The Children and Education Scrutiny Subcommittee of Tower Hamlets Council met to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people, and to review improvements to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services. Key decisions included noting the ongoing challenges faced by children and families post-pandemic, and agreeing to a written update on staffing levels. The committee also discussed the findings of an Ofsted inspection and the subsequent written statement of action for SEND services, with a commitment to ongoing monitoring and improvement.

Impact of COVID-19 on Children and Young People

The subcommittee received an update on the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and young people in Tower Hamlets. James Thomas, Corporate Director for Children and Culture, outlined a bounce back strategy with three themes: bouncing back to learning, bouncing back through play, and bouncing back with support. He highlighted that services have been under strain due to staff absences, but efforts have been made to maintain face-to-face support.

Key areas of concern identified include:

• Early years development: Impacted by a lack of socialisation opportunities.
• Mental health and emotional well-being: Affecting both parents and children.
• Domestic abuse and violence: Rates have reportedly increased.
• Family poverty: A growing concern.
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND): Vulnerable children have been particularly affected by service withdrawals, though these have now resumed.

Steve Nyakatawa, Director of Education, detailed the impact on schools, noting staff absences due to illness and a shortage of agency staff. Despite these challenges, no schools have been forced to close, though class closures have occurred. Initiatives such as the Every Child Online campaign and the Tower Hamlets Emotional Wellbeing Support Service have been implemented. Support is also being provided to students preparing for exams, with a focus on addressing learning gaps.

Susanna Beasley-Murray, Director of Sporting Families, shared her initial impressions of the supporting families' services. She praised the dedication of practitioners and highlighted improvements in performance metrics for child-in-need and child protection visits since January. However, she noted challenges in recruitment and retention of staff, particularly in MASH and assessment teams, as some experienced social workers are seeking career breaks or returning home. The council is focusing on recruitment and retention through its Social Work Academy.

Councillor Andrew Wood expressed a desire for a regular report on workforce stability, suggesting it be included in a dashboard for the committee. Councillor Gabriela Salva-Macallan raised concerns about potential impacts on staffing due to proposed budget cuts to specific roles, such as the African families and Muslim community role. James Thomas assured the committee that the council takes its statutory responsibilities seriously and that services remain well-funded, with careful consideration being given to any changes to posts. A written update on staffing impact is to be provided to the committee within three weeks.

Improvements to SEND Services

The subcommittee then focused on improvements to SEND services, a priority area for the council, working in partnership with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and health partners. James Thomas emphasised that meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND is a priority and that parent and young people's voices are central to improvement work. While educational outcomes for children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are better than the national average, he acknowledged that services still fall short in many areas.

Our Time Youth Forum and Parent Carer Forum Perspectives:

Sonali Hussain, a Young People SEND Ambassador and Vice Chair of Our Time Myth Forum, presented the perspective of young people with SEND. The Our Time All Ability Youth Forum, run for and by young people aged 14-25 with SEND, has achieved various milestones, including peer research projects, participation in national conferences, and the development of an autism card to help individuals communicate their needs. The forum aims to empower and inspire young people, with next steps including securing funding, visiting the Houses of Parliament, and further developing their local offer. Sonali highlighted the need for support in promoting the forum, recruiting more young people, and securing funding for employment opportunities for young people with SEND.

Sam Gager, Chair of the Independent Parent and Carer Forum, spoke about the community reaching breaking point due to the cumulative stresses of the pandemic, with parents' mental health being a significant concern. She noted that while services and support are available, parents often feel overwhelmed. The forum is working with Jill McGinley's team to adapt an emotional first aid course for SEND families and is collaborating with Tony Parker on commissioning and the ASV pathway. Sam acknowledged the transparency of the team and the visible improvements, but stressed the ongoing need to address respite services, staffing shortages in classrooms, and the difficulties faced by parents during home-schooling. She also highlighted long waiting times for ASD reports and feedback, and the risk of smaller disability groups being overlooked.

SEND Improvement Work and Written Statement of Action:

Steve Nyakatawa, Director of Education, provided an overview of the improvement work being driven by the council, acknowledging the honesty of the self-evaluation during the Ofsted inspection. He explained the inspection process, which involved Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and the subsequent requirement for a written statement of action (WSA).

Strengths identified included progress since 2018, support for schools, and the involvement of parents and young people in strategic meetings, such as Sonali and Sam's participation in the SEND Improvement Board. Therapists' work and services like SEND YAS, the Behaviour and Attendance Service, and the Sensory Service were also highlighted positively.

The areas requiring improvement, as identified in the WSA, include:

• EHCP quality and oversight: Including the annual review process.
• ASD assessment and diagnosis: Reducing waiting times.
• Speech and language provision: Particularly for under-fives.
• Communication between area leaders and parents.

John O'Shea, Head of Special Educational Needs for the Council, elaborated on the work to improve the quality and oversight of EHCPs. He explained that the focus is on reviewing existing plans, particularly those from the conversion from old statements to new EHCPs, and ensuring annual reviews are up-to-date. A growth bid has been submitted to increase capacity within the statutory SEND service, and agency staff are currently being used to support annual reviews and phase transitions. Feedback from parents will be sought to evidence the impact of these improvements.

Tony Parker, Interim Head of Children's Commissioning for the CCG and Council, discussed the workstreams for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and speech and language provision. For ASD, a £278,000 investment over two years will fund two consultant therapists to increase assessment capacity and reduce waiting times. A new referral pathway is being developed with BARTs (the health provider) and parent carers to streamline the diagnosis process. Support for families while they wait for diagnosis and post-diagnosis is also being developed, with plans to update the local offer website and utilise parent ambassadors.

For speech and language, investment is being sought for under-fives, focusing on children's centres and early years settings, and ensuring adequate post-assessment services. A steering group involving parents, head teachers, SENCOs, and professionals is designing a more graduated response model for communication support.

Steve Nyakatawa also addressed the communication between parents and area leaders, noting that parents have expressed uncertainty about available services and improvement priorities. A clear communication strategy is being developed, including Let's Talk SEND listening events, which will be both face-to-face and virtual. The visibility of local area leaders and the role of SEND champions are also being enhanced. The You Said, We Did initiative will continue to be used to demonstrate how issues are being addressed, and compliments from parents will also be captured.

Recommendations and Discussions:

The committee made several recommendations and noted key points:

• A recommendation to revisit the SEND improvements in approximately six months for an update on progress against the action plan.
• A recommendation to add indicators for EHCP timeliness and workforce stability to the committee's dashboard.
• A note on the significance of bilingual staff and the need to continue valuing their contribution to support families with English as a second language.
• A recommendation for NHS colleagues to address service silos for children with Down's syndrome, ensuring joined-up support and early referral for services like speech and language therapy.
• An offer from James Thomas to provide an update on respite services and a list of parent groups, acknowledging the dynamic nature of these groups.
• A note on the importance of employment support for young people with SEND, with a potential recommendation for the next municipal year to examine the council's WorkPath programme and other resources.
• A request to monitor the £278,000 investment in ASD assessments to track the reduction in backlog and waiting times.

Concerns were raised about the permanence of additional staffing for EHCPs, with the council proposing a one-year budget with a view to making a significant proportion permanent. The committee also discussed the comparison of Tower Hamlets' inspection outcome with other boroughs, noting that the identified weaknesses are typical nationally.

The committee also briefly touched upon the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (ICSA) report, which identified significant weaknesses in safeguarding practice in six areas, including Tower Hamlets, during a specific period. While acknowledging the positive improvements since then, the committee recommended revisiting this matter next year once officers have had time to formulate appropriate responses and plans.