To consider a report on the above.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services - Councillor Bye and the Director of Children’s Services - Nancy Meehan provided an overview of the Area SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Inspection of Torbay Local Area Partnership Report and responded to questions.  The Director of Women and Children’s Improvement NHS Devon - Su Smart, the Strategic Lead of Education and SEND - Hannah Baker and the Divisional Director of Safeguarding - Becky Thompson also responded to questions.  The Strategic Lead for Social Care NHS Devon - Sadie Hall was also in attendance.

Councillor Bye highlighted that the SEND Inspection in March 2025 which judged partnership working for SEND was disappointing and similar to other South West Councils.  The report did include positive highlights such as the family hubs, youth justice, mental health in schools and SEND Family Voice.  A number of improvements had been made since March, including the locality model pilot, speech and language support, capital investment in schools and improving attendance and reduced numbers of exclusions and suspensions, with elected home education still being a challenge.

Members raised the following questions:

·                Is Parkfield being used for the sixth form for Mayfield?

·                Is there a date for the priority action plan submission?

·                How often will the Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitor progress?

·                Are teachers trained to support SEND or are experienced teachers recruited?

·                Why is there no commissioned learning disability partner?

·                What is the waiting list situation for ADHD and other diagnoses?

·                Are Torbay’s waiting lists average or worse?

·                Why was the ICB absent from the recent Children’s Continuous Improvement Board?

·                How many children are in unregistered alternative provision?

·                What is being done to improve transition to adulthood?

·                Will children waiting for CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) be assessed individually?

·                Is it too early to assess work on reducing NEETs (not in education, employment or training)?

·                How are children and young people involved in shaping services?

·                Are NHS pressure affecting SEND progress?

The following responses were provided:

·                Mayfield is expanding and part of the provision is moving to Parkfield and Mayfield has been commissioned to provide additional SEND places.

·                The Draft Action Plan has been sent to the Department for Education (DfE) with the final submission due by 2 September 2025.

·                The CQC have an initial visit on 18 August 2025 with a formal revisit in 18 months and full inspection in 3 years.

·                A new Head of Service for Quality Teaching has been appointed who will oversee training and a peer-to-peer support is network being developed.

·                Inspectors misunderstood the local delivery model for learning disabilities; professionals are in place but communication needs improvement.

·                There were long waits for ADHD and other diagnosis, which was the same nationally; investment is needed in pathways.

·                Waiting lists for mental health are improving; neurodiversity and autism wait times are worse than average.

·                The ICB was unable to attend the recent Children’s Continuous Improvement Board due to restructuring but an extraordinary meeting was held with the ICB to discuss health issues; the ICB remains committed to partnership working.

·                The number of children in unregistered alternative provision had reduced from 72 to 36 with a new model commissioned.  Quality assurance for the new model would start in September.

·                Support for young people transitioning into adulthood starts at age 14; this includes activities such as tenancy management and life skills.

·                Children waiting for CAMHS will be assessed individually, focussing on broader emotional wellbeing support whilst they are wating.

·                There were bespoke programmes in place to support people NEET; for example supported internships were showing success, the Council was also providing support itself for young people with SEND and care experienced young people.

·                Children and young people’s voices were being heard through Torbay SEND Family Voice and the Youth Forum was actively involved; youth voice is a standing item on the SEND Local Area Improvement Partnership Board (SLAIP).  Members were encouraged to signpost people to SEND Family Voice (Family Voice Torbay).

·                The NHS is experiencing a lot of pressures; however, SEND is a priority at Executive and Chair level, and they are committed and have an oversight of the work in Torbay and provide assurance that it is a priority.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.       that the Overview and Scrutiny Board acknowledges the areas highlighted in the submitted report where the Torbay Local Area Partnership was working effectively but recognises that further action is required in order to meet the needs of our children and young people with SEND;

That the Torbay Local Area Partnership be recommended:

2.       to provide assurance that Torbay’s specialist provision in education can meet our overarching needs for Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) and medical needs through existing provision both within schools and through alternative provision and that appropriate reviews are carried out on alternative providers to ensure that they are meeting the needs of our children and young people;

3.       to urgently invest in waiting well initiatives for families who are waiting for formal assessment for their SEND to ensure that they are receiving available support and signposting and communicate this widely, as it is recognised that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) will not be able to reduce waiting lists the short term; 

4.       that details of the pathway for learning disabilities be communicated to the Members of the Board at the earliest opportunity; and

5.       to share their action plan on how and when they will address the areas for priority action and areas for improvement identified in the Report on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Local Area Inspection with all Councillors as soon as it is available and present an update against the action plan to the Children and Young People’ Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board meeting on 19 January 2026.