EHCPs, Local Offer & Family Voices – 1 year on 24th August 2015 Dear All The summer is ending (‘cos it’s raining today)… Back to school, back to work… this is quite long, but it the first bulletin in nearly four weeks ! Word version of this bulletin is attached, as the formatting does its own thing sometimes. You can find previous bulletins here: www.richmondsendfamilyvoice.org/news
Education, Health & Care Plans – Sept 2015 We are one year into the SEND Reforms – and as these bulletins have oft said ‘this is the biggest overall to SEN in over thirty years - we are all learning & developing as we go’. Here’s where we are at locally… The SEN Team are crafting a full pack of information for schools which will also be available on the Local Offer in September. This will include: Transition timetables Guidance on how to use an EHCP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) by subject area * Escalation process if there are problems Examples of completed EHCPs Annual Review / Transition forms. The EHCP templates are being revised and an updated version – one year on – will be ratified at the SEND Implementation meeting on 7th September. This template should remain stable for a while, whilst the SEN Team test its effectiveness. A particular area of development is ‘section A’ which is currently a form. Section A is flexible and non-statutory; that’s because it’s all about the young person and their aspirations – and that’s not something anyone can challenge in a court of law. Because Section A is currently ‘a form to be filled in’ it’s limiting its usefulness. Section A can be a form, or a video, a Wiki, a photograph or a drawing – or whatever the child or young person chooses. It’s about the young person – and they or their parents’ can present this in any way they choose. What’s important is that the child or young person is represented – is a person, rather than a diagnosis or a set of needs – and contributes to the plan. The same working group is also developing how Health is effectively integrated into the EHCP – and will be focusing on Social Care in the near future. Who is this working group? The group includes parent representation; in our case, Penny Hoffmann-Becking ( e-mail: webphb@btinternet.com ) who is our EHCP lead and works with a small pan-disability representative group of parents. Also, Anna Chiva (Head of SEN for AfC), Sarah Herbert (AfC’s SEN Education Advisor), Paul Mowat & James Mannion (from AfC’s SEND Implementation team) plus Heath and Social Care practitioners. * do you have any unanswered questions on the EHCPs? If yes, please reply to this e-mail and we’ll ensure they are included. Or, contact Penny direct, if you would like to contribute to the EHCP development.