jsna profile: children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs … · 2018. 8....

http://jsna.hertslis.org/

1

JSNA Profile: Children and Young People aged 0-25 with

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Author: Steve MarshmanLast Reviewed: June 2015

IntroductionA child or young person has Special Educational Needs (SEN) if they have a learningdifficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

Many children and young people who have SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act2010 – that is ‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantialadverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. This definitionprovides a relatively low threshold and includes more children than many realise: ‘long-term’is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’. Thisdefinition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer

1.

In terms of overall headlines, the Department of Health notes:

Disabled children and young people currently face multiple barriers which make it

more difficult for them to achieve their potential, to achieve the outcomes their peers

expect and to exceed in education

29% of disabled children nationally live in poverty

The educational attainment of disabled children is unacceptably lower than that of

non-disabled children and fewer than 50% of schools have accessibility plans

Disabled young people aged 16-24 are less satisfied with their lives than their peers

and there is a tendency for support to fall away at key transition points as young

people move from child to adult services

Families with disabled children report particularly high levels of unmet needs,

isolation and stress

Summary based on local information The population of children aged 10-14 is expected to grow in the coming years

Hertfordshire has had a declining number of children with a Statement of Educational

Needs over time before the introduction of Health Care Plans, particularly in Primary

Schools since 2010

Around half of the children with a statement in Hertfordshire attend a mainstream

special school, which is higher than the national rate of about a third

A lower than average proportion of Looked After Children with SEN have a statement

Around a third of Children In Need have a statement, which is higher than

comparable averages

Hertfordshire Special Schools have a higher proportion of children with a primary

need of Moderate Learning Difficulties than either national or local comparators.

1SEN Code of Practice (2014).


2

Mainstream schools have a lower proportion of children with Moderate Learning

Difficulties than is found in other areas

Speech, Language and Communication are the prominent needs of children with

SEN in Primary Schools, but this need decreases with age

Stevenage and North Hertfordshire have the highest levels of identified speech,

language and communication need

Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties in the main need for children in

secondary schools

Around half of young adults entering the Asperger’s Service did not have ASD as

their primary SEN recorded when they are at school

A high proportion of children and young people with a recorded need of Profound and

Multiple Learning Difficulties make use of community short break services

The majority of young people using community short break services have ASD, with

around a third of the recorded ASD population using those services

Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties for young people peak when children

become teenagers; this is also a critical time where young people have a chance of

developing lifelong mental health issues

The number of children accessing residential social care short breaks has declined

significantly over time

There is currently no clear or accurate way to predict the number of young people

with SEN who will be eligible to move into adult learning disability services

As young people with disabilities transition into adult services, they tend to make use

of direct payments / personal budgets rather than use locally commissioning short

breaks day services

A better than average proportion of 16-17 year olds with SEN are in employment in

training, with most in education, but a smaller than average proportion with

apprenticeships

Families of children with additional needs say they want more support generally, with

after school clubs, childcare, sibling support, help in the home and laundry

highlighted as areas of where more support could be provided.

Pre-term babies are more likely to have behavioural and attention issues which may

affect their learning, and are more prone to social and emotional issues. There are

increasing numbers of pre-term children due to improving survival rates.

County Context

PopulationOver time, the population of children under 10 has increased year on year, while the

population of children and young people aged 10 and over has declined.


3

POPULATION AGE 0-242

This pattern is set to continue in the future, with 10-14 years olds growing at a faster rate

than national trends.

ESTIMATED HERTFORDSHIRE POPULATION CHANGES BETWEEN 2011 AND 2021: AGE 0-243

EthnicityThe population of young people moving through the school system are more diverse than

the population of Hertfordshire overall. The overall Hertfordshire Joint Strategic Needs

Assessment reports that 19% of the population in Hertfordshire is categorised as Black

Minority Ethnic (BME), while the School Census population shows that 23% of pupils are

under this category.

2Source: Office for National Statistics

3Source: Office for National Statistics

2011 2012 2013

0-4 74500 76600 76972

5-9 66800 68800 71804

10-14 68600 67700 67134

15-19 69700 69100 68361

20-24 65300 64200 64246

55000

60000

65000

70000

75000

80000

8.90%

27.80%

15.20%

-5.80%

-11.20%-15%

-10%

-5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24

Hertfordshire

East of England

England


4

POPULATION OF NON-WHITE BRITISH GROUPS IN HERTFORDSHIRE (VIA HERTFORDSHIRE JSNA)

The analysis of the Census 2011 data found that: Although Watford, Welwyn Hatfield and Hertsmere have some of the highest

proportions of people from other ethnic groups, there are also relatively highproportions of “White Other” in Three Rivers, Stevenage and Broxbourne (ie nonUK European Union)

In Broxbourne, Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere and Watford, over 2% ofthe population is African; St. Albans district has the highest proportion ofBangladeshi people (1.9%)

Almost 150,000 people in Hertfordshire (13%) were born outside of the UK, withthe highest proportions being in Watford (25%), Welwyn Hatfield (17%) andHertsmere (17%).

DeprivationThe Hertfordshire JSNA contains an analysis of deprivation in Hertfordshire, based on the Index of

Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

RELATIVE DEPRIVATION RANKING OF HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICTS (2011)


5

Between 2004-10 St Albans and East Herts have remained the least deprived districts inHertfordshire, and Stevenage the most deprived.

Hot SpotsThe Hertfordshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment document lists several key areas of

note to demonstrate inequality:

20% of children across Hertfordshire live in households with lone parents, and the

highest proportion is in Stevenage

Low incomes, long term unemployment, and housing issues are mostproblematic in Watford, Broxbourne, Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield.

St. Albans, Three Rivers and East Hertfordshire do not suffer to the same degreefrom these problems; the Harpenden

Broxbourne, Stevenage and Watford have higher proportions than Hertfordshireof both long term unemployed and of children in low income families.

Prevalence of Disability in ChildrenThe mean percentage of disabled children in English local authorities has been estimated to

be between 3% and 5.4%, through a survey of all Directors of Children’s Services in England

undertaken by the Thomas Coram Research Unit (TCRU). If applied to the population of

Hertfordshire this would equate to between 7,133 and 12,840 children experiencing some

form of disability4.

ESTIMATED CHILDREN WITH MILD DISABILITIES (2011 ONS)5

When looking at children and young people with more severe disabilities, boys are far more

likely than girls to have a severe disability.

4ChiMat

5Source: unpublished analysis of Family Fund Trust statistics (via CHiMAT)

5348

8575

70206390

4732

58506395

5488

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19

Boys

Girls


6

ESTIMATED CHILDREN WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES (2011 ONS)6

The prevalence rates of children and adolescents with mild disabilities were found to be

higher for those from semi-skilled manual and unskilled family backgrounds. The prevalence

of children with mild disabilities from professional family backgrounds was lower in

comparison to the other socio-economic groups. The rate of severe disability was found to

be greatest amongst children from semi-skilled manual family backgrounds, while the lowest

rates were for children from professional and managerial backgrounds.

Premature BirthsThere is growing evidence which suggests that improving survival rates for premature babies

is leading to increasingly complex health needs for very pre-mature babies7. In general, pre-

term babies are more at risk of behavioural problems, such as ADHD, in early childhood,

and more likely to have emotional difficulties at school which affect their learning. Higher

rates of depression and anxiety are also more likely.

