Education, Health & Care Plans September 2014

Agenda Background Key changes New submissions to Panel New statutory assessment processes and EHC Plans Funding Placement Reviews 2014 – 2015 – the first year

The journey so far… March 2011: Green Paper published - 'Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability' September 2012: Draft Children and Families Bill published February 2013: Bill presented to Parliament by the Department for Education March 2013: Indicative Draft Code of Practice published April 2013: New funding arrangements for SEN in mainstream schools and further education October 2013: Draft Code of Practice published February 2014: Children & Families Bill finished its passage through Parliament April 2014: New funding arrangements for SEN in special schools April 2014: Second draft of Code of Practice published July 2014: Final version of Code of Practice published September 2014: Children and Families Act due to be implemented

Pathfinders Several Local Authorities have been designated and funded as pathfinders, working for the last 2 years to develop processes around the new legislation Key areas are: –Education, Health & Care Plans –Local Offer –Preparing for Adulthood –Personal Budgets So we have been looking at their work, along with consulting our own families/colleagues, and using the ideas to shape our own processes

Key changes No more IPRAs EHCs will replace Statements, IPRAs and Learning Difficulty Assessments (post-16) Much more involvement of young people and their families – person centred planning and approaches (training scheduled this term) More focus on agreeing outcomes (rather than simply specifying provision) Timescales – now 20 weeks rather than 26 weeks for Statementing Age range now 0-25 rather than 0-19

Changes to applying for high needs funding Pupil Resource Panel has now become Education, Health & Care Panel – as from September 2014 Membership includes colleagues from social care and NHS Applications are very similar, but with broader criteria to reflect access to all services, not just education Applications need to include a CAF or a pre- CAF assessment showing that a CAF is not necessary

New Panel criteria 1.Has the young person had access to all relevant resources available, including Elements 1 & 2 from their educational setting, universal & targeted health services and social care input? 2.Has the referrer co-ordinated the involvement of the young person, their parents/carers and all relevant professionals in seeking to meet the needs of the young person? 3.Is there evidence to indicate that the special educational needs of the young person are exceptional relative to others of the same age within the LA?

Outcomes based reports for EHC Panel The new Code of Practice places a firm emphasis on setting outcomes for the young person CoP suggests that outcomes in an EHC Plan should be over a Key Stage Reports for Panel should therefore include suggested outcomes so that these can be incorporated into the plan, should one be drawn up

Outcomes – CoP 9.64 Outcomes should always enable children/young person to move towards the long term aspirations of employment or higher education, independent living, community participation and good health Long term aspirations are not outcomes in themselves An outcome can be defined as the benefit or difference made to an individual as a result of an intervention. It should be personal and not expressed from a service perspective; it should be something that those involved have control and influence over. It should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound (SMART) Outcomes should consider what is important to the child/young person and what is important for them

The EHC assessment process If an EHC Panel submission is successful: SEN caseworker will prompt the key contact to schedule the ‘All About Me’ meeting within four weeks The caseworker checks with the practitioners if they want to add anything to the advice already submitted to Panel. A draft plan is produced and approved by education, health and care commissioners Draft plan sent to parents and a meeting offered Plan finalised and issued within 20 weeks timescale

All About Me Meeting Person centred meeting with parents and young person to capture their views, aspirations and goals The meeting should produce section A of the plan which can be in whatever format the young person wishes, and which reflects their own views The meeting should also record any new information which would contribute to the plan about the child/young person’ s needs, the outcomes desired and the support required to achieve those outcomes The family can choose who they wish to be invited

What’s in the EHC Plan? CoP states there must be the following sections: A – The views, interests and aspirations of the child/young person and their parents B – The child/YP’s SEN C – The child/YP’s health needs D – The child/YP’s social care needs E – The outcomes sought F – The special educational provision required G – Any health provision reasonably required H – Any social care provision I – Placement J - Personal budget K – Other advice and information

Funding As now, referrers to the EHC Panel will be asked to provide a top-up summary sheet showing the level of high needs funding they assess to be appropriate The EHC Panel will also make recommendations on the appropriate level of funding. Final decision rests with statutory assessment team. Aim for the educational setting to have the top-up funding within 8 weeks of the Panel decision Funding from health and social care will be agreed within the 20-week process and written into the final EHC Plan

Personal budgets All EHC plans will include a personal budget, although most at present will be third party arrangements (the LA pays the setting to make provision on behalf of the young person) The personal budget may include funding for special educational, health and social care provision Local Authorities MUST secure the agreement of the school/setting for provision purchased through a direct payment that is to be delivered on their premises. Where agreement cannot be reached, the LA must not go ahead with the direct payment. (Code of Practice 9.104, 9.105)

Educational placement The young person or parents have the right to request a particular school or setting (CoP 9.78) The LA must comply with that preference unless it would be unsuitable for the young person or be incompatible with the efficient education of others (9.79) The LA must consult the setting before deciding whether to name it in an EHC Plan (9.80) Where a nursery, school or college is named on an EHC Plan they must admit the young person (9.83)

Reviewing the plan Settings should meet with parents at least 3 times a year to review the progress of all children with SEN, including those with an EHC Plan (CoP 6.65) Formal reviews of an EHC Plan must be held at least annually (9.130) The holder(s) of the personal budget set out in the EHC Plan will need to account for the funding that they have received, showing how it has been spent in order to help achieve the agreed outcomes. For schools & colleges this will include element 2 as well as top-up funding

Year One Lots of hand holding “Transfer reviews” – only for those pupils with statements in N, Y2, Y6, Y9, Y11, Y14 Transfer of existing statements to EHCPs by April 2018 Existing IPRAs remain in place unless there is a need to change Existing statements remain in place until their transfer year New Annual Review paperwork for EHC Plans 2 month/6 month reviews – no requirement IEPs Submissions to Panel – support and advice, attendance at All About Me Meetings Independent Supporters – contact Parent Partnership tel or Barnardos –

Transfer reviews for BwD Primary Schools Blackburn the Redeemer Brookhouse Eden Holy Trinity Lower Darwen Meadowhead Jnr Newfield OLPS QEGs St Barnabas St Cuthbert’s St Paul’s RC Sudell

New documents SEN & Disability Code of Practice (July 2014) – available online Education, Health & Care Panel guidance (version 7.0) Education, Health & Care referral, assessment and planning overview diagram Education, Health & Care Plan template All About Me Meeting Transfer review meeting