Learning Review: Access to mainstream education for children with - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Learning Review:

Access to mainstream education for children with learning and physical disabilities Policy & Scrutiny Team

5th November 2012

OBJECTIVES

• Identify and agree terms of reference

for the review.

• Agree witnesses and how you will

gather evidence.

• Be clear about your next steps
• Anything else?

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

• 1. What did you consider to determine

this work topic as a priority area?

• 2. What could you have considered?

Things you could consider when choosing a scrutiny topic…..

• How will this work add value?
• Is it something my residents care

about?

• Is it a Council or partner priority?
• Are there relevant external factors

i.e. new government legislation?

Remember….

• There is no right answer about how

you should set your work priorities.

• Gut instinct and interest in a topic

can be as powerful as working through a detailed set of criteria.

Questioning Techniques

• 1. Do you think this clip demonstrates

effective questioning?

• 2. Why?

Clip 1: Channel 4 News Interview, Emma Harrison

Background

• Emma Harrison, was previously Chairman and is currently a major

shareholder of private employment company, A4E.

• One of its biggest contracts is the Work Programme: individually tailored

support to help people get back into work.

• Channel 4 previously ran a report alleging the company was carrying
• ut fraudulent activity, since this report company was cleared.

Channel 4 Findings

• All of the company’s government funded contracts together, give it a

turnover of more than 200 million pounds.

• In one year, less than 4% of all people helped by the company found

work.

• Negative feedback from some service users about poor and unskilled

support.

• Feedback from one previous senior manager; case loads of 100-200

clients is unmanageable. A4E Response:

• Figures are out of date and do not give a full picture.

Analysis

• What is the news presenter trying to find out?
• Is this the right witness?
• 4 questions asked; only one receives a

response.

• Presenting the same data in different ways; the

4% figure.

• Cant get past disagreement about fact.
• Questioning style?

In Summary

• Good theatre but as a way of communicating information and

scrutinising, limited value.

CLIP 2:

• Extract from Chilcot Iraq Inquiry
• 29th January 2010.
• Opening Question to Tony Blair from

Sir Roderic Lyne.

Radio 4: Week in Westminster Analysis

The marathon question….

• Roderic had opened cross-examination of Blair. His first

question was not a question. It was a comment. It went on for a very long time, for three minutes. He effortlessly broke every rule in the cross-examiners handbook on the first question.

• There were questions which screamed out to be asked for

which effectively there is no answer.

• You could see Blair relax at that moment. You could actually

see the strain coming off his face. As this question rolled on and on with comment after comment you could see him limbering up.

• There aren’t that many rules and they are not difficult to
• learn. Do not make comments to a witness. He’s bound to

comment back to you.

Meeting Close

• Have we met our objectives?
• Are we clear about next steps?