Contact: Sue Sylvester, Policy & Performance Officer, Corporate Performance Management Unit., ext 7493

1 Purpose of the Service

1.1 The aim of the Education Welfare Service is to promote with schools the regular and punctual school attendance of pupils, help pupils fulfil their educational potential and thus increase their opportunity to contribute fully to an inclusive society.

1.2 At its meeting on 19 March 2002, the Education Policy Review Committee approved a Year 3 Best Value Review of Education Welfare Services, focusing on school attendance as an area for improvement identified in the LEA OFSTED report, taking account of the option for further delegation of funds to schools and considering the close links with children looked after by social services department.

1.3 LEAs have a duty under Section 437 of the Education Act 1996 to serve a notice or school attendance order on a parent, where appropriate, in order to enforce parents responsibility for ensuring their children of compulsory school age receive a suitable education. Under Sections 443 and 444(1) of the Education Act 1996 the service may prosecute parents who fail to send their children to school regularly or who fail to comply with Attendance Orders. Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the courts have power following the successful conviction of parents to make a Parenting Order and under the Family Proceedings Court (Children Act 1989 Section 36) Education Supervision Orders may be made.

2 Evaluation of whether the service offers Best Value

2.1 Following their joint inspection with the Audit Commission in the spring of 2001, Ofsted commented that attendance is well above national levels in primary schools, above average in secondary schools and is a strength in both phases. The EWOs in post are well qualified and support to schools from individual officers is sound and often good.

2.2 However, Ofsted commented that support for attendance has been unsatisfactory in the context of high attendance levels. Difficulties had arisen from the high turnover of staff and weaknesses in planning. The LEA have recognised the problems and have restructured the service to remedy them.

2.3 The post Ofsted action plan and improvement plan outlines activity and actions in relation to support for attendance. This includes timescales and success criteria, as well as monitoring and evaluation.

3 Best Value Review Details

3.1 It is anticipated that direct costs associated with the review will not exceed £5,000, to include:-

- cost of questionnaire designs, printing, distribution, collection, collation and analysis

- cost of extended consultation

- cost of benchmarking data and collection

- cost of travel arrangements.

3.2 The review is estimated to take up to 50 person days to complete.

3.3 The following elected Members have been nominated to participate in the review:

· Councillor Pat West

· Councillor Anna McNair Scott

· Councillor Brian Dash

· Councillor Dennis Wright

6 Conclusion

6.1 The attached project brief outlines the approach to the review of the Hampshire Education Welfare Service and how it seeks to address the following issues:

· OFSTED recommendations in respect of improving attendance in the context of high attendance levels

· Efficacy of the response to the difficulties highlighted by OFSTED in relation to the high turnover of staff and weaknesses in planning.

· Scope for further delegation of funding to Schools

· Consideration of issues for Looked After children

· Issues arising from the `Visioning exercise.

Recommendation

1 That the approach to the review is agreed.