Guiding Principles and Values August 2017
Context/History SEND Family Voices is a local charity, formed in June 2014, in response to the opportunities offered by the SEND reforms; these are the changes in law which aim to create equal partnerships between families of children and young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) and the professional services. The SEND reforms radically change the approach to working with families of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. They place the child or young person at the centre – ultimately this means their experiences will be of a system which is less confrontational and more efficient. In Kingston & Richmond, there are nearly 7000 families of children and young people with identifiable needs – of these, around 2000 receive additional funding to support them in school. With such an overhaul of a system that has been in place for 30 years, these changes are going to take time to become truly effective and this means that EVERYONE - families and professionals - are learning and developing as we go.
Purpose / Mission SEND Family Voices (SFV) bring people together into a community to improve services, share support and strengthen the common voice. The principles of SFV are: 1. To empower the families of children and young people with additional needs or disabilities to: •
Obtain the best possible education, care and services by becoming partners in the shaping of family focused services.
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Create a package of support and intervention for their children & young people with the aim of achieving the greatest independence possible for that young person.
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Be active representatives sitting on statutory focus / strategy groups; including education, health and care.
2. To always work with our partners in a spirit of mutual respect & trust; and always seek to co-produce as equal partners so that families trust that you are working with them and that you care about the collective goals. What is co-production? • •
Involving parents at the beginning of the process Valuing the input and views of the parents as much as the practitioners in the room
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• • •
Agreeing the final outcomes together Agreeing an action plan together Being honest and transparent
What is not co-production? • • • •
Producing something and then asking us what we think of it? Asking parents for views and then ignoring them Presuming you know what families want Telling parents what you think they want to hear
Who we help Our membership includes residents of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Kingston Upon Thames who are families of a child or young person with Special Educational Needs & Disability (ages 0-25). We also include those who use SEN services within Richmond and Kingston, whether they are resident in the borough or not. Membership includes parents & carers and children & young people.
Who we are We’re a mix of individual parents, plus leads from disability specific support groups and specialist schools; we all offer our time on a voluntary basis and take responsibility for representing the views of a wider group of parents.
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How we work We work independently from, but in partnership with, Achieving for Children and other public services to develop measureable changes and improvements for children and young people with SEND. SEND Family Voices believes that by working collaboratively as a ‘critical friend’ with a constructive, solution focussed approach we will best serve the families we represent.
Information, Consultation & Participation These three elements underpin the activities of SEND Family Voices: Information All families need to be provided with relevant, timely information. The better informed families are, the more confident and empowered they are. Consultation Consultation is a two-way communication and the wider membership of SEND Family Voices will always be provided with the opportunity to have their voice heard. We will reply to families’ responses and explain what has changed as a result of consultations (or where & why it has not been possible to make changes). Many families don’t have time to get involved in full participation, however all families have opinions. Participation Participation is a significant step on from consultation and requires a commitment. The steering group for SEND Family Voices take this role. Members of the steering group undertake to devote the necessary time and commitment to becoming actively involved in SEND Family Voices through attendance at meetings and training; keeping themselves informed and supporting planned activities, engagement and outreach.
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The Guiding Principles of SFV • • • • • • • • •
We are independent of the statutory services and we believe constructive challenge is healthy. Our approach is based on transparency, mutual respect and trust. We work collaboratively and in equal partnership; we expect the same in return We are parents of children or young people with SEND and collectively make certain decisions Our roles are to contribute different perspectives and be as representative as possible of the families of children and young people with SEND in Richmond and Kingston We reach wider than our direct contacts through bringing representatives of local disability-specific groups and specialist schools into our steering group We have a flat, fluid structure We seek to increase family’s participation and co-production in the developing & commissioning of services that affect us We work on a pan-disability basis, without exclusion or bias
The Core Values of SFV We are all volunteers and abide by the Nolan principles of public life. These are our values: • • • • • • •
Selflessness – we take decisions in terms of our values and mission, for universal benefit (not personal benefit) Integrity – we do not place ourselves under obligation to individuals or organisations that might influence us Objectivity – we ensure that we are representative of SEND and our localities Accountability – we accept accountability for our decisions and actions and submit ourselves to appropriate scrutiny Openness – we are open about all decisions and actions that we take; and where required give reasons for our decisions Honesty – we declare private interests relating to our duties and takes steps to resolve conflicts in a way that protects our reputation, values and missions Leadership – we promote and support these principles by leadership and example
SFV Purpose and Values will be reviewed once a year – next review Aug.2018. Date:
19th August 2017
Signed: For…
Richmond
Kingston
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