SEND Reforms , The potential for change Christine Lenehan Director , Council for Disabled Children

The key features of the new SEN system

1. Involvement of children, young people and parents

2. All relevant duties apply to all state-funded schools and colleges,

3. Coordinated assessment; 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan

4. LA, health and care services to commission services jointly

5. Clear, transparent local offer of services

6. Statutory protections for 16-25s; focus on preparing for adulthood

7. Offer of a personal budget; more choice and control

8. Applies to CYP detained in youth custody

Early Implementation Issues

Ensuring there is genuine, and continuing, co-production

Moving towards the full vision of the local offer.

Transition from statements to Education Health Care Plans

Ensuring all agencies play their role

Developing the

workforce

Areas for Focus in 2015

4

• Local offer – improving information & accessibility; continuing engagement

• Outcomes

• New tribunal pilots

• Co-production – at individual and strategic level

• Engagement of young people

• Joint commissioning/ engagement of health and social care

• SEND young offenders regulations

• EHCPs – QA/SEN Support

• Culture and Partnerships across the locality

• Continued coproduction with parents , children and young people , even when its difficult !

• Bringing together statutory agencies with both health and social care playing their role in partnership with Education

What will deliver the Change ?

Working with NHS England and Department for Educations to develop resources for health professionals.

• Briefings• Conferences for Health professionals• Online e-learning resource modules• Upcoming Designated Medical/Clinical Officer Summit and

regional seminars

www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/makingithappen

Council for Disabled Children Health and the SEND Reforms

Why are Joint Commissioning Arrangements Important.

• 50%: joint commissioning arrangements well developed.• 14% fully in line with requirements of CoP.

Implementation of Children and Families Act has focused on operational aspects(e.g. EHC Plans and maintaining a Local Offer) without Joint Commissioning Arrangements fully established in all areas.

BUT

Joint Commissioning Arrangements are required for strategic changes required to support this delivery.

Without JCA there will be increasing pressure on operational delivery and frontline professionals- potentially undeliverable.

Progress at Implementation?

• Participation: Children, young people with SEN and disability and their families at the centre

• Outcomes: Develop outcomes in partnership with children and young people and their parents at strategic and individual level- based on principles of participation and coproduction

• Integration: How services across education, health and social care will work towards more integrated services to achieve this outcomes:

• Information and Data: Lack of information and data significant barrier to integrated working

JCA: Key Principles and Considerations

Joint Commissioning Arrangements

Who should be around the table?

CCG Lead Commissioner

for children/ disabled children

Local Authority

Officer responsible for schools

Designated Medical/Clinical

Officer

Parent and Young People

Representatives

Local Authority

Head of SEN and

Disability

SEN Reform Implementation

Lead

SEND Joint Commissioner

Local Authority

Officer responsible for Post-16 Provision

NHS England Local Area

Team Representative

Local Authority

Officer responsible

for early years

Director of Public Health

Director of Adult Social

Care

Schools Forum Representative

Youth Offending

Team

• The Health and Social Care Act 2012: Health and Wellbeing Boards and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

• The NHS Mandate: Support EHC Plans and Joint Commissioning.

• National Health Service Act 2006: Integration of services to improve services. Section 75 Pooled Budgets

• Children Act 2004: Promote cooperation with partners to promote the wellbeing of children and young people under 18

Not Just the Children and Families Act

• Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy

• Personalisation and Personal Budgets• Implementation of Care Act• Reform of National Framework for Children and Young

People’s Continuing Care• The implementation of the supporting pupils at school with

medical conditions guidance• Better Care Fund integration of NHS Funding with Local

Authority Social Care Funding

Alignment with wider local processes in education health and care

Strategic Joint Commissioning Outcomes

The SEND Joint Commissioning Cycle

Partnership with children and young

people with SEN and disability and their

parents

Frontline Professionals

Delivering Change

• We are six month in to a 10 year process , key is

• Momentum

• Belief

• And Partnerships !

Final thoughts

Anne FoxDirector- The Communication Trust

Achieving much needed change The reformed SEND system and outcomes for children and young people with SLCN

The changing landscape for CYP with SLCN

• The SEND Reforms came into effect from September 2014, with the exception of requirements for detained children and young people which come into force on 1st April 2015.

• The reforms fit into a wider programme of change in schools and other settings which all have impacts for children and young people with SLCN.

• SEND Reforms • Assessment, accountability and curriculum changes • Changes to childcare and early years settings• An increased focus on ITT and CPD in schools

The Communication Trust has been working to respond to and influence them all from the perspective of what's

best for children and young people with SLCN

The SLCN sector and the SEND Reforms

• The Children and Families Act, the regulations and the 0-25 SEND Code of Practice

• Huge amount of influencing work• Consultations• Education Select Committee • Children & Families Bill task group• SLCN working group led by Paul

Maynard MP• Thank you NAPLIC

Key changes within the SEND Reforms for SLCN

• 0 - 25 system• Outcomes, engagement and participation

focus• Single SEN support category• EHC plans• Personal budgets• Joint working• Local offer – co-produced with families

The SEND reforms change the way services are planned and delivered across education, health and social care.

