AN INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL REVIEW OF THE SENSORY & COMMUNICATION SUPPORT SERVICE (SOUTH EAST WALES CONSORTIUM) A review of the experiences and outcomes of children and young people, their families and schools supported by the Sensory & Communication Support Service Mark Geraghty DECEMBER 2019 Independent SEND Consultant MJG_SenCom_Review_Dec.SenCom019 Contents 1. Foreword 2. Overview 3. Methodologies for the Independent Review 4. Public Consultation Meetings 5. Judgement Themes 6. Future- Proofing SenCom’s Person-Centred ALN Offer 7. Local Authorities Statutory Duties and Responsibilities as Commissioning Bodies, Irrespective of the Recommendations detailed within this report. 8. Professional Conclusions 9. Concluding Judgment 10. Personal Acknowledgements 11. SenCom Recommendations - February 2020 MJG_SenCom_Review_Dec.SenCom019 1. Foreword In April 2019, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), took on the role of impartial commissioner to support an independent review of an innovative, regional ALN1 service; SenCom (Sensory & Communication Support Service). SenCom, is a joint service working across five local authorities in South East Wales; Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen. SenCom has been delivering collaborative ALN services under its umbrella designation, since 2015. Their work includes the conveyancing of a wide range of specialist advisory, teaching services and interventions to families and schools. During this corresponding period of SenCom’s development, the Welsh Government’s aspirations in respect of this educational area, have been clear-cut and unmistakeably expressed; they wish to ensure high-quality support is available to children with additional learning needs in schools across the country. This objective is a central tenet of its new legislation and the ensuing ALN Code of Practice. “The Welsh Government is committed to creating a fully inclusive education system where all learners are inspired, motivated and supported to reach their potential. Every learner should have access to an education that meets their needs and enables them to participate in, benefit from, and enjoy learning. Our vision is of a unified, equitable and non- adversarial system which supports and promotes the rights of all children and young people”. Kirsty Williams AM Cabinet Secretary for Education December 2018 Draft ALN Code for Wales The WLGA, who represent the twenty-two local authorities across Wales, are supporting the five, partner authorities involved in this scheme. In particular, this important evaluation of SenCom’s work, its impact on children, their families and schools, outcomes and preparation for adulthood. The review will examine how; effectively, efficiently, equitably, and economically SenCom achieves and delivers a ‘value for money’ service to children, their families, and schools. This will include evaluating how well Secom delivers - - specialist teaching, learning and communication provision to meet the needs of children and young people, it supports? - critical support to families and schools to enable them to support meeting the children and young people’s respective aspirations? - a service that prepares young people with sensory and communication needs to become respected and appreciated adults in their local communities? The independent review, announced in May 2019, will seek to gather a representative sample of stakeholders’ views and judgements, by engaging with schools; other support service partners; 1 ALN = Additional Learning Needs MJG_SenCom_Review_Dec.SenCom019 the voluntary and community sector (VCS) but most importantly the children, young people, and their families. A copy of the terms of reference for the SenCom review are included with this report (see appendixes). Likewise, a number of the supplementary documents relating to, gathered, and studied during the review, can also be found in the appendixes. The independent, external review has been led by Mark Geraghty. An experienced SEND professional with over 40 years’ knowledge and understanding of working in the education/ALN /SEND2 sectors. He has a particular knowledge, expertise, and skills in the area of complex low incidence ALN/SEN. The review process will: • enable all parents, carers, schools, complementary ALN/SEND services, and the voluntary & community sector, to submit their views, in person, in writing and/or electronically. • Facilitate face-to-face meetings with representatives from the above stakeholder groups who wish to attend locally based consultation meetings. Details of these meetings can be found in the body of the report. • Collect, collate, and evaluate the views and experiences; publish a report of the findings, as well as make a series of unfettered recommendations, based on the evidence gathered from SenCom’s stakeholders. The Welsh Government and the respective five partner local authorities passionately believe the mark of a caring society is indicated by how it treats children who are most in need of support. Every child, whatever their background and no matter what challenges they face, should have access to a best-in-class education that prepares them for life in the modern world, as an adult. Thanks to the hard work of teachers and support staff across schools in Wales, standards are rising, and Local Authorities will continue to encourage schools to focus on the achievements of all pupils. Children only get one chance at their education, so … “Priority is placed within the ALN system on early intervention, ensuring needs are identified early, the right provision is put in place promptly, and multi-agency working to support learners and deliver effective and prudent interventions supports the healthier goal. The emphasis on learners being encouraged to have high aspirations, supported to achieve educationally, and to go on to live fulfilling lives and make a full contribution to society, including through employment, links to the goals of prosperity and resilience”. Kirsty Williams AM Cabinet Secretary for Education December 2018 Draft ALN Code for Wales. 2 SEND Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities MJG_SenCom_Review_Dec.SenCom019 This independent scrutiny of SenCom is a timely opportunity to look again at the successes it has achieved, thus far and consider where there are occasions for improving the teaching and learning experiences for children and young people with sensory and communication needs, in Welsh schools. It will also enable us to reflect on how Local Authorities can future-proof these highly specialist services. The independent review process commenced in May 2019 with a planned completion and publication of the findings and recommendations by December 2019. 2. Overview There are over 1900 children and young people supported, at various levels, by the SenCom Service (Sensory & Communication Support Service). SenCom is a multiparty, collaboration and operational delivery arrangement of highly specialist teaching, intervention, therapy, and support services, for children and young people with low incidence Additional Learning Needs (ALN). CHART TITLE ComIT Hearing Impaired Visually Impaired 450 393 400 344 350 300 250 218 210 200 139 139 150 122 97 100 65 43 33 33 45 37 50 27 0 Blaenau Gwent Caerphilly Monmouthshire Newport Torfaen SenCom’s operational services include the provision of specialist help and advice together with a range of interventions from four, discrete expert ALN teams; which together form the SenCom service. These respective teams cover the following specialist areas of ALN: • Speech, Language and Communication Needs (ComIT) • Visual and multi-sensory Impairments (VIS) • MSI/deafblind (- managed under the VIS) • Hearing Impairments (HIS) ComIT was the most recently established team, in 2008. The HIS and VIS were established by the preceding Gwent County Council. All three teams are co-funded by the five local authorities and currently provide a regional, highly specialist 0-19 training and intervention service to families, early years settings and schools. MJG_SenCom_Review_Dec.SenCom019 The Head of Service took up post in September 2015; with a remit to further develop strategic and operational integration between the teams. It had been a long-held desire of the South East Wales Consortium to see isolated teams, amalgamate under the auspices of a single service. The belief of an independent review of SenCom was proposed and agreed by all the partner Local Authorities (LA): Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, and Torfaen. The independent review was subsequently commissioned by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA). The review was propositioned following an occasion when one of the five partner Local Authorities, reasonably, considered the merits and benefits of developing a more local, intramural arrangement for its identified children, young people, their families and schools with sensory and/or communication impairments. This view by the LA, was prompted by a confidence that it could achieve a similar level, type, and coverage of low incidence services to families, as provided by the existing SenCom services. The decision meant it would not continue as part of the existing, joint collaborative partnership. Moreover, it also felt it could achieve some supplementary efficiencies by providing a locally managed service. This autonomous, strategic consideration was part of a cycle of annual review, which every Local Authority in Wales undertakes to appraise value for money of all the services provided to their