Agenda item

Report of the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures (DEF/25/01), attached.

DISCUSSION:

The Forum considered the Report of the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures (DEF/25/01), which provided an update on the activities and progress of the Inclusion and Learning Team from November 2024 to January 2025. Key developments included the initiation of the team redesign and the proposed Inclusion and Learning (Education) Strategy for Devon prior to its consultation.

The Forum heard from the Deputy Director and Head of Inclusion and Learning who spoke to the principles laid out in the report, with a full policy to follow, which would be shared with the Forum when completed. Specific reference was also made to plans moving towards Free School Meal auto-enrolment, including that an implementation plan had been completed and linked to in the report (notwithstanding that the link, as above, was faulty). Challenges around information between the various tiers of local authorities were also referred to as a barrier that needed addressing. Officers expressed that, moving forward, they were aiming to secure backing for the plan both politically and from other relevant partners.

Members’ discussion and comments included:

• That the Forum was broadly in support of the principles;

• That, despite the above, there would need to be significant focus on how progress against a developed strategy would be measured through appropriate and effective intelligence gathering;

• That the above would feed into developing a system of accountability against the developed strategy;

• The importance of viewing and developing the strategy as a joint one, not one developed by the Council and imposed upon schools;

• What form an oversight body might take (such as a strategic board). The Deputy Director and Head of Inclusion and Learning expressed that this would not be for Council officers to dictate, but that the intent would be the development of a strategic board to oversee the strategy and feed into the system of accountability;

• The importance of Early Years;

• A desire from members of the Forum for good practice to be shared;

• Comments by Forum members that ensuring all officers (namely, senior and other) were united in their advice and support given to schools, in line with the strategy, where previous redesigns did not seem to be adequately disseminated down across the entire directorate; and

• The information-sharing barrier between tiers of local authorities. A Forum member expressed that this was discussed at the last Forum, but their understanding was that districts had not been contacted to share information and the extent to which this was a barrier. The Deputy Director and Head of Inclusion and Learning responded that, were this not in fact as big a barrier as previously believed, that this would mean better opportunities to move forward.

DECISION:

(a) that the direction of travel indicated within the draft strategy be noted;

(b) that the Inclusion and Learning service redesign commencement be noted; 

(c) that the implementation plan for Free School Meals auto enrolment be supported; and 

(d) that the above 3 items be added as standard agenda items for future DEF meetings.

ACTION:

Deputy Director and Head of Inclusion and Learning (Jack Newton)