1. Pathfinder Pilot Experience
Marian Gadian
(Teacher of Deaf Students)
Louise Orlandini
(Qualified Teacher of Visually Impaired Students)

2. Key points we think need to be noted (started as a Top Ten!):
Statutory assessment and SEN statements to be replaced by education, health and care need assessments and Education, Health and Care plans (EHC plans)
It is the duty of the LA to secure provision set within an EHC
LA must review education and health provision (and check if local provision “sufficient” to meet local need)
Young People (YP) voices will be heard – YP & Parents are at the heart
0-25 years of age – so, a cultural change
Awaiting more information on the duties on health and social care

3. Key points to note continued……
EHC plans will extend into FE and Training (including Apprenticeships)
EHC should ensure an improved transition process through which receiving staff are able to discuss and understand the bespoke support and resource needs for HI and VI
All of the provision will apply as well to Academies and free schools in full
LA + clinical groups “must” make arrangements to agree reasonable provision for children with SEN
Health and Social care provision must be recorded explicitly in an EHC plan
LA must produce info on EHC services “it expects” to be available (local offer)

4. Key points to note continued...
LA must ensure advice and information locally available to parents and YP
The rights of appeal to Tribunal remain the same, but if YP/parents want to appeal to Tribunal - must first consider mediation
SEN Code of Practice to be revised…….. School Action and School Action Plus will be replaced with a single category
Personal Budget………
All families with an approved Education, Health and Care plan (EHC) will have a legal right to request a personal budget, if they choose
LA s must prepare a personal budget when a parent or young person requests it

5. Where do we as a Service ‘fit in’?

6. Possible key worker role for pre-school where we are the main providers of support
Once reached Nursery or school age we are not well placed to fulfil this role but....
...as now with annual reviews etc, ensuring TOD/QTVI is invited to EHC plan meetings to contribute specialist advice, support and guidance for next stages for the child/young person, and...
.... for children/young people without a current EHC plan the TOD/QTVI should have an awareness of when/how to trigger an EHC at points of transition or increased need
The TOD/QTVI is well placed to help use a single EHC plan to give a focus on transition especially if the child or young person is moving from specialist to non specialist providers
TOD/QTVI able to give advice on access issues for child/young person and others attending the Person Centred EHC meetings and on formats in which the plan should be produced.

7. Q&A session with Service staff

8. Do we know which team will advise /support parents or do we find out ourselves?
All parents will be able to access information on universal, targeted and specialist education, health, care and other services through the Local Offer website as well as information on criteria for those services and how to complain. The Specialist Resource Teams can also give advice face to face at drop ins round the city in their specialist resource centres. For young people who meet criteria for a single plan, their plan coordinator will provide advice, support etc. Plan coordinators will come from a variety teams – Manchester are still testing exactly which teams will be involved.

9. Q. If it is decided that child needs an expensive piece of equipment eg CCTV/Soundfield, who pays? School or personal budget?
It depends – if it is a piece of equipment the school needs for a number of children, it should come out of their delegated budget (elements 1 and 2). If it is for that individual child and just for educational use, the school could claim it under element 3 of the high needs funding (to up), though probably over a number of years depreciation. If it is equipment needed in and out of school, hopefully there could be an agreement that 2 or more services would contribute – but this needs testing.

10. Q. How much could the personal budget be
Q. How much could the personal budget be? Is it for equipment or support? Will it affect the child’s level of support?
At the moment the child/young person could have a short breaks personal budget, a health personal budget (if they meet continuing health care criteria) and/or an education personal budget. They may be taken as a direct payment or as services. Every budget is based on individual need. At some point in the future, Manchester hopes to reach a point where budgets will be pooled, but are just at the beginning (as are many other authorities).
Only Element 3 of the high needs funding will be available to be offered as an education personal budget

11. Head of Lancasterian Sensory Support Service Tel No: 0161 445 0123
Contact details:
Helen MacDougall
Head of Lancasterian Sensory Support Service
Tel No: