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Camden Council: SEND strategy update discussed by oversight panel.

This week in Camden:

The Council was scheduled to meet on Monday, but no transcript of the meeting is available.
The Disability Oversight Panel discussed an update to Camden's Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy 2022-27.

Council - Monday 14 October 2024

The Council was scheduled to meet on Monday 14 October 2024. Unfortunately, no transcript is available for this meeting.

The Council is the main decision-making body of Camden Council. It is responsible for setting the council's budget, agreeing its policies, and making key decisions about how the council is run. The Council is made up of 54 councillors, who are elected by the residents of Camden every four years.

Disability Oversight Panel - Tuesday 15 October 2024

The Disability Oversight Panel met to consider an update to the implementation of Camden Council's Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy 2022-27.

The Disability Oversight Panel is a committee of Camden Council that is responsible for scrutinising the council's work on disability issues.

The meeting's agenda included the formal approval of the minutes of the previous meeting, and a report on the implementation of the council's SEND strategy.

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy Implementation Update

A report was presented to the meeting by the Director of Education Commissioning & Inclusion providing an update on the implementation of Camden Council's SEND Strategy 2022-27.

The report began by outlining the challenges facing the council in meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND, noting that:

Nationally and locally, we are seeing increases in the number and complexity of the population of children with SEND. Funding is set nationally and local authorities across the country are struggling to meet needs within the budget provided.

These challenges are not unique to Camden. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of children and young people being diagnosed with SEND. This has put a strain on local authority budgets, as the cost of providing support for children with SEND has also increased.

The report highlighted that 76.3% of new Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) were issued within 20 weeks. This is above the national average of 54%, but lower than the 90-97% previously achieved by Camden.

EHCPs are legal documents that set out the special educational, health and social care needs of a child or young person aged up to 25 with SEND. Local Authorities have a statutory responsibility to provide the support specified in a child's EHCP.

Strengths of Camden's SEND Offer

The report highlighted that 97% of schools in Camden are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, including 37% of primary schools that are rated outstanding.

It went on to describe Camden's approach to inclusion, noting that a high proportion of Camden pupils with EHCPs - nearly 50% - attend mainstream settings¹.

The government's ambition is for as many children and young people with SEND as possible to be educated in mainstream settings.

It also pointed to the success of Camden's Exceptional Needs Grant (ENG) scheme, which provides schools with funding to support pupils with SEND without the need for an EHCP. The report noted that this scheme has been praised by the Department for Education (DfE) as an innovative approach to support schools to meet needs earlier.

Areas For Development

The report also highlighted several areas where it was suggested improvements could be made to Camden's SEND offer.

The report proposed taking a holistic approach to improving the education provision continuum in Camden in order to ensure that all children are able to access the right education for them. The phrase education provision continuum refers to the range of different educational settings that are available to children and young people, from mainstream schools to specialist schools and colleges.

Noting that families are currently waiting too long to get a diagnosis, the report proposed continuing to work with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to reduce waiting times for diagnosis. ICBs are responsible for planning and delivering health and care services in their local areas.

Acknowledging feedback from families that they do not feel that they are effectively worked with as partners by professionals, the report proposed to maximise the opportunities available from the newly formed Centre for Relational Practice to provide high quality workforce development.

Mainstream settings include schools and other educational institutions that are not specifically designed for pupils with special educational needs. ↩

Camden Planning: Office Conversions & Roof Extensions Considered

The Planning Committee was scheduled to meet on Thursday 01 August 2024.

Planning Committee - Thursday 01 August 2024

Details: Meeting link

This meeting was scheduled to consider planning applications for the change of use of a vacant office building to an apart-hotel at 14 Bedford Row, and the construction of a roof extension to an office building at 40 Bernard Street.

14 Bedford Row, 12-13 Jockey’s Fields, and 14 Jockey’s Fields

The application for 14 Bedford Row concerned a proposal to change the use of the existing office building to an apart-hotel, providing 65 bedrooms.

The report pack prepared for the meeting suggested that because of the site's location in the Central Activities Zone (CAZ), it was likely to be highly desirable for residential development. Camden Council's Local Plan states that in such cases, 50% of the new floorspace should be for residential use. A payment in lieu of on-site or off-site provision of housing was proposed instead, as the change of use would only affect the upper floors of the building. This echoes a similar decision made at the Planning Committee meeting on 27 June 2024, when an application for a change of use from office to residential at 245 Euston Road was granted, despite not meeting the 50% requirement.

Section 106 legal agreements, commonly known as S106 agreements, are a mechanism by which local authorities can secure financial contributions from developers in association with the granting of planning permission. These contributions, known as Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), are used to fund infrastructure projects that support the development, such as transport improvements, affordable housing, or public open space.

The report pack proposed that such an agreement should be used to secure funding for cycle storage, electric vehicle charging points (EVCPs) and sustainable drainage.

The report pack concluded that subject to conditions relating to the S106 agreement, and other conditions relating to noise, waste and drainage, the development would not harm neighbouring amenities, the local transport network, or infrastructure.

40 Bernard Street

The application for 40 Bernard Street concerned a proposal for the refurbishment of the fifth floor of the building, the addition of a sixth floor roof extension, and the relocation of plant to the roof. This would increase the amount of office floorspace by 960 sqm.

As with the application at 14 Bedford Row, the report pack noted that Camden's Local Plan requires 50% of new floorspace to be used for residential development where development involves the creation of more than 200sqm.

