“Transforming the Landscape in
SEN provision”
Our Regional Journey so far!
Jeannette Essex,
Solihull Champion Pathfinder
Lead and
Julie McCarthy, Headteacher,
Coppice Junior School
Aims of this Session
 To improve your understanding of EHCP Plans and the
assessment process – what could that look like in
reality?
 To promote culture change: child and family focus;
planning for whole life outcomes
 To further develop your understanding of the Local Offer
and how that transcribes to educational settings (0-25)
 To identify any further collaborative activity you might
find useful – using the Champion Pathfinder and national
resources
170 school days
(34 weeks) Implementation of the
next Code!
AND IN THE BEGINNING
THE REVISED SEN CODE OF
PRACTICE
A 32 Year Journey!!
Reflection: SEN - the story
so far…..

1980 Categories of Handicap Blind
Epileptic
Partially Sighted
Maladjusted
Deaf
Physical Handicap
Partially Hearing
Speech Defect
Educationally Sub -normal (M/S)
Delicate
SEN - the story so far….

Education Act 1981 - introduced
 Concept of Special Educational Need



Statementing Procedures
Parental Appeals heard locally
Education Act 1993 -
 SEN Code Of Practice (1994)


Parental Appeals heard by Tribunal
Parent Partnership Services
SEN - the story so far….

The SEN and Disability Act 2001 -

Revised SEN Code of Practice
Strengthened right to mainstream

Disagreement Resolution Service


Disability Discrimination Duties
SEN/Disability Tribunal (SENDIST)
SEN CoP - Fundamental
Principles
child with SEN should have needs met.
 needs normally met in mainstream.
 child’s views sought /taken into account.
 parents have a vital role to play.
 children with SEN should access a
broad, balanced and relevant education,
including Foundation/N.C.

Critical Success Factors
Culture, practice, management and use
of resources in school are designed to
ensure all children’s needs are met.
 LEAs, schools/settings work together to
ensure early identification of SEN.
 LEAs and schools should exploit
good/best practice when devising
interventions for pupils with SEN.

Critical Success Factors
child’s wishes taken into account,
according to age/understanding.
 work in partnership with parents.
 interventions are reviewed regularly.
 involved agencies co-operate closely.
 LEAs assess in prescribed time limits.
 statements must be clear, timely and
reviewed at least annually.

Some changed emphases All teachers are teachers of SEN
 Fuller description of SENCO role
 Four broad areas of need
 School Action/ Plus
 School/Parental request - time-scales
 School request refused- parental appeal
 More on outcomes -less on procedures
 Pupil participation

Some changed emphases Mainstream expectation
 Working together
 Crisper IEPs
 Pupil participation
 Parent Partnership
 LEA/School accountability

SOME TENSIONS
Performance Tables and Inclusion
 Pupils with BESD difficulties
 Target Setting
 Resources!
 Parental views about achievement
 Governors’ views about achievement
 Partnership working

