Purpose

Proposed decision: 
 
a)   
To enter into new contracts and service level
agreements (SLA) with mainstream primary and secondary schools that
provide Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs)

 
b)   
Authorise the Director for Education and Special
Educational Needs to enter into these
contracts and SLAs on behalf of Kent County Council, attached as
appendices A and B; and

 
c)   
Authorise the Director for Education and Special
Educational Needs to be the nominated Local Authority
Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under any of
these contracts and SLAs.
 
 
Reason for the decision and background:
 
Contracts and SLAs
have been in place for all SRP holding schools in Kent for a
significant number of years. The purpose of the contracts and SLAs
is to ensure that pupils with SEN receive an excellent education in
an inclusive environment and are able to
access specialist facilities and/or expertise which enables them to
make progress. The contracts and SLAs that were in place are now
due to be renewed.
 
A review of the
standard SRP contract and SLA was carried out from January 2023
through to April 2023. The aim was to strengthen the governance
arrangements and to ensure consistency between the two
documents.
 
Legal advisors were
commissioned to provide advice and update the contract and SLA.
Following finalisation of these documents, in line with the legal
advice provided, the updated, unsigned contract and SLA were issued
to all SRP holding schools. The updated contract and SLA term is 3
academic years to 30 August 2026.
 
This decision will
allow them to be signed and sealed.
 
 
Alternatives considered:
 
The alternative to
putting a new contract/SLA in place is to proceed without
one.  Legally, existing SRPs are part of
the mainstream schools that host them, and their funding is covered
by the LA’s approved funding arrangements. These provisions
can continue. New provisions can be created, via the process set
out above. However, this option has been rejected. The purpose and
value of the contract/SLA is to set out clear expectations, and
secure robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms. These are
important aspects of the LA’s work, and essential in our SEND
improvement journey.
 
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, I
agree to:
 
a) Enter into and seal the contracts and
service level agreements (SLA) that have been issued to mainstream
primary and secondary schools to provide Specialist Resource
Provisions (SRPs) for a period for three academic years from 1st
September 2023 to 31st August 2026;
 
b) Authorise the Director for Education and
Special Educational Needs to enter into and seal these contracts
and SLAs on behalf of Kent County Council; and
 
c) Authorise the Director for Education and
Special Educational Needs to be the nominated Local Authority
Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into
variations as envisaged under any of these contracts and SLAs.