Agenda item

To present a joint report by Anglesey and Gwynedd Councils.

(A presentation will be made to the Joint-Committee – copy provided under separate enclosure)

A joint statement by the Officers of Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey County Council outlining proposed collaborative arrangements between the two councils for the provision of a Joint Strategy for addressing the additional learning needs of the pupils and young people of Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey effectively and efficiently was presented for the Joint-Committee’s information and consideration. The strategy would be based on re-modelling and strengthening the current partnership between the two councils and would include the entire range of services and provisions.

The Joint-Committee was informed that officers from Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey County Councils have held regular meetings since early January, 2016 and that the statement was drawn up at the outset to confirm the collaboration.  Agreement for joint working on the priorities listed in the statement has been reached. The statement refers also to the progress of proposals through both councils’ respective democratic processes – in the case of Gwynedd the outcome of the meeting of the Cabinet on 19 January, 2016 to which the ALN and Inclusion Strategy was presented and in the case of Anglesey the paper presented to the Executive on 14 March seeking its approval for the collaboration and what it will entail. Officers from both counties have met on a weekly basis since January to collectively create a Joint-Strategy within a comprehensive document detailing the individual services.  The document will provide clarity on roles and accountability as well as governance and engagement. In addition, a detailed exposition of the aims, objectives, measurements, access and staffing structure of every service will be provided.  The service areas encompass those set out in the statement and are divided into Inclusion, Additional Learning Needs and Leadership and Co-ordination.

Gwynedd Council’s Senior Inclusion Manager and the Isle of Anglesey County Council’s ALN Officer elaborated on the proposals for collaboration by highlighting the following considerations - 

•           The broader context including significant legislative changes taking place in the field of ALN and continuing budgetary challenges which local authorities are facing; these were factors in instigating a review of how effectively the needs of children and young people with ALN are being addressed and met.

•           Both authorities have agreed to review the current SEN Joint-Committee arrangement in two phases with a view to implementing Phase 1 (forming the core Integrated Team and remodelling the workforce to fit both counties’ requirements within specific teams) by September, 2016 and Phase 2 (completion of the staff remodelling and review of the funding devolution arrangements and criteria) by September, 2017.

•           Collaboration on the new reformed basis  will be different from the arrangement which is in place currently and will entail the formation and availability of specialist teams; the expansion of the partnership to include wider inclusion areas such as welfare, attendance, EAL and LAC; the formulation of clearer criteria and expectations for schools and staff in terms of what to provide, how it will be provided and by whom, and the sharing of functions at officer level as well as in relation to specialist teams of teachers/teaching assistants.

•           In setting out the new partnership’s governance arrangements, consideration has to be given to how needs will be met at professional officer and elected member levels as well as in terms of scrutiny. A method for joint governance is proposed that will ensure both counties’ strategic priorities in the ALN and Inclusion fields are achieved; clear accountability to both counties’ corporate procedures and effective, efficient bilingual services.

•           Dual governance will apply during the transitional period as arrangements transfer from the current SEN Joint-Committee model to the new Môn and Gwynedd ALN Partnership. A formal inter-authority agreement to establish the partnership and inter alia, its functions; resource and financial commitments, performance monitoring and governance methods will need to be formulated.

•           The benefits of collaboration are manifold and are expected to include raising standards, access to specialism, increased effectiveness and efficiency, availability of a Welsh language provision as well as building resilience.

•           Due regard will be given to the two counties’ priorities for Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion.

•           Re-defining the ALN service was inevitable as a result of the new legislation in the field and will now happen as one of the steps to be taken as part of the programme of implementation measures for ALN and Inclusion Services also.

•           The next steps will involve collaboration in remodelling the workforce; planning the arrangements for the new reformed partnership and sharing information with all relevant stakeholders.

The Joint-Committee considered the information presented and made the following points –

•           The Joint-Committee welcomed the commitment on the part of both counties to continue with the partnership albeit on a reformed basis, which was originally established in 1996 with the formation of the SEN Joint-Committee and which had yielded many benefits to Gwynedd and Anglesey in the area of special educational needs in the years since its inception.

•           The Joint-Committee sought clarification of the timeline for the implementation of the changes as proposed. The Committee was informed that following approval by the IOACC’s Executive at the 14 March meeting to collaborate with Gwynedd on agreeing the details of the new partnership arrangement it is the intention to bring a more detailed plan of the partnership’s structure to the IOACC’s Executive in June, 2016. Gwynedd Council is more advanced as regards the stage reached in the democratic process. It is proposed that the new staff structure be implemented in September 2016 and completed definitively during the 2016/17 academic year.

•           The Joint-Committee sought clarification of the risks attached to the work of establishing the new partnership particularly in light of the stated objectives of expanding the remit of the partnership to cover other inclusion areas and to achieve savings of 10% or £500k over 2 years to be fully realised by 2018/19. The Committee was informed that at national level one of the risks to local authorities is that whilst young people up to the age of 25 years are covered by the new legislation (the Draft Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill) there is a lack of detail around the budget for this age group as well as the responsibility and to whom that falls. There are then local challenges in relation to planning budgets; the joint discussions that have taken place have led to a joint understanding of the nature and needs of pupils within the two counties and their specific geographical areas. Working in partnership is expected to create greater resilience in the areas of ALN and inclusion across the two authority areas. One of the most significant risks is in the context of monitoring performance which now takes into account the performance of all children across the system.  The work which the two authorities are doing with regard to ALN will be essential therefore in terms of the authorities’ national standing in relation to inclusion and the quality of the education provided to children of all abilities.

•           The Joint-Committee sought clarification of its future role in the new partnership. The Committee was informed that both counties have come to the realisation that arrangements need to be modernised to reflect circumstances and requirements that have changed significantly since the establishment of the Joint-Committee in 1996 including reduced financial and staff resources. The intention therefore is that the new partnership should be more directly accountable through the democratic processes of both councils rather than through a separate arm’s length entity and should report on the outcomes for children and young people with ALN and the progress they make because of the quality of the provisions made for them rather than on the processes for delivering those provisions. The partnership’s governance arrangements are under discussion but it is foreseen that ultimately, the partnership’s reporting process will become an integral part of the two counties’ scrutiny arrangements and will thereby be more inclusive and accessible.

It was resolved to accept and to note the information presented along with the proposals for moving forwards with the establishment of the new ALN Partnership.

NO FURTHER ACTION ENSUING