Agenda item

The Chief Executive reported that two questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).

 

Question asked by Mr Andrew Innes CC:

 

“A bid was recently put in by Discovery Trust to Loughborough College to use the existing Melton campus site (which includes the Theatre) as a venue for post 16 special educational needs provision. I understand that LCC has also been in similar discussions about the use of this site with other providers. We do not have adequate facilities in Leicestershire to accommodate post 16 requirements, and therefore we spend a large amount of money moving our residents around county or outside of county. To have such a provision, in a ready-made campus in Melton Mowbray, under these circumstances makes sense, not just commercially, but also to provide high quality services for some of our most vulnerable residents. I would also point out that this could also act as a catalyst to save the popular Melton Theatre that is in serious threat of closure due to Loughborough College withdrawing support, and their wish to sell the site. I would like to ask:

 

a)     What discussions have taken place, has there been any progress in these discussions?

 

b)     What is Leicestershire County Council’s view on commissioning post 16 provision?

 

c)     Should the Council be having serious talks with providers and Loughborough College about the future use of these facilities?

 

It is our duty to our residents to make sure we have good quality, easy accessible provision, for all of our residents, and I would advocate that we look into these proposals seriously.”

 

Reply by the Chairman:

 

a)     The Council continues to recognise the importance of robust and effective planning for post 16 education and training, particularly for young people with additional needs. Leicestershire has a diverse educational landscape, including school sixth forms, colleges, and specialist institutions, and our approach remains firmly aligned with national policy direction and the principle of mainstream inclusion wherever appropriate.

 

The Council has held discussions with officers and key stakeholders in relation to post 16 SEND provision in Melton, including consideration of the Discovery Trust’s proposal. This included analysis of current and projected demand, cost, long-term viability, accessibility, suitability and sustainability of the proposed venue and alignment with both national policy and local strategic direction for post 16 SEND places.

 

Following this evaluation, the Council concluded that the proposal could not be pursued, primarily due to the low and stable number of young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) within the Melton area, the existence of alternative provision options and concerns about the appropriateness and sustainability of the site for the proposed purpose.  The Discovery Trust has acknowledged that, whilst they accept the Council is unable to pursue a post 16 development, they indicated their intention to bring forward a revised proposal focusing on pre 16 specialist places. Officers will review any such proposal upon receipt and will ensure that stakeholders are kept informed.

 

b)     The Council remains firmly committed to improving post 16 pathways and outcomes for all young people, including those with SEND. This commitment includes ensuring the sufficiency of high quality, sustainable provision, supporting mainstream inclusion, consistent with national policy direction and strengthening transition pathways into an adulthood of independence, choice, and control. To support these aims, the Council has recently appointed a Post 16 Service Manager whose responsibilities are focussed on understanding and analysing local need, engaging with all post-16 providers, identifying any gaps in provision and leading the development of a county wide Post 16 strategy. 

 

c)     The Council is open to engaging with providers, including Loughborough College, where proposals are viable, sustainable, and aligned with the Council’s strategic direction for inclusive education. While the decision about the future use of the Melton campus rests with the College, the Council will continue to work constructively with partners where this supports improved sufficiency of appropriate local provision, good outcomes for children and young people and long term sustainability of educational pathways. Any discussions about the future of the site must therefore be grounded in demand analysis, strategic fit, and the feasibility of delivering high quality inclusive mainstream provision.

 

Question asked by Mrs Naomi Bottomley CC:

 

“I wish to ask a question with regards to the consultation ‘Plans to provide more SEND nursery places in local communities’.

 

The consultation proposals assume that mainstream Early Years settings can absorb specialist SEN provision, despite significant funding constraints, specialist workforce shortages, and an existing loss of childcare and specialist capacity. The consultation materials also appear to give limited visibility of these operational realities and risks.

 

In this context, how will the consultation process ensure that the feedback gathered is genuinely informed, balanced and valid?”

 

Reply by the Chairman:

 

The Early Years service provided by the County Council has a strong track record of working closely with the sector to promote careers in childcare, encouraging and supporting new staff to join the sector. The Service also ensures that new staff are highly skilled and trained, working closely with the Stronger Practice Hub funded by DfE to support professional development for staff working with young children across the County.

 

As part of the proposals, Early Years settings would be supported with a new, higher band of funding which would enable children to receive a higher ratio of adult to child support, allowing providers to pay staff at an increased rate which would support them to recruit and retain staff. Additional staff within the Early Years team would also provide additional training and support to ensure mainstream settings can meet the needs of those Early Years children with more complex additional needs and work with families in their homes.

 

The consultation process is open for all interested stakeholders to submit their views on the proposals and all responses submitted will be considered in a report to the Cabinet on 24th March 2026. Officers will ensure that the responses submitted through the consultation are reported in a fair and balanced way which supports members to make an informed and evidence based decision on the proposals.

 

Mrs. Naomi Bottomley CC asked the following supplementary question:

 

“While I appreciate that the proposal, and therefore the consultation around the proposal, suggests supporting providers with an uplift of up to £10 on top of the funded hours, what is the evidence that this would cover the costs of providing specialist support in more mainstream settings?

 

If there is not robust data to support this, it calls into question the validity and the reliability of the consultation and the proposal as a whole.”

 

Response to the supplementary question:

 

At the invitation of the Chairman, the Director of Children and Family Services stated that within Leicestershire there were many children with significant and complex needs who were accessing mainstream early years provisions and that they were thriving in those settings. The proposals included additional offers of specialist training, additional early years staff, and additional funding bands for providers. Most children historically, and at the time, attended a specialist nursery on a dual placement basis where they also attended mainstream provision as well. He stated that this was not a cost saving proposal and that modelling demonstrated that funding would allow childcare settings to provide one-to-one support where needed in order to ensure the best outcomes for children in those placements. The Department would aim to ensure families were given an equable offer to use their free early education entitlement hours ways which suited them. This could include longer days or time during the holidays, which many providers also offered. The consultation would give everybody the opportunity to give their views on proposals and would help the Department to plan next steps.