Questions by Members (unless otherwise stated):-

Answers:-

While inclusion can deliver positive outcomes for many children, it may not meet the needs of every pupil. In some cases, children can become disengaged from education through repeated suspensions, which may ultimately lead to home education arrangements. What are your views on this issue, and what systems or support mechanisms does Essex County Council have in place to assist children who are educated at home as a result of circumstances rather than parental choice?

(Stephen Chynoweth) It is essential that we learn from both the data and the lived experiences of children and families who have previously felt excluded from educational provision. Essex County Council's Inclusion Strategy is designed to address these challenges by placing a much stronger emphasis on early intervention, preventative support, and targeted provision for children who may be at risk of suspension or exclusion.

In addition, the SEND reforms reflect a broader ambition to develop enhanced local provision, including Local Authority resource bases and inclusion hubs, particularly within the secondary sector. These provisions aim to offer alternative and more flexible curriculum pathways while enabling children to remain within their school community and maintain important peer relationships. The intention is to ensure that education is tailored to meet both the learning and social needs of the individual child.

It is important to emphasise that this approach is not about promoting "inclusion through exclusion." Rather, it is about recognising that a one-size-fits-all model does not work for every child and ensuring that appropriate, personalised support is available within inclusive educational settings wherever possible.

There is also a clear commitment within the Council to expand localised satellite and specialist provisions that support children within their own communities. This not only helps to reduce the likelihood of suspension or exclusion but also enables specialist outreach support to be provided to mainstream schools. In turn, this helps practitioners to develop their skills, refine their approaches, and strengthen the quality of provision available to children with additional needs across the education system.

I would like to know how the Oliver McGowan applies itself within an educational setting. Can you confirm whether the training will provide anything new or relevant to the training that is already being offered by Essex County Council?

(Ondrea Bloom) Having reviewed the training as part of our assessment of the core offer, with the aim of ensuring that we provide the most relevant and effective professional development for education settings, I do not believe that the Oliver McGowan Training, in isolation, offers the depth of educationally focused content required by schools and practitioners in Essex.

While the Oliver McGowan Training provides an important foundation and includes a number of different tiers, ranging from awareness-level learning to more detailed programmes, it does not cover some of the key areas that schools have consistently identified as priorities. These include topics such as anxiety, demand avoidance, sensory profiles, and effective assessment approaches for autistic children and young people. Although these subjects may be referenced within the training, they are not explored in the level of detail that educational professionals often require in order to inform practice and support outcomes for pupils.

Our training offer is designed to provide a strong foundation across these areas and is complemented by a wider suite of resources, drawing on both external expertise and locally developed materials. We believe this broader approach is better aligned to the practical realities of educational settings and supports practitioners to respond more effectively to the needs of children and young people.

Rather than relying on a single training programme, our approach seeks to equip schools with a comprehensive range of evidence-informed resources, strategies and professional learning opportunities that can be applied directly within the classroom and wider school environment. This ensures that staff are better prepared to meet the diverse needs of pupils and promote inclusive practice across Essex schools.

Would you describe it as a pathway to deliver training and link with other sectors also?

(Ondrea Bloom) Yes, absolutely. We support schools through our Inclusion Partners, who work with settings to advise on their CPD offer. This advice is informed by a range of factors, including the training already undertaken by staff, areas where schools have identified a need for further development, the profile and needs of their pupil cohort, and the training that would best support their individual circumstances.

Schools are therefore guided by SEND specialists within their local quadrants, who use their expertise and understanding of local needs to help schools identify the most appropriate professional development opportunities and ensure that training is tailored to their specific context.

I have undertaken the Oliver McGowan Training myself and found it to be both relevant and valuable, particularly in supporting understanding and awareness in everyday life. My experience was that the training is aimed at a broad audience, extending beyond social care, and it includes some content specifically designed for educational settings.

With that in mind, would there be any disadvantage in offering an additional training package alongside the Oliver McGowan Training?

(Ondrea Bloom) I believe that introducing the Oliver McGowan Training alongside our existing offer could lead to unnecessary duplication and, potentially, confusion for schools. I am not suggesting that the Oliver McGowan Training is not relevant or valuable; rather, many of the topics it covers are already addressed within the training currently provided, often in greater depth and with a stronger focus on educational application.

There is also a risk of placing additional demands on schools' already limited time and resources for continuing professional development (CPD). Schools must make careful decisions about how staff time is allocated, and duplicating training content may not represent the most effective use of that resource.

In contrast, the NEN training can be delivered directly within a school's own setting, enabling whole-school participation without incurring additional costs. This approach not only makes the training more accessible but also supports a consistent understanding and implementation of inclusive practice across the entire staff team.

Is the training that Essex County Council offer mandatory for all teachers?

(Ondrea Bloom) The training is not mandatory because Essex County Council does not have the authority to require schools to undertake specific training, given the governance arrangements that apply across both maintained schools and academies.

However, we make every effort to ensure that schools can access training as easily as possible. Unlike some local authorities, which charge for this type of provision and require teachers and support staff to travel to attend training in person, Essex County Council provides all training free of charge, with the exception of the 11-week course. We also offer a combination of face-to-face and remote delivery options to maximise accessibility and participation.

In addition, our Inclusion Partners work closely with schools and are able to encourage engagement with particular training programmes where a need has been identified. This may be informed by a range of factors, including feedback from schools themselves, local priorities, or issues highlighted through the voices and experiences of parents and carers within the community. Through this collaborative approach, we seek to ensure that schools are aware of and can access the professional development opportunities most relevant to the needs of their pupils and staff.

I frequently receive correspondence from parents who report that their child with SEND has been suspended from school and that the headteacher has subsequently indicated that it may be in the child's best interests not to return to school. Would you consider this to be good practice and why is this happening?

