The Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission met on Tuesday 1 February 2022 to discuss Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision, updates on scrutiny recommendations regarding exclusions and alternative provision, and procurement accessibility and social value. The commission also addressed the growing ethnic minority pay gap and noted the proposed work programme for 2021-22.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

The commission received an update on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, which is described as vast and complex, covering a wide age range and varying needs. Yvonne Ely, Assistant Director for SEND, explained that local authorities are committed to supporting children appropriately and adhering to legislation, with the SEND code of practice being a comprehensive 300-page document. Southwark Council provides a Local Offer on its website, detailing education, health, and social care aspects for SEND services. The journey map presented illustrated a 20-week process for assessments for children with more complex needs, involving coordination between families, teachers, and professionals.

Discussions covered the timeline for publishing a new SEND strategy, which will commence consultation in March 2022 and is expected to be finalised towards the end of the school year 2022, covering the next three years. Regarding increased provision, there are 2,700 children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), necessitating the expansion of school facilities, such as rebuilding and extending schools like Beormund, and providing resources for mainstream schools and specialist units.

Key themes discussed included the role of SEND co-ordinators, the volume of EHCP requests, the influx of students into Southwark Special Schools from other boroughs, ADHD diagnoses and referrals, children in out-of-borough specialist schools, the EHCP appeals process, and home schooling and examinations. The commission agreed to prepare draft recommendations focusing on increased acuteness of need for children with SEND, greater inclusion in mainstream schools, comprehensive training for mainstream staff in SEND provision, improved collaboration between the Local Authority and the Health sector for diagnoses, clarity on alternative routes for parents in primary and secondary schools without needing an EHC assessment, and early intervention for parents by healthcare professionals for children whose needs do not meet EHCP thresholds.

Exclusions and Alternative Provision

Councillor Jasmine Ali and Officer Jenny Brennan provided an update on scrutiny recommendations made to the Cabinet regarding exclusions and alternative provisions. A School Inclusion Charter is to be signed by headteachers, focusing on collaborative support for children and families. The Southwark Inclusive Learning Service (SILS) received positive feedback following a review in June 2021. A £1.4 million pilot, funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and running from January 2022 to August 2025, will involve SILS in a multi-agency approach, including youth offending services, early years mental health, and primary to secondary transition. A report on exclusions from 2017-2021 indicated that numbers were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Efforts are underway with NEST to secure funding for a project addressing disproportionate exclusions among children of mixed heritage.

Procurement: Accessibility and Social Value

Doreen Forrester-Brown, Director of Law and Governance, Elaine McLester, Head of Procurement, and Patrick Doherty, Principal Strategy Officer, updated the commission on recommendations concerning procurement, accessibility, and social value. The Fairer Future Procurement Framework aligns with the council's equality, diversity, and inclusion policies, and aims to close the Black and Asian minority ethnic pay gap by fostering collaboration between ethnic minority communities and local organisations. The framework also incorporates the Climate Change Strategy to support the council's ambition to become carbon neutral. A staff virtual training tool has been developed, providing certification upon completion of procurement process training. A contract management toolkit is being developed to ensure a consistent approach to monitoring and reporting on contracts across the council. The framework will also integrate the Residential Care Charter, Modern Slavery Charter, and Sustainable Food Strategy. The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) has been commissioned to analyse Southwark Council's procurement processes to maximise purchasing power for the benefit of local communities and businesses. CLES analysis will provide insights into supplier geography, use supplier surveys to gather feedback on inequalities, and conduct training sessions for procurement staff on local spend supply chains and building networks of local organisations.

Discussions addressed basic contract monitoring progress, with the contract management toolkit intended to provide a framework. While there is no centralised data, Annual Performance Reports are submitted to the Contracts Review Board. Regarding training and recruitment of procurement staff, salaries have been increased in some areas, and trainee grades introduced. However, recruitment has been challenging due to a national shortage of procurement professionals and competition from Central Government. Interim staff are in place while a new approach is developed. Challenges were also raised regarding the Social Value Act's £100,000 threshold, which can affect smaller organisations, and the need for more ambitious apprenticeship targets to maximise social value from contracts. The commission agreed to formulate a draft recommendation on apprenticeships for the next meeting.

Growing Ethnic Minority Pay Gap

Melanie Medley, Head of HR, addressed the growing ethnic minority pay gap, which has increased to 14.7% over the last year. This is attributed to insufficient recruitment and investment in black and ethnic minority colleagues. A new strategy is in place to improve career progression for these colleagues and provide additional support for access to senior positions. The council aims to increase the recruitment of black and Asian minority colleagues to 40% and has seen an increase in representation at Grade 14 job roles (approximately £55,000 per annum) from 22% to 25%, though further progress is needed. All departments are tasked with delivering action plans by 31 December 2022, with progress monitored by the Chief Officer team.

The commission discussed interview dates for a new Chief Executive, the number of applicants from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds, and the high number of black and ethnic minority colleagues in education and social care without a clear pathway to senior management, leading to salary stagnation. Retention rates, apprenticeship funding, and talent management strategies were also discussed. The commission agreed that clarity was needed to delineate responsibility for closing the ethnic minority pay gap, suggesting this would be best served by the Leader of the Council.

Proposed Work Programme 2021-22

The Work Programme for 2021-22 was noted by the commission.