Children with disabilities and learning difficulties

Children with disabilities face a range of inequalities, including accessing services, health outcomes and educational attainment (A Needs Assessment for Disabled Children in Derby City, 2013). Children will be considered to have a learning disability (LD) if they meet any of the following conditions

• they have been identified within education services as having a Special Educational Need (SEN)
• they score lower than two standard deviations below the mean on a validated test of general cognitive functioning (equivalent to an IQ score of less than 70) or general development
• they have been identified as having learning disabilities on locally held disability registers (including the registers held by GP practices).

In Derby, the Local Authority and GP practice registers of those with a learning difficulty are comparable.

The Learning Disabilities Observatory (a collaboration between Public Health England, the Centre for Disability Research at the University of Lancaster, and the National Development Team for Inclusion) has published a local Learning Disabilities Profile that can be accessed from their ‘Improving Health and Lives’ website.

Of note in Derby are the lower number of children with moderate LD known to schools; higher number of children with profound and multiple LD known to schools; lower number of children with LD known to schools. In relation to health Derby achieves a significantly better (lower) admission rate for non-psychiatric ambulatory care sensitive conditions in people with LD, and is significantly better at identifying people with LD in general hospital statistics.

There are 3261 children recorded with Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) in Derby.

Pupils with statements and EHC plans

The total number of statements and EHC plans has continued to increase both nationally and locally. In Derby, there were 2,298 statutory EHC plans maintained by the LA at January 2020. The number of EHC plans and statements of SEN have increased each year since 2016 (from 1,268 statements in 2016).

The percentage increase from 2019 to 2020 was 21.3% in Derby (10.2% nationally).

Children for whom statements of SEN or EHC plans were newly made

In Derby, there were 251 new EHC plans made during 2019. The number of children with new EHC plans made during the 2019 calendar year has seen a decrease of 193 (43.5%) when compared against the number of children with EHC plans made during 2018. The national increase is 10.2% and the comparator authorities' average is up by 0.2%.

Placement of children for whom Local Authorities maintain a statement of special educational needs (SEN) or EHC plan

At January 2020, 11.1% of Derby children with an EHC plans attended LA maintained mainstream schools (17.4 nationally), 19.7% attended academies (15.3% nationally), 17.7% attended LA maintained special schools (21.4% nationally), 14.4% attended special academies/free schools (10.8% nationally), 3.7% attend a resourced provision in a LA maintained mainstream school (1.5% nationally) and 3.5% attend a resourced provision in an academy (1.4% nationally).

Placement of children with a new statement of special educational needs (SEN) or EHC plan

Derby's children and young people attending LA maintained mainstream schools made up 28.7% of all new EHC plans issued during 2019 (37.3% nationally), 35.9% in mainstream academies (25.1% nationally), 10.4% attended LA maintained special schools (10.3% nationally) and 6.4% attended a special academy/free school (5.0% nationally).

Children and young people with an EHC plan by local authority and age group

Children aged 11-15 years old account for the largest percentage of children and young people with EHC plans (38% locally and 35% nationally) as at January 2020.

Assessment process for Statements and EHC plans

During 2019, there were 505 children and young people in Derby who received an assessment where a decision was made whether or not to issue an EHC plan. Of these, it was decided not to issue an EHC Plan to 12.3% (compared to 22.8% nationally and 24.9% comparator authorities' average). At January 2020 a further 248 children and young people in Derby were either still being assessed, or had completed the assessment but a decision had not yet been made whether to issue an EHC plan (compared to 146 in our comparator authorities' average).

New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks

Of the new Derby EHC plans made during 2019 (excluding cases where exceptions apply), 24.7% were issued within the 20 week time limit (compared to 60.4% nationally and 56.9% comparator authorities average) an increase of 13.0% since last year. Derby is ranked 137th nationally.

Of the new Derby EHC plans made during the 2019 calendar year (including cases where exceptions apply), 24.7% were issued within the 20 week time limit (compared to 58.7% nationally and 57.1% comparator authorities average) an increase of 13.0% since last year. Derby is ranked 139th nationally.

EHC plans with personal budgets, mediation and tribunal cases

In Derby, there were 8 personal budgets in place for EHC plans issued or reviewed during 2019 (compared to 109 in comparator authorities' average).

There were 30 mediation cases held during 2019. Of these mediation cases, 23 (76.7%) were followed by appeals to the tribunal (compared to 25.7% comparator authorities average and 25.1% nationally). Some mediation cases in the 2019 calendar year could have been followed by appeal to the tribunal in 2020, which would not have been recorded in this collection.

Pupils with SEN Support

12.7% of children in Derby had SEN Support in 2020. This is a decrease of 1.2% since 2018. Nationally, SEN Support has increased by 0.4% to 12.1%.

Pupils with SEN in state-funded primaries

The percentage of SEN Support pupils in state-funded primaries is 12.9% in 2020 (12.8% nationally).

Pupils with SEN in state-funded secondaries

The percentage of SEN Support pupils in state-funded secondaries is 12.5% in 2020 (11.1% nationally).

Primary Needs type

Locally, the distribution across the types of SEN is mostly similar to 2019.
State-funded primaries – The largest difference is a drop of 1.5% in Moderate Learning Difficulty and Speech, Language and Communications Needs. Speech, Language and Communications Needs has the highest percentage of primary need nationally and locally (30.4% in Derby and 31.2% nationally). Moderate Learning Difficulty is the second highest needs type (24.0% in Derby, 19.5% nationally).

State-funded secondaries – The largest difference since 2019 is an increase of 4.4% in Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Moderate Learning Difficulty has the highest percentage of primary need nationally and locally (29.5% in Derby and 20.8% nationally). Social, Emotional and Mental Health is the second highest needs type in Derby at 22.8% (20.7% nationally).

State-funded specials – Locally, Autistic Spectrum Disorder has the highest percentage of primary need in Derby at 31.3% (31.3% nationally). Moderate Learning Difficulty is the second highest needs type in Derby at 19.9%. Nationally, the second highest needs type is Severe Learning Difficulty at 21.4% (12.7% locally).

Local Area SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy

Our Local Area SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy is part of our joint commissioning work and outlines how Derby City commissioning partners will deliver the best possible services for children and young people with SEND and their families.

Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

Further information in this section about Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)