Known to the Disabled Children’s Team (DCT)A snapshot analysis of children and young people with active cases on the ICS system as at

April 2015, listed by disability revealed the following information.

ICS EXTRACT APRIL 2015

Disability 1 Total %

Autism or Asperger's syndrome 371 33%

Learning Disability 163 15%

Physical Disability 158 14%

Complex Health Needs 149 13%

Not Recorded 47 4%

Other Disability 37 3%

Behavioural, Emotional or Social Disability 36 3%

Blindness 25 2%Learning Disability with physical, sensory or speechdisabilities 20 2%

6Source: unpublished analysis of Family Fund Trust statistics (via CHiMAT)

7An overview of mortality and sequelae of preterm birth from infancy to adulthood (Saigal & Doyle, 2008)

57

41

28

11

29

1613

7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19

Boys

Girls


7

Disability 1 Total %

Learning Disability - moderate 15 1%

Learning Disability - severe 13 1%

Life Limiting 12 1%

Physical disability with sensory or speech disabilities 12 1%

Physical Disability - other 9 1%

Deaf 7 1%

Mental Health Problem 7 1%

Physical Disability - severe 7 1%

Chronic Physical ill-Health 6 1%

Hearing Impaired 6 1%

Other 18 2%

This shows that the majority (33%) of young people known to the team are recorded as

having Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, with a similar amount of young people with a

primary disability of learning or physical disabilities. This is a count of primary need only.

Child Poverty

In terms of children under the age of 16 living in poverty, Hertfordshire has a lower rate than

national or regional comparators.

PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY BY YEAR8

Although Hertfordshire levels are comparatively low, there were still 20,435 Hertfordshirechildren living in poverty in 2012, with Stevenage and Broxbourne having particularlyhigh rates. At a lower level, the Waltham Cross area of Broxbourne over 30% of childrenare living in poverty; as comparison, the Harpenden West area has the lowest level ofchild poverty in the county.

8Source: HM Revenues and Customs

13.10%13.90% 14% 13.70%

12.90%

20.90% 21.30% 21.10% 20.60%19.20%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Hertfordshire

East of England

England


8

Children in Need

Under Section 17 (10) of the Children Act 1989, a child is a Child in Need if:

a. He/she is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity of achieving or

maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision for

him/her of services by a local authority;

b. His/her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further

impaired, without the provision for him/her of such services; or

c. He/she is a Disabled Child9.

Accordingly, the percentage of school age Children in Need with a statement is higher in

Hertfordshire than national or statistical comparators, and this has been true over several

years.

% OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN IN NEED WITH A STATEMENT

Nationally published data from the annual Children in Need Census10 reveals that

Hertfordshire had 5,882 Children in Need at March 2014, of which 1,115 had a recorded

disability. The chart below shows that this is broadly in line with the regional average, but

above the national average.

9Children’s Act definition: a child is disabled if he is blind, deaf or dumb or suffers from mental disorder of any

kind or is substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity or such otherdisability as may be prescribed10

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/characteristics-of-children-in-need-2013-to-2014

39.4%

33.9%

30.4%

25.7%24.2%

22.0%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

2012 2013 2014

Hertfordshire

Statistical Neighbour

England

http://www.proceduresonline.com/resources/keywords_online/nat_key/keywords/disabled_child.html


9

% OF CHILDREN IN NEED WITH A RECORDED DISABILITY (MARCH 2014)

Further analysis shows that, of the recorded disabilities for children in Hertfordshire, there is

a smaller proportion than nationally of children with learning as their primary disability, and a

slightly higher proportion of children with Autism as a disability.

Hertfordshire has a strikingly lower proportion of Children in Need with communication,

behaviour or personal care as their recorded disability, compared to national or regional

comparators.

% OF CHILDREN IN NEED BY DISABILITY (MARCH 2014)

Looked After ChildrenChildren in care or looked after children are children who have become the responsibility of

the local authority. Hertfordshire has a higher proportion of Looked After Children with SEN

but with no statement than all comparators.

19.0% 18.9%

13.2%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%

20.0%

Hertfordshire East of England England

26%

34%

3%5%

18%23%

0%

44%

29%

23% 22% 21% 21%

14%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

Hertfordshire East of England4 England4


10

% LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN WITH SEN BUT NO STATEMENT

Hertfordshire has a higher than average proportion of Looked After Children with a noted

SEN but without a statement.

% LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN WITH SEN WITH STATEMENT

As you then may then expect, Hertfordshire has a lower than average rate of Looked After

Children with SEN with a statement.

Overall, Looked After Children are more likely to experience mental health problems (Ford, T

et al, 2007). It has been found that among children aged 5 to 17 who are looked after by

local authorities in England, 45% had a mental health disorder, 37% had clinically significant

conduct disorders, 12% had emotional disorders, such as anxiety or depression and 7%

were hyperkinetic (ADHD)11 (Meltzer, H et al 2008).

11Hyperkinetic disorder is a psychiatric syndrome emerging in early childhood that features an enduring pattern of severe,

developmentally inappropriate inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity across different settings (e.g., home and school) thatsignificantly impair academic, social and work performance.

42.3%44.8%

42.1% 42.3%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

2011 2012 2013 2014

Herts

East of England


England

27.6% 27.7%26.2% 26.3%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

2011 2012 2013 2014

Herts

East of England


England


11

Variation was shown depending on the type of placement with two –thirds of children living in

residential care found to have a mental health disorder compared to four in ten of those

placed with foster-carers or their birth parents.

Family View

Hertfordshire Additional Needs Database (HAND)Families can sign up to the Hertfordshire Additional Needs Database (HAND), which offers a

discount card as well as regular updates and newsletters. In the 2014 annual report (written

by Claudia Houghton) there were 4465 members signed up.

HAND runs an annual survey of the membership on a variety of issues, including questions

around the uptake of provision in the county.

The 2014 report had the following results:

Social Care

Alreadyreceiving this

service

Support isneeded but

notprovided

Supportreceived butnot adequate

After school care/youth club 192 (18.8%) 756 (73.9%) 75 (7.3%)

Childcare/nursery under 5 513 (67.4%) 164 (21.6%) 84 (11.0%)

Direct payment 321 (35.9%) 509 (56.9%) 64 (7.2%)

Family centre 162 (32.5%) 299 (60%) 37 (7.4%)

Help in the home 143 (18.8%) 555 (72.8%) 64 (8.4%)

Leisure opportunity 164 (9.5%) 1488 (86%) 78 (4.5%)

Long term foster care42

(40.8%) 18 (17.5%) 43 (41.7%)

Long term residential care (social services) 38 (22.5%) 85 (50.3%) 46 (27.2%)

Mainstream play scheme 129 (20.3%) 452 (71.3%) 53 (8.4%)

Residential holiday out of county 12 (2.1%) 523 (92.9%) 28 (5%)

Respite care - family based (including sharedcare) 248 (21.9%) 762 (67.4%) 120 (10.6%)

Respite care - residential 76 (21.3%) 225 (63.2%) 55 (15.4%)

Sitting/befriending (including after schoolbefriending service/scheme) 67 (8.9%) 629 (83.6%) 56 (7.4%)

Special play scheme 379 (26.6%) 965 (67.8%) 80 (5.6%)

Wheel chair user requiring modified access 66 (35.9%) 72 (39.1%) 46 (25%)

For social care services, the biggest unmet need in the eyes of responders was after school

clubs/youth clubs (with only 18.8% of families currently accessing these groups); help in the

home; befriending schemes and leisure opportunities.


