The meeting included a report on the building of a new orthopaedic centre at the Sulis Hospital, as well as updates on vaccination rates, the performance of HCRG Care Group in delivering physiotherapy, the capacity of pharmacy services in Bath and initiatives designed to support young people. Councillors will also be asked to review the performance of the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) service and the status of Education, Health and Care Plans in Bath.

Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) Annual Report

The Panel are expected to review the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) Annual Report, which will provide information about the experiences of looked after children in Bath and North East Somerset.

The report notes that there have been challenges in the IRO service's capacity over the previous year, resulting in some children having more than one IRO over the course of the year, and some children having had their review meetings delayed. It says that these issues are now resolved, and that the service is fully staffed.

The report also highlights the increasing number of children being placed at a distance from Bath.

This trend is partially offset by 177 CiC from other authorities being placed within Bath and North East Somerset. Research indicates that family-type placements are generally better suited for younger CiC. However, some children require residential placements or specialised schools to address their needs and ensure safety; these placements are often located outside the local authority area.

It goes on to say that a new protocol has been introduced to address disagreements and concerns about care plans.

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCPs) Overview

The Panel will receive a report on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in Bath. It provides data about the number of EHCPs that have been issued in recent years, the timeliness of the process of issuing plans and the use of the SEND Tribunal (SENDIST)¹ to resolve disagreements.

The report describes some recent changes that have been made to improve the quality of EHCPs and reduce delays in issuing them, including the introduction of a new Quality Assurance Officer and the planned launch of a web portal through which parents can access information about their children's cases.

Our parents and carers have told us that along with quality plans, communication about the status of plan progress is very important, and in many cases more important than meeting the 20 week deadline. For that, and many other reasons, we are looking to implement a portal that will allow parents easy 24/7 access to their case notes so that they can check progress at a time that is convenient to them.

It also says that the Council will be requesting additional staff to meet the rising demand for EHCPs.

To continue to improve the service given to our families, and to meet statutory timescales, a staffing request is being submitted to secure additional permanent and temporary colleagues

The report acknowledges that children on free school meals are more likely to require an EHCP.

Children on free school meals are more likely to have SEND, and the improvement of support to children with SEND should improve the life chances of these children in the long term.

It also says that transport and access to opportunities for young people in rural communities is a concern.

Rurality is a concern for families and young people. Transport services post-16 and the use of public transport in our rural communities do not provide easy access to ETE² opportunities post-16.