Issue - meetings

This report seeks approval for a High Needs Eligibility Policy which provides clear criteria for deciding on educational provision for young people between 16 and 25.

(i)         that the High Needs Students Eligibility Policy for the education and training needs for post 16 high needs students be approved and published on the Council’s website;

(ii)        that the approach underpinning the policy, namely that each learner should have their education and training needs met in local, cost effective local provision wherever possible based on the needs identified in the learning difficulty assessment, be endorsed.

The report from the Acting Director of Children and Families sought approval for a High Needs Eligibility Policy which provided clear criteria for deciding on educational provision for young people between 16 and 25.  It included criteria both for writing a learning difficulty assessment and the decision making about the provision the young person will receive. The policy aimed to get the best outcome for each learner and ensure that the learning the young person undertook both met their needs and was going to benefit them in later life, and proposed a policy to manage the Learning Disability Assessment (LDA) and applications for placements.

Councillor Pavey (Lead Member, Children and Families) advised that the new national funding arrangements made local authorities (via the Direct Schools Grant) financially responsible for education and training up to aged 25 for young people identified as high needs. Prior to this the funding was managed by the Education Funding Agency and was demand led. Councillor Pavey stated that it was hoped to support as many young people as possible however there was a need to be realistic and, in the current financial climate, there remained a need to control costs where possible and promote value for money. He referred members to the aims of the policy and the compliance with the statutory guidance.

RESOLVED:

(i)         that the High Needs Students Eligibility Policy for the education and training needs for post 16 high needs students be approved and published on the council’s website;

(ii)        that the approach underpinning the policy, namely that each learner should have their education and training needs met in local, cost effective local provision wherever possible based on the needs identified in the learning difficulty assessment, be endorsed.