Community Impact Assessment Form
For a summary of this Community Impact Assessment, click here
Title of Community Impact Assessment (CIA): Children and Families Bill – Local Offer
Directorate:
Children’s Services
Date of assessment:
Names and roles of people carrying out the community impact assessment. (Please identify Lead Officer):
Section A – What are you impact assessing?
(Indicate with an “x” which applies):A decision to review or change a service
A strategy
A policy or procedure
A function, service or project
X
Are you impact assessing something that is?:New
Existing
Being reviewed
Being reviewed as a result of budget constraints
X
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Describe the area you are impact assessing and, where appropriate, the changes you are proposing?
The Children and Families Act April 2014 aims to improve services for vulnerable children and support strong families. It will underpin wider reforms to ensure
that all children and young people can succeed, no matter what their background. The Act will reform the systems for adoption, looked after children, family
justice and special educational needs. It will encourage growth in the childcare sector, introduce a new system of shared parental leave and ensure children in
England have a strong advocate for their rights.
This Community Impact Assessment will look specifically at Part 3 of the Act which comes into force on 1st September 2014. This part of the Act introduces a new
SEN code of practice and looks at the system for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), including those who are disabled. The Act will
extend the SEN system from birth to 25, giving children, young people and their parent’s greater control and choice in decisions and ensuring needs are properly
met. It will:

replace old statements with a new birth- to-25 education, health and care plan (EHC) so that children’s special educational needs are picked up early and
support is routinely put in place quickly;

offer families personal budgets;

Improve cooperation between all the services that support children and their families, requiring local authorities and health authorities to work together.
There are 5 key areas covered by this Community Impact Assessment, they are:
1. Local Offer
2. The Education, Health and Care Plan
3. Personal budgets
4. Transitions
5. Planning & Commissioning
This Community Impact assessments will cover the following area:
1. Local Offer: Salford City Council following requirements of the Children and Families Act has developed a Local Offer for children and young people with special
educational needs. The Local Offer will provide information on the range of help, support and activities for children and young people with special educational
needs or a disability, with all the information will be in one, accessible place.
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Section B – Is a Community Impact Assessment required (Screening)?
Consider what you are impact assessing and mark “x” for all the statement(s) below which apply
Service or policy that people use or which apply to people (this could include staff)
Discretion is exercised or there is potential for people to experience different outcomes. For example,
planning applications and whether applications are approved or not
Concerns at local, regional or national level of discrimination/inequalities
Major change, such as closure, reduction, removal or transfer
Community, regeneration and planning strategies, organisational or directorate partnership
strategies/plans
Employment policy – where discretion is not exercised
Employment policy – where discretion is exercised. For example, recruitment or disciplinary process
X
If none of the areas above apply to your proposals, you will not be required to undertake a full CIA. Please summarise below why a full
CIA is not required and send this form to your directorate equality link officer. If you have identified one or more of the above areas, you
should conduct a full CIA and complete this form.
Equality Areas
Indicate with an “x” which equality areas are likely to be affected, positively or negatively, by the proposals
Age
X
Religion and/or belief
Disability
X
Sexual Identity
Gender (including pregnancy and maternity and
marriage and civil partnership)
People on a low income (socio-economic inequality)
Gender reassignment
Other (please state below) (For example carers, ex
offenders, refugees and asylum seekers, gypsies and
travellers)
Parents and carers
Race
X
If any of the equality areas above have been identified as being likely to be affected by the proposals, you will be required to undertake a
CIA. You will need only to consider those areas which you have indicated are likely to be affected by the proposals
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Section C – Monitoring information
C1 Do you currently monitor by the
following protected characteristics or
equality areas?
Age
Yes (Y) or
No (N)
If no, please explain why and / or detail in the action plan at Section E how
you will prioritise the gathering of this equality monitoring data.
Y
Disability
Y
Gender (including pregnancy and
maternity and marriage and civil
partnership)
Gender Reassignment
N
Race
N
Religion and/or belief
N
Sexual Identity
N
People on a low income
(socio-economic inequality)
N
N
Y
Parents and carers
Other (please state) (For example
carers, ex offenders, refugees and
asylum seekers, gypsies and travellers)
Section C (continued) – Consultation
C2 Are you intending to carry out consultation on your proposals?
