Agenda and minutes

None.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 March 2025.

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2025 be confirmed and signed by the Chair. 

To receive an update on the Council's provision for SEND.

The Interim Service Delivery Manager: SEND and Personalisation presented an update to the Committee on the current landscape for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) within Telford and Wrekin highlighting key statistics, recent developments and strategic initiatives aimed at supporting children and young people with SEND.

The presentation outlined Telford and Wrekin’s local offer for children and young people identified as having SEND or complex needs as one which was both comprehensive and inclusive, reflecting a strong commitment to co-production and early intervention. The local offer had been underpinned by strong relationships with parents and carers, with all schools signed up to a co-produced Working Together Charter developed with PODS Parent Carer Forum.

At the time of the meeting, the size of the school population in Telford and Wrekin was estimated at 31,527 pupils with 5,360 children identified with SEND, representing 17.9% of the child population, higher than the national average of 16.3%. Of these, 2,458 children and young people aged 0-25 had Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) which accounted for 4.1% of the population when compared to the national average of 4.8%. The number of EHCPs had increased over the past few years and was demonstrated by a 11.6% increase between 2023 and 2024.

The presentation highlighted a number of key strengths including the Council’s EHCP process. During 2024/25 the Council’s SEND Team had delivered over 90% of Education, Health and Care Plans within the 20-week statutory timeframe when compared to the national average of 50.7% within the same period.

The Inclusive Schools Forum (ISF), was now in its seventh year and had supported 1,080 children by providing targeted resources without the need for an EHCP and had been recognised nationally as a model of good practice. As a school-led initiative, the ISF had provided support and challenges to mainstream schools regarding their practices and provisions for children with SEND. Members heard that the Forum had continued to foster an inclusive educational framework within Telford and Wrekin, enabling children with increasingly complex needs to thrive and succeed in mainstream educational settings.

Nationally there had been an increase in the number of children being identified with complex special educational needs and approximately 1.4m children had been identified in 2020, with numbers continuing to rise and expected to reach around 1.7m. The Council’s SEND services included a wide range of professional support teams, such as educational psychologists, early years advisors and the Portage service, a home-visiting educational service designed for pre-school children with SEND.

The development of specialist outreach services from schools such as Southall and Haughton ensured mainstream settings were equipped to meet the increasing complexity in special educational needs. Specialist teachers had been provided with bespoke advice and training opportunities for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), teachers and teaching assistants within mainstream schools.

The Council had also established specialist hubs which had enabled children to be taught within a reduced class size with a specialist teacher but still have access to the mainstream school environment. At the time  ...  view the full minutes text for item CYP49

To review the updated Work Programme for the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee.

The Senior Democracy Officer (Scrutiny) presented the updated work programme to the Committee. Members were advised that there were no further meetings scheduled to take place for the 2024/25 municipal year and any remaining items on the work programme would be carried forward into the next year.

None.