12

Education


service


notprovided


A picture/symbol communication system 406 (45.3%) 401 (44.8%) 89 (9.9%)

An electronic communication aid 88 (25.7%) 209 (61.1%) 45 (13.2%)

Communication by Makaton or signing 416 (56.8%) 229 (31.2%) 88 (12%)

Educational psychology 801 (57.9%) 432 (31.2%) 151 (10.9%)

Home tuition (including home school tuition) 63 (16.4%) 282 (73.6%) 38 (9.9%)

Hospital school provision 39 (43.3%) 20 (22.2%) 31 (34.4%)

Mainstream school or college 1791 (72.7%) 245 (9.9%) 429 (17.4%)

Mainstream school unit or base 353 (56.8%) 132 (21.3%) 136 (21.9%)

Opportunity class 260 (47.6%) 248 (45.4%) 38 (7%)

Pre-school support 458 (65.9%) 167 (24%) 70 (10.1%)

Specialist college 780 (74.5%) 232 (22.2%) 35 (3.3%)

Statement of special educational needs 50 (45%) 33 (29.7%) 28 (25.2%)

For education related support, home tuition came out as an area of unmet need, alongside

electronic communication aids.

Additional needs


service


notprovided


Access and use of adapted personal care 35 (10.2%) 270 (78.5%) 39 (11.3%)

Adaptation to your home 158 (26.9%) 369 (62.8%) 61 (10.4%)

Childcare 66 (11.9%) 428 (77.3%) 60 (10.8%)

Continence advice/services 271 (40.5%) 331 (49.5%) 67 (10%)

Counselling 220 (25.6%) 563 (65.4%) 78 (9.1%)

Equipment 496 (49.9%) 421 (42.4%) 76 (7.7%)

Laundry service 5 (2.3%) 171 (80.3%) 37 (17.4%)

Parenting class 369 (40.4%) 478 (52.4%) 66 (7.2%)

Rehousing 59 (10.4%) 452 (79.7%) 56 (9.9%)

Sibling support 130 (11.3%) 975 (84.9%) 44 (3.8%)

Support group 654 (43.6%) 777 (51.8%) 69 (4.6%)

For additional needs, childcare was raised as an unmet need, along with laundry, home

adaptations, sibling support and counselling.


13

Children and Young People in Education

What National research tells usPut simply, pupils with SEN have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for

them to learn than most pupils of the same age12. A 2014 national analysis on the

characteristics of SEN reported the following:

The number of pupils with SEN has decreased since 2010. This is thought to be

through better identification of those pupils who have SEN and those who do not.

Another fact is believed to be a 2010 Ofsted SEND Review which found that a

quarter of those identified with SEN, and half those at School Action, did not have

SEN

Boys are two and a half times more likely to have statements of SEN at primary

schools and nearly three times more likely to have statements at secondary schools

compared to girls

Older age groups are more likely to have statements

Pupils with SEND are more than twice as likely to be eligible for free school meals

than those without SEND (29.1% compared to 13.4%)

For pupils with statements, the most common primary type of need is autistic

spectrum disorder (22.9%)

For pupils at School Action Plus, the most common primary types of need are BESD

and SLCN (both 23.8%) and moderate learning difficulty (21.3%)

Black pupils are most likely to have SEN without statements (18.9%) and also the

most likely to have statement s (3.5%). Chinese pupils are the least likely to have

SEN without statements (8.9%) and least likely to have SEN with statements (2.1%)

Almost 7 in 10 children looked after have SEN. Looked after children are almost four

times more likely to have SEN and around ten times more likely to have statements

than all pupils

Pupils with statements have higher levels of absence – 8.2% sessions missed for

children with statements compared to 4.8% for pupils without SEN

Pupils with SEN were more likely to be absent due to exclusion from school –

exclusion was the reason for absence in 3.5% of cases for pupils at School Action

Plus compared to 0.6% for pupils without SEN

Pupils with SEN were more likely to be persistent absentees – 12.4% of pupils with

statements were absentees compared to 3.4% of pupils without SEN. Girls were

more likely to be persistent absentees than boys

Pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties were most likely to be absent

from school

School Census InformationAll schools are required to maintain a register of children on their roll, along with detailed

information on the characteristics of their population. The following analysis is based on this

information, and is benchmarked against National and Local comparators using the Local

Authority Information Tool (LAIT), which is produced by the Department of Education.

12SFR 31/2014: Children with Special Educational Needs 2014: An Analysis (Department of Education, 2014)


14

Categories of Special Educational Need (SEN) used in these reports are based on a

judgement made by the school, often in discussion with other professionals. A clear

distinction between a number of these categories and adult definitions is this; the SEN

categories use the term “learning difficulties”, which is different to the term of “learning

disabilities”. As such, the school census information does not provide an accurate picture of

the number of young people who would likely have a “learning disability”, but it does give an

indication, as noted later.

This analysis is based on the provision of Statements and School Action Plus in schools,

which, while these were replaced for new children on 1st September 2014 under the Children

and Families Act 2014, and there is a process of transferring statemented children over to

Education, Health and Care Plans, they still remain a rich source of information for the

purposes of this needs assessment.

SEN in Schools: BenchmarkingHertfordshire has seen a declining number of children with a Statement of Special

Educational Needs. In real terms, the number of children with a statement has dropped from

4,249 in 2007 to 3,918 in 2014, a drop of 7.8%

TOTAL STATEMENTS YEAR ON YEAR 2007-2014

This is not only a drop in overall numbers, but a drop in the proportion of children of children

with a statement – in Hertfordshire in 2014, 1.9% of children in school had a statement of

SEN, compared to a national rate of 2.8%. The national and regional rates have remained

largely static, while the Hertfordshire rate has declined.

4,249 4,241

4,165

4,090

4,043

4,000 3,986

3,918

3,700

3,800

3,900

4,000

4,100

4,200

4,300

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014


15

% PUPILS WITH STATEMENTS OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN) 2007-2014

Looking in more depth at these figures, the biggest drop in statements has been in Primary

Schools – with a 30% drop between 2009 and 2014, while comparable areas have remained

steady.

% PUPILS WITH A STATEMENT (PRIMARY)

In secondary schools, there has been minimal change in the proportion of pupils with a

statement, which is more in line with comparators.

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Hertfordshire 2.10% 2.10% 2.10% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 1.90% 1.90%

East of England 3.00% 2.90% 2.90% 2.90% 2.90% 2.90% 2.90% 2.90%

England 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80%

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

3.00%

3.50%


2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Hertfordshire 1.00% 0.90% 0.90% 0.80% 0.70% 0.70%

East of England 1.70% 1.70% 1.70% 1.70% 1.60% 1.60%

Statistical Neighbour 1.52% 1.49% 1.52% 1.53% 1.54% 1.51%

England 1.40% 1.40% 1.40% 1.40% 1.40% 1.40%

0.00%0.20%0.40%0.60%0.80%1.00%1.20%1.40%1.60%1.80%

Hertfordshire East of England

Statistical Neighbour England


16

% PUPILS WITH A STATEMENT (SECONDARY)

The proportion of children with a noted SEN, but without a statement has declined nationally,

regionally and locally since 2009. In overall numbers, between 2009 and 2014, the

Hertfordshire number of children without a statement but with a SEN only dropped by 0.6%,

while the national drop was 2.8%.