Consultations have taken place – please see below
If “yes”, please give details of your consultation exercise and results below
Consultation Summary: As part of the Children’s and Families Act local authorities must involve young people with SEN or disabilities and their parents in:



Planning the content of the Local Offer
Deciding how to publish the Local Offer
Reviewing the Local Offer, including by enabling them to make comments
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Children & Families Act 2014 – Parent Consultation: As part of the Children & Families Act, Children’s Services consulted with parents and carers about the
proposals, specifically around the area of children and young people with special educational needs. The consultation options were as follows: an On-line survey;
paper based questionnaire; and the option for Commissioning Officers to visit groups to gather feedback. The link to the on-line survey was also circulated via the
EIP Parenting Team and SENCO’s to ensure a wide reaching consultation.
Groups consulted:
 Salford Action for Families with Autism (SAFA)
 Marlborough Road Academy - parents Group
 Alder Brook Primary - parents group
 Salford Carers Centre - parents group
 Governor Services – SEN parent governors
 Springwood School – parents group
 Oakwood Academy – parents group
 JADDS – Jewish parent support group
Summary:
 Children & Families Act: The majority of the parents consulted were aware of the changes to SEN provision.
 Impact of changes: parents were concerned about the changes to SEN Statements, there is a feeling that any changes to statements could have a huge
impact on their children not getting the support needed.
 Accessing information: Information from both websites and the LA was the most popular way of finding information; word of mouth; attending parent
groups and forums; having an allocated Social Worker.
 Recommendations to improve information: feedback was that the information did need to be improved, that it was quite difficult to access information.
Suggestions included - designated, more accessible websites; notice-boards at schools and GP’s; newsletter; one central place for the information with full
contact details listed; information shared through schools
 What services would you like to be available: Feedback covered the following - more connection between social care and other SEN services; more
support for children in settings; social interaction for teenagers; activities for my child to do at the weekends without parent / carer; more youth clubs and
out of school activities.
 Personal budgets: There was a mixed response as to whether parents would apply for a personal budget, with similar numbers of parents saying they
would make an application, and those saying they wouldn’t. Of those people interested in making an application, it was seen as a very positive move,
allowing more control, as parents they understand exactly what their children need and are best placed to make those decisions.
 Involvement in designing/developing services: The majority of the parents consulted are interested in being involved with the development of services
and the EHC plans, and would prefer to be involved throughout the whole process, to ensure they have their say.
 Child friendly version of the EHC plan: Overwhelmingly the response was that a child friendly plan should be produced but aimed at high school age
children.
 How old would your child need to be before you were comfortable with professionals speaking to them about their needs without you or another
carer/ parent being there: The majority of parents did not want any professionals speaking to their children without them being present, they were
concerned that their children would just agree to anything without fully understanding what was being discussed.
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Local Offer Consultation: An initial review was undertaken to understand the views and opinions on what information parents and young people want to see in
Salford City Council’s (SCC) Local Offer and how they would want this to be presented. The consultation exercise will ensure that SCC will provide the right
information, and understand what services they want and need to know about, to help them make choices to improve the support and information they receive.
A number of groups, organisations and forums were invited to participate in the co-production of the initial consultatation exercise for SCC Local Offer, the
organisations which responded and have been involved include the following:
 ADHD parent group
 Belvedere Sensory group
 Buile Hill High School
 B’yachad
 Connexions
 Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service
 Eccles College
 Irlam and Cadishead parents special needs group
 JSENSE
 Larkhill Children Can Shine Group
 Oakwood Academy
 Salford Family Forum
 Springwood School Parents Group
 TAG (Teenage to Adult Group age 16-22)
 Youth Services Disability Group
Interim Summary: The consultation has identified what details parents / carers want to know about services, the key points raised by the consultations are:
 Easily accessible information
 All information written in plain English
 Information is kept up to date
 Clearly states eligibility criteria and contact details
Section C (continued) – Analysis
C3 What information has been analysed to
inform the content of this CIA? What were
the findings?
Please include details of, for example,
service or employee monitoring information,
consultation findings, any national or local
research, customer feedback, inspection
Along with the consultations a working group was established with representation covering key services with
the local authority and the CCG.
Local Offer Consultation
Interim Summary: The consultation has identified what details parents want to know about services, which
means that the changes to the Service Directory can now proceed as scheduled, along with the issue of
templates to providers. Further analysis to extract common themes and majority views will be carried out
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reports, and any other information which will
inform your CIA.
Please specify whether this was existing
information or was obtained specifically in
relation to this equality analysis and CIA
process
when the consultation exercise has been completed in late June. However it is already clear to see that
parents and young people need all information to be:





Easily accessible to all – consider language /visual and/or hearing impairment
Written in plain English
Up to date
Contain clear contact details and eligibility criteria
User testing by parents and young people on other Local Offer online content resulted in positive
feedback on Trafford’s site and they liked the facility to search by age/category and need.
Section D – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact relating
Yes No
to age equality
Will people within certain age ranges not be getting the
N
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
analysis?
outcome they need?
Will people within certain age ranges be disadvantaged as a
result of your proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory on the
grounds of age?
Will the proposals mean that people within certain age ranges
will experience positive outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion?
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
Identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
The Local Offer provides information and support for all children and young
people with SEND aged 0-25, and the proposed changes will impact positively
on children and young people with SEND within this age range.
Y
N
Section D (continued) – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact relating
Yes No
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
to disability equality
analysis?
Will people with a disability not be getting the outcome they
N
need?
Will people with a disability be disadvantaged as a result of
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your proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory on the
grounds of disability?
Will the proposals mean that people with a disability will
experience positive outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion?
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
Identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
In response to the changes, the local authority will provide information on what
provision is available locally in one place, improving the choice for families, with
clear information on criteria and eligibility. The Local Offer will provide
information on all services available – universal, targeted and specialist.
Y
The proposed changes will also increase the choice and control of what services
are accessed by children, young people and their families.
Services and providers will be able to plan more integrated approaches,
informed by a comprehensive description of provision across partners, and to
provide better value for money through improvements in commissioning.
Y
Section D (continued) – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact relating
Yes No
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
to gender equality (this includes pregnancy and
analysis?
maternity and marriage and civil partnership)
Will men, women or boys and girls not be getting the
N
outcome they need?
Will men, women or boys and girls be disadvantaged as a
result of your proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory on the
grounds of gender?
Will the proposals mean that men or women, boys or girls will
experience positive outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion?
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
Identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
N
N
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Section D (continued) – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact relating
Yes No
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
to equality for people planning, undergoing or who have
analysis?
undergone gender reassignment?
Will people planning, undergoing or who have undergone
N
gender reassignment not be getting the outcome they need?
Will people planning, undergoing or who have undergone
gender reassignment be disadvantaged as a result of your
proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory on the
grounds of gender reassignment?
N
Will the proposals mean that people planning, undergoing or
who have undergone gender reassignment will experience
positive outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion?
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
Identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
N
Section D (continued) – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact relating
Yes No
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
to race equality
analysis?
Will certain racial groups not be getting the outcome they
N
need?
Will certain racial groups be disadvantaged as a result of your
proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory on the
grounds of race?
Will the proposals mean that people within certain racial
groups will experience positive outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
N
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Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion?
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
Identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
N
Section D (continued) – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact relating
to religion or belief equality
Yes
Will people of certain religions or who have particular beliefs
not be getting the outcome they need?
Will people of certain religions or who have particular beliefs
be disadvantaged as a result of your proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory on the
grounds of religion or belief?
Will the proposals mean that people of certain religions or
who have particular beliefs will experience positive
outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion?
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
Identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
Y
No
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
analysis?
The consultation within the Orthodox Jewish community has highlighted some
potential areas of impact. There will be a need to ensure that there is adequate
provision available that is culturally sensitive and appropriate.
N
N
Section D (continued) – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact relating
Yes No
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
to sexual identity equality
analysis?
Will gay, lesbian and/or bi-sexual people not be getting the
N
outcome they need?
Will gay, lesbian and/or bi-sexual people be disadvantaged
as a result of your proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory on the
grounds of sexual identity?
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Will the proposals mean that gay, lesbian and/or bi-sexual
people will experience positive outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
N
Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion?
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
Identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
N
Section D (continued) – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact on
Yes No
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
socio economic equality (people on a low income)?
analysis?
Will people on a low income not be getting the outcome they
N
need?
Will people on a low income be disadvantaged as a result of
your proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory on the
grounds of socio economic inequality?
Will the proposals mean that people on a low income will
experience positive outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion?
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
Identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
N
N
Section D (continued) – Potential impacts and how these will be addressed
Could your proposals have a differential impact relating
Yes No
Explain impact(s) and what evidence or data exists to support your
to any other equality groups, for example, carers, ex
analysis?
offenders, refugees and asylum seekers, gypsies
and travellers)?
Will people within any other groups not be getting the
Parents and Carers: The reforms are about changes in the ways that education,
Y
outcome they need?
Will people within any other groups be disadvantaged as a
result of your proposals?
If the impact is negative, how will it be reduced or eliminated?
If you are unable to eliminate, reduce or mitigate negative
health and social care professionals work with children, young people and
families and in the ways they work with each other.
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impacts, are your proposals potentially discriminatory for
people within any other groups?
Will the proposals mean that people within any other groups
will experience positive outcomes?
Highlight any positive impacts
Are the proposals likely to impact on community cohesion
Parent: The reforms are about strengthening protections and ensuring parents
and carers have greater control over the services they and their family use. The
system should ensure that they know what they can reasonably expect their
local school, local college, local authority and local services to provide.
Y
Is there potential to enhance relationships between people
who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?
identify areas where there is potential to foster good relations
N
Section E – Action Plan and review
Detail in the plan below, actions that you have identified in your CIA, which will eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity
and/or foster good relations.
If you are unable to eliminate or reduce negative impact on any of the equality areas, you should explain why
Impact (positive or
negative) identified
Proposed action
Person(s)
responsible
Where will action
be monitored? (e.g.,
Target date
Required outcome
As required
Completed CIA and
annual review of action
plan
Directorate Business
Plan, Service Plan,
Equality Action Plan)
The Children and Families Act
– The Local Offer CIA has
identified impacts, both
negative and positive.
The Children and Families Act
will come into effect from 1st
September 2014, and will
transform the way that
services in relations to
children and young people
with SEND will be delivered.
Salford City
Council, Salford
Clinical
Commissioning
Group
To be identified
Could making the changes in any of the above areas have a negative effect on other groups? Explain why and what you will do about
this.
Review
Your CIA should be reviewed at least every three years, less if it has a significant impact on people.
Please enter the date your CIA will be reviewed ……………………..You should review progress on your CIA action plan annually.
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Section F – Summary of your CIA
As your CIA will be published on the council’s website and accessible to the general public, a summary of your CIA is required. Please
provide a summary of your CIA in the box below.
Summary of Community Impact Assessment
Brief summary of proposal or what you are impact assessing
Salford City Council following requirements of the Children and Families Act has developed a Local Offer for children and young people with special educational
needs. The Local Offer will provide information on the range of help, support and activities for children and young people with special educational needs or a
disability, with all the information will be in one, accessible place.
How did you approach the CIA and what did you find?
Early consultations took place to gain an understanding of what parents / carers knowledge of the children and Families Act, the development of a multiagency working group to lead the implementation of the Education, Health and Care Plans brought together professionals to progress the changes. Due to the
time restraints there was limited consultation with children, young people and their families, however, the changes implemented will be reviewed on a regular
basis to ensure that the changes do not discriminate or impact on the target group.
What are the main areas requiring further attention?
In order to be compliant with the Children and Families Act 2014 the local authority needs to develop a local policy and clear communication detailing the
changes of the Children and Families Act, ensuring that the Local Offer information is accessible and updated on a regular basis.
The recommendation from central government is to produce an annual publication following the implementation of the Local Offer; however in Salford the aim
is to do the review after 6 months. Additionally there will be further consultations with children, young people and their families to gather their feedback on
the Local offer, and to potentially identify additional formats e.g. audio versions.
Summary of recommendations for improvement
All policy and commissioning activity that results as a consequence of the Children and Families Act will undergo a CIA to eliminate discrimination and ensure
that services meet the needs of the target group.
Section G – Next Steps
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Quality Assurance
When you have completed your CIA, you should send it to your directorate Equality Link Officer who will arrange for it to be quality
assured. Your CIA will be returned to you if further work is required. It is important that your CIA is robust and of good quality as it may
be challenged
“Sign off” within your directorate
Your directorate Equality Link Officer will then arrange for your CIA to be “signed off” within your directorate (see below). Your directorate
Equality Lead Officer or other senior manager within your directorate should “sign off” your CIA (below).
Name
Signature
Date
Senior Manager
Eileen Buchan
11/09/14
Lead CIA Officer
Publishing
When your CIA has been signed off within your directorate, your directorate Equality Link Officer will send it to Elaine Barber in the
Equalities and Cohesion Team for publishing on the council’s website.
Monitoring
Your directorate Equality Link Officer will also send your CIA to your directorate Performance Officer where the actions identified within
your CIA will be entered into Covalent, the council’s performance management monitoring software so that progress can be monitored
as appropriate.
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