5 August 2020
Your request and our response
1. The number of children on an education, health and care plan (EHCP) in the local authority area as of March 1 who required a risk assessment, including but not exclusive to whether they could attend school, during the coronavirus crisis.
Schools were requested to complete a risk assessment on all children with an EHCP, as of SEN2 2020 the LA had 2566 children and young people with an EHCP
2. The total number of risk assessments the council has collected about pupils, including both ones
conducted by the school and reported back to the council and those undertaken by the council,
depending on the local approach, between March 1 and today (July 16).
We contacted all schools from day one of the lockdown and asked that they completed a risk assessment for all pupils with EHCPs. We also asked that the schools send copies to the SEND dedicated risk assessment email address. The council physically received copies of 1266 risk assessments from schools: others are held in schools. We also contacted all our EHCP families to make sure they were also aware of the risk assessment requirement. Risk assessments were reviewed weekly by a headteacher/SEND professionals panel.
3. If it was concluded in the risk assessment that a child was not able to go to school, the reason why.
Risk assessments were reviewed weekly as noted above and where it was felt, in consultation with parents and carers that a child would be safer at home during the particular stage of the COVID outbreak children stayed at home. Reasons were various and depended on child’s health and needs as well as transport and capacity at home. Regular contact was made with families if children were at home and support offered remotely.
4. The number of risk assessments that decided a child could attend school.
Risk assessments were reviewed weekly as noted above.