The report pack proposed a payment in lieu of on-site or off-site provision of 480 sqm of residential floorspace, calculated at a rate of £1,500 per sqm, resulting in a total payment of £720,000, to be secured through a Section 106 legal agreement.

The report pack concluded that the proposal would provide a high standard of design and finish, and was sympathetic to the surrounding area. It recommended that the application be approved subject to conditions, including a restriction on the hours of use of the roof terrace, and requirements for noise mitigation measures.

Camden Council: Funding for Medway Court TRA & Housing Repairs Scrutinised

This week, Camden Council held two meetings: the Corporate Parenting Board and the Holborn District Management Committee.

Corporate Parenting Board

Date: Tuesday 02 July 2024
Details: Meeting link

Unfortunately, no transcript is available for this meeting. The Corporate Parenting Board is responsible for overseeing the council's duties towards children in its care. This includes ensuring that looked after children have access to the same opportunities as their peers, and that they are safeguarded from harm. The Board also monitors the performance of the council's Virtual School Head and the Director of Children's Services.

Holborn District Management Committee

Date: Tuesday 02 July 2024
Details: Meeting link

The Holborn District Management Committee met to discuss a number of issues including the Housing Transformation Programme, fire safety works, parking, and anti-social behaviour. They approved a funding request from the Medway Court Tenants and Residents Association (TRA) for barriers and gardening tools.

District Management Committees (DMCs) provide a forum for local residents to raise issues with Councillors. There are seven DMCs in Camden, which meet on a rotating basis. Each DMC covers a different geographical area within the borough, and residents are encouraged to attend the committee that covers their area.

Housing

Councillors heard complaints about the repairs service, including that repairs reported during a walkabout of the Tybalds Estate in November 2023 had not been undertaken, and that residents of the Brunswick Estate were unhappy about major leaks, broken garage doors, and high heat levels in the summer months. There were also concerns about the way that out-of-hours messages from residents were being dealt with by the repairs contact centre.

Camden's housing stock is currently undergoing a major programme of repairs and improvements under the Housing Transformation Programme. This programme, which was launched in 2020, aims to improve the quality of life for residents by bringing all homes up to a good standard. As part of the programme, the council is investing £1.2 billion in repairs and improvements to its 24,000 homes.

Fire Safety

Concerns were also raised about fire safety works. The meeting heard from residents of the Brunswick Estate, who were unhappy about the Council's requirement to have hardwired fire alarms installed in their homes. Currently, both battery powered and hardwired alarms meet the relevant British Standards, though hardwired alarms are generally considered to be more reliable. It was noted by the meeting that the London Fire Brigade had agreed that battery powered alarms were suitable in this case. Camden Council is the leaseholder for the homes at the Brunswick Estate.

Residents of the Brunswick, Dudley Court and Gamages Estates complained about the conduct of the Council's contractor, Mulalley & Co, who were carrying out the fire safety works. There were allegations that appointments were not being made in advance, that demands were being made to be given entrance, and that residents had received threatening letters. In one instance, an elderly resident at Brunswick Estate became housebound after getting their arm stuck in a new fire door.

Parking

Complaints were made about parking, with residents expressing concerns about the number of people sub-letting their parking bays through the website JustPark, and calling for more clarity about the waiting list for parking spaces. The Principal Caretaking Manager agreed to investigate the sub-letting allegations and help residents navigate the waiting list system.

Anti-Social Behaviour

Anti-social behaviour at Winter Garden House was also discussed. A lack of a TRA in the building was highlighted as a barrier to sharing vital local intelligence, but it was noted that CCTV was now operational. Residents of the nearby Powis House complained they had not been consulted about the issues at Winter Garden House, despite being affected by them.

The meeting also discussed the upcoming Residents Conference, including the proposed budget for the event. The committee agreed to note the briefing and funding request.

The Holborn District Management Committee meeting highlights the important role that local residents play in holding Camden Council to account. It also shows the value of having a forum where residents can raise their concerns directly with their elected representatives.

Camden Council: Licensing Meetings Cancelled, Community Committees Convene

This week, the Camden Council held several meetings, although not all provided detailed information or proceeded as planned. Here's a summary of the meetings:

Camden Town District Management Committee

Date: Wednesday 26 June 2024
Details: Meeting link

The Camden Town District Management Committee convened this Wednesday. Unfortunately, no transcript or summary of the meeting is available. District Management Committees typically address local issues and community concerns, providing a platform for residents to engage with their councillors.

Licensing Committee

Date: Wednesday 26 June 2024
Details: Meeting link
Status: Cancelled

The Licensing Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled. This committee usually oversees the granting and regulation of various licenses within the borough, including those for alcohol, entertainment, and taxis.

Gospel Oak District Management Committee

Date: Thursday 27 June 2024
Details: Meeting link

The Gospel Oak District Management Committee also met this week, but similar to the Camden Town meeting, no transcript or summary is available. These committees play a crucial role in addressing hyper-local issues and fostering community engagement.

Licensing Panel C

Date: Thursday 27 June 2024
Details: Meeting link
Status: Cancelled

The Licensing Panel C meeting scheduled for Thursday was cancelled. Panels like this one are responsible for deciding on specific licensing applications and ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Understanding the workings of your local council is essential for active community participation. District Management Committees like those in Camden Town and Gospel Oak are vital forums where residents can voice their concerns and influence local decisions. Licensing Committees and Panels, though not meeting this week, play a significant role in maintaining the standards and safety of services within the borough.

Stay tuned for more updates and insights into Camden Council's activities and decisions.

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