Local parents, children, schools and other stakeholders in Torbay are being asked to take part in a consultation on a proposed new way of working for services for children with additional needs including Special Educational Needs (SEND).
Torbay Council is proposing to work with local partners on a new Locality based model, to drive area wide improvements to mainstream inclusion and education, to ensure the needs of children and young people with High Needs who are aged 5 to 18 years are sufficiently planned and provided for. It also aims for a more consistent provision for children who are medically unwell to attend their school, and may also help reduce suspensions and exclusions.
The new Locality based proposal sees education settings organised into Clusters which will work collaboratively, including:
- Schools
- parents/carers
- Torbay Council
- the NHS
- other local service providers
Councillor Nick Bye, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “I would strongly encourage local families, parents and carers, children and young people with additional needs, schoolteachers and other professionals working with children and families, to get involved with this important consultation about how we deliver these services in the future.
“We want to see a happy, healthy and prosperous Torbay, and we are working towards Torbay being recognised as a UNICEF Child Friendly community.
“The ambition with this proposed change is that children and young people’s needs will be identified accurately and assessed in a timely and effective way, so they receive the right support, in the right place and at the right time.
“So please do either take the survey online, complete a paper survey or attend one of the upcoming consultation events.”
Proposed changes
Each Locality will have a ‘Cluster Panel’ to consist of headteachers, SEND Coordinators (SENDCo) and other school leadership representatives of the mainstream primary and secondary schools within their defined cluster who have direct experience and expertise in organising and providing support in schools to children and young people. Around each Cluster there will be a multi-agency team of professionals working together for the best outcomes.
One of the proposals is new Enhanced Resource Bases (ERPS or Hubs) for each Cluster. An ERP is a specialist base set up in mainstream schools to support particular needs of our children and young people who find it challenging to remain in a typical classroom environment for the entirety of the school day, and may need to access learning in smaller groups. This Locality proposal would seek to retain the concept of these but make the model more flexible to support more needs without necessarily the need for an EHCP. In our proposal these ERPs or Hubs would include:
- a greater offer of Outreach Services to other schools in the Cluster,
- short term and flexible support to young people (rather than a long term ‘place’ in the hub) and
- be open to young people with and without plans (and those without a diagnosis) equally.
In some cases there may be more than one of these ERPs/Hubs per Cluster.
Parkfield
The covenant for the Parkfield building states that it must be used primarily for youth activities, and through this consultation the Council will work with parents, carers, and community groups to consider how we maximise use for young people at weekends, evenings, school holidays, and outside of the hours dedicated to the delivery of existing services.
Find out more
To have your say, visit our website to do the survey online or request a paper copy.
Read the Cabinet Report on the consultation
Read the consultation document
Come to one of our Consultation events
We have organised a series of face to face and online consultation events, details of which are below. Young people in Torbay will also be consulted through various groups running this term, and we thank SEND Family Voice and Tissues and Issues who are hosting events for parents and carers. We will also publish details of further engagement events during the three month consultation.
Events we’re hosting and how to get involved
Tuesday 8 October, 1.30pm to 2.30pm: Next Steps Group, Family Hub, The Barn, Brixham Enterprise Estate, Rea Barn Road, Brixham, TQ5 9DF - Drop in event, open to all
Friday 11 October, 1.30pm to 2.30pm: Next Steps Group, Family Hub, The Beehive, Bishops Place, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 3DZ - Drop in event, open to all
Monday 14 October, 1pm - 5pm: Coaching Room, Paignton Academy, Waterleat Road site, TQ3 3WA - Schools engagement event – Please note this event is aimed at school leaders in Torbay. RSVP to Localityconsultation@torbay.gov.uk
Wednesday 16 October, 1.30pm to 2.30pm: Next Steps Group, Torquay Family Hub, 32 Market St, Torquay TQ1 3AQ - Drop in event – open to all
Thursday 17 October, 5.30pm to 6.30pm: Online virtual event (via Teams). Open to all - Sign up via Ticket Tailor
Thursday 17 October, 1pm to 5pm: Hosted by Mayfield College Sixth Form, Occombe House, Cockington Road, Preston Down Road, Paignton TQ3 1RN. Event for Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) to focus on the use of the Parkfield Space within the Locality proposal. RSVP to Localityconsultation@torbay.gov.uk
