Agenda item

The Hammersmith & Fulham Local Area Outcomes Framework has been co-produced by children and young people in Hammersmith and Fulham schools and was supported by the Council for Disabled Children. The overall aim and objective are to have a clear understanding of the outcomes expected for young people across health colleagues, children’s services, and adults’ services to ensure effective preparation for adulthood.

Peter Haylock (Operational Director for Education and SEND) presented the item and highlighted that H&F Local Area Outcomes Framework had been co-produced by children and young people (CYP) in H&F schools and was supported by the Council for Disabled Children. He then outlined the 5 key outcomes identified, what each meant for CYP, the key priority areas of work, and performance measurement.

On the Chair’s concern as to how the 5 key outcomes had been developed, Peter Haylock said that the first phase of the development had involved some detailed in person focus groups with CYP with SEND in primary, secondary, and special schools across H&F. These stakeholders co-produced an annual survey which met different needs expressed in the focus groups for schools and parents as well as other young people to provide a response. The Framework was developed and then refined based on the survey outcomes. Peter added that his office would work with the stakeholders over the following weeks to prepare for the next survey to be held among the schools and families with CYP with SEND in January 2024. 

Replying to the Chair’s further question about partner organisations’ involvement, Jacqui McShannon (Strategic Director of Children’s Services) remarked that the Children’s Health, Education and Social Care Board was a joint-governance body working together for a range of joint projects/programmes for Children agenda, including support to CYP with SEND and the Local Area Outcomes Framework.

As regards the title of the initiative, Jacqui McShannon highlighted the long data summary presented in the strategic documents considered by the Cabinet, and the Health and Wellbeing Board.  The explicit expression was made so that CYP could see their views reflected in the surveys were acted upon. Peter Haylock added that the Framework was specifically focused on H&F’s CYP with SEND rather than just generic outcomes.

Peter Haylock informed members that the performance for the outcomes (page 41) contained both qualitative and quantitative measures driven by hard data and survey feedbacks.  On how these would impact on the educational outcomes as asked by the Chair, Peter said that the performance of the CYP with SEND in the last four years were captured in the school cards.  He undertook to provide a sample SEND scorecard to the Committee.

ACTION: Peter Haylock

Given the performance under the Framework had been measured and tracked as outlined on page 41, Councillor Aliya Afzal-Khan considered it helpful to provide data sets already available as baseline measures to assess how the Framework had been developing over time. Councillor Alex Sanderson (Cabinet Member for Children and Education) explained that after setting up the Framework, the local authority would gain a clear understanding of the picture from the data gathered and share them.  Jacqui McShannon stressed that they would continue to monitor and measure success against the outcomes framework for analysing and reporting.  The Chair advised that it would be useful at this stage to comment on the performance measures and for them to be more closely aligned with the outcomes.

Nandini Ganesh asked about the profile of CYP with SEND being included in the focus groups and held discussions with the local authority. She was concerned whether they could articulate their views well on complex subjects relating to employment and education.   Peter Haylock noted that the CYP with SEND came from a wide mix of mainstream and different special schools.  Before moving to the phase of survey and collecting data, the local authority had made sure there was a clear understanding of the questions. As this was a Framework for CYP, the authority had worked in conjunction with the schools and not parents to capture their views. On performance measures involving schools and families, these were reflected in the surveys which were co-produced with the young people. 

RESOLVED

That the Committee noted and commented on the report.