Council and councillors

To receive Report No.99/2021 from the Strategic Director for Children’s Services.

In consultation with Cabinet, Cllr Wilby, Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services:

1.    Authorised RCC in acting as the commissioning organisation, mandated by Schools Forum, to extend the contract for the Education Inclusion Partnership (EIP) coordination function and:

2.    Approved the move to a direct award of contract.

Report No.99/2021 was introduced by Cllr Wilby, Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services. The purpose of the report was to set out the reasons why the contract for the Education Inclusion Partnership (EIP) co-ordination function should be extended to promote Rutland’s vision of supporting all children and young people with Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities (SEND) to lead healthy, independent, and safe lives, to be a County that promotes inclusion, to maximise their opportunities to be independent and focuses on their abilities not their disabilities and wherever possible, have their needs met locally. (Rutland SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2019).

During discussion the following points were noted:

·       Cllr Walters asked how parents could be reassured that the Council was doing the right thing for their children.

·       Officers confirmed that everything associated with our EIP was being co-produced with the Rutland Parent Carer Voice and it was parents who were putting pressure on the Council to promote the approach as they wanted their children to be included in mainstream schools.

In consultation with Cabinet, Cllr Wilby, Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services:

1.    Authorised RCC in acting as the commissioning organisation, mandated by Schools Forum, to extend the contract for the Education Inclusion Partnership (EIP) coordination function and:

2.    Approved the move to a direct award of contract.