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19-21 Broad Street | St Helier Jersey | JE2 3RR
Deputy Catherine Curtis
Chair, Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel
BY EMAIL 17 April 2023
Dear Chair,
Follow-up matters from the Public Hearing on 27th April 2023
Thank you for your letter of 31st March requesting further information following our public hearing. I am pleased to provide the information below and hope it answers all your questions, but please do not hesitate to contact me again if you need to.
During the hearing I committed to follow up with the following details:
An update of the did-not-attend' / missed appointments' / non-attendance rate for CAMHS The was not brought' rate for CAMHS in 2022 was 8.7%.
Further details / clarification of how, or if, the new neurodevelopmental service in CAMHS will incorporate screening for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
A new Doctor has been appointed to the community paediatrician role in the neurodevelopmental service, start date to be confirmed. Upon commencement of employment, the doctor will be able to provide assessment for FASD as part of screening for this within the Neurodevelopmental Service.
Confirmation of the current vacancy rate for teachers and teaching assistants Education recruitment
With over 850 teachers and 665 teaching assistants employed in our schools, recruitment will always be a challenge.
This year, working with the Delivery Unit in the Cabinet Office, we have significantly increased the capacity and capability of our approach to recruitment and are seeing positive results including:
Teaching assistants
- 26 have started.
- 14 have accepted offers.
- 14 are at interview stage.
Primary teachers
- 2 have started.
- 9 have accepted offers.
- 14 are at interview stage.
[1]- 5 are being screened.
- These roles have been recruited though central campaigns with senior advisor and school leader engagement. We have further campaigns planned to include:
- SENDCo roles – underway.
- SEND teacher – underway.
- Secondary science – planned.
- School business manager – planned.
New approaches to fixed term cover
The increased absence of teachers on parental leave has created a significant pressure with school leaders needing to recruit to fixed term contracts of 2-3 terms; this has proved exceptionally difficult. We have taken a new approach to this challenge and are recruiting teachers to permanent contracts with initial deployment to cover these fixed term needs. This not only provides more stability in schools but also provides candidates who can move into permanent vacancies as they arise, reducing the lead time to recruit.
Vacancy levels1
Current teacher vacancy levels of just under 2% (16 teachers) compare well with the equivalent in England, last reported (November '21) at approximately 8%[2]. These vacant roles are being covered by a mix of school leaders, existing teachers, and supply (local and UK). With improved knowledge of future vacancies (current plus future vacancies are at 6% of teacher workforce) our recruitment planning will continue to be strengthened.
Current teaching assistant vacancy levels are just under 3% (19). This excludes 12 TAs currently on assignment in schools who will be appointed to permanent roles after the Easter holidays. The vacancy levels for TAs will increase as schools complete provision planning for inclusion which will help determine future requirements. Future vacancies (current plus known future vacancies are at 4% of TA workforce) will continue to benefit from the campaign approach to recruitment set out above.
Teacher attrition
Teacher attrition is low with 36 teachers having left in the twelve months to end March 2023, this is 4.2% of the teacher workforce of 855. For additional context, the attrition rate for CYPES is 6.6% and for the Government 8.83%.
Regardless of this low attrition rate we know there remain significant pressures in schools. In the teacher's survey (2021) 59% of teachers reported having considered leaving their job very the last 12 months (4.21% left). Teachers cited volume of work (59%) and long hours (47%) as the main issues.
However, there remained strong and stable levels of overall satisfaction with >80% teachers responding that they are very/fairly satisfied with their role.
Clearly the pressure of work is of concern and the increase in funding directly to schools of approximately £10 million from 2021 to 2023, should start to alleviate these pressures as the investment results in more staff being recruited.
Confirmation of when the CYPES counter-bullying policy will next be updated.
Draft updates to the policy have been completed and are expected to pass through the internal approval process within the next few weeks.
Panel's additional queries in writing:
Secure Accommodation for Children and Young People
- We understand that legislation is being drafted in relation to revised remand arrangements for children and secure accommodation for young offenders. Please could you provide the Panel with an update about this.
Secure Accommodation
Changes are being made to the Criminal Justice (Young Offenders) (Jersey) Law 2014 which rests
with the Minister for Home Affairs. Drafting instructions are with the drafting office. The draft law will allow for children and young people to gain remission from secure accommodation/Greenfields as well as assessed temporary release. A set of Rules are also being written, that will protect the rights of the child, young person and the state; to sit alongside the protections already in place through the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2018.
- What discussions, if any, have you had with the Children's Commissioner on this matter?
I haven't had any specific discussion on this with the Acting Children's Commissioner. The Minister for Home Affairs must consult with the Commissioner upon any proposals for the preparation of any enactment directly concerning children or young people, as per Article 25 (1)(a) of the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 2019.
- Minister, what is the joint working on this between yourself and the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs?
Secure Accommodation
The Home Affairs Minister has ensured that I and my Assistant Ministers were briefed by officers on the work being undertaken to amend the law relating to secure accommodation. As drafting of the law progresses, a joint meeting(s) with the Home Affairs Minister and officers will be arranged.
We have had a joint meeting to discuss this early in 2023. Youth Service
- Following the update to the Panel on 8th December 2022, have you had any further discussions about providing the Jersey Youth Service with a statutory status?
As advised during the public hearing with the Panel on 8th December, it is something I would welcome, but not something I am able to prioritise at this time.
My 2023 Delivery Plan is very ambitious and already contains many actions related to Youth Service (listed below) which will be my focus for this year.
MCE P4.1
Launching the integrated and intensive support service
MCE P4.2
Youth Service with the Multilingual Learner project within the local community
MCE P4.3
Continuing to deliver on the Youth Service Improvement Programme
MCE P4.4
Delivering on the capital programme to provide young people with fit for purpose community-based provision in St Helier and Le Squez.
MCE P4.7
Continuing to develop the work of the Youth Parliament and school councils to ensure children and young people have an active voice in their schools, colleges and community.
Yours sincerely,
Deputy Inna Gardiner
Minister for Children and Education D +44 (0)1534 440152
[1]1 The figures represent Open Vacancies'; positions approved though a vacancy authorisation request where an individual has not yet been selected. It does NOT include positions/vacancies where the offer process is in progress.
- Recent resignations may not have been recorded as a vacancy.
- This represents the number of positions being recruited for and doesn't necessarily mean a position is vacant (e.g., if a
teacher resigned recently, they wouldn't be leaving until the end of term). - Some of these positions may be filled by internal moves/changes.
- The TAs figures include vacancies for Lunchtime Supervisors.
[2] Teacher vacancies - the number of advertised teaching posts that were either vacant or temporarily filled at the census date in November (which is mid-term).