Challenges for SI Services and Schools Brian Lamb

Early Intervention Green Paper “Early intervention from all the services on which families rely is essential, but the effectiveness of this service is undermined if it doesn’t reflect each family’s unique circumstances... Disabled children and children with SEN may require a different approach in these health and education settings to their peers, or extra support from social care or specialist services.”

Language Development Green Paper “Laying the foundations for early language development is at the heart of a high quality early years experience and is an area of development where many disabled children and children with SEN can require a different approach or additional support.”

Assessment and Joint Planning Proposal Implications Single assessment process leading to joint education, health and social care plan How to ensure best practice in assessment for sensory needs is reflected in new assessment arrangements. Do we know what good looks like for sensory provision and if so what's needed to deliver that-link to effective practice and emotional resilience projects? Joint budgeting possible solution especially if personalised budgets work-what are the implications for sensory services?

Presumption towards Inclusion Proposals Implications Extended choice to all state funded schools New guidance to Local Authorities on placement decisions Parents have right to take over special schools that are closing Need to ensure that good practice on sensory is embedded in Academies and Free Schools Relevance of DDA guidance to parental decision making

Personalised Budgets Pilots of personal budgets Proposals Issues Pilots of personal budgets Assumed not to be for very large sums-school placements Support from Keyworker Education personal budgets inserted into Education Bill What will quality provision look like in sensory and how will parents find out? Potential for parent purchasing consortia-what would that look like for sensory provision? Role of keyworkers/support staff within schools in sensory provision-links to staff training strand. How will schools support parental choice and organise services?

Parental Involvement Lamb Inquiry- Evaluation of Parental Involvement Projects. “Fundamental to success was the commitment of LAs to true, not tokenistic or paternalistic parental engagement and a clear aim to improve confidence and work collaboratively with parents.”

Local Offer and Parental Involvement Proposals Issues Local Offer securing greater parental consultation and involvement-more strategic role for LA’s Major opportunity for cultural change in supportive authorities but needs clarity around what the SI offer is going to be Enforceability of Offer

Information Offer-Schools Proposals-four key areas: Issues curriculum – how the curriculum is tailored to meet children’s individual needs; teaching – how teaching is adapted to meet children’s SEN and how arrangements are made to secure specialist expertise; assessment – how on-going teacher assessment is used to identify barriers to learning for children with SEN; and pastoral support –how the school supports the education and wellbeing Clarity of Information-what can parents expect of the curriculum? Availability of support within schools-what is good practice around sensory provision? Clarity over what good practice looks like for SEN and how assessment is going to work What does good pastoral support look like-very strong links to emotional resilience project.

Mediation Mediation before Tribunal Issues Green Paper proposes that Mediation should be introduced before parents go to Tribunal Aim to reduce conflict in the system Parents would be offered but could not be forced to go down that route Not clear what model of mediation is going to be used- expert in SEN v generalists? Danger that parents can be pressurised into giving rights away and be unaware they are doing so In Scotland, where it already exists, parents have right to free legal advice

Focus on Outcomes Greater focus on outcomes Green Paper Implications Greater focus on outcomes New measure for lowest performing 20% on progress Achievement for All rolled out Children with SI do better than some SEN categories but still falling behind Access to specialist support still key Language support and access to equipment fundamental issues Outcomes benchmarking will become fundamentally important Training of support staff

Funding Reform Schools funding being consulted on Green Paper Implications Schools funding being consulted on New banded funding system Consultation on implementation currently happening Low incidence Role of School Forums Level at which the bands are set De facto alignment of money with stages in the assessment process Amount of schools contribution to the formula

Life after the Green Paper Major role for informing the development of the pilots Defining what good support and expertise looks like in relation to schools practice-development of quality standards Helping to drive better outcomes through emotional resilience, better support, clearer monitoring Ensuring parents and teachers aware of DDA rights Informing policy Securing equitable funding that works