Welcome to the Children and Young People’s Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) Newsletter First Edition: April 2014
Introduction This newsletter is to let you know about the new Children and Families Act (2014) regarding children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) and how Derby is responding to the new legislation.
The key changes that all local authorities need to have in place by September 2014:
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To publish information about local services in one place – called a ‘Local Offer’ - where families with SEND children and young people will be able to find out information on the support and advice available in their area For children and young people with high level needs there will be a more co-ordinated assessment process which includes education, health and care services and involves children, young people and their parents in planning their support Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessment will be replaced with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which reflects the child or young person’s aspirations for the future as well as current needs, and will provide the same statutory protections as the current Statement of SEN. Not all children and young people will have an EHCP School Action and School Action Plus replaced by a ‘single category’. The new SEN Code of Practice will give clear guidance on identifying children who have SEN and on the operation of this new single category of SEN choice of a personal budget for certain parts of the EHCP.
These changes should be planned and put in place with the Council and its health partners working together, as well as listening to the views and opinions of children, young people and their families.
You can find out more information on the following websites: Council for Disabled Children www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk Contact A Family www.cafamily.org.uk T2 www.transition2.co.uk
www.derby.gov.uk
What has happened so far? A group of senior staff have been set up to lead this work - the Integrated SEND Commissioning Group and includes representatives from:
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Derby City Council Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust Derby Hospitals Foundation Trust Voluntary Sector Special and Mainstream Schools
with a place, for a parent/carer representative.
This group makes key decisions and monitors the progress of the areas of work to deliver the changes which have been agreed as follows:
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Needs Assessment – drawing together information across education, health and social care and analysing this to tell us about children and young people with SEND Local Offer – a menu of services and support available for Derby families including other information on how to access these, relevant policies and guidance on SEND and making this available and accessible to families in a way that they understand and can use Integrated Assessment Process – thinking how education, health and social care processes can be better co-ordinated so that families do not need to repeat themselves and how we use a personalised approach to ensure children and young people are at the centre of planning support to meet their needs EHCP – developing a single plan across education, health and social care that meets need and uses resources effectively and fairly Engagement – ensuring that all key stakeholders, including children and young people and their parents and carers, are involved in the development and implementation of the changes.
Progress on Work Areas Needs Assessment
The report has now been completed.
Local Offer
The Task Group had its first meeting on 14 March and included 3 parent representatives. Work is progressing well on the Education part of the Local Offer which is the first stage. Health and Social Care information is now being collected. The Local Offer will be a staged development and will continue past September 2014. Integrated Assessment Process
The Task Group had its first meeting on 28 February. Some work has been done on the Early Years pathway and learning from the SEND Pathfinders is being looked at to see if this can help Derby.
EHCP
The Task Group had its first meeting on 27 March. Examples from areas that have already developed an EHCP were looked at to see if they are suitable for Derby. One of the examples was agreed as being suitable overall with some additions from the other examples to be included. Engagement
Professionals - A stakeholder event was held on 8 January 2014 to launch the SEND Reform Programme for Derby and to start the discussion around the work needed to achieve the changes. The event was really well attended by key staff from across local authority, health, schools and the voluntary sector
Another stakeholder event has been planned for 21 May to draw together all the work done by the Task Groups and make it ready for a final consultation with children and young people and their parents/carers at an event planned for June.
Children and Young People and their Parents/Carers - A plan has been agreed by the Integrated SEND Commissioning Group on how to involve children and young people and their parents/carers in these reforms.
There hasbeena first round of targeted engagement with identified organisations and schools supporting this with their children and young people, covering the 0-25 age range and across a range of SEND and their parents/carers.
This approach has been taken because of the tight timescale to put the changes in place and to ensure that the Task Groups have the views of children, young people and their parents/carers to help them develop these changes. Feedback is being collected and the Council’s Consultation Team will be looking at drawing this together as a summary of the key things people have said.
There will be further opportunities for children and young people and their parents/carers to be involved which will, include an event planned for June where all SEND children and young people and their parents/ carers will be invited to see the end products developed by the Task Groups using feedback from families.
Feedback – Getting involved When we have completed the first round of engagement we will post feedback from children, young people and their parents/carers on the SEND pages of the Council’s Website which we are starting to develop.
We will be creating some online surveys where everyone can have the opportunity to give their views on the Derby City SEND changes. The Derby City Parent Carer Forum (DCPCF) Steering Group, which can be contacted by email at derbycityparentcarerforum@gmail.com, is also happy to take your views and speak to the Council about them.
Meetings/Events
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June 2014 SEND Showcase – final work of the Task Groups. Date/Venue/Times to be confirmed
Contact information Details on how to get in touch regarding these reforms will be available in the next newsletter.
We can give you this information in any other way, style or language that will help you access it. Please contact us on: 01332 64XXXX Minicom: 01332 640666
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Derby City Council The Council House Corporation Street Derby DE1 2FS www.derby.gov.uk