Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director, Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director, Community & Children’s Services concerning re-introduction of the City of London Corporation Special Educational Needs Self-Assessment Framework (SEF) (current version September 2024).

Members noted that the report had been restricted after publication as non-public as sensitive information was contained within the report. However, Members agreed, to move debate of the item into the public part of the meeting. The Committee noted that any sensitive information that Members wished to discuss, could be addressed in the non-public section of the meeting.

The Committee noted that the SEND SEF was introduced following a peer review, with the aim of improving services for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Concerns were raised about the high percentage of children with persistent absence and the need for strategies to address the issue. Officers noted that the percentage of children with persistent absence was high, around 30%. Members were informed that strategies to address this included contacting schools to gather more information about those children. It was noted that many of those children attend schools outside the City of London.

Questions were raised about the waiting times for speech and language therapy and mental health assessments via CAMHS. Officers committed to providing this information at the next meeting. In response to a question raised on timeframes for issuing Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), officers confirmed that the City of London meets the statutory 20-week timeframe for issuing EHCPs, with 100% of assessments completed within this period. However, it was noted that 20 weeks was still a long time for children and families.

The issue of exclusions and the link between SEND needs and behaviour was discussed, officers noted that the City of London has very few exclusions, with the last permanent exclusion in June 2023. The focus was on working with schools to provide timely support and resources to prevent exclusions.