Open Meetings – Spring 2015 Summary Report & Actions Introduction From 17th April until 21st May*, Richmond SEND Family Voice (RSFV) and LEAD Kingston parent forums ran a series of Open Meetings, with Achieving for Children’s (AfC’s ) Special Educational Needs (SEN) Team and the Strategic Lead for 14-19 Commissioning. The Independent Supporters, and the Support Broker for Personal Budgets also sent a single representative to each meeting and provided parents with information and further contact. We consider these meeting to be a success… both in terms of meeting parents and the tangible sense of anxiety that moved to a calmer, increased understanding. “I have felt listened to and respected - it's hard to explain just how much weight this lifts off my shoulders." The SEND Reforms are the biggest changes to support for families of children & young people with SEN in over thirty years. There has been scant additional funding from Central Government and local authorities are expected to ‘get on with the day job’ at the same time as implementing these reforms. We (professionals and parents) are learning as we develop the processes and paperwork for these reforms. The candour of the AfC professionals, facilitated by RSFV / LEAD parents made a difference to parents understanding and lessened some of the anxiety. There is still progress to be made. “Thank for organising the meeting today, it was helpful. Chairing a meeting with so many passionate people, many of whom consider themselves experts, is not easy. You [the RSFV facilitator] handled it with commendable style, patience and grace.” 120 parents attended 10 meetings. The best attended meetings were those held in, and supported by, schools. Next were those in easily accessible venues (e.g. Castlenau Ctr in Barnes or York House in Twickenham. * One additional meeting, with Downs Syndrome Association members, on 21st May, RSFV Chair gave presentation and answered questions to 40 parents.
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Topics covered Parents would like more support to understand the changes from Statements to Education, Health & Care Plans. There is a desire for comprehensive, yet simple information and to have the content and processes explained in plain English. There were complaints about the SEN Team and customer service; in terms of phones not being answered Anna Chiva (Head of SEN) and her staff covered the topics of: The format of the EHCP The process and paperwork for new applications and transfers from Statements The Local Offer & Wiki’s Personal Budgets SEN Team customer services Eamonn Gilbert (Strategic Lead, 14-19 commissioning) covered the topics of: Pathways to Employments and other Destinations New commissioning for Post-16 Education Delegated funding The Local Offer Transport Parents were pleased to know that there is work underway on both Post-16 and Transport and that there will be future opportunities for consultation and coproduction of this commissioning.
Outcome The Open Meetings format allowed parent’s queries to be answered depending on the variety of interests within the room. The explanation of ‘delegated funding’ in schools being covered in some detail when parents asked for it. Anna’s candid explanation of the stresses placed upon the SEN Team, and their developmental work on Customer Services, visibly eased tensions. RSFV’s Quick Start Guides to getting an EHCP, or transferring from a Statement to an EHCP were the most popular handouts and are now published on the Local Offer and on RSFV website. We circulated an exemplar of a completed EHCP and talked through parents’ questions – covering the bullet-pointed topics above as we went. The staff from Achieving for Children stayed back after each meeting (where necessary) and answered parent’s concerns on a one-to-one basis. Sometimes, staying until well over an hour after the formal part of the meeting was over. We circulated a data sheet on the new Post-16 commissioning and explained how the Local Offer offers support and information. Summary & report final – 250715 rwr/phb/eg/ac/pm
We discussed the transfer of Transport arrangements in Richmond to AfC; Eamonn assured that parents would be fully consulted on any proposed changes. We provided Thank You & Feedback e-mails to every attendee within one week of each meeting. We provided ‘scratch notes’ of the meetings and actions to AfC, RSFV and LEAD within one week of each meeting. We made these available to attendees upon request (two requests were received).
Top Ten and Actions You said
We did / are doing
1. Lack of resource and no continuity amongst Health & Social Care professionals – leading to poor support and input to reports
A working group on Health, led by parents working with Health commissioners, therapists and AfC SEN managers has created a set of pan-disability exemplars of Health needs within an EHCP.
By:
This work will be further developed in September 2015.
Oct. 15
The parent groups and AfC, will hold two formal workshops (one daytime, one evening) taking parents step by step through the EHCP’s process and paperwork – including how to write Outcomes. We will film these workshops and put them onto the Local Offer and our own websites.
