Agenda item

The Director of Education and Early Help updated the Panel on developments relating to transition planning for overnight unit-based short breaks for children with disabilities and the impact of COVID-19.

Members were informed that COVID-19 had had an impact at a critical time in the transition process including an effect on the planned building works at Osborne Court.  However, it was confirmed that those children who had previously accessed respite at Ludlow Road had now moved to either Osborne Court or Providence Road, although this had happened in a different way due to COVID.

This had been a challenging time for those families with a child with SEND and there were still two families who were choosing not to access respite at this time.  During lockdown, when families were not able to access respite, social workers and schools had kept in regular touch with families to offer support.  With reference to Osborne Court, building work had now been completed and Ofsted’s pre-registration visit had taken place.  Staff had been recruited and were being trained.

Community short breaks had been suspended in March 2020 in line with government restrictions.  To address this, social workers had kept in touch with families and assessed whether they needed any further support in the home.  During the summer, providers had been able to run activity sessions for day respite and 146 children had been able to access these.

Although transition arrangements had been affected by COVID, the re-organisation plan had continued and new transport arrangements were now in place.

Members were informed that there had been some COVID activity at Moule Close in Kidderminster (another of the Council’s overnight short breaks units) and one member of staff was now self-isolating.  Consequently, no overnight short breaks would take place there for two weeks and social workers were in touch with all families.

The Chairman of the Panel expressed her thanks to all staff who she felt were going over and above to provide an extremely good service in Worcestershire during the time of COVID.

In response to a Member’s question, it was agreed that updates on any COVID activity in residential children’s homes and overnight short breaks units would be included in the internal Gold Command report which was circulated to Members each week.  The Director of Children’s Services confirmed that WCF had very good operating protocols for dealing with COVID outbreaks in residential children’s homes and overnight short breaks units.

It was agreed that Members’ positive feedback and thanks would be shared with all staff, including members of the Education Incident Planning Group.

In response to a question from the Chairman, it was confirmed that WCF received reports in relation to COVID activity from all provision including independent schools and children’s homes.  It was important to ensure that all sectors were aware of advice in relation to preventative measures and outbreak response.

The Chairman thanked the Director of Education and Early Help for her report and reiterated the Panel’s thanks to all staff who had gone above and beyond in responding to the pandemic.