A school’s perspective
? Most radical reform in over 30 years –
really!
? Or is this mainly an affirmation of what you
are already doing (or should be doing) – if
not, what are the ‘radical’ differences
? Is the real challenge for you, what takes
place between schools and the LA or what
takes place in your school now
What SENCOs have shared
• Not enough time to do the job
• No idea what funds are available in school
for SEN
• Not able to influence the SLT
• Inconsistencies in practice between
schools
• Isolating role – need to know what is
available to help
EHCP – aka The Single Plan
Principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
Person centred
Outcome focused
Co-produced
Extending choice and control
Some local determination - portability
Cross-agency co-operation (duty to cooperate)
• Joint commissioning
Where we are
 Referral to final – 16
weeks
 Families at the centre of
the process
 Gathering information –
family conversation
 Key worker - includes
SENCO
 Referral is front loaded
Where we are
• Medicals – questionnaire system (for
Statements too)
• Triage system – allocate Plan Co-ordinator
• Direct communications with the family ongoing (how would you like us to communicate
with you?)
• Assessment for purpose
• Single plan incorporates personal budget
• Plans written in collaboration with family
• Exemplar ‘Ivor Goodplan’
Where we are
• Examples of young people writing their own
plans for FE
• Challenges in securing health provisions ongoing
• CCG transferred some key commissioning
roles to the LA, which may help
• Short breaks contract ended – supports
choice and control through direct payment
• Plans and commissioning are linked
Where we are
• 50 completed plans in system
• Schools are keen to refer for EHC rather than
Statement
• Families prefer the plan and pressure to
convert
• Skill set different – structure will change
• Plan co-ordinator’s role is broader – so need
to have reduced casework
• Outward facing – champions for children
• Provision co-ordinator will be a separate role
Where we are
• Now live – full impact in September
• Significant training implications
• Hard to re-frame relationships and not tell
families what they need!
• Raises expectations need to be managed
• Social care colleagues very responsive
• Education only plans – specificity ‘rattling’
some schools
Where we are
• Reviews – principle of ‘working plan’ sitting
alongside statutory plan, so review is on-going.
Amendments formally considered at least once
a year, but no bureaucratic reviews necessary
• Do not under-estimate the necessary culture
change - this is the fundamental radical change!
It’s the subtleties that make the difference
• System is person centred, child and family
focused – how do you achieve that culture
change in 34 weeks?
Summary
• Target most severe and complex needs
• Child and family focused
• Key working principles – SENCOs may be
best placed to conduct a ‘family
conversation’
• With and for – not to, it’s all about
relationships
• Schools are responsible for funding the
first £6k of provision
SCHOOL LOCAL OFFER
Pathfinder Brief
To:
• Develop and publish a Local Offer
• Identify training needs, ICT implications and
solutions and implementation costs
• Support the development of the statutory
framework, regulations and the Code of
Practice
• Share learning centrally, locally and regionally
Local Offer – key principles of emerging
good practice from pathfinders
The Local Offer should:
• be co-produced with parents and young people
• fully involve services in its development and review (including schools and
colleges, CCGs, the VCS and local health organisations)
• be holistic and cover 0-25 education, training, transport, social care, health
and support for employment and independent living
• make clear how parent, carers & young people can access support and
services,
• clarify how decisions are made, by whom, and what to do if things go wrong
• be up to date, written in plain language, and available in a range of formats
and locations
• make clear to parents what provision schools and colleges will deliver from
their delegated funding and what needs additional funding
Starting point: Key questions
• What provision should a school or college be
expected to provide from within their notional
‘SEN’ budget?
• What do parents want to see in the Local Offer?
• What are the characteristics of a ‘high needs’
pupil/student that defines them as requiring
‘external’ provision?
TASK 1 – CAPTURING THE LOCAL OFFER
YOUR NAME:
_________________________________________
SCHOOL/COLLEGE IF APPLICABLE:
_________________________________________
PROVISION MAPPING - INCLUDE: STAFFING; SKILLS AND EXPERTISE; COMMITMENT TO TRAINING;
POLICIES AND PLAN; ADAPTATIONS TO ENVIRONMENT; IDENTIFICATION; TANGIBLE TARGETED
PROVISION; EXTERNAL SUPPORT ETC.
PROVISION
IN PLACE
ASPIRING
• Views gathered from
all schools
• Outcomes analysed
and published
• Ownership secured
• In Solihull all
education providers
understand the
concept of the Local
Offer
Engaging Education
Providers and Parents
Step 1. Co-production of a minimum standard
settings/schools and colleges - using school
funding reforms as a lever
Step 2. Communication strategy – all stakeholders
Step 3. Project manager linked to FIS
Step 4. Parent support groups and Parent
Partnerships  on-going consultation, feedback,
co-development
Julie McCarthy
Coppice Junior School
Publishing Your Local Offer
West Midlands Champion
Pathfinder
The Regional Strategy
Championship Team
West Midlands
 Birmingham:Chris Atkinson
 Coventry: Roger Lickfold/Marian
Simpson
 Dudley: Huw Powell/Sharon
Hearne
 Herefordshire: Les Knight/Ed
Edwards
 Sandwell: Pat Evans/Nurinder
Shergill
 Solihull: Jeannette Essex
 Shropshire: Janice Stackhouse
 Staffordshire: Francis Morgan
 Stoke: Geoff Catterall/Brian
Hepburn




Telford & Wrekin: Karen Levell
Walsall: Karen Grandison
Warwickshire: Jayne Mumford
Wolverhampton: Viv Griffin/Sandy
Lisle
 Worcestershire: Peter Harwood
Resources
• Regional pot £50k
• Each non-pathfinder LA has a grant of £75k
In addition allocated support from:
• National Parent Partnership Network
• Early Support – school cluster meetings and key worker
training
• Preparing for Adulthood (transition) – 18 days
• National Parent Network – named adviser
• And many more grant holders ……
• Champion Pathfinder activity.
Regional Activity
•
•
•
•
•
•
Governance – IEWM and ACDS
Strategic Lead planning meetings (6 weekly)
Regional Launch - Conference
Parent Partnership workshop
Funding conference – follow up networks
Series of individual LA support and advisory
visits
• ISP/FE workshops
• Short Breaks workshop
Regional Activity
Planned November/December:
• ACDS Conference - workshop
• WM Chairs of Headteacher Groups
• Lead Members briefing session
• Conflict resolution group – commissioning
of West Midlands mediation services
• Further support visits
• Shadowing visits
• Is there anything that schools would want?
Keeping in Touch
• Email: sensingleplan@solihull.gov.uk
• Solihull SEND Local Offer:
http://www.solihull.gov.uk/health/29898.ht
m
• Email your regional strategic lead
• Champion Website under construction
Any questions?