Agenda item

To consider the recommendations as set out in the report.

          Consideration was given to a report providing information on the work of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) in 2016-17. The full annual report was submitted at Appendix 1 to the report.  Gill Frame, the Independent Chair of the LSCB, was in attendance at the meeting and presented the report.

          It was noted that the LSCB had a statutory duty to prepare and publish an Annual Report which described how partners safeguarded vulnerable children and young people in Cheshire East  The report gave an account of how the LSCB had worked over the past year to improve the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. The report described the local governance arrangements and structure of the LSCB, the linkages to other strategic partnerships across the borough and the work undertaken against the 2016-17 priorities and also set out the agreed priorities for 2017-18.

          The Board welcomed the report and the continuing work of the LSCB and put on record its thanks to the LSCB, including Ian Rush, the former Independent Chair.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.

28    SEND Strategy and SEN Sufficiency Statement

          Consideration was given to a report providing an update on progress made in relation to the development of a SEND Strategy. 

          The strategy set out how developments to services would be driven, so that the partnership supported children and young people with SEND to achieve the best possible outcomes and benefit from a seamless transition process, which built on high aspirations as they became adult citizens. The aim of the Strategy was also to enable the demonstration of multi-agency joined up commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The overall aim was to ensure that children and young people achieved and reached their potential and became, as far as possible, independent adults in society. The Strategy covered the 0-25 age range, so was very much in line with all of the high level Health and Wellbeing Strategy Priorities and Principles.

It was reported that, in May 2016, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission had introduced a new type of joint inspection. Under the Local area special educational needs and disabilities inspection framework, inspectors reviewed how well local areas met their responsibilities to children and young people from birth to age 25 who had special educational needs or disabilities (or both). The effectiveness of the strategy would be judged through this process. The Board was reminded that the document was still the subject of the local area inspection and that there was still a significant amount of work to be done in respect of this.

A copy of the Sufficiency Statement of  educational provision for children and young people with special educational needs, a piece of work which had been undertaken in the previous year, was also submitted to the Board for information.

The Board welcomed the report and in particular the work to be undertaken in collaboration with partners. Both South Cheshire CCG and Eastern Cheshire CCG indicated their willingness to engage and to bring any expertise they had to the process.

RESOLVED

1.     That the SEND Strategy be noted and the strong emphasis on multi agency intent be supported.

2.     That the Board sign up to the vision, as set out on page 3 of the Joint Strategy.

3.     That the broad priorities, as set out on page 4 of the Joint Strategy, be agreed.

4.     That the SEND Strategy Action Plan be agreed.

5.     That an update report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board.