Experience of change and implementing personalisation

1. Experience of change and implementing personalisation Presented by: Sue Sutcliffe and Kate Vincent-Merritt

2. THE PATHFINDER VISION is a system in which: • Children’s special educational needs are picked up early and support is routinely put in place quickly; • Staff have the knowledge, understanding and skills to provide the right support for children and young people who have SEN or are disabled wherever they are; • Parents know what they can reasonably expect their local school, local college, local authority and local services to provide, without them having to fight for it; • For more complex needs, an integrated assessment and a single Education, Health and Care Plan from birth to 25; and • There is greater control for parents over the services they and their family use

3. The 20 SEND Pathfinders (representing 31 boroughs) are working towards the following common objectives: • To develop a new 0-25 assessment process and a single plan which bring together the education, health and social care services on which children and young people who are disabled or have SEN and their families rely and focuses on improving outcomes; • To explore how the voluntary and community sector could ensure access to specialist expertise and introduce more independence to the process; • To ensure the full engagement of children, young people and their parents and families, schools and colleges; and • To improve choice and control for children, young people and their families through the use of personal budgets and direct payments

4. PERSONAL BUDGETSBy 2014…all families with the proposed Education, Health and Care Plan will have legal entitlement to the option of a personal budget’ Pathfinders are testing: • The scope of a personal budget; • Mechanisms to give families choice control; and • Impact and consequences of a personal budget. • How the option of a personal budget links to the development of the assessment process and single plan; • The impact on families including their engagement in the planning process and on outcomes; and • The impact of an entitlement to a personal budgets on commissioning, planning and cost-effectiveness of services

5. PERSONAL BUDGETS • Personal Budgets through Direct Payments • Used for any or all of resources in Single Plan • Unit costing for all services using ready reckoner • Developed Processes, Contracts and Handbook • Key workers to support

6. Phase One • Ensure strong working relationships with all stakeholders • Set up a structure to develop and pilot the new single plan • Empower families to navigate new systems • Use Early Support keyworking models to provide family support through 0-25 • Provide a single point of access to services

7. Phase One continued • Agree a joint assessment process across Education Health and Social Care • Describe the Local Service Offer in parent friendly language • Work with Special Schools on a Banded Funding Model • Identify and cost services which could be funded by Personal Budgets • Setting up monitoring systems

8. Resource Allocation System • In order to determine the amount of resource a child should receive the following steps were taken • Child was assessed using the audit tool ( this was done with school staff and later checked with parents) • The level of need  was clarified based on the audit. • The current budget allocation for schools was disaggregated • An amount of funding was allocated to each child for a year. • The agreed outcomes for the child determined how much money was given E.g.; is it for speech and language therapy , music therapy ? • In future the allocation will be based on budget allocation alongside the EHC plan

9. 10 Personal budgets in place so far 3 children out of school 7 children with part budgets for therapy support 150 children receiving direct payments for short breaks HOW DO WE SUPPORT THEM? Progress so far

10. Kate Vincent-Merritt Direct Payments Support Service Manager

11. About Inspire Our Mission is to work in partnership with communities to enable, empower and enhance the lives of people with physical and sensory impairments and all clients receiving a direct payment.

12. Existing Services • Information and Advice Services • Sensory Support Services • Day Services and Rehabilitation • Special Needs Housing Occupational Therapy • Direct Payment Support • Welfare to Work – Employment & Training • Physical Disability Registration, Parking Badge and Concessionary Travel • Local Respite and Training • Wheelchair Service - on behalf of Bexley PCT/Care Trust • Community Equipment Service

13. Direct Payments • Inspire has been supporting CYP for Short Breaks Services since the legislation changes of 2003 • Developed services over the years to meet the needs of the clients. • Visits and reviews carried out by a DP Co-ordinator with managerial support

14. Inspire’s Support • Clarify the Social Worker and panel agreement - this can differ to client’s expectations • Explain client responsibilities – such as: • Employment law requirements • Tax and national insurance • Work contracts • Wage calculations, including holiday pay, etc • Record keeping • Bank accounts • Health and safety • CRB checks • Monitoring

15. Inspire’s Support • Assist with recruitment • Adverts • Interviews • Job descriptions and person specifications • Supporting letters • Work contracts • CRB checks • Payroll services – separate organisation provides this if needed or wanted • Telephone advice line • Monitoring and reviewing

16. Inspire’s Support • Pool of PAs has started • Advertised and attracted potential carers looking for work • Provide profiles for each worker including specialist areas and location • Introduction service • Trying to build the market • May consolidate with other providers into a “brochure” of services

17. Monitoring and review • Check that spending is appropriate • Check client is happy (and safe) with arrangements • Reclaim unused funds for the council • Reclaim misused funds- and put in an action plan to stop this from happening again • Report to the council about outcomes and highlight areas of concern. • Flag up transition cases

18. Pathfinder Scheme • Inspire already in a good position to start this because of its Direct Payment work • Clients who had expressed a wish to change their health and / or educational services were asked to join the pilot • Clients visited by Complex Needs Manager & Direct Payments Manager • Funding and outcomes discussed • Sourcing services agreed • Contract provided via Inspire • Handbook given to client

19. Handbook • Written in collaboration with parents • Had to be informative as well as cover all legal responsibilities and points of policy • Launched in October 2012 and comments invited • Some said it was too long • Some said it was too short • Can’t please everyone

20. Evaluation • Evaluation questionnaire produced • Assess spending and outcomes achieved • Learn lessons • All pathfinder clients will be visited in person to discuss and complete the questionnaire • Findings reported to …….

21. Kate Vincent-Merritt, Manager 0203 045 5339 Kate.vincent-merritt@inspirecommunitytrust.org Melanie McNaught, Co-ordinator 0203 045 5341 Melanie.mcnaught@inspirecommunitytrust.org

22. Lessons Learned • Joint commissioning – where does a health need end and an educational need begin? • Managing parental expectation • EHC Plans and Personal Budgets require additional time and personnel • What use is choice if there is nothing to choose from? • Who bears the cost between 18 to 25

23. Challenges and opportunities • Funding • Computer programme for RAS • Block contracts • Safeguarding • School processes and protocols • How much flexibility should there be? • Pooled budgets • And many more

24. ANY QUESTIONS ?

25. Sue Sutcliffe, Commissioning Officer London Borough of Bexley Email: susan.sutcliffe@bexley.gov.uk Kate Vincent-Merritt, Direct Payments Support Service Manager Inspire Community Trust Email: Kate.Vincent-Merritt@inspirecommunitytrust.org