SEND staffing in the LA

The request was partially successful.

Eleanor Bernardes

Dear Middlesbrough Council,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please send me:
1. The number of full time equivalent members of staff employed centrally by the council with responsibility for Special Educational Needs (SEN/SEND) during each of the years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
2. The numbers of full time equivalent members of staff who are dyslexia and literacy specialists employed by the council in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
3. The amount of hours contracted to external specialists (for example but not limited to consultants/educational psychologists etc) employed by the council in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
4. The job specification for the person responsible for:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA
5. The qualifications held by the person responsible for the following role in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA

I would like the above information to be provided to me electronically.
If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.
If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the grounds of breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with copies of the confidentiality agreement and remind you that information should not be treated as confidential if such an agreement has not been signed.
I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20 working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Eleanor Bernardes

foi, Middlesbrough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Bernardes

 

REF NO:  008525

 

Thank you for your recent enquiry, received on 21/07/2015, in relation to
staffing.  I can confirm that your enquiry is receiving attention and a
response will be provided within 20 working days following receipt of your
enquiry as allowed under the Freedom of Information Act legislation.

 

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, I will
let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me direct on (01642) 729696/729698 or
email [Middlesbrough Council request email] should you require any further advice or
assistance with this or any other matter.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Nathan Oxnard

 

Information Governance Assistant

Middlesbrough Council

Democratic Services

Organisation and Governance

PO Box 503

Town Hall

Middlesbrough

TS1 9FX (for directions please use TS1 2RT)

Telephone: (01642) 729812

 

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foi, Middlesbrough Council

2 Attachments

 

Dear Ms Bernardes

 

REF NO: 008525

 

Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your
request.  I am writing to confirm that Middlesbrough Council has now
completed its search for the information you requested on 21 July 2015.

 

In your request you asked for the following information:

 

1.The number of full time equivalent members of staff employed centrally
by the council with responsibility for Special Educational Needs
(SEN/SEND) during each of the years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in
the following:

 

a.working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority
office

 

Response: Middlesbrough Council is unable to proceed with your request
without clarification of the information you wish to receive.  Your
request mentions staff with responsibility for SEN.  Are you requesting
information for the broader concept of SEN which would include Educational
Psychology for all of the points raised or specifically the SEN Team as it
is not clear. 

 

However, I can confirm that the data for the SEN and Pupil Support Team
staffing for the September of each year was as follows:

 

2010   10 FTE

2011     7 FTE

2012     6 FTE

2013     6 FTE

2014     6 FTE

2015     9 FTE

 

Please note that if we do not receive appropriate clarification of your
information requirements within three months from the date of this letter,
then Middlesbrough Council will consider your request closed.

 

b.working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere

 

Response: The Local Authority previously had in place a central learning
and language team which operated across a range of schools but that team
was not managed via the SEN team, the service is no longer being provided
centrally therefore the Council has no data relating to staffing over this
period.

 

c.working in one LA school for that school

 

Response: The information you requested is not held by Middlesbrough
Council.

 

2.The numbers of full time equivalent members of staff who are dyslexia
and literacy specialists employed by the council in each of the following
years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the following:

 

a.working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority
office b.working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c.working in one LA school for that school

 

Response: The Local Authority had in place a central learning and language
team which operated across a range of schools and they provided support to
schools on a range of learning difficulties including (but not
exclusively) dyslexia. That team was not managed via the SEN team, the
service is no longer being provided centrally and I have no data relating
to staffing over this period. The Educational Psychology team also provide
advice to schools on a range of learning  difficulties including (but not
exclusively) dyslexia and the response to question 3 gives details of that
team's staffing.

 

3.The amount of hours contracted to external specialists (for example but
not limited to consultants/educational psychologists etc) employed by the
council in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

 

Response: With regard to external specialists we can only speak for
Educational Psychologists (EPs). Middlesbrough has and continues to employ
a central team of EPs who provide a core service to schools as opposed to
contracting outside.  The team employed by the council for the following
years is as follows:

 

2010/2011 - 6.2 fte EPs

2011/2012 - 4.7 fte EPs

2012/2013 - 4.9 fte EPs

2013/2014 - 4.6 fte EPs

2014/2015 - 4.6 fte Eps

 

4.The job specification for the person responsible for:

 

a.Managing SEN/D provision for the LA

 

Response: Attached is a copy of the job specification for SEN 0-15
manager.

 

b.Compiling the Local Offer for the LA

 

Response: Middlesbrough do not have a Local Offer post, Lindsay Thompson
is the Senior Practitioner for Stronger Families and an element of her
role is dealing with the Local Offer for the Authority. Attached is a copy
of the job specification for Senior Practitioner.

 

5.The qualifications held by the person responsible for the following role
in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015:

 

a.Managing SEN/D provision for the LA

 

b.Compiling the Local Offer for the LA

 

Response: For questions 5a and 5b, Manager appointments within the Council
are subject to a range of competency based criteria including not only
qualifications but other essential and non-essential criteria also
covering experience of the areas of work concerned.

 

If you have any queries about this response, please do not hesitate to
contact me direct on (01642) 729696/729698 or email
[Middlesbrough Council request email]   Please remember to quote the reference number
shown above in any future communications.

 

If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled you may ask
for an internal review within 40 days of receipt of the response. You
should write to:-

 

Sylvia Reynolds,

Information Governance Manager,

P.O. Box 503,
Ground Floor,
Town Hall,
Middlesbrough,
TS1 9FX

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for an
independent review.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: -

 

Information Commissioner’s Office,

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire,

SK9 5AF

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Steph Robson

Freedom of Information Officer

Democratic Services

 

 

Organisation and Governance

Middlesbrough Council

PO Box 503

Town Hall

Middlesbrough
TS1 9FX

 

Tel: 01642 729696

 

E-mail: [1][Middlesbrough Council request email]

 

SAT NAV POST CODE TS1 2RT

 

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