A Pathfinder Update
Stuart Bromwich
General DfE update
•
Edward Timpson MP met the Select Committee on 6 November
to discuss the draft provisions, where he re-iterated that existing
protections are being maintained and extended and emphasised
the importance of pathfinder learning to the legislative process.
• We are expecting a response from the Select Committee
following their pre-legislative scrutiny before Christmas. We are
considering possible changes to the provisions in response to
feedback.
• The Bill will be introduced to Parliament early in 2013.
• Work on drafting the regulations continues and on outline version
will be made available during committee stage of the Bill.
Recent pathfinder developments
• The extension of the Pathfinder programme has been confirmed.
Grant letters will be issued by end February 2013. Mott MacDonald
is contacting pathfinders to discuss specific targets for 2013-14.
• As part of the extension we will recruit 9 to 15 Pathfinder
champions. Further information will be provided before Christmas,
with the application process taking place in January.
• Principles of emerging practice were sent to all Pathfinders on 26
November with a request for initial feedback before Christmas.
• Helpful events held with pathfinders on assessment and plan
regulations and developing a ‘change pathway’.
• Next SQW report will be published in February – based on
experience of 80 families with completed EHCPs.
Health Mandate
On 13 November the first Mandate between the Government and the NHS Commissioning Board was published,
setting out ambitions for the health service for the next two years.
The Mandate is structured around five key areas where the Government expects the NHS Commissioning Board to
make improvements:
•
preventing people from dying prematurely;
•
enhancing quality of life for people with long-term conditions;
•
helping people to recover from episodes of ill health or following injury;
•
ensuring that people have a positive experience of care; and
•
treating and caring for people in a safe environment and protecting them from avoidable harm.
Bullet 4, 'ensuring that people have a positive experience of care', includes a specific pledge at paragraph 4.13 to
improve support for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities. This will be
achieved through the Board's objective to 'ensure that they have access to the services identified in their agreed care
plan, and that parents of children who could benefit have the option of a personal budget based on a single assessment
across health, social care and education for children'.
Local Offer Case Study: York
Key Points
• York, a non-pathfinder authority, has published a
first version of their local offer.
•
Structured in age, stages, and categories (pictured
right).
•
Each service falls under these headings. The service is
listed, explained, and contact details and sign posts
are highlighted to further information. York Teaching
Hospital’s profile is pictured right.
•
As an example, York’s health local offer includes:
Before School
Moving Into
School
Family Life
Health Services
Leisure
Opportunities
Growing Up
 Hospitals, nurses, doctors
 Charities
 Therapy and mental health care
 Health and medical equipment services
http://www.yorok.org.uk/Downloads/Disability/Local%20Offer%20Making%2
0Life%20Easier.pdf
York Local Offer
Example
The York local
offer is published
on the local
authority website
and has been
developed as a
brochure,
therefore lacking
the instant
interaction with
schools and
services, but a
good start.
Case Study: Trafford
• The Trafford pathfinder local offer has been developed by
using the existing Children’s Service Directory; updated
with easy read software and an enhanced search engine.
• The use of the existing Children’s Service Directory was
agreed and developed in consultation with parents and the
first draft has been published to gain further feedback from
parents, carers and young people who wish to access the
services.
• The information will be kept up to date by using the existing
governance procedures, already in operation.
Case Study: Trafford
Key Points
•
Currently, Trafford’s published early version local offer currently includes:
activities
advice & support
money & welfare
education & SEN
holiday activities
transition
travel & transport
•
Local Offer published on Trafford’s existing Child Services Directory website – 20,000 hits a
month.
•
Website includes a ‘shortlist’ function to collate and print relevant information and an ‘area
search’ facility.
•
The website act as hub platform to signpost to school websites and to other parts of the
authority’s website.
•
Trafford’s Local Offer is developed incrementally. The time taken to co-produce its local offer
with families, has meant Trafford has focused on publishing its core service offering initially.
This core is then being expanded when possible.
Trafford Council Local Offer
Example
Link to the
SEND
provisions
Case Study: Trafford
Website Outline
•
‘Area search’ function
•
‘Shortlist’ function
•
Service Categories
•
Web link:
http://trafford.childrensservi
cedirectory.org.uk/kb5/traffo
rd/fsd/category.page?categ
ory=2341
Trafford Council Local Offer;
Example search function
Search by
function
i.e.
Schools;
linking to
the
school
individual
local
offers
Case study: St Hild’s
Hartlepool & Darlington Pathfinder
• Hartlepool & Darlington pathfinder began their local offer
work with schools, due to the time sensitivities of the school
funding reforms.
• The pathfinder has supported schools in developing their
individual local offers; the offers will collectively be brought
together at a single point of access.
• The local offer has been coproduced and development will
continue incrementally to ensure a sustainable approach.
• Each school has been given guidance and support around
the local offer development.
St Hild’s Local Offer
http://www.sthilds.org.uk/send-offer
Local
offer
front
page;
part of
the
school
website
Specific
areas of the
offer, such as
achievement
support
(follow the
link.....)
Local offer: Achievement Support
Students with special educational needs
To consider - Local Health Watch₁
Key Points:
•
Local Health Watch, a successor to the previous LINKs organisation, is
designed act as a consumer health champion, both nationally and locally.
•
It will offer a feedback mechanism from service users, for health and social
care providers, and help to shape local service provision.
•
Local Health Watch will have a seat on local Health and Wellbeing Boards.
•
It will also offer signposting and support to individuals about access to local
services, and will have considerable local control over services.
•
The aim is to increase service consumer power.
•
Local Health Watch hopes to coordinate and to tap into the experience of
local public, community, and voluntary sectors.
₁ http://www.healthwatch.co.uk/
Personal Budgets – Government Expectations
• Personal Budgets should be drawn from funding for individual
support over and above that provided by universal services or
targeted provision.
• For example, it is not expected that any funding delegated to
a school as required by school finance regulations to be
included in a personal budget (funding up to £10,000 under
the new arrangements)
16
Schools Funding: Financial Specifics₁
Financial Specifics:
•
The Government intends all state-funded mainstream schools to spend up to £10,000 per
pupil out of their core and additional support budget before the LA provides High Needs Block
funding.
From April 2013, this means that:
All state funded special schools will be funded for a set number of places at £10,000 for each child.
LAs who wish to name that school in a child’s statement or EHCP must agree the ‘top-up’ amount for each
child.
Schools will contribute £6,000 plus the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) allocation and will receive a
top up from the High Needs funding held at LA level.
Example: if the AWPU for a primary school is £3,000 and the cost of a child's needs are assessed at
£14,000, the school would be expected to contribute £9,000 (£3,000 AWPU plus £6,000) but would receive
an allocation of £5,000 from the High Needs block (£14,000 total cost less the £9,000 contribution from the
school's budget.)
₁ Gloucestershire Council Funding Advice http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/documents/s10801/School%20Funding%20Re
form%20consultation%20paper%20June12%20A.pdf
www.mottmac.com