PUPILS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN) WITHOUT STATEMENTS, BASED ON

WHERE THE PUPIL ATTENDS SCHOOL

However, the rate of pupils at School Action and School Action Plus remains below

comparable rates, but very close to the regional rates.

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Hertfordshire 1.20% 1.10% 1.20% 1.20% 1.10% 1.10%

East of England 2.10% 2.10% 2.20% 2.20% 2.20% 2.20%

Statistical Neighbour 2.01% 1.96% 1.97% 1.98% 2.04% 1.99%

England 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90%

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

Hertfordshire East of England

Statistical Neighbour England

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Hertfordshire 14.7% 15.2% 14.8% 14.8% 14.5% 14.1%

East of England 18.7% 19.2% 18.5% 17.8% 16.8% 16.5%

England 17.9% 18.3% 17.8% 17.0% 16.0% 15.1%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%



17

% SEN PUPILS BY ALLOCATION (2014) – ALL SCHOOLS

The table below shows that 48% of children in Hertfordshire with a statement of SEN attend

a state-funded maintained special school, at January 2014. This is significantly higher than

the national rate of 34.6%. If you include the 3.7% in Special Academies, which are also

state-funded, this makes up more than half of pupils with SEN in a Hertfordshire Special

School. The same table demonstrates that 23.3% of such children attend a mainstream

school, which is lower than the national rate of 31.9%.

EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENT OF CHILDREN WITH A STATEMENT OF SEN (2014)13

13https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2014

1.90%

4.90%

7.90%

2.80%

5.60%

8.70%

0.00%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

6.00%

7.00%

8.00%

9.00%

10.00%

Statements School Action Plus School Action


23.30%

48%

13.80%

3.70% 5%

31.90%34.60%

14.40%

4.70%2.10%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

MaintainedMainstream

Maintained Special Academies Special Academies SEN Units inMainstreamMaintained



18

Special Schools: breakdown of needLooking at this in more detail, Hertfordshire special schools have a different profile than

national and regional special schools, based on primary need listed in the statement. In

state-funded special schools in Hertfordshire, the most prevalent primary need of children is

“Moderate Learning Difficulty”, which is different to the national picture where the most

prevalent need is “Severe Learning Difficulty”. Similarly, Hertfordshire Special Schools have

a higher proportion of children with Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties than children

with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

SPECIAL SCHOOL PROFILE COMPARISON (BASED ON PRIMARY NEED LISTED ON STATEMENT)

Looking in detail at local data for state-funded Special Schools (including Maintained and

Academies), this confirms that these schools have a higher proportion of MLD pupils than

average.

Breakdown of pupils with a statement of SEN maintained by Hertfordshire by primary

special need, at January 2014. (Data source: Extract SEN Tribal database)

Primary SpecialNeed

State fundedspecial school

Total

A S D 19.80% 22.20%

B E S D 14.20% 13.50%

H I 3.80% 3.40%

M L D 30.00% 23.80%

M S I 0.20% 0.20%

P D 6.30% 6.10%

P M L D 1.80% 1.20%

S L C N 5.20% 15.30%

S L D 17.50% 9.90%

S P L D 0.60% 2.40%

V I 0.80% 2.10%

Grand Total 100.00% 100.00%

26.7%

21.3%

16.6%

13.5%

17.2%

24.8%

13.4%

22.5%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

MLD SLD BESD ASD



19

In 2012, the Department of Education published comparative information on Special

Schools14, as part of a Freedom of Information request response. This provides useful

information on the context of maintained special schools in Hertfordshire.

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SPECIAL SCHOOL COMPARISON (DOH, 2012)

Number ofSpecialSchools

Pupils inSpecialSchools

Averagepupils per

SpecialSchool

ENGLAND 967 91,590 94.7

EAST OF ENGLAND 91 9,140 100.4

Bedford 3 314 104.7

Central Bedfordshire 5 447 89.4

Cambridgeshire 8 811 101.4

Essex 17 2,051 120.6

Hertfordshire 25 2,036 81.4

Luton 3 338 112.7

Norfolk 11 1,049 95.4

Peterborough 4 449 112.3

Southend-on-Sea 5 453 90.6

Suffolk 8 867 108.4

Thurrock 2 327 163.5

This demonstrates that Hertfordshire has highest number of Special Schools in the region,

and the lowest average number of pupils per school, at 81.4, which is above the national

average of 94.7.

The type and roll number for these Special Schools is listed below (total roll numbers

including both Hertfordshire and non-Hertfordshire pupils; 0.5 means a nursery placement)

HERTFORDSHIRE SPECIAL SCHOOLS BY TYPE AND ROLL (AS AT MAY 2015)

School Name Phase TypeCurrent Pupilson Roll (as at

15 May 15)

Brandles School Day Boys Age 11-16Emotional & BehaviouralDifficulties 40

Larwood School Boarding Mixed Age 5-11Emotional & BehaviouralDifficulties 64

Hailey Hall SchoolDay/Board Boys Age 11-16

Emotional & BehaviouralDifficulties 65

Batchwood School Day Mixed Age 11-16Emotional & BehaviouralDifficulties 72

Haywood GroveSchool Day Mixed Age 5-11


Falconer SchoolDay/ Board Boys Age 10-16


Knightsfield SchoolDay/ Board Mixed Age10-18 Hearing Impairment 35

14https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/219262/sfr10-2012lat.xls


20

School Name Phase TypeCurrent Pupilson Roll (as at

15 May 15)

Heathlands SchoolDay/Board Mixed Ageunder 3-16 Hearing Impairment 99

Woolgrove SchoolSpecial NeedsAcademy Day Mixed Age 5-11 Learning Difficulties 103

The Valley School Day Mixed Age 11-19 Learning Difficulties 107

Middleton School Day Mixed Age 5-11 Learning Difficulties 84

Pinewood SchoolDay/Board Mixed Age 11-16 Learning Difficulties 153

Southfield School Day Mixed Age 3-11 Learning Difficulties 69

St Lukes School Day Mixed Age 9-16 Learning Difficulties 87

The Collett School Day Mixed Age 4-16 Learning Difficulties 123

Colnbrook School Day Mixed Age 4-11 Learning Difficulties 99

Garston Manor School Day Mixed Age 11-16 Learning Difficulties 118

Lonsdale SchoolDay/Board Mixed Ageunder 5-19 Physical Impairment 93.5

Meadow Wood School Day Mixed Age 3-12 Physical Impairment 25.5

Greenside SchoolDay Mixed Age under 5-19

Severe LearningDifficulties 125.5

Amwell View Schooland Specialist SportsCollege

Day Mixed Age under 2-19+

Severe LearningDifficulties 122

Lakeside SchoolDay Mixed Age under 2-19


Watling View SchoolDay Mixed Age under 2-19


Woodfield SchoolDay Mixed Age under 5-19

Severe LearningDifficulties 67

Breakspeare School Day Mixed Age 3-19Severe LearningDifficulties 71.5

Special Schools: Changing Primary SENThe levels of identified need in Hertfordshire for some Special Educational Needs can be

misleading because it largely mirrors the Special School provision in each area. For

example, Stevenage has a higher level of BESD need, but there are significant number of

Special Schools in that area meeting that particular need.

