Bringing it all together through the Early Support Approach Bringing it all together through the Early Support Approach. Rita Wiseman February 2014

Presentation will cover- Why we need to bring things together How can we do it What will help What difference will it make?

Why do we need the reforms? Involvement of children, parents and young people in decision making. Identifying children and young peoples needs. Greater choice and control for parents and young people over their support. Collaboration between education, health and social care services to provide support. High quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEN Supporting successful preparation for adulthood

An important reminder: All current requirements stay in place until: new legislation is implemented new regulations come into force new Code of Practice is issued

Governments Ambition Achieving our ambitions for disabled children, young people and those with special education needs and their families will depend on changes in the way education health and social care professionals work with children young people and families and in the ways they work with each other.

Clause 30: Local offer Information on the education, health and care services a local authority expects to be available Includes services available outside the local area Regulations: what the local offer should include who should be consulted complaints mechanism

Local authorities must consult schools about other services in the local offer Schools can use this opportunity to identify if there are any gaps in provision and inform the local authority as part of the review of the local offer

Arrangements for changing statements into EHC plans The Government will set out regulations on the process for converting all statements to EHC plans (probably over 3 years) This will probably happen at the Annual Review stage of each statement Certain year groups will be prioritised. In Autumn 2014, it is likely this will be children in Year 6 who have a statement

How is an Education, Health and Care Plan different from a current Statement? An EHC Plan is: Person-centred - drafted with the family as partners Based on aspirations for the future Outcomes focussed Wider than the next step in the ‘classroom’ It is not: Written just by Local Authority officers Only about services or teaching assistant hours

EHCP and personal budgets Once an LA confirms an EHCP is necessary, a parent or young person can request a personal budget. This is an amount of money identified to achieve the outcomes agreed in an EHCP. It may be managed in three ways: The local authority manages the funds and commissions the support specified in the EHCP (sometimes called ‘notional arrangements’) The funds are paid to a third party to manage on behalf of the parent or young person The funds are paid to the parent or young person as a direct payment, and they buy the provision specified in the plan. A personal budget should cover only the special individualised provision made available through the EHCP.

Clause 49: Direct payments Once money has been identified in the personal budget, a parent can request to receive this amount as a direct payment An LA must consider this request, although does not necessarily have to agree to it Education providers can also refuse to agree to the payment if the service is to be delivered on their premises

Clauses 61-65: School provisions Requirements to: have a SENCO inform parents if child has SEN inform young people use ‘best endeavours,’ schools and FE publish information on how they meet the needs of children with SEN

Post 16 changes in the Bill Local authorities to involve post-16 institutions when reviewing their special educational provision and developing their local offer Enable post-16 institutions to request an assessment of education, health and care needs Allow young people to express a preference for a particular school, FE college or Independent Support Provider (ISP) - including Free Schools and Academies - and require that institution to admit them Require local authorities to consult schools, colleges and ISPs about young people they would like to place with them, and send a copy of their EHCP to them FE colleges and ISPs must have regard to the Code of Practice Local authorities can provide children’s services to young people over 18

Indicative draft Code presented to Parliament 2013 Nov Code of Practice timeline 2013 Mar Indicative draft Code presented to Parliament 2013 Nov Draft Code published for public consultation 2013 Dec Deadline for consultation responses 2014 Spring Final Code laid before Parliament for approval 2014 Sep New Code of Practice comes into force

Working together across services to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families 15

Effective multi-agency working Clear structures Effective support for families Joint performance targets Time to get to know partners Common understanding and language Avoid duplication and repetition Effective evaluation of working together Consistency Family focused objectives Common goals Sharing information Pooling resources Common strategies Flexibility Equality Transparency Effective multi-agency working

What are person-centred approaches? Person-centred approaches: A way of working that puts children, young people and families at the centre, advocating that everyone has the right to exercise choice and control in directing their lives and support. Person-centred thinking: A range of skills and tools that help to focus on the person, their gifts and skills, what is important to them and what provides good support for them. Person-centred thinking is the foundation of person- centred planning. Person-centred planning: A continual process of listening to what is important to the person now and in the future with the support of family and friends and creating action or changes based upon this.

Early Support and culture change. Early Support provides a framework for action for the implementation of SEND provision of the Children and Family Bill. Based on an approach with ten principles it provides a framework or culture change and practical tool that enable this. “Early Support has demonstrated the impact that well coordinated family focussed services can have and it is helping to ensure that the legislative framework translates into real change for families”. EDWARD Timpson Minister for Children and Families 213

Early Support is Focussed on partnership working with children, young people and families. Based on co production and participation of parent\carers and young people. Centred around coordination and tailored support, person centred planning with key working support. Reliant on joint decision making. Multi agency in concept and scope integration of support provided by education, health and social care. Practical help in time of change.

The Early Support Offer. Training Key Working for practitioners and parent carers. Strategic managers workshop – to support local areas to develop a shared understanding of key working through exploring the local and current context and the links with commissioning. Parent workshops for parents\ cares of disabled children and children with additional needs. Mapit multi agency planning and implementation tool Clusters Individual targeted 1 to 1 support Newsletter. Resources

Section 5: The importance of key working for the effective delivery of Education, Health and Care Plans 22

Important questions to ask Parents about their child What would you like your child to be able to do? Why would you like them to be able to that? What support does s/he need to achieve these outcomes (i.e. to be able to do this)? Does he/she need to develop new skills to make this happen? Who can help or support him/her to achieve this? Young people about themselves What would you like to be able to do? Why would you like to be able to do that? What support do you need to achieve these outcomes (i.e. to be able to do this)? Do you need to develop new skills to make this happen? Who can help or support you to achieve this?

Education Health and Care Plan: A process Exploration Listen and understand- Does this child/young person need an EHC Plan? Under-standing Agree and allocate - This child/young person needs and EHC Plan Goal Setting Plan is drafted - Options explored underpinned by person-centred approaches Strategy Planning Draft Plan collated and shared and consulted (15 days) Imple-mentation Plan is finalised - Additional and individual provision identified and budgets allocated Agreed plan in place Relationship; Coproduction; Child, young person and family-centred

Sections of an EHCP When preparing an EHCP, a LA must set out the following in separate sections: Name (or type) of school/nursery/post-16 institution (final plan) Aspirations, views and interests of the child/young person and the parents (for a child) Child or young person’s special educational needs Outcomes sought for the child or young person The special educational provision required by the child or young person Any health care provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties and disabilities which result in the child or young person having special educational needs Any social care provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties and disabilities which result in the child or young person having special educational needs Where any special educational provision is to be secured by a direct payment, the special educational needs and the outcomes to be met by the direct payment The advice obtained in connection with an assessment must be attached to the plan

Reflections of a Service Manager Current changes to the Send framework are refreshing important messages. They remind us that this isn't about processes and systems. Its about a way of working. That’s clear every time Team around the Child and Early Support are mentioned in Government documents. You need a regular refresher to keep you on track. First we and early support, the aiming high for disabled children and now we have this to refresh us. In a few years we will need something else again to remind us its about the way we work not about bureaucracy.

Further information Visit our website: www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/earlysupport Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/councilfordisabledchildren Follow us on twitter: @CDC_tweets