Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) Summary of Decision Area:

1.1. The Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) gave his approval at his Decision Day on 22 May 2008 for a formal consultation with schools, local dioceses and other interested stakeholders on Hampshire County Council's draft Accessibility Strategy for schools and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Policy (attached at Appendices 1 and 2) and that the outcomes of the consultation be reported to him, later in 2008. .

1.2. The consultation process has now been completed and the draft strategy and policy have, where appropriate, been amended in the light of consultation comments. This report seeks the Executive Lead Member's agreement that the Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy be formally adopted and made available to schools and other interested stakeholders.

2) Issues Covered in Report:

2.1. A report back on the formal consultation process on the Accessibility Strategy and SEN Policy, following the Executive Lead Member's decision in May of this year..

3) Recommendations:

It is recommended that the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education):

3.1 Agrees to the publication of Hampshire County Council's Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy and that they be made available to schools and other interested stakeholders.

MAIN REPORT

1) Purpose of the Report:

1.1. To report back on the outcomes of the formal consultation process on the Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy and to seek agreement for the documents to be published and made available to schools and other interested stakeholders.

2) Contextual Information:

2.1. All Local Authorities are required, by law, to publish an Accessibility Strategy for the schools for which they are responsible, focussing on increasing access for disabled pupils to the curriculum, to the physical environment of schools and to written information.

2.2. Local Authorities are also required to publish a Special Educational Needs Policy which sets out the principles, aims and objectives through which they will support the needs of children with SEN and Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD).

2.3. The current Hampshire Accessibility Strategy was published in 2003 and the current SEN Policy in 2005. In the light of initiatives such as the government's ongoing strategy for SEN, "Removing Barriers to Achievement" and "Aiming High for Disabled Children" both documents were in need of review so that they more appropriately set out the County Council's policy and strategy to ensure that all young people with SEN and LDD receive high quality educational provision and opportunities to support them in maximising their potential.

2.4. A working party, the membership of which included officers (from both Education and Social Care), and representatives from the Hampshire Educational Psychology Service, the Specialist Teacher Advisory Service, the Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service, the Property, Business and Regulatory Service and the Capital Planning section of the Education and Inclusion Branch, met over a period of approximately 6 months to review and rewrite the strategy and policy. As part of the process, consultation was carried out with young people with SEN/LDD in 13 schools as well as representatives from parents/carers groups.

2.5. The resulting draft documents were taken to the Executive Lead Member's Decision Day on 22 May 2008 where approval was given to undertake a formal consultation.

3) Key Issues:

3.1. Consultation:

3.1.1 The draft strategy and policy were circulated widely. The statutory guidance requires Local Authorities to consult its schools and the trustees of schools (eg local dioceses). In addition a wide range of bodies were consulted, as listed in Appendix E of the strategy document; these included neighbouring Local Authorities, Voluntary Organisations and relevant services and agencies. A pro-forma was provided to assist respondents and the consultation period ran from Monday 26 May - Monday 18 August 2008.

3.1.2 The draft strategy and policy have been favourably received. By the closing date of the consultation period, a total of 22 responses had been received from the following:

i) 17 schools - 7 infant

- 3 junior

- 3 primary

- 2 secondary

- 2 special (although one of the special schools was also responding "on behalf of special school headteachers")

ii) 3 NHS individuals/groups

iii) 2 Voluntary Organisations (FLASH (autism support) and the National Deaf Children's Society)

3.1.3 Responses to the draft Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy were, generally, highly supportive (a summary of responses is attached at Appendix 3), with the majority of respondents finding that the structure of the documents was clear and the level of detail sufficient.

3.1.4 No respondents disagreed with the contents of the strategy and policy. A number of responses made reference to issues which were linked to the implementation of the strategy and policy whilst not commenting specifically on the documents themselves. In this regard the major issues raised were:

i) ensuring that schools are appropriately funded to implement the strategy and policy

ii) ensuring that appropriate training is available to staff working in schools

iii) addressing specific condition issues (eg Down's Syndrome, Hearing Impairment and Autistic Spectrum Disorders)

These, and other identified issues will be forwarded to the appropriate officers and/or groups for consideration. Where appropriate, the draft strategy and policy documents have been amended to reflect consultation responses.

3.1.5 It is proposed that, in the light of the consultation process and the responses received, the strategy and policy documents now attached at Appendices 1 and 2 be approved.

3.2. Legal implications:

Hampshire County Council has a legal duty to publish an Accessibility Strategy and a Special Educational Needs Policy.

3.3 Financial implications:

Once approved, the Accessibility Strategy and the SEN Policy will be published on the SEN Service website and will be able to be downloaded, at no cost.

In addition each Hampshire maintained school, and other appropriate stakeholders, will be provided with a hard copy of each document and hard copies will be available to other interested parties on request. An initial print run of 1,000 copies of each document will be commissioned at an approximate cost of £350 per 1,000 copies (ie approximately £700 in total). This cost will be met from the SEN Service publications budget. Further print runs will be commissioned on an `as and when' basis over the lifetime of the documents with costs to be met from the SEN publications budget.

On a broader scale the Accessibility Strategy and the SEN Policy are consistent with, and support, the current budget strategy with regard to provision and the capital programme. For example, a number of aspects of the Accessibility Strategy have already been agreed as growth items (e.g. the TOP Thomas Outreach Project, the ongoing development of Nurture Groups, new SEN Early Years provision and the new Crofton Autistic Spectrum Disorder provision) in the Schools Budget for the period 2008 - 2011. The Accessibility Strategy does not change any of this and, at this stage, there are no further proposals which will impact on the revenue and capital provision.

3.4 Personnel implications:

There are no personnel implications.

3.5 Impact assessment:

No adverse impact assessment has been identified. The publication of the Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy provide frameworks within which the needs of children and young people with SEN/LLD can more effectively be met, providing them with greater opportunities of educational success and improving life chances.

3.6 Crime prevention issues:

Providing a framework within which to support children and young people with SEN/LDD is likely to increase levels of educational attainment, to enhance their life chances and to prepare them to make a positive contribution to their communities, all of which are likely to reduce the potential for criminal activity and involvement.

3.7 Views of the Local County Councillor:

The Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy, once adopted, will have county-wide application. All County Councillors were contacted as part of the formal consultation process.

3 Outline of options:

4.1 The responses received during the consultation were highly supportive of the draft Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy. In the light of this and given that the Local Authority is under a legal duty to publish a strategy and policy, no other options were considered.

4 Conclusion:

5.1 Responses to the formal consultation were highly supportive of the draft Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy. Where appropriate the draft documents have been amended to reflect responses. They now provide a framework for supporting children and young people with SEN/LDD.

5 Recommendations:

It is recommended that the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education):

6.1 Agrees to the publication of Hampshire County Council's Accessibility Strategy and Special Educational Needs Policy and that they be made available to schools and other interested stakeholders.

CORPORATE OR LEGAL INFORMATION: