Evaluation of the SEND Pathfinder Programme:
Early Findings
June 2012
1
Outline
 The findings reported
 Are based on the first monitoring returns provided by all
Pathfinder sites
 Are sites own perceptions of progress
=
Development
not yet begun
=
Early stage
development
Movement left to right within the
diagrams indicates increasing
progress
=
Partial
development
=
Full
implementation
=
Already in place
prior to the
Pathfinder
 Cover the period to the end of March 2012
 Are based around the Common Delivery Framework (CDF),
which sets out a series of themes and elements which it was
anticipated each Pathfinder would need to address
 Will be updated quarterly based on future monitoring
submissions
2
Pathfinder progress setting up governance
structures by end of March 2012
 Substantial progress setting up governance structures
A clear set
Developme
of
Project
nt of a
objectives Board/Gove
project
have been
rnance
plan?
agreed
Structure
 Three quarters of areas (22) had their board or governance
structure fully in place
 Two thirds (19) had agreed a clear set of Pathfinder objectives
Quarter 4
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
Quarter 3
0
5
10
15
20
25
Number of Pathfinder areas
Development not yet begun
Early stage development
Partial development
Full implementation
Already in place prior to becoming a Pathfinder
3
Stakeholder engagement
There is a group of stakeholders that are
common to almost all sites
…but also some less represented than
might expect – but may reflect local
focus / circumstances
Good progress on staffing… but more mixed on
other developments
 Almost all areas had a designated
Pathfinder lead in place, and three
quarters had a nominated project
manager
 Wider restructuring had caused
issues in some areas
 Leads and Project Managers most
often from education or a
multiagency background
 Most areas reported that they had
at least partially developed
commitment from education (28),
social care (25) and health (25) to
share resources signalling some
collective responsibility
 Far fewer had secured resource
for the resultant service provision
 Most of the Pathfinder areas had
started to consider the
development of their approaches
to change management, market
development and the local
 … but many still perceived
themselves to be in the early
stages of developing these
elements
4
5
Parent-carer and VCS involvement in the
development of the Pathfinder
Engagement
of a
representatio
n of children Engagement Engagement
and young
of parent of the VCS in
people in the carers in the
the
development development development
of the
of the
of the
Pathfinder Pathfinder Pathfinder
 Pathfinder areas had made good progress in terms of engaging the VCS and
parent/carers in the development of the Pathfinder
 Although the majority of areas were still in the early stages (or had not yet
begun) engaging children and young people in this development
Quarter 4
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
Quarter 3
0
5
10
15
20
25
Number of Pathfinder areas
Development not yet begun
Early stage development
Partial development
Full implementation
Already in place prior to becoming a Pathfinder
6
Overall it is a mixed picture across the areas
 19 judged at least a third of the 16 progress measures to be fully in place
 13 were still in the early stages of developing (or had not yet begun) a third of
their progress measures
Progress engaging and involving families and
young people to participate in the Pathfinder
 Most had begun to consider raising awareness with
families and young people
 … but few had done so
 As a result the numbers recruited to the end of March
were very small
 By early June the number recruited had risen to 129 –
but heavily dependent on one site
 The vast majority of those recruited were already in
receipt of SEN support
 … and 80% receiving specialist health support
7
8
Progress setting up the Pathfinder infrastructure
 By the end of March 2012 all Pathfinder areas had begun to develop
their assessment and single plan pathway
 Around half of the areas had reached ‘partial development’ of the
assessment pathway and were considering
 A set of assessments (by different agencies) being brought together – 12 of 14
areas
 Single assessment episode supplemented by ad hoc specialist assessments – 8
of 14 areas
 The most common planning approaches being considered by the 14
areas were
 Single planning events
 The use of a planning coordinator to create the plan with the family and liaise
with professionals from relevant agencies to obtain their input
 Relatively few had progressed personal budgets, information
sharing or risk management
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Key conclusions and implications
CONCLUSIONS
All areas had set up a Project
Board/Governance structure,
which included engagement from
the following stakeholders
• IMPLICATIONS
• How to engage the stakeholders that have proven to be more
difficult to engage or that may not be linked to the immediate target
group, but will play a part in the development of a 0-25 yrs approach
• How to ensure accountability of the resource that is required for the
service packages
The majority of areas had a
• The extent to which operational staff had been actively engaged in
designated Lead and a Project the development of the Pathfinders was unclear
• Change management of operational staff will be crucial, and needs
Manager in post
progressed to fit with family recruitment
Around half of the areas
reporting they had at least
reached the partial
development stage of their
assessment and single plan
pathway
• How areas can scale up their developing approach for the whole 025 yrs and for existing and new cases post the Pathfinder
• To date most recruitment has been of families already in receipt of
services
• There is less progress on personal budgets and information sharing
10
Contact
Graham Thom
Meera Prabhakar
Director
Senior Consultant
SQW
SQW
t. 07766 916897
t. 07715 071574
e. gthom@sqw.co.uk
e. mprabhakar@sqw.co.uk
w. www.sqw.co.uk
w. www.sqw.co.uk