What COMs are
COM stands for Collaborative Outcomes Meeting. These meetings are part of the Education, Health and Care needs assessment (EHC needs assessment) process. The meetings allow families, schools and settings, and other professionals supporting a child or young person to work together to make sure the best possible outcomes are reached.
The Local Authority has paused any further
COMs
for children and young people undergoing an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment. This is due to current staffing pressures across different teams involved with this work and the impact of the restructuring process currently happening across the council. The new staffing structures are due to be implemented from April 2025 and this will provide an opportunity to review the decision at this point. We recognise the good practice and positive feedback received about
COMs
from many families, schools/settings, and Local Authority colleagues and we look forward to considering how we can build on this in the future. In the meantime, the principles of developing outcomes and provision in collaboration with families and schools/settings will remain a central part of the assessment process.