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Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - People - Friday, 20 December 2024 2.30 pm

December 20, 2024 View on council website
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Summary

This meeting will consider the findings of a recent Ofsted inspection into the Derbyshire Local Area Partnership. Councillors will also consider any questions submitted by members of the public.

Ofsted Area SEND inspection

A report by Ofsted published on 14 November 2024 found “widespread and/or systemic failings” in Derbyshire County Council’s provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The report concluded “…that their needs have not been met for far too long”.

The meeting will consider a requisition submitted by three Councillors calling on the committee to scrutinise the council's response to the report.

The requisition asks the committee to:

· Invite the Cabinet Member and the temporary Executive Director for Children’s Services to attend and inform the Committee of the findings and recommendations contained in the Ofsted report, particularly those that directly appertain to the council;

· Receive an explanation from the Cabinet Member and temporary Executive Director for Children’s Services as to why the council and the local area partnership allowed the situation detailed in the report to arise and why it then allowed the needs of children and young people to go unmet for so long.

· Satisfy itself that the authority takes those finding seriously and assess whether the authority sees that report “as a pivotal opportunity for reflection, healing, and ultimately, progress”;

· Allow the Committee to be informed of, and assess and comment on, the adequacy of the measures the Cabinet Member is proposing to take or is already taking in order to secure rapid improvement in the SEND provision and outcomes for children and young people;

· Determine how the Committee shall proceed to scrutinise and hold to account the Cabinet Member as he and the local area partnership prepare to submit a priority action plan as required by Ofsted.

Public Questions

The meeting will consider any questions submitted in accordance with the council’s procedure for public questions to scrutiny committees.

The procedure for public questions states that:

Members of the public who are on the Derbyshire County Council register of electors, or are Derbyshire County Council tax payers or non-domestic tax payers, may ask questions of the Improvement and Scrutiny Committees, or witnesses who are attending the meeting of the Committee.