Agenda item

To present the report of the Principal Educational Psychologist on the work of the SEN Provider Unit for the Spring Term, 2016.

The report of the Principal Educational Psychologist which provided an overview of the work of the SEN Provider Unit during the Spring Term, 2016 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

The Principal Educational Psychologist highlighted the following considerations –

•           That the team responsible for the administration of the assessment and review processes has been strengthened by the appointment of a new temporary member of staff and is thereby well placed to fulfil all expected administrative duties, and to meet the demands placed on it including the statutory assessment administrative work and the provision of a practical service to the specialist teacher and educational psychologist teams within the unit.

•           The Specialist Teachers Service continues to operate in an environment of pressing demand especially with regard to the hearing and visual impairment services. There are new technical developments in the field of visual impairment which facilitate the use of Braille in schools and make access to the curriculum easier for pupils with visual impairment. The Service has met with a company which produces such technical equipment. The Language and Communication Service has begun to adjust the way it works in line with the two authorities’ new Strategy for Inclusion and Additional Learning Needs.

•           The Educational Psychology Service has continued to provide a service to support the two authorities’ schools, including working with individual children, consulting on other matters involving additional learning needs and conducting training within individual schools at their request. Training delivered to Bangor University has brought in some income which has prompted a discussion on the kind of training the service can offer in future and what income it can reasonably expect to generate from it. The service was also approached by the University to be a part of its system for assessing students especially Welsh speaking students but following discussion, concluded that it was likely to involve a heavy workload and could possibly conflict with its work for the authorities.

•           The information regarding the number of final statements issued within the statutory timescale shows that performance against performance Indicator 15a (from the total cases during the first 6 months of 2015/16, the percentage completed within 26 weeks exceptions or not) although an improvement on the previous term’s report is still some way short of target;  this is due to delays caused by late reports provided by external agencies which has been the subject of previous discussion by the Joint-Committee

The Joint-Committee noted the information provided and it sought clarification of the position with regard to the post-training arrangements for the two educational psychologists currently in training as regards the possibility of their being able to complete their final practice year of training within Gwynedd and/or Anglesey. The Joint-Committee was informed that Anglesey’s ALN Officer would be meeting with Cardiff University on 28 June with a view to progressing this issue and to try to ensure that the Joint-Committee secures the service of the two trainee psychologists for their final practice year.

It was resolved to accept the report and to note its contents.

ACTIONS ENSUING: The Joint-Committee to be informed of the outcome of the Anglesey ALN Officer’s meeting with Cardiff University with respect to the location of the two trainee psychologists’ final year practice placements.