Case study: Access and inclusion

Interim Assistant Director, Access and Inclusion

Two year assignment

Client Issue

The client was in the process of a significant restructure in response to:

A recent OfSTED inspection that had identified some weaknesses in the area of Access and Inclusion;

The authority’s pathfinder Children’s Trust.

The intention was to create a new division for Children’s Services and Partnership.

Project details

The interim Assistant Director encompassed a wide range of responsibilities at a time of significant change both nationally and locally. Key actions included:

Establishment of a key stakeholder group charged with overseeing the Inclusion strategy, chaired by the Headteacher of a local secondary school, with links to the Directorate’s main strategic body;

Developing within the Division’s senior managers a culture and ethos more conducive to performance and achievement. This included improving the quality of team planning, particularly their focus on outcomes;

Strengthening awareness within the Division of the developing national and local agenda, strengthening collaboration and preparing the ground for the new Division;

Supporting the APA process;

Implementing the outcomes of a wide-ranging Behaviour Review (lead by a previous Capita SCS interim manager). The key priorities were to:

Strengthen capacity to provide strategic leadership;

Strengthen capacity to provide case work support for pupils at-risk of permanent exclusion and those being reintegrated into school;

Establishing a 2^nd PRU with a focus on providing multi-professional intervention and revolving-door provision;

Strengthening support for children with BESD in the early years, including establishing a link with CAMHS.

A detailed review of SEN support services;

Implemented revised, needs-led model for funding special schools and established a working group to consider its extension to mainstream SEN;

Established a working group with an agreed specification and programme to review provision for pupils with ASD;

Prepared and consulted upon an Inclusion Statement in consultation with the Access and Inclusion Sub-group;

Prepared for implementation a strategy for Alternative Provision, supported by a suite of policies/procedures relating to the Pupil Placement Panel, Protocol for Hard to Place Pupils and Children Educated at Home;

Prepared for wider consultation, detailed proposals for the future role, function and organisation of services for parent support and participation;

Prepared the development of new primary and secondary designated specialist mainstream provision for children and young people with ASD.

Outcomes

The key outcome achieved was to engage effectively with schools and other stakeholders to achieve a consensus on the authority’s approach to inclusion and an ambitious work programme to support its achievement;

Momentum was maintained in implementing the outcomes from the Behaviour review, achieving a consensus with schools and strengthening the authority’s capacity to support children and young people with BESD, their families and their schools;

Detailed proposals from the review of SEN Services will:

Support the Authority’s Inclusion Strategy and to make a significant contribution to improving the achievement of children in the authority with SEN against the five outcomes set out in the Children Act;

Strengthen the strategic focus, coherence and co-ordination of SEN Support Services and deliver improved outcomes for children with SEN;

Promote the autonomy and capacity of schools in meeting the SEN of pupils within the communities they serve;

Support a continuum of high quality provision appropriate to the audited needs and wishes of children with SEN and their parents;

Strengthen the role of special schools as Centres of Excellence responsible for delivering high quality outreach support to mainstream schools;

Strengthen integrated delivery of services to children with SEN, including services currently provided by the PCT;

Establish strong links with Children’s Centres and Extended Schools as the principal mechanism for locality-based service delivery;

Promote early identification and intervention;

Promote greater diversity and cost-effectiveness in the provision of SEN services.

Performance management was strengthened within the Division with a sharper focus on outcomes;

Important reviews were progressed the outcomes of which will define important aspects of the authority’s strategy in response to the Children’s Services agenda.