Archived decisions
Hampshire County Council Education Policy Review Committee 15 March 2005 Best Value Reviews: Education Welfare Service and Education other than at School Report of the County Education Officer |
Item 10 |
Contact: Terry Rath, Education Officer [email protected] 01962 846457
1 Summary
1.1 This report updates the Policy Review Committee (PRC) on the progress in implementing the improvement plans of the Best Value (BV) Reviews of the Education Welfare Service and the provision for Education Other than at School (EOTAS)
1.2 The implementation of these improvement plans will improve schools and the County Council's work with pupils who are not attending or who have been excluded from school. They support aims 1,5, 4 of the Corporate Strategy, maximising life opportunities, improving services and building strong and safe communities. They will improve services in preparation for the implementation of the Children Act.
1 Background
1.1 At its meeting on 23 March 2004 the PRC agreed to recommend to the Executive Member that a further report should be brought to the PRC on the implementation of the BV review of the Education Welfare Service. This was agreed by the Executive Member on 25 March 2004 at his decision day.
1.2 This decision was taken because insufficient progress had been made in implementing the improvement plan, largely due to a six month period between July 2003 and January 2004 when a Principal Education Welfare Officer had not been in post.
1.3 The BV improvement plan for EOTAS was agreed by the Executive Member on 15 July 2004. This updating report is being presented to the PRC nine months after it was agreed to enable the attached Appendix to be included in the County Council's Performance Plan which has to be published in June 2005. This report is based on the outcome of a progress review meeting between Councillor Michael Cartwright, one of the four Education PRC Members who sat on the BV Review Panel and Jack Cawthra, Education Officer EOTAS, which took place in December 2004.
1.4 The implementation of the BV improvement plans is linked to the development of service planning across the department and the role of EDMT in challenging and supporting service heads. These processes provide the opportunity to plan further service improvements.
2 Implementation of the Education Welfare Services (EWS) Improvement Plan
2.1 The report to the PRC in March 2004 noted that 21 of the total 37 proposed improvements remained outstanding. Since then further work has been undertaken and further progress made in implementing the improvements. An analysis is set out below. The figures in brackets were those given in the report to the PRC in March 2004.
No of Improvements |
Implemented |
Outstanding | |
Outcome I Reduced levels of absence |
23 |
16 (10) |
7 (13) |
Outcome II Pilot study to locate EWOs in schools in an area |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Outcome III Improve attendance of Looked After children |
6 |
4 (2) |
2 (4) |
Outcome IV Equalities ethos is reflected in service establishment and delivery |
5 |
1 (1) |
4 (4) |
Outcome V Contribute to reduction in crime by improving school attendance |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2.2 Of the seven outstanding actions under Outcome I, one relates to the publicity for the launch of the guidance document on attendance published by the EWS in 2004 and is time expired. Three are linked to the development of IT systems which it has not been possible to take forward. Of the remaining three, the more extensive provision of training for governors is being planned, work is continuing on preparing annual reports for each school to incorporate routine summative feedback on referrals and pilot studies are taking place in some parts of the County on better caseload management when EWOs are ill or when there are vacancies. The drive to improve attendance at school has had a high national profile. Some of the improvements, introduced by the BV Review, have been superseded by later national developments. The colour coding of schools by level of absence has been replaced by more complex national analysis.
2.3 Outcome II had been implemented by March 2004 and a report on the location of EWOs has now been produced. The two outstanding actions for Outcome III also relate to IT systems and database developments. A detailed Action Plan is being drawn up to cover all the equalities improvements identified in Outcome IV and both activities in Outcome V continue to implemented.
3 Implementation of Education other than at School Improvement Plan
3.1 The EOTAS improvement plan identified 17 actions which it was anticipated would all be completed by December 2004. It was progress on these actions that were reviewed with Councillor Cartwright, when it was agreed that eight of the actions had been completed including a 46% reduction in the number of permanent exclusions between 1 September - 30 November 2004, compared to the same period the previous year. Overall, 32 actions were identified in the improvement plan
3.2 There had been some slippage on the establishment of better links with employers, post-16 providers, the LSC and Connexions services. Head teachers reintegration panels for excluded pupils have been established in three areas with a further five likely to start in the Spring term. Further work needs to be done to provide preventative input for Looked After Children. The consideration of how the EOTAS service will fit into the framework of the Children Act has delayed work on reviewing and republishing the EOTAS Policy and strategy documents.
4 County Council Policy Requirements
4.1 Legal Requirements - The Appendices to this report will form part of the County Council's annual Performance Plan
4.2 Financial Implications - The implementation of these Best Value Action Plans will be within existing resources
4.3 Personnel Implications - None
4.4 Impact Assessment - An impact assessment was undertaken as part of the Best Value Reviews
4.5 Crime Prevention Issues - Actions are included in the Appendices to this report
4.6 Views of the local County Councillor - not applicable
5 Recommendation
5.1 The PRC recommends to the Executive Member that sufficient progress has been made on the implementation of the EWS BV Review improvement plan and that there is no longer a need to report annually to the PRC or Executive Member.
5.2 The PRC recommends to the Executive Member that, in view of the short time scale between the approval of the EOTAS implementation plan and this report to the PRC, a further report is brought to the appropriate committee and the Executive Member at the same time next year.
Section D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents
The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extend in the preparation of this report.
NB The list excludes:
1 Published works
2 Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined the Act.
APPENDIX I
Name: |
Education Welfare Service |
Proposed improvements |
· Reduced levels of absence from school · Pilot locating Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) in schools · Improve attendance of looked after children · Equalities ethos reflected in service establishment and delivery · To contribute to reductions in crime by improving school attendance |
Progress in implementing the Improvement Plan |
· Revised guidance for schools to promote higher levels of attendance produced · New KS3 adviser on behaviour/attendance works closely with EWS · Attendance matters discussed at meeting with headteachers and EDMT · Guidance on term time holidays and bullying provided to schools · Schools encouraged to set challenging targets on attendance · EWS resources targeted to schools with greatest need using a colour coding system · Additional laptops provided and available for EWOs · Recruitment promoted through links with local higher education establishments · Attendance data is collected and analysed on a countywide basis although this is not in real time · Additional guidance to schools on monitoring registers and categorising absence · Initial links in place with HIAS, Social Services and Education Psychologists to address attendance issues · Pilot study basing EWOs in schools established in Fareham/Gosport and evaluated · Database set up to manage EWO caseloads, the results of which lead in performance reviews · EWS is liaising with Social Services and the Corporate Team for Looked after Children to assist EWOs linking with designated teachers in schools about attendance of Looked after Children · EWS staff allocated to central looked after children's team · EWS tracking attendance of looked after children · Parents prosecuted for persistent non-attendance by their children · Truancy sweeps organised with participation by EWS |
Future Plans |
Further work in implementing the improvement plan needed in the following areas: · Promoting the role of governors and providing training across the county · Ensuring annual reports are prepared for each school incorporating routine summative feedback on referrals to EWS · Developing improved communications with children's homes by providing training and advice on attendance matters and contributing to children's homes' development plans · Provide each children's home with regular reports on attendance · Ensuring comprehensive Equalities Assessment action plans are in place |
Contact for further information |
Rita Crowne, Principal EWO on 01962 845770 |
APPENDIX II
Name: |
Education other than at School |
Proposed improvements |
· Improve management information systems and analyses · Greater emphasis on pupil re-integration · Earlier involvement to tackle behaviour problems · Minimise the gap between exclusions, or the ability to attend school due to illness, and the provision of an appropriate EOTAS programme · Clearer focus on the needs of individual children · Seek the views of children and parents and listen to them. · More effective monitoring of home education · Over-arching service issues:- - role of Education Centre Management Committees - Review performance management procedures for staff |
Progress in implementing the Improvement Plan |
· Working Group established to review EOTAS database requirement · Provision of short-term IT systems commissioned · Training for staff on new IT system completed · Existing data transferred to new system · EOTAS strategic framework document circulated to staff, schools and other key stakeholders · Reintegration panels established in three areas with a further five to be set up shortly · Permanent exclusions down by 46% for the period 1 September - 30 November 2004 when compared with the same period in 2003 · Systems set up for families to be contacted within five days of notification of permanent exclusion or medical referral · LEA guidance and advice to home education published |
Future Plans |
Further work in implementing the improvement plan needed in the following areas · establishing better links with employers, post-16 providers, Connexions and Social Services Care Leavers Service to track pupil destination and progress · develop EOTAS curriculum packages focusing on core skills, self esteem and personal responsibility · develop a virtual learning environment · agree with schools a whole authority statement of intent identifying the shared responsibility of schools and the LEA for minimising the risk of exclusion · develop a local directory of EOTAS services · develop a coherent and transparent set of triggers for differential levels of intervention by EOTAS staff · focus preventative work on the needs of Looked After Children and pupils with identified special educational needs · develop strategy with LSC, FE Colleges and Connexions to access college placements at KS4 · develop partnerships with the business community, sporting and cultural agencies to provide a wider and richer curriculum for children out of school · integrate the work of BESD and MLD special schools into the system of behaviour support · review and republish policy documentations on EOTAS assessment and share with parents, schools and other stakeholders · establish protocols for improved inter-agency working · develop and improve the curriculum on offer in Education Centres to ensure flexibility to meet individual needs · establish exit questionnaire and incorporate results into future planning · review EOTAS documents to ensure parents with communication and/or literacy difficulties are not excluded · develop new EOTAS documents in partnership with parents · develop ways of consulting young people in EOTAS in order to gain their views · research ways of reducing costs of visiting home educators in order to increase the number and frequency of home visits · develop recommendations on the role of Education Centre Management committees to include an extended brief to oversee all behaviour support activities and to include increased headteacher membership · review the performance management procedures for EOTAS staff |
Contact for further information |
Jack Cawthra, Education Officer (EOTAS) on 01962 846537 |