Special Educational Needs Annette Parr – Vulnerable Children's Service manager
What’s new? 1. The new legislation is for children and young people from 0 to 25. All schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage. There is much greater emphasis on the views and involvement of parents and children/young people. Local authorities must ensure that children/young people and their parents are involved in discussions and decisions about their individual support and about local provision. Local authorities must work to integrate educational provision and training provisions with health and social care provision where they think that this would promote the wellbeing of children with SEN or disabilities Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all pupils in the class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.
6. SEN Support involves a Graduated Approach with cycles of: Assess Plan Do Review (not a new idea, just a new description of good teaching). Education, Health and Care Plan 8. Local authorities must set out a ‘Local Offer’ of the support they expect to be available for children and young people with SEN and disabilities. School contribute to the local offer by publishing their SEN provision in the SEND Information Report Interests and aspirations Description of the young person’s special educational needs health and social care needs 16 weeks of the initial request How does this link to the quality of advice currently being received from professionals ? Identification of the views, wishes and feelings of the young person must be identified Is advice being written agaisnt the headings – Needs, Outcoems , provisons Right to appeal Outcomes driven
Definition of SEND A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she: • Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or; • Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions; For children aged two or more, special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools, maintained nursery schools, mainstream post-16 institutions or by relevant early years providers. (Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 p 16)
Broad Areas of Need There are four Broad Areas of Need Communication and Interaction Social Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties Sensory and or Physical Needs Cognition and Learning
SEN Register - Broad Areas of Need Communication and Interaction ASD Speech and Language delay or disorder Social Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties Challenging, Disruptive or Disturbing behaviours Emotional Difficulty Social Difficulty Underlying Mental Health Difficulties Sensory and or Physical Needs Hearing impairment Visual Impairment Physical Disability Cognition and Learning Specific Learning Difficulty e.g. Dyslexia, Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (Dyspraxia), Dyscalculia Moderate Learning Difficulty Severe Learning Difficulty Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH in the SEN Code of Practice Persistent disruptive of withdrawn behaviours do not necessary mean that a child or young person has a mental health problem or a special educational need . However, consistent disruptive or withdrawn behaviour can be an indication of an underlying problem.
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties that manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn of isolated as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour These behaviours may include: anxiety/depression Self harming Substance misuse Or ADD ADHD Attachment
Comparisons Sunderland and National Data: Statements/EHC plans Social Emotional Mental Health: National prevalence = 12.3%; Sunderland = 26.3%. This represents +14.03% more in Sunderland. Autism Spectrum Disorders: National prevalence = 25.9%; Sunderland = 31.03%. This represents +5.13% more in Sunderland. Physical Disability: National prevalence = 5.8%; Sunderland = 10.14%. This represents +4.34% more in Sunderland.
Overview Key Findings 4: All School Years – 2017 (p.140)
Activity 1 – 5mins From your professional standpoint what are the core issues around the rise in SEMH in children?
Activity – 10 minutes. In multi-disciplinary groups determine what is working well and what is not working well across services in Sunderland to support children and young people with mental health difficulties?
If would be better if………. In small group discuss what actions need to be taken to improve the support for children with SEMH?
SEN Support Plans SEN Support Plans Used for children with more complex needs who are receiving ‘additional to or different from’ support. May have EP, OT, CAMHS/CYPS or SALT involvement. The specific need or needs of the child should be reflected in the outcomes on a Support Plan.
Where does the new emphasis on outcomes come from? One of the most significant changes brought in by the Children and Families act is the set of principles that apply to SEND responsibilities. The principles focus on the importance of…. The wishes, views and feelings of children, young people and their parents; The participation of parents, children and young people in decision-making about SEN; Providing children, young people and parents with information and advice to support participation; Outcomes and improving progress for children and young people with SEN.
Outcomes Working definition: An outcome is something we want the child to be able to do that they cannot already do or cannot do as well as we would like. It’s what they are trying to achieve but can’t yet do It may well be the result of support or intervention Alex will be able to….so that….
An outcome should be: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely
Writing Outcomes Activity Think about a child with SEN who you know or have worked with in the past. Write at least one SMART outcome. Remember to consider: what the child wants to achieve what the parents want them to achieve what we think it is important for them to achieve Swap with another pair… Feedback to pair on how SMART the outcomes are… Feedback to group whether there are any similar messages?