In the early scrutiny of this document, stakeholders contested that the primary SEN of pupils

is often changed when the move to a Special School so that it reflects the type of provision

they are moving into.

In an analysis of School Census data between 2014 and 2015, there is some evidence to

suggest that when a child moves from “School Action Plus” to “Statement”/”Education Health

and Care Plan”, and also moves schools, their primary SEN is more likely to change that

those who do not move schools.


21

NUMBER OF CHILDREN MOVING FROM SCHOOL ACTION PLUS TO STATEMENT/EHCP 2014 -2015

This chart shows that, while the majority of children who moved school had no primary SEN

change, 44% did, compared to 18% of children who did not move to a Special School.

In looking at the detail, of 5 pupils who moved to the same “SLD” school in the year, 4 pupils

had their primary SEN changed to SLD – in those cases, the previous primary SENs

included MLD, PD and SLCN. As a contrast, 5 out of 6 pupils moving to a “Learning

Difficulties” Special School did not have their primary SEN changed at all.

Mainstream Schools: breakdown of needFor Primary Schools, Speech, Language and Communication Needs are the largest single

special educational need in Hertfordshire, as it is in comparators. However, a smaller

proportion of children in state-funded mainstream primary and secondary schools have a

primary need of “Moderate Learning Difficulty” when compared to the national average. A

greater proportion of pupils with Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties. This may be

what you would expect when considering that special schools in Hertfordshire have a higher

proportion of children with moderate learning difficulties.

TABLE: PRIMARY SCHOOL PROFILE COMPARISON (BASED ON PRIMARY NEED LISTED ON STATEMENT)

29

10

36

45

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Moved School Stayed in School

Primary SEN changed Primary SEN no change

33.50%

20.30%

11.60% 10.80%9.40%

31.60%

18.40% 19.10%

8.70% 8.30%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

SLCN BESD MLD SPLD ASD



22

A similar pattern is present in secondary schools, with a lower than average proportion of

pupils with moderate learning difficulties, although Behaviour, Emotional and Social

Difficulties remain the prominent special educational need.

TABLE: SECONDARY SCHOOL PROFILE COMPARISON (BASED ON PRIMARY NEED LISTED ON STATEMENT)

SEN Category Analysis

The SEN 0-25 Code of Practice lists four key areas of need which should be planned for: Communication and interaction Cognition and learning Social, emotional and mental difficulties Sensory and / or physical needs

It notes that in practice, individual children or young people often have needs that cut acrossall these areas and their needs may change over time.

Communication and interactionChildren and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) havedifficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying whatthey want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or usesocial rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and theirneeds may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the differentaspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.

Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likelyto have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficultieswith language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate toothers15.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A separate Needs Assessment for ASD was completed in 2013. This demonstrated thatthere were estimated to be 1,700 pupils with ASD in Hertfordshire. The prevalence of pupilswith autistic spectrum disorders as their primary need shows significant variation between

15SEN Code of Practice (2014) para 6.28 & 6.29

28.8%

20.1%

12.0% 11.2% 11.9%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

BESD SPLD ASD SLCN MLD

Hertfordshire

East of England

England


23

districts, with North Hertfordshire, St Albans and Stevenage all displaying significantly higherprevalence rates.

It is estimated that around half of people with ASD have an IQ of less than 70, which wouldmean they have a learning disability under the standard definition.

Recent studies have reported a significant increased prevalence, with latest evidencesuggesting that the condition occurs in 1 out of every 64 children (1.6%). This increase hasled to increased demand for diagnostic and support services.

Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders that girls, although theexact ratio varies depending on the study. Fombonne at al (2011) found a mean of 5.5 malesto 1 female in their research review. Baird et al (2006) found a male to female ratio of 3.3:1for the whole spectrum in their sample. There is an estimated under-diagnosis in ASD infemales (Gould and Ashton-Smith, 2011).

The 2014 School Census showed that there were 1342 pupils with ASD as a primary specialeducational need at School Action Plus or on a statement. Other studies (below) put aHertfordshire estimate, based on the 2012 ONS population figures at 1285, which would beroughly in line with the School Census figures.

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS16

Around 13.5% of pupils in mainstream special schools in Hertfordshire have a primary needof ASD – this is compared to the national picture, where 22.5% have ASD. Accordingly, ahigher proportion of children with ASD attend mainstream secondary schools (12% inHertfordshire, compared to 10.7% nationally).

There is no specific count of children with Asperger’s Syndrome – a survey of schoolsconducted in 2014 suggested there are around 400 children in Hertfordshire schools eitherknown or suspected to have Asperger’s.

Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

As noted earlier, around a third of children with a statement in Hertfordshire primary schoolshave a main need of Speech, Language and Communication Needs, at 33.5%; the rate forsecondary schools is 11.2%. Looking in total at children with a statement or at School ActionPlus for SLCN, there is a pattern of declining need as children get older.

16ONS mid year population estimates for 2012, Baird G et al (2006), Baron-Cohen, S et al (2009) (via CHIMAT)

98 102

1085

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Autism 9-10 Other ASDs 9-10 Autism SpectrumDisorders 5-9


24

NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ON SAP/STATEMENT WITH PRIMARY NEED OF SLCN BY

SINGLE AGE

A separate Joint Strategic Needs Assessment on Speech, Language and CommunicationNeeds in Hertfordshire was written in 2012. The key findings from that report include:

Even though around 20% of children with SEN had a primary need of SLCN, therewas a significant number of children who had SLCN as a secondary need, forexample children with autism or sensory impairment

BME groups were 20% more likely to experience SLCN than non-BME classmates Boys were more likely to have SLCN than girls Pupils eligible for Free School Meals are around two and half times more like to have

speech, language and communication needs than non-FSM children

The current delivery model for Speech and Language Therapy in schools is to train schoolstaff to identify children in need of therapy and to deliver interventions themselves, involvingspecialist speech and language therapist support specifically for the children who need it.

Public Health analysis of Census data at a lower level shows that Stevenage, NorthHertfordshire and Broxbourne have the highest identified levels of Speech, Language andCommunication Need, whereas St Albans and East Hertfordshire have the lowest identifiedneed. Stevenage and North Hertfordshire also have the highest rate per 1,000 where SLCNis identified as the secondary SEN need.

463

370338

264235

164148

123

89 85 79

3015 2 2

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19


25

RATE PER 1,000 PUPILS WITH SLCN AS PRIMARY SEN BY DISTRICT (2014/15)

Cognition and learningSupport for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at aslower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties covera wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learningdifficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum andassociated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiplelearning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learningdifficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.

Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. Thisencompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia17.

Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

As noted earlier, Hertfordshire has slightly different profile of educational establishments forchildren with Moderate Learning Difficulties, as a higher proportion (nearly half) attendmainstream special schools, compared to the national pattern, where more attendmainstream schools.

