Decision

(1)      SEND Training for Elected
Members
 
We recognise as a Council that all children
have the right to an education that meets their needs and helps
them to flourish. As a Council we recognise that there is now
greater knowledge of the support needs of children and families. We
also recognise that these needs have changed over time with greater
understanding of the issues and will continue to grow especially
around needs associated with health and mental health.
 
This Council and Councillors have statutory
duties and make judgements and influence decisions about how
Special Educational Needs provision is implemented within
Warwickshire.  Our decisions always have
an impact, and can have a life-changing
effect on children and their families.
 
Considering the growing
pressures, it is vital that our knowledge and understanding
is current. This needs to include increasing our shared
understanding of the challenges facing parents and children,
alongside looking towards best practice to improve what we do.
 
Therefore, the County Council resolves itself
to the upskilling of Councillors by providing annual mandatory
training for all elected members. Before serving on any panels,
scrutiny committees and other bodies that handle the provision of
Childrens Services members will need to have attended the training
and development sessions. These sessions will be co-produced in
partnership between Warwickshire County Council's SEND services and
families of children with SEND. This training and development
should be delivered as soon as possible, and no further than three
months away, subject to the business of scheduled Council panels,
scrutiny committees and other bodies continuing in the interim
whilst the training of councillors is undertaken.
 
(2)      West Midlands Investment
Zone
 
The Investment Zone represents a multi partner
project that has the potential to bring very large-scale inward
investment to the Coventry and Warwickshire sub-region.  Over recent years, the proposition has advanced to
the point of national support being imminent.  The potential to bring forward such a large-scale
project was recognised some time ago as beyond the scope of just
Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council in whose
Authorities most of it resides.  We
therefore recognise the value of this becoming a West Midlands
Combined Authority (WMCA) priority and the ability for them to
bring the large-scale investment into the region to realise this
project. Jobs for a new generation and wider opportunities for
businesses will undoubtedly flow should this move forward, bringing
growth that we should all welcome.
 
This Council wholeheartedly welcomes the
project and would wish to place on record its thanks to all those
partners and wider agencies for their support, including Warwick
University and our Business Community through their various
agencies.
 
This Council resolves to write a letter of
support to the Secretary of State for BEIS (Business, Energy &
Industrial Strategy) and to invite Coventry City Council, Warwick
District Council and the WMCA to co-sign the same, endorsing our
full support and backing as partners wishing to deliver this
project for the region and the country.