Agenda item

(To receive a report from Matthew Clayton, Interim Head of Education Support, which invites the Committee to consider the proposal to discontinue The Ash Villa South Rauceby School (Final Decision), prior to a decision being taken by the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services on 31 July 2020)  

The Chairman advised the Committee that this item was for pre-decision scrutiny, prior to a decision being taken by the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services on 31 July 2020.

The Chairman invited Matthew Clayton, Interim Head of Education Support to present the report to the Committee.  The Committee was advised that Sally Savage, Assistant Director of Children's Commissioning and Martin Smith, Interim Assistant Director of Education were also in attendance for this item.

The Committee noted that Ash Villa South Rauceby was a social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) school, which provided high quality education to young people admitted to the integrated Ash Villa hospital unit.  The Committee was advised that the hospital unit had been temporarily closed since October 2019, as a result of the Trust not being able to recruit the consultant medical staff required.  It was highlighted that Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) had confirmed that the Ash Villa hospital unit would not be reopening on the current site in the current building.  It was highlighted that without the care unit at Ash Villa, there would be no pupils for the Ash Villa South Rauceby School, and therefore the school was no longer able to operate.

It was noted that following the consultation period, a decision had been taken on 21 April 2020 to publish a Statutory Notice on 6 May 2020.  This then initiated a four week Representation Period up to 3 June 2020, to allow further written objections and comments to be submitted.  It was noted further that the process was now entering the final stage, when the local authority, as decision maker, had to take the final decision regarding the proposal within two months from the end of the Representation Period (by 3 August 2020).

The Committee was advised that nationally it had been recognised that most young people with severe mental health problems did better when they received care in their local communities with intensive support being provided in their own homes, alongside attending their own school.  The Committee was advised further that NHS England was supporting such a pilot in Lincolnshire, which had commenced in April 2019 and was due to finish in October 2020.  The Committee noted that the children and young people previously admitted to Ash Villa hospital unit were now being treated in their own homes.

It was reported that the majority of pupils who accessed Ash Villa School were from outside Lincolnshire.  The Committee noted that the proposal complied with the wishes of the governing body.

The Executive Councillor report detailed at Appendix 1 to the report provided the Committee with reasons for the proposed recommendations.  Appendix A provided the Committee with details of all valid written responses received during the consultation and the Representation Period.  Appendix B provided a copy of the Statutory Notice – Proposal to Discontinue The Ash Villa South Rauceby School, which had been published on the 6 May 2020. And, Appendix C provided the Committee with details of the Complete Proposal to Discontinue The Ash Villa South Rauceby School.

In conclusion, the Committee noted that the local authority believed that the proposal was in the best financial interests; as keeping the school open with no pupils would be an inefficient use of resources and it was considered that it would not be in the best interests of the welfare of staff employed at the school.  Reference was also made to the 'Reasons for Recommendations' as detailed on page 33 of the report pack.

During discussion, the Committee raised questions, to which the following points were confirmed:

·         Disappointment was expressed with the local NHS and its ability to recruit the required consultant medical staff to operate safely, which had resulted in the hospital unit being temporarily closed since October 2019;

·         The impact on Lincolnshire schools from the closure of the Ash Villa South Rauceby School would be minimal as very few pupils were from Lincolnshire;

·         The Pilot – The Committee was advised that a pilot for a new model of care, the interim intensive home treatment team, was being conducted by NHS England where the NHS was now offering support at home and had recruited extra staff to provide support and provision in the homes of children and young people, which could include several visits per day if required.  The pilot had so far been successful and young people had been able to stay at home and had their needs met in their home environment instead of going into Ash Villa.  Some of the children and young people had been in Ash Villa previously so were able to compare between the two options, and this highlighted that the needs of children and young people were still being met.  It was too early to know the outcomes from the pilot, and the continuation of the pilot was subject to the agreement of NHS England.  It was requested that a report on the pilot being conducted by NHS England be brought to scrutiny once it had been completed in October 2020;

·         Support for Staff – It was reported that a redeployment policy was in place for the staff, and it was hoped that staff could be redeployed to other facilities or schools so that their specialist skills were not lost; and

·         Funding for the School - The Committee noted that the school had a budget which would need using up by the end of the current school year.  Any surplus would go back into the funding block for schools. The costs of closing down the school would not take the school over its allocated budget.

RESOLVED

1.    That the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee unanimously agreed to support the recommendations to the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services as detailed in Appendix 1, on page 32 of the report pack.

2.    That the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee agreed that the points listed above should be forwarded on to the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services in relation to this item.

Note: Councillor C Matthews and Rev Philip Johnson left the meeting.