(Stephen Chynoweth) No, I do not. I would respectfully disagree with the suggestion that this can be evidenced as an appropriate course of action, as it could be considered discriminatory and would be contrary to the protections and provision afforded to children within the education system under UK law.

My advice to those parents and carers would be to challenge the school leaders or members of staff where it is being implied, or stated directly, that their child would be better placed in elective home education.

In my experience of working with children with SEND, I have found that when learning is linked to an area of particular interest to the child, they are often more engaged, receptive and willing to participate. This can have a positive impact on both their learning and overall development. Could this be considered a targeted strategy that schools might adopt to better support children with SEND?

(Stephen Chynoweth) Yes, absolutely. Drawing on my background in teaching, I recall an inspector explaining that the word education derives from a Latin term meaning “to draw out from within.” That concept has remained with me throughout my career and reflects the philosophy we seek to promote as Local Authority officers.

Our aim is to recognise the unique strengths, interests and potential within every child and to nurture those qualities so that they can thrive and succeed in later life. We encourage practitioners to identify what motivates and inspires each child, and to build upon those passions, interests and skills to support their development.

Historically, education has sometimes been viewed as the process of imparting knowledge to children, and whilst that approach has always been well intentioned, our view is that education should also be about drawing out the talents, capabilities and individuality of each child. This is the ethos that we strive to champion across our services.

While we cannot mandate how schools operate in every respect, we work hard to instil a strong sense of commitment and responsibility towards children and young people, encouraging approaches that recognise and celebrate their individual strengths and support them to achieve their full potential.

(Lisa Hastings) Could there be guidance that we could provide to our Members to assist them with correctly advising and/or signposting residents within their respective communities?

(Stephen Chynoweth) The challenge with this approach is that it can bypass and complicate what is otherwise a clear and established process for raising concerns or complaints about a school. The appropriate route is for parents to follow the school's complaints procedure, progressing through the relevant stages of that process. If those stages are exhausted and the matter remains unresolved, it can then be referred to the Department for Education.

It is also important to note that, under Section 45 of the Education Act 2011, local authorities are no longer permitted to intervene directly in parental complaints about schools. As a result, concerns must first be addressed through the school's own complaints process.

My advice to parents and carers would be to maintain open and constructive communication with the school wherever possible. If concerns cannot be resolved through discussion, they should utilise the school's complaints procedure. Alternatively, they may raise the matter through a Member Enquiry via their local Councillor. This will be forwarded to the relevant Council Officer, who can consider the issues raised and provide appropriate support while the matter is also being pursued through the formal channels available, including the Department for Education where necessary.

What proportion of the current Essex County Council training available to school staff is co-produced and co-delivered by people with learning disabilities and autistic people themselves?

(Ondrea Bloom) We also provide a comprehensive core offer and suite of resources relating to cognition and learning, which includes support for children and young people with learning disabilities. Our autism-specific training is designed to take a holistic approach and covers a range of co-occurring conditions, including learning difficulties, anxiety and epilepsy.

In addition, we have a wide range of developmental resources that have been developed by the Strategy Lead for Cognition and Learning and her teams. We recognise that no single training programme will ever meet all the needs of an individual child or young person. For that reason, we seek to consider children holistically, taking account of their full range of strengths and needs when determining the most appropriate support and guidance.

As part of our training offer, we ensure that common co-occurring conditions are discussed and considered. Where a specific condition is not covered in detail through a particular programme, we will signpost practitioners to the most relevant specialist training available. Schools can also discuss their requirements with our SEND Inclusion Partners, who can provide tailored advice and guidance on the most appropriate training and resources to meet the needs of their pupils.

The reason the Oliver McGowan Training is so significant is that Oliver and his parents were not listened to, despite raising concerns about his needs. As part of the training opportunities available to schools, do participants have the opportunity to hear directly from individuals with lived experience and learn from their perspectives?

(Ondrea Bloom) Absolutely. Many of our training programmes incorporate the voices and experiences of children, young people and families with lived experience. For example, within our 11-week course, autistic young people themselves contribute directly to the programme, sharing their experiences and perspectives. A number of our other training sessions also involve young ambassadors, ensuring that participants hear directly from those with lived experience.

Through the Stay Project, we have involved ambassadors from the Multi-Schools Council, who have spoken directly with young people and have also delivered their own workshops and assemblies. Across our Strategy Teams, we work closely with a range of stakeholder groups. Within my own area, for example, we collaborate with the Multi-Schools Council and autism ambassadors who contribute to the development of training and strategic initiatives.

A current example of this is our work on autistic burnout, where we are engaging directly with a group of young people who have experienced it themselves. Their experiences and insights are being used to shape and inform the work from the outset. This ensures that the content is grounded in real-world experiences before any training materials are developed.

This emphasis on co-production is one of the reasons we place such value on our NEN training offer. It is developed collaboratively with parents and carers, young people, and individuals with lived experience, ensuring that the training is authentic, relevant and informed by those who are best placed to share the realities of navigating these experiences.

(Stephen Chynoweth) I would also encourage anyone interested in hearing more about how the voices of children and young people are embedded within our work to look at the work led by Kierran Pearce, who leads the Multi-Schools Council. His work demonstrates the strong emphasis placed on elevating and promoting the voices of children and young people across Essex, including in Tendring, and ensuring that lived experience informs decision-making and service development.

The work undertaken through the Multi-Schools Council provides valuable opportunities for children and young people to influence policy, practice and training, ensuring that their experiences and perspectives are heard and acted upon. It is a fantastic example of how meaningful participation can help shape more effective and inclusive services for young people across the county.