’s arrangements for the identification and assessment of children and young people with SEND
The dysfunctional EHC plan process, and inadequate quality of EHC plans
The underachievement and lack of inclusion of children and young people with SEND, including the high rates of persistent absenteeism and fixed term exclusions
The fractured relationships with parents and carers, lack of co-production and variable engagement and collaboration
Of the new plan, the report reads: "A new SEND Partnership Plan is in development and will continue to build on the progress to date in tackling the areas of weakness identified in the inspection, as well as additional areas that were not highlighted in the inspection findings, but that parent carers have told us are important to them. The new SEND Partnership Plan will ensure SEND is firmly embedded in Bristol and is incorporated into all four pillars of Bristol’s Belonging Strategy.
"Bristol Parent Carer Forum asked parents for their top three SEND priorities in the summer of 2021 and this feedback, alongside that of other parent carers, is informing the developing plan as follows. The outline themes and draft priorities have been agreed by the SEND Partnership, including the Parent Carer Forum and will be incorporated into the draft plan currently being written.
"The draft will be shared for further input and refinement during the spring/ summer."
These draft priorities include:
Communication, Engagement and Support for parents and carers of Children and young people with SEND
Early Identification of SEND
Assessing and Meeting Needs
Inclusion in Education
Community Inclusion
Transition to Adulthood
What the council have said:
A Bristol City council spokesperson said “Our performance data and feedback from many families demonstrates that we have made significant progress across all areas of our special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision since the Ofsted/CQC inspection in 2019, but we’re still not yet where we want to be as a council. This is an area that has been impacted by COVID-19, staff shortages and increased demand in the system.
"We understand the concerns of some families and since our Ofsted inspection we have focused on SENDCo training to help increase SEND leadership in schools and improve early identification of children with SEND which we know is key.
"We have overseen an increase in SEND specialist provision places, with 282 new places that are secure and will be opening on an ongoing basis between now and September 2023. This is significant progress towards meeting the Mayoral pledge of 450 new specialist school places by September 2024.
"Since 2020, of the 25 inspections across primary and secondary schools, four (16 per cent) of these schools had SEND identified as an area for improvement. This is down from 14 (36 per cent) of schools in the calendar years 2018 and 2019.
"Waiting times overall have reduced and there are families that have had a positive experience but there’s still a lot to do to ensure all families receive a more efficient service.
"We are due to be re-visited by Ofsted/Care Quality Commission soon and their feedback on our progress will help inform our next SEND Improvement Plan. Our aspiration is far greater than many of the relatively short-term targets set out in this WSoA and our subsequent plans will reflect this ambition.”
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