12 November 5.30pm to 6.30pm: Online virtual event (via Teams). Open to all - Sign up via Ticket Tailor.
Wednesday 4 December 5.30pm to 6.30pm: Online virtual event (via Teams). Open to all - Sign up via Ticket Tailor.
News archive
- October 2024 (5)
- September 2024 (17)
- August 2024 (7)
- July 2024 (24)
- June 2024 (8)
- May 2024 (25)
- April 2024 (19)
- March 2024 (17)
- February 2024 (16)
- January 2024 (14)
- December 2023 (14)
- November 2023 (30)
- October 2023 (21)
- September 2023 (22)
- August 2023 (18)
- July 2023 (17)
- June 2023 (14)
- May 2023 (11)
- April 2023 (9)
- March 2023 (36)
- February 2023 (22)
- January 2023 (26)
- December 2022 (18)
- November 2022 (24)
- October 2022 (18)
- September 2022 (13)
- August 2022 (15)
- July 2022 (22)
- June 2022 (14)
- May 2022 (35)
- April 2022 (23)
- March 2022 (32)
- February 2022 (18)
- January 2022 (14)
- December 2021 (22)
- November 2021 (22)
- October 2021 (25)
- September 2021 (23)
- August 2021 (18)
- July 2021 (26)
- June 2021 (24)
- May 2021 (21)
- April 2021 (21)
- March 2021 (33)
- February 2021 (30)
- January 2021 (27)
- December 2020 (24)
- November 2020 (37)
- October 2020 (29)
- September 2020 (27)
- August 2020 (22)
- July 2020 (37)
- June 2020 (38)
- May 2020 (39)
- April 2020 (36)
- March 2020 (22)
- February 2020 (10)
- January 2020 (18)
- December 2019 (7)
- November 2019 (11)
- October 2019 (15)
- September 2019 (16)
- August 2019 (8)
- July 2019 (9)
- June 2019 (7)
- May 2019 (16)
- April 2019 (11)
- March 2019 (11)
- February 2019 (7)
- January 2019 (11)
- December 2018 (11)
- November 2018 (14)
- October 2018 (14)
- September 2018 (9)
- August 2018 (7)
- July 2018 (19)
- June 2018 (21)
- May 2018 (7)
- April 2018 (10)
- March 2018 (35)
- February 2018 (9)
- January 2018 (15)
- December 2017 (9)
- November 2017 (17)
- October 2017 (11)
- September 2017 (6)
- August 2017 (7)
- July 2017 (13)
- June 2017 (22)
- May 2017 (16)
- April 2017 (8)
- March 2017 (9)
- February 2017 (9)
- January 2017 (4)
- December 2016 (10)
- November 2016 (11)
- October 2016 (14)
- September 2016 (9)
- August 2016 (10)
- July 2016 (11)
- June 2016 (4)
- May 2016 (20)
- April 2016 (14)
- March 2016 (18)
- February 2016 (8)
- January 2016 (15)
- December 2015 (13)
- November 2015 (19)
- October 2015 (17)
- September 2015 (8)
- August 2015 (6)
- July 2015 (19)
- June 2015 (11)
- May 2015 (20)
- April 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (15)
- February 2015 (13)
- January 2015 (17)
- December 2014 (17)
- November 2014 (18)
- October 2014 (14)
- September 2014 (17)
- August 2014 (16)
- July 2014 (10)
- June 2014 (8)
- May 2014 (1)
- February 2014 (1)
- January 0001 (1)