Dec.15
We will create more exemplars of EHCPs, of children/young people with more complex needs and share these via our own networks and the Local Offer.
Dec.15
Insufficient integration of Health & Social into EHCP documents
2. Lack of understanding and information about EHCPs, general confusion
Please refer to the Local Offer for current advice and guidance: www.afclocaloffer.org.uk
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3. Process: concern regarding cutting & pasting from statements into EHCPs – leading to more rewrites and a general sense of disappointment
The outsourced provider has been decommissioned from 1/9/15 and all EHCPs will now be written in-house, with families and the other professionals involved.
4. Transfers and new EHCP processes not working properly
This summer the SEN team will be drafting clearer guidance to schools, which will be available on the Local Offer website. This will clearly set out a timetable of when transfer reviews should be held and the time line around the associated work, e.g. engaging professionals, parents and young people.
Sept.15
Oct. 15 Synergy Gateway (the SEN case management system) is due to go live by end October. This will allow parents, young people, schools and involved professionals to contribute to both EHC needs assessments and plans via a secure web portal.
EHCP Co-ordinators will be prioritising attendance at transfer reviews at schools and settings where there is a need to support and develop the settings better. AfC will be reviewing, and if necessary, updating the AfC Transfer Schedule in August 15.
Sept.15
We are a year in to these reforms; the SEN Team have learnt and listened to what parents have said, so that we can improve the processes for coming years. Also, we have specifically requested a feature in the Local Offer which allows you to put in your child’s date of birth – this will automatically calculate when your child is due to move from their Statement to an EHCP. This link will also provide the support and guidance. AfC are currently awaiting a go-live date for this feature from the AfC Local Offer website supplier.
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TBA
5. Experiences of poor service from SEN Team
The SEN Team have undergone huge change both legislatively, managerially and in location. All of these factors have had an impact on service delivery. There have been a number of activities which have helped improve performance and these are: changing to an alphabetised case management system training around SEND and customer service increased staffing better performance review Parents have already reported an improvement and the SEN Team are able to respond in a more timely way. We will provide a Suggestions Box, for parents, at the specialist schools within Kingston & Richmond. Likewise, we will offer a virtual Suggestions Box via RSFV / LEAD e-mail distribution lists.
Oct. 15
6. Personal budgets not understood and in the few cases where parents have made requests – there seem to be more obstacles than help.
We will clarify the process and eligibility criteria for personal budgets and publish this in an easy-read format via the Local Offer.
Oct. 15
SEN team are receiving Personal Budgets refresher training in July and August.
Aug.15
7. SEN Team ‘standard letters’ and accompanying information confusing for families and young people
RSFV and LEAD will work with the SEN Team to make the letters more accessible and family friendly.
Nov.15
8. Concerns and uneven communications regarding changes of to Transport provision (emanating from the drivers and escorts to parents)
RSFV and LEAD will be facilitating a consultation programme with families during Autumn 2015.
Oct. 15
This is likely to include a smaller Transport working group.
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9. Interest in developing Post-16 education provision and post-education pathways
RSFV and LEAD will be facilitating a consultation programme with families during Autumn 2015.
Nov.15
10. Requests for clarification of SEN Funding (e.g. what does delegated funding mean? What is Top Up?)
RSFV, LEAD and AfC will draft accessible, family friendly explanations of funding terms and include them within the Local Offer.
Oct. 15
Please see the Area Wide Offer on the AfC Local Offer website – there’s an SEND Funding section on page 4 : http://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/uploads/ afclocaloffer/document/file/170/AfC_Are a_Wide_Offer.pdf
In addition, we will… We (RSFV, LEAD and AfC) will continue to run Open Meetings across both Kingston and Richmond – with (we expect) a schedule planned one year in advance. We will continue to work with the Local Offer team in developing and revising the content in the way most useful for families. We will work closely with the new Education Business Partnership manager on pathways to employment, supported internships etc. Likewise we will organise and consult with parents on the Post-16 education and Transport commissioning. Contact details for both Lead Kingston and Richmond SEND Family Voice: E-mail: Tel: Web:
richmondsendfamilyvoice@outlook.com 07469 746 145 www.richmondsendfamilyvoice.org
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