north east regional meeting 13 march 2014 chris chart policy officer policy up-date

North East Regional Meeting 13 March 2014

Chris ChartPOLICY OFFICER

Policy Up-date


Time of Change

• Health Reforms

• Welfare Reforms

• Care Bill

• Children and Families Bill

• Austerity


Health Reforms

• Clinical Commissioning Groups• Health and Wellbeing Boards• Health and Care working together to agree

priorities for commissioning• Disabled Children’s Charter for Health and

Wellbeing Boards – Every Disabled Child Maters – 7 commitments

• http://www.edcm.org.uk/media/140960/disabled-childrens-charter-for-hwb.pdf


Welfare Reforms

• Benefit cap• Bedroom tax • Changes to Disability Living Allowance – care

and mobility components suspended after 84 days in hospital – Contact a Family and The Children’s Trust urging the government to change the rule.

• Personal Independent Payments


Care Bill• Although about how adults access social

services, contains important changes relating to children’s transition to adult services.

• Duty on Local Authorities to conduct a child’s needs assessment before 18.

• Links Education, Health and Care Plans with adult social care assessments going into the future.

• Report Stage in House of Commons 10 March


Children and Families Bill• Children and Families Bill takes forward the Coalition

Government’s commitment to improve services for vulnerable children and support strong families.

• March 2011 Green Paper - Support and Aspirations: A new approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability.

• Due to receive Royal Assent and be implemented September 2014.


Children and Families Bill

Main provisions:

• Adoption and Virtual School Heads.

• Family Justice System.

• Special Educational Needs (including those who

are

disabled).

• Childcare.

• Children’s Commissioner.

• Shared Parent Leave and Flexible Working.


Part 3: Children and Families Bill SEN and Disability

Progress: • Has undertaken all committee and consultation stages• Council for Disabled Children – Strategic Partner to

Department for Education.• 13 Pathfinders covering 20 local areas piloting reforms• 9 Local Champions (NE – Hartlepool)• SQW Evaluation Reports Produced: Key Working, and

EHC Plans. To Produce: Social Care, Health, Post 16 and Schools


Part 3 – SEN and Disability

Current Position (March 2014) : • Royal Assent - Implementation September 2014• Re-drafting the Code of Practice • Pathfinders extended to March 2015• Programme of “Readiness” particular focus on

personal budgets, preparing for adulthood and developing high quality EHC plans.

• Evaluation of Pathfinders and Evaluation Reports• £30m to Council for Disabled Children for Independent

Support Programme


Independent Support Programme

• Managed by Council for Disabled Children• 1800 Independent Supporters – 12 in every

local authority area• To help families navigate through and take full

advantage of the reforms.• One-to-one independent help and advice

through the assessment, planning and redress processes.


Children and Families Bill Amendments – successful lobbing

• Includes all Disabled Children not just those with SEN.• Local Authorities have to identify all disabled children and

include provision in the Local Offer.• The proviso that local authorities must “have regard to a

young person’s age” when assessing for a EHC Plan has been deleted.

• Local Authorities are required to identify the action they are taking in the consultation and writing of their Local Offer.

• Duty to provide Education and Health services identified in the EHC Plan. There will be guidance relating to Care and how it links with Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970)


How will it impact on Short Break Provision?Key aspects of the Bill: • Requirement to produce a Local Offer that contains education,

health and care provision from birth to 25. Must contain short break provision.

• Education, Health and Care Plans replace “statements”. Duty to provide education and health provision but not social care provision.

• Personal Budgets – requirement to prepare personal budgets in relation to EHC plans including Direct Payments.

• Requirement for Joint Commissioning – Local Authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups

• Engagement and Participation of children, young people, parents and cares. Views must be taken into account.


Principles underpinning the Code of Practice

• Involve children, parents and young people at every stage – family centred system.

• Participation as fully as possible in decisions.• Clarity and transparency • Collaboration and multi-agency working.• Choice and control• Personal budgets – putting families in the

driving seat• Key working


Cultural Change

• Where possible provide at mainstream universal level• Person Centred• Single Plan and Assessment• Outcome Focused not Output • Transparent – Fair – Clear Communication• Timely – (transition points and early intervention)• Multi Agency Working• Co-production - (fully engage with parents and

children – at strategic and operational levels)


Children and Families Bill Readiness

• How informed and ready are you for the reforms?

• How ready are you for the cultural change?• Are parents carers children and young people

aware of the changes ?• Has your Local Authority made any structural

changes in preparation of a fully integrated SEND service ?


Resources and Links• Pathfinder Information Packs :

(www.SENDpathfinder.co.uk) http://www.sendpathfinder.co.uk/pathfinderchampions/

• Council for Disabled Children – Strategic Reform Partner :

The CDC website has searchable directory of organisations funded by government in relation to the SEN and Disability reforms, including Delivery Partners. (www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/getting-involved/sen-and-disability-reform-support-organisations)

• Delivery Partners - 7 Delivery Partners working with CDC and DfE - www.sendpathfinder.co.uk/deliverypartners

• Impact report available at : • https://gov.uk/government/publications/impact-evaluation-of-the-send-pathfinder-programme

• Evaluation of Key Working: • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-pathfinder-key-working-and-workforce-development-part-1

• Evaluation of Assessment and Pathway Planning• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/275104/RR326B_EHC_planning_pathway_-_FINAL.pdf


What are we doing?

What do you want us to do?


Short Breaks Network Policy Initiatives

• Readiness for SEND reforms• Promoting good practice – Self Assessment Quality

Tool• Recruiting Short Break Carers – • Personal care and inclusive/community based short

breaks – Clarifying regulations• Cuts in Short Breaks – people’s experiences ?


Short Breaks NetworkQuestions

• What are your priority policy areas ?• What are your current challenges ?• What successes have you had ?• Are you aware of innovation/new ideas in short

breaks?• How can Short Breaks Network support you in

developing and promoting best practice ?

north east regional meeting 13 march 2014 chris chart policy officer policy up-date

Documents

north east regional

families bill children

families bill austerity

date slide

families bill sen

vulnerable children

care plans

families bill main provisions