Summary

The board meeting on 23 July 2024 focused on how well special education services (SEND) are working in Wirral. The latest updates show the progress being made in helping children with special needs.

Main Points:

Action Log Review: The board checked the progress of actions from the previous meeting. Out of 22 actions, 13 were completed, while others are still ongoing or delayed.

Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs): These plans ensure children with special needs get the right support at school. Some EHCPs are taking longer than expected to complete. The board is working to speed this up, but it's a challenge due to not having enough staff.

Neurodevelopmental Pathway: Many children are waiting a long time for help with conditions like ADHD and autism. The board is considering new ways to reduce these waiting times, including hiring extra help.

Speech and Language Therapy (SALT): Some schools are arranging their own therapy sessions outside the NHS. The board is looking into how this affects the overall service and what can be done to improve waiting times.

Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA): The board is working on strategies to help children who avoid school due to emotional issues. Training has been given to schools, and new tools like AV1 Robots are helping children stay connected to their classes.

SEND Communication Strategy: A new communication strategy has been agreed upon to ensure clear and open communication with families and schools. The strategy is designed to make sure everyone knows what support is available and how to access it.

Recommendations:

Review and Speed Up EHCP Processes: The board needs to keep working on improving the speed at which EHCPs are completed.

Increase Staff Capacity: More staff are being recruited to help with assessments and support plans.

Enhance Communication: Ensure all changes in plans and services are quickly communicated to everyone involved.

Challenges:

Staff Shortages: There aren't enough staff to meet the demand for EHCPs and assessments, causing delays.

Long Waiting Times: Children are waiting too long for assessments, especially in neurodevelopmental services and speech therapy.

Future Plans:

New Systems: A new case management system will be launched soon to help keep track of all the work being done.

Monitoring Progress: The board will continue to monitor how well services are working and make changes where necessary.

Why This Matters:

These updates are crucial to ensuring children with special needs get the right support as quickly as possible. The board is making progress but still has challenges to overcome.

What’s Next:

The board will keep an eye on progress and meet again to discuss further updates and improvements for children with special needs in Wirral.

List of Actions:

Share the EHCP Quality Assurance Framework: Adrian Leach will share this with NHS partners for feedback.

Write to the Chief Executive of the Integrated Care Board: Councillor Paul Stuart will address concerns about capacity and request additional resources.

Circulate Parent Carer Listening Event Briefing Note: Adrian Leach to share this with board members.

Share Co-production Training Materials: Cath Griffiths will ensure NHS partners receive these materials to replicate the training.

Identify Section-19 Lead Responsible Officer: James Backhouse and Adrian Leach to appoint a lead officer by September 2024.

Report on Persistent Absence: Adrian Leach will present a report on children and young people with persistent absence by October 2024.

Arrange Cross-Partnership Floor Walks: Melissa Berry will organise visits across services to improve understanding and collaboration.

Communicate Amendments to Graduated Approach: Julia Bryant will ensure any changes are communicated to James Backhouse for updates.

Extend Board Membership: The board will include representatives from Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, and GP representatives from the Primary Care Networks.