“COUNTDOWN TO REFORM”ACDS CONFERENCE

19th November 2013

Jeannette Essex,

Solihull Champion Pathfinder Lead

Chair WM SEN Strategic Leads Group

Aims of this Session To identify the key statutory changes that LAs and Partners must

deliver by 1st September 2014 including: Integrated Assessments and Education Health and Care Plans Personal Budgets Local Offer

Clarify the external support and resources available to LAs regionally and nationally and the work of the West Midlands Champion Change Programme

Share lessons learned through Pathfinder and West Midlands regional activity, with the aim of supporting rapid progress through roll-out

Next steps - identify and agree opportunities for collaboration - Discussion

West Midlands Champion Pathfinder

The Regional Strategy

Championship Team West Midlands

Birmingham: Chris Atkinson Coventry: Roger Lickfold/Marian

Simpson Dudley: Huw Powell/Sharon Hearne Herefordshire: Ed Edwards/Les Knight Sandwell: Pat Evans/Nurinder Shergill Solihull: Jeannette Essex Shropshire: Janice Stackhouse Staffordshire: Lynda Mitchell/Francis

Morgan Stoke: Geoff Catterall/Brian Hepburn

Telford & Wrekin: Karen Levell Walsall: Karen Grandison Warwickshire: Jayne Mumford Wolverhampton: Viv Griffin/Sandy

Lisle Worcestershire: Peter Harwood

Resources• Regional pot £50k• Each non-pathfinder LA has a grant of £75k

In addition allocated support from: • National Parent Partnership Network• Early Support – school cluster meetings and key worker

training• Preparing for Adulthood (transition) – named adviser• National Parent Network – named adviser• And many more grant holders ……• Champion Pathfinder activity.

Regional Activity

• Governance – IEWM and ACDS (Sally Taylor)• WM Strategic Lead planning meetings (6

weekly)– Regional Launch – Conference (190)– Parent Partnership workshop (60)– Funding conference – follow up networks (60)– Series of individual LA support and advisory visits (4 visits)– ISP/FE workshops (2 workshops)– Short Breaks workshop (12)– WM Chairs of Headteacher Groups (8)– SENCO Conference, Worcester University (180)

Regional ActivityPlanned November/December:

• Lead Members briefing session (January)• Personal Budgets (7th February)• Conflict resolution group – commissioning of

West Midlands mediation services• Further support visits scheduled• Shadowing visits scheduled• Is there anything that you would want to see?

Timeline for implementation of SEN reforms2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar 15-16 16-17 17-18

National

Local

Strategic planning

Service delivery

• Joint commissioning underway locally – needs assessment, planning, market

development, collaboration with families

• Regular review of local offer, and awareness raising of local offer

• Annual reviews of EHC Plans. Transition statements / LDA to EHC plans starts

• Increased offer of personal budgets

• Regular review of information, advice and support available to families

• Mediation and disagreement resolution arrangements in place (included in

local offer)

Bill gets Royal Assent

Code of Practice published

Implementation of reforms starts

Regulations laid

Reviewing success for reforms locally and agreeing improvements

Lead for SEN reform in post

Pathfinder ChampionsPathfinder Champions

Council for Disabled Children (CDC) Strategic Reform Partner

All statements moved to EHC Plans

Increasing local awareness

Achieving clarity about package of reforms and implications for

service delivery

Preparing for implementation

• Developing plans for joint commissioning

• Developing local offer and involving users

• Developing processes for assessment, planning and EHC Plans

• Identifying services which could be provided through personal budgets

• Planning provision of local information, advice and support (with users)

• Reviewing and developing local mediation and disagreement resolution arrangements

Local offer publishedEHC Plans for new entrantsPersonal budgets available

All LDAs moved to EHC Plans

The Draft SEN Code of Practice

An Overview

What the Code is

Statutory guidance on duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Bill and associated regulations.

Provides practical advice on how to carry out statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN).

Who must have regard to the Code?

