The Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission met on Tuesday 5 December 2023 to discuss youth employment, the status of St Mary Magdalene C of E Primary School and Kintore Way Nursery School, and the Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP) process. Key decisions included the agreement to forward specific budget and process questions regarding the St. Giles Trust contract to the author of the report via email and the suggestion of several recommendations concerning council ring-fencing of employment opportunities, better work progression, a review of the Tri-Borough partnership, and encouraging employers to provide more entry-level work.

Youth Employment - St Giles Trust

The commission received a report and heard from Russ Brummell, Senior Employment Caseworker at the St Giles Trust, regarding their work with young people aged 16-25. The St Giles Trust supports individuals with learning difficulties, disabilities, autism, care leavers, mental health issues, homelessness, and substance abuse. They assist with applications, interview preparation, and in-work support, including ensuring organisations make reasonable adjustments. Case studies highlighted successes, such as clients securing roles as teachers and nurses, and one individual, AJ, who, despite complex family needs, gained construction accreditation and secured short-term contracts with Sotheby's, and now also supports young people with mental health issues. Another case involved a young woman with mental health issues who secured voluntary roles at London Zoo looking after penguins and other animals.

Questions were raised about the budget for the four contracts funded by Southwark Council, the processes and working relationship with the council, and which areas of the contracts yielded the most fruitful outcomes. The commission agreed that these questions would be best put to Carleigh Grogan, Camberwell Skills & Employment Manager at St Giles Trust, via email.

Russ Brummell noted a consistent need for more caseworkers and that while other outreach programmes have seen success, complex cases heavily rely on education and training support. He also highlighted a lack of engagement with young people with special needs regarding career guidance in schools, suggesting a focus on immediate plans rather than long-term career goals. He explained that young people with special needs can become disenfranchised due to a lack of social interaction and unattainable aspirations influenced by the internet. Brummell stated that while employment opportunities exist, employers often expect candidates to be job-ready from day one, which is challenging for young people with special needs. St Giles Trust invests heavily in training to bridge this gap and provides ongoing support. Brummell was unaware if the council had explored progression for better work and ring-fencing employment opportunities, though St Giles Trust does refer individual cases to monitoring officers and tracks the employment percentage of young people with special needs.

The Chair suggested recommendations for the council to:

• Ring-fence employment and work placement opportunities for residents.
• Improve work progression.
• Review the Tri-Borough partnership that existed pre-pandemic.
• Encourage employers to provide more entry-level work.

Update on St Mary Magdalene C of E Primary School and Kintore Way Nursery School and Children's Centre

The Chair provided an update on discussions with St Mary Magdalene C of E Primary School (SMMS) and Kintore Way Nursery School (KW). For SMMS, nursery advertising was complete, with a January 2024 start date planned, and ongoing discussions with the diocese regarding requirements. For KW, meetings with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) teachers and officers on 23 November 2023 addressed SEND strategy and resource-based provisions. Recommendations have been sent to Anna Chiva, Head of SEND, Southwark Council. Wider discussions on under-5 SEND provisions have occurred, but no progress has been made on piloting a resource-based provision.

Councillor Jasmine Ali and Alasdair Smith provided further details. The consultation on SMMS has been paused to achieve more desirable outcomes. For KW, the Chair of Governors is committed to balancing the budget, and meetings have been held with unions, headteachers, staff, children, and parents. Parents provided positive feedback, but concerns were raised about the impact of falling rolls on funding for high-SEND provision nurseries like KW, leading to a letter to MP Gillian Keegan. A cross-party campaign is underway regarding falling rolls, budget deficits, and funding. Southwark Council has contributed £550,000 towards KW's budget deficit, with a five-year recovery plan in place. A government announcement of £0.5 million for education, with a substantial amount for KW nursery, is pending ratification by the cabinet. A letter was sent to Martin Wilkinson, Chief Operating Officer NHS, regarding children with SEND and increasing EHCPs, with subsequent meetings held at KW.

Questions were raised about the potential loss of under-5 SEND provision for children at KW due to 15 planned redundancies, which would incur higher costs for parents and schools. The commission also sought clarification on the pausing of the SMMS consultation and the role of the Chair of Governors in balancing the budget, noting the potential loss of SEND skills and expertise with redundancies at KW.

Councillor Ali clarified that KW is not closing but undergoing restructuring and redundancies, unlike some other nurseries facing closure or amalgamation. She also explained that SMMS's consultation pause was to allow the diocese to explore possible amalgamations, and that SMMS has a £0.5 million budget deficit requiring a recovery plan.

Alasdair Smith stated that schools are legally responsible for their own budgets, with funding from the Department for Education (DfE) negotiated between the council and schools. He also confirmed that children with special needs have protected characteristics, making it unlawful to refuse them special needs education and training.

The commission discussed criteria for KW receiving DfE funding, learnings from communication issues with SMMS, budgetary considerations for under-5 SEND provisions, and long-term budget balancing strategies for schools. Alasdair noted that the council has a responsibility to address all nurseries with budget deficits, not just KW, and that budgetary decisions are discussed in the schools forum. He also mentioned that the number of schools in budget deficit has decreased from 24 to 12.

The Chair suggested recommendations for an overview of nursery budgets and SEND provisions, encouraging councillors and community members to report schools not receiving support, clarifying the distribution criteria for DfE funding, and identifying schools with funding issues.

Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP) Process, Demand and Timeliness

Anna, Michael, and Alasdair provided an update on the EHCP process. Challenges include retention in London, IT and database issues, and utilising data for operational improvements. The EHCP backlog is expected to be resolved by May 2024, with a focus on early support for families with SEND. Systems are being updated to meet modern educational needs, particularly for SEND and EHCP systems, with an emphasis on better data visualisation.

Questions were raised about EHCP and SEND-IF funding per child in nurseries and schools, the need for EHCP funding for schools, and the council's efforts to reduce the number of EHCPs. The significant expenditure on tribunal processes (£85k in 2016-2017, £135k in 2017-2018, and £265k in 2018-2019) and the one-year wait for reception schools to receive EHCPs were highlighted.

Anna explained that SEND pupils are assessed thoroughly, with funding allocated proportionally to needs, and subject to annual review. The council funds needs exceeding the £6,000 dedicated schools grant for high-needs pupils. Southwark and other councils are working to support children with higher needs and provide earlier intervention.

Anna also clarified that EHCP tribunal cases relate to therapy, residential provision, and disagreements with parents. While national tribunal cases have a 93% success rate, the volume and diversity of issues are significant. Meetings with schools and headteachers have addressed EHCP timelines in reception.

Concerns were raised about the rise in tribunals in Southwark since 2021 compared to other London boroughs, and the potential use of copy and paste practices to speed up EHCPs. The pathway for early years support for under-5 SEND pupils was also discussed.

Alasdair agreed that EHCP provisions need improvement and that officers are working to address these issues. Michael noted that partnership work is helping to identify pupil needs early and engage parents. Anna mentioned ongoing trials for EHCP funding in early years, emphasizing the need for a targeted approach due to varying needs.

Work Programme 2023-24

The commission discussed adding the following items to the work programme: an EHCP update on timelines and processes, funding and budget deficits with other nurseries, the East Street Market renovation, and an update on KW and SMMS amalgamation/closures.

The meeting concluded at 9:17 pm.