Looking at the current picture, there is a significant drop in the number of children with MLDat the age of 16, with the peak number at the age of 14.

The Hertfordshire Learning Disabilities Needs Assessments attempts to explain this:“The sudden drop at the 16 years age mark suggests that a significant number of childrenwho receive support at school level do not continue support into adult life, although it is notclear if this is due to them being “lost to services” or not reaching the threshold for supportinto adulthood. In the event that the latter is the case, it would suggest that around four outof every five children diagnosed with moderate, severe or profound learning difficulties donot qualify for continuing support after school, equivalent to the proportion represented bychildren diagnosed with “moderate learning difficulties” in the SEN associated with LDcohort.”

17SEN Code of Practice (2014) para 6.30 & 6.31

11.6713.08

14.67 15.05 15.48 15.717.81

20.56 20.7723.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

SLCN per 1,000


26

NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ON SAP/STATEMENT WITH PRIMARY NEED OF MLD BY SINGLE

AGE

Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD)

Children recorded as Severe Learning Difficulties make up about 3% of the total children

recorded as having SEN in Hertfordshire, around 420 children.

Although the numbers are relatively small, Three Rivers, Watford and East Herts have the

highest proportion of pupils with SLD per 1,000. This is likely to be due to the location of

several Special Schools in the area

RATE PER 1,000 PUPILS WITH SLD AS PRIMARY SEN BY DISTRICT (2014/15)

62

118

145

178169

212 207 202193

237229

77

26

6 00

50

100

150

200

250

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

1.541.95 2.04

2.35 2.382.64

3.143.34 3.41 3.44

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

SLD per 1,000


27

Specific Learning Difficulties (SPLD)

This cohort make up around 14% of the children in the county with SEN. Typically there is a

high number of children with these difficulties at age 11 and through the early years of

secondary school. There are around 1732 children with this SEN recorded on the school

census as at 2014.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ON SAP/STATEMENT WITH PRIMARY NEED OF SPLD BY

SINGLE AGE

Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD)

The majority of children and young people in Hertfordshire with a statement or School ActionPlus primary need of PMLD attend a Special School in Hertfordshire. Children with PMLDmake up 0.5% of children with SEN in mainstream primary schools and 0.1% of children withSEN in mainstream secondary schools. The 2014 school census suggested that there arebetween 3 and 16 children in each age band with PMLD.

As noted later, a significant proportion of this cohort make use of commissioned CommunityShort breaks services.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ON SAP/STATEMENT WITH PRIMARY NEED OF PMLD BY

SINGLE AGE

14

62

85

133

176194

206190

175 178

155

109

38

170

0

50

100

150

200

250

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

9 98

16

7

10 10

5

10

3

89

7

4

1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19


28

Social, emotional and mental difficultiesChildren and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficultieswhich manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn orisolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. Thesebehaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression,self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medicallyunexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficitdisorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder18.

Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD)

It has been stated that children and young people in the general population are at greaterrisk of a range of behavioural, emotional and social difficulties with increasing socioeconomicdisadvantage (Green et al., 2005).

In terms of mental health prevalence, 10% of 5 -16 year old children are likely to experiencemental health problems and often have problems into adulthood. Indeed, half of all mentalhealth illnesses (excluding dementia) start by age 14, three quarters by age 24

19.Prevalence varies by age and sex, with boys more likely (11.4%) to have experienced or beexperiencing a mental health problem than girls (7.8%). Children aged 11 to 16 years oldsare also more likely (11.5%) than 5 to 10 year olds (7.7%) to experience mental healthproblems20.

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH ESTIMATES FOR HERTFORDSHIRE (2012)21

Boys Girls Total

Estimated number of children aged 5-10 years withmental health disorder (2012) 4,280 2,035 6,295

Estimated number of children aged 11-16 years withmental health disorder (2012) 5,335 4,210 9,565

Estimated number of children aged 5-16 years withmental health disorder (2012) 9,605* 6,295* 15,835*

*may not total exactly due to rounding

This is re-enforced by the fact that BESD is the primary need in around a third of allstatemented children in Hertfordshire secondary schools, peaking as children becometeenagers.

18SEN Code of Practice (2014): para 6.32

19Improving young people’s health and wellbeing – A framework for public health, PHE/AYPH, 2015)

20CHIMAT: http://atlas.chimat.org.uk/IAS/profiles/profile?profileId=34

21Office for National Statistics mid-year population estimates for 2012. Green, H. et al (2004).


29

NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ON SAP/STATEMENT WITH PRIMARY NEED OF BESD BY

SINGLE AGE

Stevenage, Welywn Hatfield and Hertsmere districts have the highest identified rate ofBESD as primary SEN per 1,000 pupils, with East Herts and St Albans with the lowest rates.It should be noted that Stevenage is location of two Special Schools for “Emotional &Behavioural Difficulties”.

RATE PER 1,000 PUPILS WITH BESD AS PRIMARY SEN BY DISTRICT (2014/15)

Sensory and / or physical needs

Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have adisability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilitiesgenerally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Manychildren and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access theirlearning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination

134

177

227252 258 251

311 309

346335 345

162

2210 0

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

12.38 13.27

16.0917.45 18.43 18.99 19.02

21.67 21.923.12

0

5

10

15

20

25

BESD per 1,000


30

of vision and hearing difficulties. Some children and young people with a physical disability(PD) require additional ongoing support22

Hearing Impairment (HI)

According to the “Hertfordshire Children’s Hearing Services Working Group Annual ReportApril 2013 to March 2014” there were a total of 445 children and young people withpermanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) known to local services during the periodcovered (200 in the East and North Herts Clinical Commissioning Group area and 245 in theHerts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group area). On average there are 20 new-bornsdiagnosed with PCHI each year across the county.

In the 2014 School Census, there were 375 children with a primary need of HearingImpairment at School Action Plus or with a Statement.

Visual Impairment (VI)

Data collected from service level data suggests a prevalence of about 20 children per

10,000. However, the prevalence reported by the then Department for Children, Schools and

Families estimated a rate of 10.5 per 10,000, whose primary special educational need is a

visual or multi-sensory impairment. Based on the 2011 ONS population figures, this would

estimate the number of children with a visual impairment in Hertfordshire between 157 and

29923.

The 2014 Hertfordshire School Census shows 203 children and young with a primary School

Action Plus or Statement Need of Visual Impairment, in line with the estimate above.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ON SAP/STATEMENT WITH PRIMARY NEED OF VI BY SINGLE

AGE

A national epidemiological study into severe visual impairment or blindness by Rahi and

Cable found a cumulative rate of 5.9 per 10,000 of the population for children 16 and under.

22SEN Code of Practice (2014): para 6.34 & 6.35

23ChiMat

25

9

19

1617

1517

20

1716 16

10

3 3

00

5

10

15

20

25

30

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19


31

ESTIMATES OF THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN, BY AGE, WITH SEVERE IMPAIRMENT OR BLINDNESS

The same report estimated that 77% of children newly diagnosed with severe visual

impairment or blindness had additional non-ophthalmic disorders or impairments24. It has

been stated that the incidence of severe visual impairments is likely to increase, while the

incidence of less severe impairments is set to decrease. The increase is said to be due to

the increased survival of low birth weight and premature babies with major anomalies and

complex neurological conditions. At the same time, better treatments are available for more

minor conditions, as well as early intervention and better primary prevention.