• LAs (education, social care and relevant housing and employment and other services)

• Early years providers• Schools • FE colleges • Sixth form colleges • Academies/ free schools• SEND Tribunal

• Independent special schools and independent specialist providers

• Pupil referral units and alternative providers

• NHS England• Clinical commissioning

groups (CCGs)• NHS trusts • NHS Foundation Trusts • Local Health Boards

Structure – 9 Chapters

1. Introduction

2. Summary

3. A Family Centred System

4. Working Together Across Education, Health and Care

5. The Local Offer

6. Early Years, Schools, Colleges and Other Education and Training Providers

7. Assessments and Education, Health and Care Plans

8. Children and Young People in Specific Circumstances

9. Resolving Disputes 

Chapter 1 - Introduction

The duty to “pay regard” to the code Transition arrangements (are these deliverable?) Definitions of special educational needs (SEN) Related legislation and guidance

Chapter 2 - Summary

 The Principles underpinning the Code

The involvement of children, parents and young people in decision making;

The identification of children and young people’s needs; Collaboration between education, health and social care

services to provide support; High quality provision to meet the needs of children and

young people with SEN; Greater choice and control for young people and parents

over their support; Successful preparation for adulthood, including

independent living and employment. 

Chapter 3 – A Family Centred System

Focus on: Involving children, parents and young people in

decision making The views of children and young people Supporting young people and their parents Impartial Information, Advice and Support Parent Carer Forums

(Culture change – resource implications?)

Chapter 4 - Working Together Across Education, Health and Care

Working together for positive outcomes Joint commissioning arrangements Roles and Responsibilities Designated Health Officer Developing a Joint Understanding of Local Needs Joint Planning and Delivery Regional Collaboration The health commissioning duty Joint Review/ Improving Provision

Chapter 5 - The Local Offer

Principles – Collaborative; Accessible; Comprehensive; Transparent

What must be included in the local offer Publishing the local offer Preparing and reviewing the local offer

Chapter 6 - Early Years, Schools, Colleges and Other Education and Training Providers

High expectations for children and young people with SEN;

Support for children and young people with SEN; The four areas of SEN; SEN Support in: Early Years; Schools; Further Education Funding for SEN Support Admissions and Inclusion External Support in Educational Settings

Chapter 7 - Assessments and Education, Health and Care Plans

The need for an EHC assessment Co-ordinated assessment, planning and timescales EHC assessment and planning process Advice and information for EHC assessments Writing the EHC Plan Requests for a school, college or other institution Requesting a personal budget Reviewing an EHC Plan

Chapter 8 - Children and Young People in Specific Circumstances

Looked after children Care leavers SEN and social care needs, including children in need Children and young people educated out of area Children and young people with SEN educated at home Children with SEN in alternative provision Young offenders in custody Children of service personnel

Chapter 9 - Resolving Disputes

Principles Early resolution of disagreements Disagreement resolution arrangements Mediation Parent and young people’s rights to appeal to Tribunal Disability discrimination claims Complaints about NHS or social care provision

EHCP – aka The Single Plan

Principles• Person centred• Outcome focused• Co-produced• Extending choice and control• Some local determination - portability• Cross-agency co-operation (duty to co-

operate)• Joint commissioning

Where we are Referral to final – 16

weeks

Families at the centre of the process

Gathering information – family conversation

Key worker - includes SENCO

Referral is front loaded

Where we are• Medicals – questionnaire system (for

Statements too)• Triage system – allocate Plan Co-

ordinator• Direct communications with the family

on-going (how would you like us to communicate with you?)

• Assessment for purpose• Single plan incorporates personal

budget• Plans written in collaboration with family• Exemplar ‘Ivor Goodplan’

Where we are• Offer of am EHC Plan to all new entrants to system

(gone live)• Examples of young people writing their own plans for

FE• Challenges in securing health provisions on-going• CCG transferred some key commissioning roles to

the LA, which may help• Short breaks contract ended – supports choice and

control through direct payment• Plans and commissioning are linked• SENDirect Pilot with Coventry

