Apologies for absence were received from Councillor A Dear (Substitute: Councillor T Cox), Councillor K Mitchell (no substitute), Councillor J Lamb (Substitute: Councillor N Folkard), Councillor I Shead (no substitute) and T Watts (Southend Carers Form (Co-opted member)).

The following interests were declared at the meeting:

(a)       Councillor B Beggs - Agenda Item 5 (SEND Peer Review) - Family member has special educational needs and disabilities - non-pecuniary interest.

(b)       Councillor T Cowdrey - Agenda Item 5 (SEND Peer Review) – Is qualified social worker by profession; Has regular contact with local SEND Parent Carer Forum - non-pecuniary interests.

(c)        Councillor T Cox - Agenda Item 5 (SEND Peer Review) - Family member has special educational needs and disabilities and is in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan - non-pecuniary interest.

(d)       Councillor K Evans - Agenda Item 5 (SEND Peer Review) – Employed by Essex County Council in the consideration of school appeals as member of Statutory Appeal Panel - non-pecuniary interest.

(e)       Councillor B Hooper - Agenda Item 5 (SEND Peer Review) - Director of Blade Education, a not-for-profit company that works with local SEND children - non-pecuniary interest.

(f)         Councillor L Burton - Agenda Item 5 (SEND Peer Review) - Employed as a teacher at a school outside Southend-on-Sea - non-pecuniary interest.

There were no questions from members of the public relating to the responsibilities of the Committee.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 8 February 2022 be confirmed as a correct record and signed.

Report of Executive Director (Children and Public Health) attached.

The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director (Children and Public Health), setting out current progress on the delivery of the Implementation Plan arising from the findings and recommendations identified by the Local Government Association in its Independent Peer Review of the Council’s provision of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Children with Disability services.

The Executive Director (Children and Public Health) undertook to provide a written response to a question raised by a member of the Committee, with regard to the level of participation by relevant officers of the Council in a recent conference on Neurodiversity facilitated by the Parent Carer Form, highlighted in Recommendation 8 of the Implementation Plan.

The Executive Director (Children and Public Health) also undertook to seek written responses from the NHS Alliance Director for South East Essex to questions raised by members of the Committee with regard to the provision of SEND and Children with Disability services at the Lighthouse Child Development Centre, concerning the level of support provided to the Council, the current timescales for the completion of diagnosis and medication reviews, and the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for children under seven years of age. The Chair requested that such questions be submitted in writing to the Executive Director (Children and Public Health) in order that they could be raised with the NHS Alliance Director.

Resolved:

1.          That the report be noted.

2.          That a further update on progress with the delivery of the Implementation Plan arising from the Peer Review, be made to the next meeting of the Committee.

Note: This is a Scrutiny function

To receive an update on the progress of the joint in-depth scrutiny project for 2021/22.

The Committee received an update on progress with regard to the joint in-depth scrutiny project for 2021/22.  

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

Note: This is a Scrutiny function