Children and Families Bill 2014

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

Implications for Health

Definition

• A child or young person has Special Educational Needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her

• Children and young people who have SEN may also have a disability under the Equality Act 2010.

New approach to Special Needs and Disability

• clear, transparent ‘local offer’ of services across education, health and social care with children, young people and parents involved

• services across education, health and care to be jointly commissioned

• Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans replace Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDAs) with option of Personal Budgets

Principles of 0-25 SEND Code of Practice

• take account views of children, young people and families• enable children, young people and parents to participate in

decision-making• collaborate with partners in education, health and social

care to provide support• identify children and young people’s needs• provide high quality provision to meet needs of children

and young people• focus on inclusive practice, removing barriers to learning• help children and young people prepare for adulthood

Joint commissioning arrangements for considering and agreeing:

• education, health and social care provision reasonably required by local children and young people with SEN or disabilities

• which education, health and social care provision will be secured and by whom – partners must be able to make a decision on how they will meet the needs of children and young people with SEN or disabilities in every case

• what advice and information is to be provided about education, health and care provision and by whom and to whom it is to be provided

• how complaints about education, health and social care provision can be made and are dealt with, and procedures for ensuring that disputes between local authorities and CCGs are resolved

Health in Early Years Provision (0 -5 years)

• Health visitors have key role in assessing children’s development through the early years of life

• The Healthy Child Programme sets out opportunities to identify problems and work with family and other health professionals to support the child’s healthy development.

Health in school aged children and young people (5 -14 years)

• Schools, colleges, health professionals and LAs to work together to ensure clear paths for identifying and supporting children and young people with SEN or disabilities, with or without EHC plans.

• School nurses and appropriate support staff will play a role in identifying additional health needs, in liaison with other professionals, for example :-

• educational psychologists • specialist community children’s services

(CAMHS, paediatricians, therapists)

Preparing for adulthood – (14-25) yearsPlanning Transition / Promoting good adult health.

• All annual reviews of EHC plans from Year 9 (13/14) must

include focus on preparing for adulthood• Transition of young people from paediatric to adult

services. • Young people with SEN/disabilities may not meet

thresholds for access to adult services. Help children and young people understand which health professionals will support them as adults, ensure those professionals understand young person’s learning difficulties/disabilities

• Primary care providers will provide consistency across key transition points.

From September 2014 CCGs must:

• commission services jointly for children and young people (up to age 25) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, including those with Education Health and Care (EHC) plans

• work with local authority to contribute to Local Offer of services available

• have mechanisms in place to ensure practitioners and clinicians will support the integrated EHC needs assessment process, and

• agree Personal Budgets where they are provided for those with EHC plans

Designated Clinical Officer

• Partners should ensure there is a Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) to support the CCG in meeting its statutory responsibilities for children and young people with SEN/ disabilities between the ages of 0 and 25.

• This will include ensuring any additional resources required to meet needs are provided.

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