Local Offer
Local Offer
From September 2014 every Local Authority will be
required to publish information about services they
expect to be available in their area for children and
young people from birth to 25 who have special
education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and also
services outside of the area which they expect children
and young people from their area will use.
This will be known as the ‘Local Offer’
Local Offer
The Local Offer will put all the information about
education, health and care services, leisure
activities and support groups in one place. It has
two main purposes:
• To provide clear, comprehensive and accessible
information about the support and
opportunities that are available
• To make provision more responsive to local
needs and aspirations
Local Offer
The Government says the Local Offer must be developed
and reviewed in partnership with children and young people,
parent carers, and local services, including schools, colleges,
health and social care agencies
Staffordshire County Council and parent representatives
from the local parent groups and forums are working
together and will be involving children and young people to
plan exactly what should be included in our Local Offers and
the best way to present them.
Local Offer To Date
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Representation of the Local Offer confirmed and evolving
PowerPoint reference Local Offer developed and shared with the
Education Reference Group
Service template developed on distributed
IT and Admin support requested
Children’s Voice event
Critical success factors tabled
Source an appropriate vehicle for Local Offer – E-marketplace
likely to be the route
Special Schools about KLC future consulted
Capital Capacity Projects BAU
Entrust asked to scope future training needs
Local Offer To Date
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
E- Marketplace Launch
Meetings to determine gaps for Local Offer from current Staffordshire
Cares/Purple Pages. Agreed use of current headings. On boarder pack
being prepared. User/commissioner/IT groups being established.
Post 16 Local Offer – Special School/PRU audit developed using Survey
Monkey. All settings returned analysis informing the Local Offer.
Post 16 Task and Finish Group looking at funding criteria for April 2015.
Insight feedback regarding Local Offer.
Intention to have a core Local Offer group and a virtual mechanism for
feedback.
Draft template for Local Offer developed, being shared with SENCos –
Spring Term SENCo Updates via Entrust.
Local Offer To Date
• CYP questionnaire developed.
• Redrafting the Access Strategy in partnership
with Think2 and FE to ensure cohesion of
support 2-25.
• Special School Key Learning Centre report and
recommendations drafted as part of the Local
Offer.
• Development of draft curriculum materials for
schools to use with CYP to consult/raise
awareness of the Local Offer.
CYP Event Photo’s
Primary
CYP Event Photo’s
Secondary
CYP Event Photo’s
FE
Progress to Date

We engaged with commissioners, providers,
schools, children and parents / carers

We tested the best ways of accessing Local Offer

We identified the best online platforms

We started gathering information about services
across Staffordshire
Next Steps
 Setting up a Local Offer engagement Group
 Developing a mock-up Local Offer for testing
 Uploading providers detailed into database
What is an e-marketplace??
•
The marketplace is a free online directory of services, activities and events
for all ages and needs across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent.
•
It will link in to the information and advice available on Staffordshire Cares,
and will eventually replace the already well-established Purple Pages.
•
It allows local people to browse information, advice and local events, search
for products and services, and manage their budget in a safe and secure
place. It will also cut down on needless bureaucracy by providing a direct
link to services.
•
It will enable users and carers to plan, arrange and manage their own
network of care, support and wellbeing activities to help them lead a
healthier, happier life.
Why are we doing this??
•
To raise awareness of the range of goods, services and activities available in our
communities to support wellbeing.
•
To improve access to services by making it easier to find out what is available through an
online resource which is accessible 24/7
•
To establish an all age marketplace that helps people enquire about, book or buy the things
they need to live a healthy, happier life.
•
To help all its users to plan, arrange and manage their own network of care, support and
wellbeing activities and services.
•
Gives people the opportunity to provide feedback on services that can serve to inform other
users.
•
To support people who are not eligible for Community Care services to source trusted
information and advice and signpost them preventative and community services which can
often offer low or no cost support to reduce the need for more intensive services in the
future.
Staffordshire’s Care, support and wellbeing
Marketplace.
This is just an example.
The final version will:
• Use more appropriate
images (photo or
illustration)
• Be tested by users, carers
and practitioners
• Include easy read/ pictorial
format where appropriate
How does this fit with the Local Offer?
This development supports 2 key areas of the Children & Families Bill:
1)Local authorities are required to publish in one place a clear and easy to understand ‘local offer’ of
education, health and social care services.
•
The marketplace provides a trusted source of information, advice and guidance and range of quality
assured goods and services that are available to all and not just restricted to traditional or statutory
services.
•
Different searches by postcode, desired outcomes or cost can be used to find the most relevant, cost
effective and local services to the individual.
•
By offering different search options and the ability to request multiple quotes through one enquiry the time it
takes to search for relevant information or to obtain quotes is greatly reduced - no more phoning round and
waiting for people to get back to you!!
2) Parents and young people have the right to a personal budget for their support.
•
Helps people to find things they want to spend their budgets on by providing a marketplace where they can
research, compare, book or buy goods, services and activities.
•
Will help simplify direct payment process through online budget management and purchasing (Once
integrated with Care director)
•
Will drive savings for service users by giving visibility of the types of goods and services and standard
charges which ensures providers are competitive and enables negotiation of even better terms with
providers.
How will we find the local offer on the Marketplace?
The local offer is integrated within the whole marketplace not one
“special” category for the following reasons:
• To make sure people see all relevant services not just the “usual”
offering
• Open people’s minds to alternative support and service options
• To ensure support plans are based on outcomes for the child (can
be entered as a search criteria) and not circumstance or disability
• Statutory and SEN/ assessment services can still be found under its
own category.
Example of how the local offer will fit within the marketplace
What next?
The marketplace is currently being developed….. We need your
help to get it right!
• We need to know what goods, services, suppliers should be on
there with contact details if possible
• We need you to promote it to providers and users
• We need people to test it to make sure it meets our needs (both
practitioners and users/ carers)
If you can help please email themarketplace@staffordshire.gov.uk