Physical Disability (PD)

Children with physical disabilities make up about 4% of all children and young people with a

statement or on School Action Plus. This amounts to around 529 children in Hertfordshire,

although the term is very broad. There is no significant age group where is this is more

prevalent. Children with a physical disability are more likely to be on a statement than on

School Action Plus.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ON SAP/STATEMENT WITH PRIMARY NEED OF PD BY SINGLE

AGE

24Rahi and Cable

6

2

10

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Age 0 Age 1-4 Age 5-16

42 43 44

38

53

47

41

36

51

35

49

2022

8

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19


32

Further OpportunitiesHertfordshire has a higher than average proportion of young people with an SEN at KeyStage 4 in Education, Employment of Training at the age of 17, and this rate has beenincreasing year on year.

KS4 SEN COHORT IN EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING AT 17

The overall rate of 16-17 year olds with disabilities in education, training or employmentremains above national and statistical comparators.

% 16-17 WITH LDD / DISABILITIES IN EDUCATION, TRAINING OR EMPLOYMENT

A new measure has subsequently being introduced: “16-17 year olds with SEN in education& training25”. The latest figures, December 2014 show that Hertfordshire reports 87.23%,which is largely in line with East of England (86.8%) and national figures (86.13%).

Further analysis shows that Hertfordshire has a high proportion of these young people in full-time education (88%) compared to national (83.2%) and regional (84.5%) comparators, and

25https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-in-education-and-training-by-local-authority

83.00%

84.00%

87.00%

76.00%

78.00%

80.00%

82.00%

84.00%

86.00%

88.00%

2011 2012 2013

Hertfordshire


England

86.90%

86.40%

83.50%

84.00%

84.50%

85.00%

85.50%

86.00%

86.50%

87.00%

87.50%

2013 (Dec) Mar-14

Hertfordshire


England


33

a slightly smaller proportion in Apprenticeships (3.1% in Hertfordshire compared to 4.2%nationally and 4.7% regionally).

Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)As at June 2015, 11.1% of known children and young people aged between 16 and 18 with

SEN were not in Education, Employment or26. This compares to the 2014 Hertfordshire

overall figure of 3.7%27. In numbers, there are 127 young people with SEN out of 1,148 who

are NEET.

Transition into Adult Learning Disabilities ServicesHertfordshire County Council has a statutory responsibility to support individuals with

Learning Disabilities, and this is done through various routes:

Community Learning Disability Teams

Short Breaks and Respite Care

Asperger’s Team

In addition, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS University Foundation Trust are commissioned to

deliver specialist health services for adults with Learning Disabilities.

As noted early, there is no direct transfer between children who have noted “learning

difficulties” when at school to those same children having a “learning disability” identified

when they are older. The existing Learning Disabilities Needs Assessment in Hertfordshire

highlights the difficulty in identifying a potential cohort moving from children’s services in

adult provision:

“Due to differing approaches between children’s and adult services there is no definitive

number of children known to have a learning disability, as special educational needs can be

short term and as a result services are provided in accordance with an individual’s specific

need set, with specific services being provided for each specific need. Children with

identified with SEN whose primary need is associated with learning disabilities make up

1.7% of the child population while adults with learning disabilities who are known to services

make up 0.3% of the population aged 16+.

Evidence suggests that a significant number of children identified with special educational

needs associated with learning disabilities while at school are being lost to services upon

reaching adulthood. These children will have gone from receiving significant levels of

support from the school, at either school action plus or statement of SEN level, only to

receive no support outside of their family or social networks when reaching adulthood.

Based on projections, there are between 12,000 and 17,000 adults with learning disabilities

who do not access any form of statutory support, despite the high likelihood that they would

have been identified as needing support while at school.

While it is possible that they did not meet the threshold for continuing support upon leaving

school or that they are living fully independent lives without any need for additional support,

26Internal HCC data

27https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neet-data-by-local-authority-2012-16-to-18-year-olds-not-in-

education-employment-or-training


34

it is also possible that they fell through the gap between child and adult services; we don’t

necessarily know.”

The Learning Disability Needs Assessment identifies the potential cohort of young people

coming through to Adult Services as those on School Action Plus and Statements with a

primary need of either Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD), Severe Learning Difficulties

(SLD) or Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD)., Although this does not account

for children with another primary need such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder who also display

MLD, SLD or PMLD as a secondary or tertiary need and not all children identified with this

method may need support into adulthood. While this is not a perfect method it does provide

a good estimate of future need (IHAL, 2011).The 2014 School Census data suggests the

following numbers of young people in those categories at the age of 16:

POTENTIAL ADULT LD COHORT AT AGE 16 (VIA SCHOOL CENSUS)

Need Count at age16

Moderate Learning Difficulties 77 (65.3%)Severe Learning Difficulties 32 (27.1%)Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties 9 ( 7.6%)TOTAL 118

An analysis was conducted of new referrals into the Community Learning Disability Team toassess their primary SEN when they were in education, in an attempt to correlate a patternas they move into adult services. All young people aged under 23 who were referred to theservice in 2014/15 were selected for the analysis, as this cohort had the best chance ofbeing matched to the School Census records.

Out of 498 records, 367 were matched to a School Census record (73.7%). Thisdemonstrated that of this group of young people entering the service, the split by PrimarySEN was as follows:

ACTUAL ADULT LD COHORT AT AGE 16 (VIA SAMPLE 19-22 YEAR OLDS 2014/15)

Need %

MLD 38%

SLD 27%

ASD 10%

PD 9%

PMLD 6%

SLCN 5%

OTH 2%

HI 1%

SPLD 1%

MSI 1%

Further analysis below shows some details on the allocation made by the CLDT on referral,and the discrepancies with the SEN types.


35

ANALYSIS OF NEW CLDT REFERRALS WITH PRIMARY SEN (2014/15) AGES 19-22

PRIMARY SEN ON SCHOOL CENSUS

CLDT Category Count ASD HI MLD MSI OTH PD PMLD SLCN SLD SPLD

Aspergers 35 46% 26% 6% 3% 3% 11% 3% 3%LearningDisability 292 7% 1% 42% 2% 6% 6% 4% 32% 1%

Mental Illness 1 100%

No Active ClientType 1 100%OtherVulnerability 5 0% 100%PhysicalDisability 33 0% 3% 9% 12% 3% 45% 6% 0% 15% 6%

This demonstrates:

The majority (42%) of new “Learning Disability” referrals into the service had a

primary SEN of “Moderate Learning Difficulties” on the School Census. Around a

third (32%) had a primary SEN of “Severe Learning Difficulties”

Less than half (46%) of new referrals to the Aspergers team had a primary SEN of

ASD at school. Only two (2) of the remaining cohort had a Secondary SEN listed as

ASD (both primary MLD young people).

A quarter of young people later referred to the Aspergers Team had Moderate

Learning Difficulties as their Primary SEN (n=9)

Short Breaks

Community Short Breaks (Social Care)Hertfordshire County Council commissions a number of providers to deliver short breaks to

children with disability. This activity is paid for by the County Council, although providers

usually make a minimal charge to the family. An analysis of the usage of community short

breaks provision in 2013/14, found that of the children using the provisions, the majority had

a primary need of ASD28.

