SEND Reform in West Berkshire

Briefings for parents, schools and practitioners July 2014

What will be covered

Overview of SEND Reforms and underlying principles – Jane Seymour

The new Education Health and Care assessment process & EHC Plans – Jane Seymour

Conversion of existing Statements to EHC Plans – Nicola Ponton/Tina Norton/Lucy Baker-Smith

QUESTIONS

The Children & Families Act 2014

Reform of systems and processes for meeting needs of children with SEN & Disabilities (SEND) arise from Children & Families Act 2014

Takes effect 1st September 2014 Detail is contained in the “SEN & Disability Code

of Practice: 0 to 25 years”, June 2014 There are also several sets of regulations which

accompany The Children & Families Act

Key principles of SEND Reforms

Child and family at the centre of assessment, planning, decision making – “person centred” approaches

More choice and control for families More flexible and creative solutions,

personalised to the individual

Key principles of SEND Reforms

High aspirations for young people with SEND Effective collaboration between agencies Holistic, joined up planning Focus on outcomes including long term life

outcomes

Life outcomes for young people with SEND

Paid employment, wherever possible Living as independently as possible Optimum physical and mental health Friends and relationships Being part of community

Overview of SEND Reforms

School Action & School Action Plus replaced by one SEN category - SEN Support

Local Authorities must publish a “Local Offer” setting out all services available for children with SEND and their families

Statementing process replaced by Education Health and Care Assessments/ EHC Plans

Families have right to request a Personal Budget as part of EHC Plan

Overview of SEND Reforms cont.

LAs have responsibility for young people with SEND up to age 25 – FE Colleges come within same legislation as schools

Young people with SEND over compulsory school age have legal rights previously held by parents

Information, advice & guidance services (Parent Partnership) must be offered to children with SEND as well as their parents

Overview of SEND Reforms cont.

Information, advice & guidance services must cover health and social care as well as SEN

Children and young people must be offered advocacy service where needed

Increased requirements on LAs to offer disagreement resolution and mediation services

More joint commissioning of services across education, social care and health

QUESTIONS???

EHC Assessment Process

A new process for EHC Assessments has been developed with parents, schools and other agencies

This will replace the statementing process from 1st September 2014

The criteria for EHC Assessment are essentially same as for statementing

Process will be led by EHC Assessment Coordinators (3 new appointments)

EHC Assessment Process – how will it be different?

Much more involvement of child and parents throughout whole process

Holistic assessment and plan – covering education, health and care needs and provision

EHC Plan will look and feel very different from a Statement – more accessible and user friendly

Must be completed in 20 weeks (currently 26)

EHC Assessment Process

Parent / school requests EHC Assessment Parent is sent “We want to tell you…” pack and

offered support to complete Covers 6 areas: communication, learning,

behaviour & emotions, health, everyday life, family & community

Information requested from school (if not a school request)

Decision re whether EHC Assessment needed

EHC Assessment Process

If decision is not to proceed, SEN Manager/Assistant Manager meets family with school and other professionals to plan support

If EHC assessment agreed, Assessment Coordinator allocated to family

Assessment Coordinator meets family and reviews “We want to tell you…” document to ensure child and parents’ views fully represented, including desired outcomes

EHC Assessment Process

Assessment Coordinator agrees with family what assessments are needed by which professionals

Professional reports requested – 6 week timescale

Assessment Coordinator ensures all professionals providing reports liaise with one another to avoid duplication and do joint visits / assessments where appropriate

EHC Assessment Process

Assessments are completed Assessment Coordinator discusses reports with

parents and offers meeting if needed EHC Panel considers reports and allocates

indicative budgets EHC Planning meeting held involving family,

school & other professionals - chaired by EHC Assessment Coordinator

Assessment Coordinator drafts EHC Plan

EHC Assessment Process

Draft EHC Plan issued, including any direct payments if requested / agreed

Draft EHC Plan must be issued within 16 weeks of EHC request (no school named at this stage)

Further discussion with parents if needed Final EHC Plan issued (with school named) Whole process must be completed within 20

weeks

Personal Budgets

A “personal budget” is the total resource spent on a young person, some of which may be given as a “direct payment” (cash)

Families will be able to request a direct payment for the education, health and/or care aspects of the EHC Plan

Direct payments are already given in some cases for families to purchase social care provision (children’s and adults’ services)

Personal budgets

Criteria for SEN direct payments are being developed – requests will be considered case by case

Health are also developing processes for health Personal Budgets / Direct Payments – will only apply to children who meet Continuing Healthcare Criteria

EHC Plan

“Xxxxxx’s Plan” + photo (if child / parents wish) Contents page One page profile at beginning – what others like

about me/ what is important to me/ how best to support me/ my hopes for the future

Strengths, difficulties & desired outcomes – communication, learning, behaviour & emotions, health, everyday life, family & community (in table format)

EHC PlanArea of need Strengths Difficulties Outcomes

1. Communication

2. Learning & Development

3. Behaviour and emotions

4. Health

5. Everyday life

6. Family & Community

EHC PlanOutcome What needs to

happen (provision)

Quantity, frequency, duration

Who is responsible

Start date

EHC Plan

Name of educational placement Type of placement EHC Funding including any Direct Payments Review arrangements Signature Appendices

EHC Plans

Will specify health and social care provision as well as SEN provision

Only SEN provision is subject to appeal to SEN Tribunal

Parents must consider mediation before going to Tribunal

Parents can go to mediation about health and care aspects of EHC Plan or follow normal complaint processes if in disagreement

Reviews of EHC Plans

Will be subject to Annual Reviews which will be carried out by schools on behalf of Local Authority (as now)

Annual Reviews of EHC Plans from Year 9 must consider transition to adulthood

Young person can have an EHC Plan in FE College, (or apprenticeship or traineeship) but not in Higher Education

QUESTIONS???