The greater emphasis on joined up working, a graduated approach, early identification and the engagement of children, young people and their families, when delivered effectively and

robustly will improve provision for SLCN in education, health and social care settings.

The need to transform a failing system for children with SLCN• Often focus of provision based on

‘category of need’ rather than ‘individual need’

• Evidence of under and misidentification

• Evidence of delayed identification• Variability in support and

interventions offered• Very challenging experiences for

children, young people and families in getting support needed

Reforms with real potential for positive change for children

• Profiling children’s strengths and needs

• Early and accurate identification• Effective support and evidence based

interventions• Monitor and review progress• Right support, by the right people, at

the right time• Involvement and engagement all the

way

The proof of the pudding....

• Early days but practitioners reporting challenges

• Practicalities of joined up working

• Meaningful engagement• Accessibility of information

and services to support SLCN• Transition from

statements/LDAs to EHC plans

Practitioner experience • We have consulted with

practitioners to inform our implementation support work

• This information is not from a representative sample so not for publication

• Indicative however of some of the practical experiences which we need to be mindful of

Experience to date – November 2014

Experience to date- November 2014

Recurring themes in feedbackReform positives• EHC plans mark a positive

shift in culture and provision

• Children/young people and parents lead and are at the centre of EHC plans

• Steam-lining and sharing paperwork between services

Challenges to overcome• Concerns that the ‘joined

up’ aspect of EHC plans is difficult to achieve

• Meaningfully engaging parents in discussions that are often complex

• Can be overwhelming alongside other changes

Recurring themes in feedback

Reform positives• Supports co-ordinated,

multi-agency, trans-disciplinary working

• Reduced timeframe - 26 weeks to 20 weeks

• SLT provision included as an educational need

Challenges to overcome• Which professionals will

lead and ‘co-ordinate’ – time constraints

• The speed and process of implementation

• SLT’s being ‘actively’ involved in EHC plans –limited capacity and time

Support and challenge for implementation is our focus nowIncluding...Producing practical resources updating existing resources to reflect the

changes SEND Reforms web pages Continuing partnerships Keeping pressure on to influence changes

What next for TCT and reforms?

A Voice for implementation • Communication council • Monitoring implementation• YJ support for

implementation • Partnerships • Political influence • Supporting others with

practical support

Practical support for implementation • What Works? - The

Code is clear that evidence based interventions and approach are essential; a new factsheet shows how What Works can support these aspects of the Code.

Practical support for implementation • Joint Commissioning for

Children and Young People With SLCN - Free guidance that is supported by useful presentations and additional resources.

• Developed from practitioner seminar with Marie Gascoigne

Practical support for implementation • The Communication

Commitment - updated to reflect the new Code and highlights explicitly where actions will support professionals in meeting their responsibilities under the Code.

Practical support for implementation

• The Progression Tools – support identification -track progression of these skills over time or following interventions as the SEND Information Report requires.

Practical support for implementation • Our Consortium

Catalogue -updated in line with the Code to reflect the 0-25 age range

Practical support for implementation • New website and

resources for the Early Years sector supporting identification and support through workforce development and resources

Practical support for implementation • Local Offer web page

and project - Supporting greater access to specific services and support for SLCN from our consortium- with such wealth of expertise.

Not only reforms creating change though• Assessment,

accountability and curriculum changes

• Childcare and early years changes

• ITT and CPD in schools

Assessment, accountability and curriculum changes

• Performance descriptors for KS1 and KS2

• SEND Data descriptors • New Ofsted framework

proposals • National Curriculum Review• Ofqual consultations• Primary and Secondary

School Accountability

Resources to help with impact changes

We’re working to provide practical support to schools engaging with the new curriculum for spoken language...

• Baseline assessment guidance 2015/16

• Curriculum guidance 2015/16

• Universally Speaking • Progression Tools

Changes to childcare and early years settings

• The Early Years Pupil Premium

• The Regulation of Childcare

• Teacher Standards - Early Years

• Early Years Educator

• Early Education and Childcare Staff Deployment

• Proposed Changes to the role of the Local Authority in early education and childcare

We’re working to provide practical support to early years settings and practitioners in a number of ways including...

• Developed a quick look poster to help early years practitioners get to grips with what the principles of the SEND reforms mean for them

• Developed an early identification framework to support settings to more effectively spot children who are struggling with speech, language and communication

• Platform 3 provides an online learning route for early years practitioners to gain the Level 3 qualification Supporting Children and Young People's Speech Language and Communication

Resources to help with changes to childcare and early years settings

Increased focus on ITT and CPD in schools

• The Carter Review of ITT• Developing teaching

profession to a world-class standard

• Teaching assistants standards

• Ofsted framework for ITE inspection

Resources to help with increased focus on ITT and CPD in schools

• We’re developing a suite of resources for ITT

• Activities to drop into programmes

• Trainees identify knowledge and skills -fill any gaps with accessible information and learning activities, tailored to needs

• We’re also looking at how these resources can support all teachers’ CPD

Change isn’t easy, but it’s worth it