Purpose

Proposed
decision
 

(a) 
Approve the adoption and implementation of the Schools Access
Initiative Policy and Procedure

(b) 
Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s,
Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Education and Skills, to refresh and/or make revisions to the policy where changes do not
require additional governance.

(c) 
Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s,
Young People and Education to take relevant actions, including but
not limited to, entering into and
finalising the terms of relevant contracts or other legal
agreements, as necessary, to implement the above decision.
 
Background
 
The County Council provides
capital funding, the Schools Access Initiative (SAI), to improve
access for disabled pupils to the maintained mainstream schools for
which it has capital responsibility (community, foundation and
voluntary controlled schools). It supports the implementation of
the Education Accessibility Strategy.
 
The SAI Policy and Procedure
outlines the process for allocating the funding.
 
What
is planned
The SAI Policy and
Procedure has been drafted. This will be consulted on prior to
presentation to the Children’s, Young People and Education
Cabinet Committee for approval in January 2025.
 

How the proposal will support Framing
Kent’s Future 2022-26:

 

The proposal will support:

 

Priority 1: Levelling Up
 

To maintain KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools in
Kent to deliver accessible, high quality education provision for
all families.

 

Priority 4: New Models of Care and
Support
 

Respond to national
policy changes on SEND provision, work with SEND families to
rapidly improve the service provided to SEND children and work with
mainstream schools so more can accept and meet the needs of
children with SEND, increasing choice and proximity of school
places.

 

How the proposal will support Securing
Kent’s Future 2022-26:
 
The proposal will
support:
 
Objective 2: Delivering savings from
identified opportunity areas to set a sustainable 2024/25 budget
and MTFP.
 

Having a
clear SAI policy and procedure will ensure that capital funding is
monitored, managed and used strategically to improve
accessibility.
It will
help ensure accessible school provision is available in each of the
12 districts/boroughs. This will reduce the need for pupils to
travel distances to access school places thus reducing the impact
on the Home to School transport budget.

 
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member
for Education and Skills I agree to:
 

(a) 
APPROVE the adoption and implementation of the Schools Access
Initiative Policy and Procedure

(b) 
Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s,
Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Education and Skills, to refresh and/or make revisions to the policy where changes do not
require additional governance.

(c) 
Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s,
Young People and Education to take relevant actions, including but
not limited to, entering into and
finalising the terms of relevant contracts or other legal
agreements, as necessary, to implement the above decision.