28Based on 1053 children where the primary need was recorded by the provider. The total number of children

recorded using the provision was 1,250.


36

2013/14 COMMUNITY SHORT BREAKS PROVISION

Below is a comparison of the raw numbers of children accessing these services in line with

the School Census data for the same year: this shows that more than half of children with

Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities access community short breaks, while around a

third of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Severe Learning Disabilities access these

services.

CYP ACCESSING COMMUNITY SHORT BREAKS BY TYPE AND NUMBER ON SCHOOL CENSUS

Primary Need

Number ofChildren

Accessing ShortBreaks (2013/14)

Number ofChildren on

School ActionPlus or Statement

with this Need(2013/14)

% accessingcommunity short

breaks

PMLD 64 116 55.2%

ASD 451 1342 33.6%

SLD 123 420 29.3%

MLD 159 2061 7.7%

SPLD 39 1732 2.3%

SLCN 35 2407 1.5%

BESD 43 3139 1.4%

Adult Short Break ServicesHCC’s Health and Community Services deliver a range of in-house and externally

commissioned short break services and day opportunities for people with learning

disabilities.

A snapshot of usage data from 2014/15 shows very low numbers of young adults accessing

commissioned services. The youngest service users are aged 21. However, it should be

noted that this does not include a count of young people making use of direct payments to

buy alternative activities, of which there are a number. The table below shows that new

young people entering the service are taking up direct payments rather than accessing the

commissioned service on the whole.

42.8%

15.1%

11.7%

6.3% 6.1%4.5% 4.1% 3.7% 3.3%

1.2% 0.6% 0.4% 0.3%0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%


37

YOUNG ADULTS ACCESSING ADULT SHORT BREAKS/DAY OPPORTUNITIES 14/15 BY SINGLE AGE SPLIT BY

DIRECT PAYMENTS AND NON DIRECT PAYMENT SERVICE USERS (AS AT APRIL 2015)

It should also be noted that the eligibility criteria for adult short break services is different to

that of children’s short break services, and contributions expected from families and service

users is higher, although it is based on an assessment process.

Residential Short BreaksHertfordshire County Council commissions a number of residential provisions for disabled

children and young people. In addition, the two Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups

jointly commission a provider to deliver residential short breaks provision to children and

young people with complex health needs (Nascot Lawn in West Hertfordshire)

The majority of those using the HCC commissioned services are those whose primary need

is ASD and/or Challenging Behaviour, with 1 in 5 service users having Complex Health

Needs as their primary need.

RESIDENTIAL SHORT BREAKS COHORT 2014/15

Need HCCProvisions

% ofusers

NHSProvisions

% ofusers

ASD / Challenging Behaviour 84 52% 0 0%Complex Health Needs 32 20% 50 100%Other Difficulty / Disability 46 28% 0 0%

It should be noted that HCC commissioned provision provide a service to 32 children and

young people with complex health needs – a cohort which may be better served in the NHS

provision, Nascot Lawn, which is in West Hertfordshire. This seems to particularly the case

in the East and North of the County.

To put that into context, there is only one person in the Social Care commissioned service in

West Hertfordshire that has a Complex Health need identified as their primary need.

Conversely on the other side of the county, there are currently 31 children using Overnight

Short Break services that have a Complex Health need identified as their primary need with

23 of these attending the social care commissioned services in East Herts, and only 8

travelling to Nascot Lawn. Of course, individual needs of children are a factor and may be an

influence here.

10

51

3744 44 39 38

44

6

31

24 2725

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Non DP

DP


38

Overall, the number of children and young people accessing residential short breaks in

Hertfordshire has shown a pattern of decline year on year. This is partly due to residential

short breaks increasingly being viewed as a “last resort” provision, and also a strategic move

as feedback from parents and carers shows that residential short breaks are the least

preferred type of short break provision for families29.

NUMBER OF CYP ACCESSING HCC RESIDENTIAL SHORT BREAKS 2011-15

HousingAn analysis of new referrals into the Community Learning Disability Service in 2014/15 (for

those aged 19-22) shows that the majority of service users are living with family/friends

(75%) or as a tenant (7.8%). This analysis demonstrated that during the year, 19 referrals

were living in supported accommodation.

HOUSING SITUATION OF CLDT REFERRALS 2014-15 (AGE 19-22)

Housing Type Count %

Settled mainstream housing with family/friends 370 75.7%

Tenant – Local Authority / Arms Length Management Organisation / RegisteredSocial Landlord / Housing Association 38 7.8%

Supported accommodation / Supported lodgings / Supported group home 19 3.9%

Registered Care Home 18 3.7%

Other Temporary Accommodation 13 2.7%

Placed in temporary accommodation by Local Authority 9 1.8%

Adult placement scheme 5 1.0%

Owner Occupier / Shared ownership scheme 4 0.8%

Staying with family / friends as a short term guest 4 0.8%

Registered Nursing Home 3 0.6%

Night shelter / emergency hostel / direct access hostel 2 0.4%

Acute / long stay healthcare residential facility or hospital 1 0.2%

Mobile accommodation for Gypsy/Roma and Traveller community 1 0.2%

Sheltered Housing / Extra care sheltered housing / Other sheltered housing 1 0.2%

Tenant – Private Landlord 1 0.2%

29Short Breaks Review (HCC, 2013)

380

242

193

152

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15


39

Appendix 1: Glossary of TermsADHD Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity DisorderASD Autistic Spectrum DisordersBESD Behaviour, Emotional and Social DifficultiesBME Black & Minority EthnicCAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health ServiceCCG Clinical Commissioning GroupChiMat Child & Maternal Health ObservatoryCLA Children Looked AfterCLDT Community Learning Disability TeamCYP Children and Young PeopleDfE Department for EducationDH Department of HealthDLA Disability Living AllowanceECM Every Child MattersEHCP Education, Health and Care PlanENCCG East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning GroupFE Further EducationFSM Free School MealsHCC Hertfordshire County CouncilHCT Hertfordshire Community NHS TrustHE Higher EducationHI Hearing ImpairmentHPFT Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation TrustHVCCG Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning GroupIHAL Improving Health and Lives Learning Disabilities ObservatoryIMD Index of Multiple DeprivationKS2 Key Stage 2KS4 Key Stage 4LA Local AuthorityLAC Looked After ChildrenLAIT Local Authority Information ToolLDD Learning Difficulties and /or DisabilitiesLD Learning DisabilityMH Mental HealthMLD Moderate Learning DifficultyMSI Multi-Sensory ImpairmentNEET Not in Education, Training or EmploymentNHS National Health ServiceONS Office for National StatisticsOT Occupational TherapyPCHI Permanent Childhood Hearing ImpairmentPD Physical DisabilityPMLD Profound and Multiple Learning DifficultyPT PhysiotherapySALT Speech and Language TherapySAP School Action PlusSEN Special Educational NeedsSENCO Special Educational Needs Co-OrdinatorSLCN Speech, Language and Communication NeedsSLD Severe Learning DifficultySPLD Specific Learning DifficultyTCRU Thomas Coram Research UnitVI Visual Impairment

jsna profile: children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs … · 2018. 8....

Documents