Where we are• 50 completed plans in system• Schools are keen to refer for EHC

rather than Statement• Families prefer the plan and pressure to

convert• Skill set different – structure will change• Plan co-ordinator’s role is broader – so

need to have reduced casework• Outward facing – champions for

children• Provision co-ordination - separate role

Where we are• Now live – full impact in September• Significant training implications• Hard to re-frame relationships and not

tell families what they need!• Raises expectations need to be

managed• Social care colleagues very responsive• Education only plans – specificity

‘rattling’ some schools

Where we are• Reviews – principle of ‘working plan’

sitting alongside statutory plan, so review is on-going. Amendments formally considered at least once a year, but no bureaucratic reviews necessary

• Do not under-estimate the necessary culture change - this is the fundamental radical change! It’s the subtleties that make the difference

• System is person centred, child and family focused – how do you achieve that culture change in less than 41 weeks? - (32 school weeks)

Summary• Target most severe and complex needs• Child and family focused• Key working principles – SENCOs may be

best placed to conduct a ‘family conversation’

• With and for – not to, it’s all about relationships

• Schools are responsible for funding the first £6k of provision

Bringing it all Together: The Local Offer

Starting point: Key questions• What do parents, carers and young people want

to see in the Local Offer? – Co-production• What provision should a school or college be

expected to provide from within their notional ‘SEN’ budget?

• What services do other providers and agencies offer?

• How are these services accessed and how do you feedback/complain?

The Local Offer?• What provision should a school or college be

expected to provide from within their notional ‘SEN’ budget?

• What are the characteristics of a ‘high needs’ pupil/student that defines them as requiring ‘external’ provision?

• On-going network meetings – schools want a ‘template’

Starting with: Education Provider Communication Networks

SENCONetworks

Governor Training &

GSA

Cabinet & OSMB

SEN Workgroup - sub-group

School’s Forum

Primary Partnership

Headteacher’s Breakfast Briefing

Strategic Accountability

Board

Parent Networks

Schools Forum

ContextProvision – Solihull has:

12 Infant schools 11 Junior schools38 Primary schools3 Secondary schools 12 Academies

5 Special Schools 4 Pupil Referral Units 8 mainstream ARCs

= 85 Heads/Principals

2 Colleges and circa

5 ISPS

Launch Sept 12

• 180 attendees included:– Heads– Governors– SENCOs– Pupils– Parents

– Officers– Colleges– Elected Members– Health reps– Social Care reps– DfE

Influencers – identify SEND Champions

SEN Workgroup, 30 members fully engaged - includes 3 Secondary Heads, Primary Heads and Governors

Post 16 Pathfinder Group – workshop based

SENCO Networks: co-design process

Local Offer standing agenda item

Co-produced by parent

carers, young people and

professionals

Progress so far Statement of Responsibilities, co-produced with schools and

published PPS and Signpost Inclusion working with parents to advise on-

going LO content SENCOs designing common template for schools facilitated by

the LA SEIS (school improvement service), Learning Support Service

and EP Service are advising providers Health are updating websites Children and adult social care information being pulled in Portal linking together what exists through FIS

Continuum of Assessment

Schools continually assess pupil’s

progress and needs and involve parents in discussions about their

child’s progress. In deciding on the level of need reference should be made to the criteria

for assessing additional and high

level needs.

Schools are funded for providing for all

children and young people within the first two categories. The schools delegated

funding provides for additional need up to

£6000.

Universal - All children and

young people

Additional Need - Children and young people with additional

needs but without an education,

health and care plan

Complex/ High Level - Children

and young people with

additional needs with an

education, health and care plan

Engaging Education Providers and Parents

Step 1. Co-production of a minimum standard settings/schools and colleges - using school funding reforms as a lever

Step 2. Communication strategy – all stakeholders

Step 3. Project manager linked to FIS

Step 4. Parent support groups and Parent Partnerships on-going consultation, feedback, co-development

Any questions?

For discussion:

• How can regional collaboration support rapid progress in delivering this agenda?

• Next steps?

Keeping in Touch

• Email: sensingleplan@solihull.gov.uk• www.solihull.gov.uk/sendpathfinder• Solihull SEND Local Offer: http://

www.solihull.gov.uk/health/29898.htm• Email your regional strategic lead• Champion Website under construction