SEND Reform in West Berkshire

1. SEND Reform in West Berkshire Briefings for parents, schools and practitioners July 2014

2. What will be covered • Overview of SEND Reforms and underlying principles – Jane Seymour • The new Education Health and Care assessment process & EHC Plans – Jane Seymour • Conversion of existing Statements to EHC Plans – Nicola Ponton/Tina Norton/Lucy Baker-Smith • QUESTIONS

3. The Children & Families Act 2014 • Reform of systems and processes for meeting needs of children with SEN & Disabilities (SEND) arise from Children & Families Act 2014 • Takes effect 1st September 2014 • Detail is contained in the “SEN & Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years”, June 2014 • There are also several sets of regulations which accompany The Children & Families Act

4. Key principles of SEND Reforms • Child and family at the centre of assessment, planning, decision making – “person centred” approaches • More choice and control for families • More flexible and creative solutions, personalised to the individual

5. Key principles of SEND Reforms • High aspirations for young people with SEND • Effective collaboration between agencies • Holistic, joined up planning • Focus on outcomes including long term life outcomes

6. Life outcomes for young people with SEND • Paid employment, wherever possible • Living as independently as possible • Optimum physical and mental health • Friends and relationships • Being part of community

7. Overview of SEND Reforms • School Action & School Action Plus replaced by one SEN category - SEN Support • Local Authorities must publish a “Local Offer” setting out all services available for children with SEND and their families • Statementing process replaced by Education Health and Care Assessments/ EHC Plans • Families have right to request a Personal Budget as part of EHC Plan

8. Overview of SEND Reforms cont. • LAs have responsibility for young people with SEND up to age 25 – FE Colleges come within same legislation as schools • Young people with SEND over compulsory school age have legal rights previously held by parents • Information, advice & guidance services (Parent Partnership) must be offered to children with SEND as well as their parents

9. Overview of SEND Reforms cont. • Information, advice & guidance services must cover health and social care as well as SEN • Children and young people must be offered advocacy service where needed • Increased requirements on LAs to offer disagreement resolution and mediation services • More joint commissioning of services across education, social care and health • QUESTIONS???

10. EHC Assessment Process • A new process for EHC Assessments has been developed with parents, schools and other agencies • This will replace the statementing process from 1st September 2014 • The criteria for EHC Assessment are essentially same as for statementing • Process will be led by EHC Assessment Coordinators (3 new appointments)

11. EHC Assessment Process – how will it be different? • Much more involvement of child and parents throughout whole process • Holistic assessment and plan – covering education, health and care needs and provision • EHC Plan will look and feel very different from a Statement – more accessible and user friendly • Must be completed in 20 weeks (currently 26)

12. EHC Assessment Process • Parent / school requests EHC Assessment • Parent is sent “We want to tell you…” pack and offered support to complete • Covers 6 areas: communication, learning, behaviour & emotions, health, everyday life, family & community • Information requested from school (if not a school request) • Decision re whether EHC Assessment needed

13. EHC Assessment Process • If decision is not to proceed, SEN Manager/Assistant Manager meets family with school and other professionals to plan support • If EHC assessment agreed, Assessment Coordinator allocated to family • Assessment Coordinator meets family and reviews “We want to tell you…” document to ensure child and parents’ views fully represented, including desired outcomes

14. EHC Assessment Process • Assessment Coordinator agrees with family what assessments are needed by which professionals • Professional reports requested – 6 week timescale • Assessment Coordinator ensures all professionals providing reports liaise with one another to avoid duplication and do joint visits / assessments where appropriate

15. EHC Assessment Process • Assessments are completed • Assessment Coordinator discusses reports with parents and offers meeting if needed • EHC Panel considers reports and allocates indicative budgets • EHC Planning meeting held involving family, school & other professionals - chaired by EHC Assessment Coordinator • Assessment Coordinator drafts EHC Plan

16. EHC Assessment Process • Draft EHC Plan issued, including any direct payments if requested / agreed • Draft EHC Plan must be issued within 16 weeks of EHC request (no school named at this stage) • Further discussion with parents if needed • Final EHC Plan issued (with school named) • Whole process must be completed within 20 weeks

17. Personal Budgets • A “personal budget” is the total resource spent on a young person, some of which may be given as a “direct payment” (cash) • Families will be able to request a direct payment for the education, health and/or care aspects of the EHC Plan • Direct payments are already given in some cases for families to purchase social care provision (children’s and adults’ services)

18. Personal budgets • Criteria for SEN direct payments are being developed – requests will be considered case by case • Health are also developing processes for health Personal Budgets / Direct Payments – will only apply to children who meet Continuing Healthcare Criteria

19. EHC Plan • “Xxxxxx’s Plan” + photo (if child / parents wish) • Contents page • One page profile at beginning – what others like about me/ what is important to me/ how best to support me/ my hopes for the future • Strengths, difficulties & desired outcomes – communication, learning, behaviour & emotions, health, everyday life, family & community (in table format)

20. EHC Plan

21. EHC Plan

22. EHC Plan • Name of educational placement • Type of placement • EHC Funding including any Direct Payments • Review arrangements • Signature • Appendices

23. EHC Plans • Will specify health and social care provision as well as SEN provision • Only SEN provision is subject to appeal to SEN Tribunal • Parents must consider mediation before going to Tribunal • Parents can go to mediation about health and care aspects of EHC Plan or follow normal complaint processes if in disagreement

24. Reviews of EHC Plans • Will be subject to Annual Reviews which will be carried out by schools on behalf of Local Authority (as now) • Annual Reviews of EHC Plans from Year 9 must consider transition to adulthood • Young person can have an EHC Plan in FE College, (or apprenticeship or traineeship) but not in Higher Education • QUESTIONS???