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There is no summary of this meeting yet. Summaries are written once the council publishes the minutes, which are its official record of what a meeting decided. They usually appear a few weeks after the meeting.
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Minutes were accepted as a correct record.
Letters were noted by the Panel.
No public question were received.
A report was received by the Panel giving an update on progress with regard to Additonal Learning Needs reform. The Cabinet Member for Education and Learning and Officers from the Education department attended the meeting to present the report and answer questions. The following issues were covered: · Background and context · Current Strategy · ALN and Schools overview · Supporting Sufficient Specialist Places · ALN Capital Grant · Cluster Enhanced Provision (part of SSSP programme) · Welsh medium provision · Tribunals · Workforce succession planning · Post 16 · Collaboration · Myth Busting · Occupational Therapy Projects · Early Years The report concluded that: · There is good delivery in better provision to support schools with learners experiencing barriers to learning. · Improved planning and delivery of support for learners from 0 to 25 with ALN is embedding well. · Early identification of needs and putting in place timely and effective interventions has progressed well with schools developing more inclusive practice, for example ASD friendly, early and embedded speech, language and communication strategies · The strategy is progressing well however there are still challenges in relation to demand, funding and capacity. · While tribunal outcomes in Swansea are favourable, nationally they reflect an interpretation of the legislation which is operationally challenging to deliver. We retain a commitment to child centred approaches and high quality LA maintained offers which best meet the needs of the child and attribute our successful tribunal defence to that ethos alongside a commitment to working in partnership with parents and carers. However, the tension between policy and practice is increasingly challenging. · Welsh Government is actively reviewing the implementation of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (ALNET). Officers are actively contributing to this review to highlight some of the operational challenges. The most significant being the underfunding of the statutory obligations and the tension between policy and practice. The questions asked and the Panels views on progress will form part of the letter sent to the Cabinet Member following this meeting.
The Cabinet Member and Officer outlined the report including progress and the early impacts in relation to the agreed changes to Swansea Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). The current PRU model was established in 2016, but changing learner needs prompted a review which was agreed to following a report to Swansea Cabinet in June 2023. The Panel looked at: • The new model and its principles • Progress to date in relation to Staffing and the EOTAS Panel • The Improvement Action Plan, progress and what has changed The Panels questions, views and recommendations on progress will be outlined in the letter from the Panel to the Cabinet Member following this meeting.
The Panel were pleased to receive a report that provided them with an overview of the work undertaken to listen to the voices of children and young people since April 2024. Hearing that the Education Directorate and the Partnership and Involvement Team in Social Services engage with children and young people, both in educational settings and also in the community to ensure their voices are heard. The following was looked at: · The Children’s Rights and Human Rights City Schemes and the Pupil Manifesto · Universal Children’s Day · School Councils and Beyond · Partnership and Involvement Team · Learner Voice in Schools’ Quality Assurance and Monitoring · Education Directorate The Panel will detail its thoughts and conclusions in relation to this item in the letter to the Cabinet Member following the meeting.
The Work Plan was accepted by the Panel.
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Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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