1 Blackburn with Darwen’s Draft Special Educational Needs/Disability and Alternative Provision Strategy January 2014-August 2017 Jackie Ross Sept NB presentation has been updated following SEND and AP Board meeting on 13 Sept

Vision Aiming Higher for all our children and young people with SEND and those who need Alternative Provision: Working in partnership with our children, young people and families, schools, other education providers, and employers, as well as social care and health partners, we will create the environment that ensures our children and young people have the opportunities and support which inspire and enable them to achieve their very best, and maximise their potential as citizens in the future.

Principles 1.Children First: We want our children and young people to be at the heart of the system. We aim to ensure that education provision for our vulnerable children and young people fulfils their needs and aspirations, is high quality, appropriate, and value for money, enabling them to achieve positive outcomes. Our children and young people will have greater choice and control and be co-producers in plans for their futures. They will only move educational placements where the move is in their own interest, as stability and their needs are paramount. 2. Inclusion: We want our vulnerable children and young people to be fully included in education, making good progress as learners, accessing social and leisure activities and actively participating in decision-making, so that they are equipped for wider society and independent adulthood.

Principles 3. Partnerships: We want our Alternative Providers, local mainstream and special schools, resourced provision and outreach support to be part of a flexible range of inclusive provision, building on strong relationships between local partners to enable the best support for children and young people in their setting as well as their seamless movement to the right placement where necessary. We will ensure robust collaboration between education, social care and health so that well-co-ordinated support can be provided to children, young people and their families. 4. Quality First Teaching. Our aim is to ensure that we meet the entitlement of all of our pupils to Quality First Teaching which engages and inspires them to be their very best. 5. High Quality Provision: We want our vulnerable children and young people to have placements which are deemed to be good or better.

Principles 6. Value for Money: We will ensure that our vulnerable children and young people have value for money in specialist support and provision they receive, that it is therefore quality assured and based on meeting their needs and aspirations. 7. Early Help: We will ensure that the right people at the right time provide support to our vulnerable children. 8. Family Support: We want to ensure increased choice, opportunity and control for parents and young people, and to ensure that they have local access to the range of services they need.

Priorities Priority 1. Increase Participation: Establish clear processes for the engagement of children, young people and their families in the design and delivery of specialist and alternative provision support and services. Priority 2. Increase Achievement: Work together in partnership to drive up quality to improve children and young people’s achievement. Priority 3. Improve Identification: Develop a shared approach to the identification of children and young people’s Special Educational Needs and other vulnerabilities. Priority 4. Improve governance: Establish accountability, transparency and governance in relation to support, services and planning for Vulnerable Learners.

Priorities Priority 5. Develop Strategic Commissioning: we will develop strategic commissioning processes through the establishment of a our Joint (LA and schools) Commissioning Board for SEND and Alternative Provision. Priority 6. Develop provision: Develop an appropriate range of alternative and SEND education provision to meet the graduated and diverse range of needs of vulnerable learners including those with different levels of SEND and vulnerability. Priority 7. Work together to meet families’ needs: Develop integrated service delivery to meet the holistic needs of children, young people and their families.

Have we got it right? Challenges: Strategic: 1. Partnership: a. With children, young people and families b.LA with schools c. School to school d. Education, Health and social care. 2. Encouraging local providers /market development See feedback sheet.

Challenges: Process:

Consultation Timeline 13 th Sept- 11 th Oct. Consultation (please return feedback forms to: by 11 October) 11 th Oct. deadline: then re-draft. 12 th Nov final draft to SEND and AP Board 13 Nov – 10 Dec Further approvals at relevant Boards tbc 20 Dec. Democratic Services. 16 th Jan Exec. Board.