PAPER B

Committee :    EDUCATION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING SELECT COMMITTEE

Date :              8 APRIL 2002

Title :              FINAL DRAFT: BEST VALUE JOINT REVIEW DIRECTORATE OF EDUCATION, SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING APRIL 2001 TO MARCH 2002 - CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND SIGNIFICANT HEALTH NEEDS

JOINT REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING

SUMMARY/PURPOSE

1.        This final draft report seeks to inform and consult members on this Best Value Review and identify the key issues and further work to be undertaken through the improvement plan.

2.        As part of the work undertaken to date a review scoping document was produced, consulted upon and approved by the Children’s Committee on 22 March 2001. This identified six review areas of the services for which working groups were established :

           •          Management Steering Group

           •          Policy and Strategy Group

           •          Direct Services Group

           •          Indirect Services Group

           •          Administration and Resources Group

           •          Residential Short Term Support Group

3.        These groups considered wide-ranging consultations held between May 2001 and February 2002 and identified a number of key issues and areas for action. Bench marking and comparative data has also been collected. The report includes an improvement plan for the services with six key objectives.

           •          To create a more streamlined and simplified service by improving joint working and exploring future integration.

           •          To develop fair and equitable services through improvements to eligibility criteria.

           •          To enable service users to have access to transport services which help meet assessed need.

           •          To make services more inclusive by :

                       •          Developing good working practices.

                       •          Improving the access to and availability of high quality and inclusive services provided by a range of organisations.

           •          To make services more accessible by improving information services for users and other stakeholders.

           •          To develop services that better reflect needs by improving service user involvement in all aspects of services.

4.        A progress report was produced and considered by a members Appraisal Group on 1 November 2001 resulting in a draft report which went to joint meeting of the Social Services and Education and Community Development Select Committee on 20 December 2001.

OPTIONS

1.        To consider and discuss the final draft report and the improvement plan.

2.        To suggest amendments and or areas for further work.

3.        To recommend the review to the Executive Committee.

Contact Points :          James Doyle   ☎ 822247

                                   David Pettitt    ☎ 823410