Local children with additional learning needs could get more support

The ambition of a new Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and Inclusion Strategic Plan for Powys youngsters has been welcomed by senior councillors, but questions about its cost remain.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet yesterday, councillors received the draft plan which covers the next five-year period up to 2030, and outlines the council’s “comprehensive approach” to supporting children with ALN, which encourages inclusive environments while allowing for “equitable” access to education and opportunities for all Powys pupils.

The plan also includes a proposal to split the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), which is run on sites in Brecon and Newtown into two wholly separate schools.

But the savings of £600,000 over two years that closing one of the PRU sites would have made, still needs to be found from somewhere.

The plan also emphasises partnership working between the council, Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) and NPTC group of colleges to deliver cohesive support for all pupils and their families.

Cabinet member for a connected Powys. Liberal Democrat Cllr Jake Berriman said: “I do accept that we need a coordinated and seamless support network around individuals and any barriers we can remove to access this service is really important.

“I am concerned that taking people out of the learning environment that we provide for everybody and has a unit cost per pupil, while I think people would be happy to pay that little bit extra to support those in need, those costs still have to be proportionate and manageable.”

He stressed that the strategy should not be “at any cost” and there is a need to “balance the needs” of the majority of school pupils.

Cllr Berriman said he was not seeing the financial implications of the strategy or savings in the plan.

ALN and inclusion service manager Simon Anderson said: “If we make the adaptions, we will be ensuring that we are not sending children out of county,  we will be making a considerable saving on those extortionate costs.”

He added that there would be children and young people who have such complex needs that they can’t be educated in Powys, but this would be the: “exception rather than norm.”

Head of school improvement and learning Anwen Orrells said: “With workstreams one and two there are savings, and we are confident that we can deliver.”

Ms Orrells explained that further reports on workstream three would be brought back to future cabinet meetings following consultation with “key stakeholders” to make sure these proposals are within the service financial limits.

Finance portfolio holder Cllr David Thomas (Labour) told his colleagues that the s151 officer and director of corporate services, Jane Thomas’s comments on the proposal were included in the report.

Ms Thomas stated: “The proposals for workstreams one and two of the strategic plan can either be accommodated within existing budget or will provide cost reductions in line with the sustainable Powys programme.

“Further detailed financial work will need to be undertaken as proposals for workstream three are developed further.”

The Learning and Skills scrutiny committee had probed the proposals at a meeting earlier this month.

Committee chairman, Conservative Cllr Gwynfor Thomas said: “It really is an aspirational paper it puts us in a good place if we can achieve this.

“We were worried about the finance or delivery timeline, but that is not enough of a reason not to accept the paper at this point.”

Cabinet then moved to a vote went and unanimously backed the strategy.

The three workstreams are:

Inclusion for all – focuses on service improvement and development and aims to support and address the challenges raised by professionals and families regarding Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and Inclusion;

Educated Other Than at School (EOTAS) and the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)—This workstream aims to review current practices and processes and implement improvements to better support these children, with the goal that they return to mainstream schools or move on to further education college.

Development of a New Inclusion Hubs and Community Network Model, including Specialist Learning Centres—This workstream explores the potential of creating a more integrated, accessible, and supportive environment for pupils, families, and the wider community.

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter