'Highly effective' High Needs Funding Panel

A recent independent review was taken of the High Needs Funding Panel.

This is the panel that approves independent Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND) specialist placements, when all other options have been exhausted. The panel scrutinises requests for higher funding for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who attend local mainstream schools. The panel also has the function of identifying trends and unmet need in order to inform commissioning proposals. A recent example being the Learning Pod for learners discharged from psychiatric hospitals.

Findings from the review include:

a) Very impressed with the calm and purposeful atmosphere. Panel members were highly professional and their commitment to achieving the best outcomes for the children they discussed, there was an air of authority and seriousness.

b) 83 cases to discuss is a very high number and is indicative of the extreme pressures SEND officers in local authorities are finding themselves under in terms of funding, capacity to manage an increasing workload with increasing complexity, and a shortage of provision and placements. I think the Local Authority should carefully monitor the workload in preparing all the necessary paperwork and the capacity of staff to regularly attend such meetings.

d) The case work presentation (EHC plan co-ordinators) was very professional.

d) Whilst each case was complex the discussions were lean and efficient where everyone maintained a positive and constructive position in trying to determine more positive outcomes for children and young people being discussed.

e) Having participated in such panels for most of my working life I judged this panel to be highly effective in the way it was managed. Its purposefulness and the authoritative discussions should provide reassurance to any parent or carer whose child is being considered.

For more information please contact sen@warwickshire.gov.uk