Special Schools and SEN Unit Sufficiency

11. Special Schools and SEN Unit Sufficiency Gwyn Botterill May 2019

12. Background • The unprecedented increase in the demand for assessment and Education, Health and Care plans has led to a rising lack of capacity of the right places in the right district for children and young people with SEND. • Significant increase in the demand for specialist placements. Northants growth 2015 -2018 from 44% to 58.6% vs England 49.2% to 48.6% (2017 figure) • The movement of children across districts to access suitable provision is likely to impact on the well-being of the individuals as well as creating greater pressures on transport budgets. • In the current financial situation, it is more necessary than ever to deliver services that both meet the needs of local children and young people but also offer best value for money.

13. Key findings • South Northants has no Learning Difficulty provision. The SEMH special school caters for the south & west of the county. • East Northants delays to secondary free school build creating issues. • Lack of refined definition for the autistic spectrum limits the ability to commission suitable provision. • Provision for SEMH across disciplines and level of need requires root & branch review. • Consultation across districts to ascertain parents views on types of provision e.g. units on mainstream sites to support reduction of out of county provision (currently 176 YP). • Review possibility of commissioning vacant spaces to support faster access to specialist placements for move-ins/change of provision type. Cost of 5% vacancy approx. 2.9 million pa

14. SEND Capital Grant

15. Northampton Summary • Significant inward migration. • Northampton have a significant excess of places in primary and secondary phases if children from out of area were not accessing the provision. • High use (34 pupils) of high cost out of county in secondary phase.

16. Daventry Summary • There are currently no designated units and 1 special school. Inward migration for some needs • The shortage of local places is for SLD • 21 children placed in high cost out of county placements S. Northants Summary • There is currently only 1 small designated unit and 1 special school for SEMH. Outward migration for learning needs especially ASD and PMLD. • High use of high cost out of county placements: 9 primary and 34 secondary

17. Wellingborough Summary • Wellingboroughhave enough places at primary level for local children. • Wellingborough have an excess of places at secondary level overall but a shortage of SLD, SLCN and SEMH provision in the locality. E. Northants Summary • East Northants has a small excess of 6 places at primary level but a shortage of 116 places at secondary level. • There is one designated unit and 1 special satellite school both at Primary level. • There is a secondary special school planned for East Northants, Friars East, but building work on this has not yet started.

18. Kettering Summary • Kettering would have an excess of places if children from out of area were not accessing the provision at primary and secondary level. • With the opening of Red Kite, the children who currently access places from Corby area may move over time. Corby Summary • New special school Red Kite opened 2019. • Inward migration for some needs, specifically SEMH • Small numbers (16 pupils) but high cost out of county placements

19. Recommendations 1) Process is started to provide additional specialist provision in South Northants. This provision to cover: a. All-through special school to meet the needs of the majority of local children and b. Additional unit provision to enable children and young people who require access to the full national curriculum and qualifications but in an environment that recognises their complex individual anxieties and SEMH needs. 2) Interim plans are agreed to enable children and young people in South Northants to access local provision from September 2019. 3) Interim plans are agreed to enable children and young people in East Northants to access local provision from September 2019 while the agreed new free school is still under construction. 4) An exercise is undertaken to enable better understanding of needs across the ASD spectrum to ensure the types of provision on offer meet the spectrum of needs. 5) Within districts and boroughs, commission additional unit provision as required to cater for children and young people who need access to the full national curriculum and qualifications but in an environment that recognises their complex individual anxieties and SEMH needs.

20. 6) Holistic review of SEMH needs is undertaken across districts to identify provisions required, gaps or new types of provision to meet identified needs that ensure a reduced reliance on independent places thereby releasing revenue back into county provisions. 7) Review of ASD definition and provision to recommend any required change to provision specifications. 8) Review flexibility of capacity to enable swift placement of children and young people within their districts which would include consideration of additional funding to support a 5% capacity gap, however, this would be a significant cost. 9) Consider district interim, short-term, placements by increasing/reorganising current provision capacity to bridge need gaps until new provisions are operational. 10) Review of reasons for parental preference for independent placements, review current local offer and recommend change to reduce the preference for independent placements.