1. Experiences of Worcestershire Local Authority – Peter Harwood
Holding the balance
Experiences of Worcestershire Local Authority – Peter Harwood

2. The LA Function Ordinarily available Choice and Control
Statutory Assessment
Notional SEN
Support
Capacity building
Targeted and Specialist
Sufficiency and planning
Graduated response
Higher Needs funding
Challenge
Intervention

3. Shifting focus/Shifting Language
Prior to funding and SEND reform – A limited central offer of support
Shift towards greater clarity of funding, a unified funding system and increased Autonomy for schools
Greater focus on money and an absolute definition of higher need

4. Whole System Approach Who is subject to the code?
local authorities (education, social care and relevant housing and employment and other services)
the governing bodies of schools, including non-maintained special schools
the governing bodies of further education colleges and sixth form colleges
the proprietors of academies (including free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools)
the management committees of pupil referral units
independent schools and independent specialist providers approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014
all early years providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors that are funded by the local authority
the National Health Service Commissioning Board
clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)
NHS Trusts
NHS Foundation Trusts
Local Health Boards
Youth Offending Teams and relevant youth custodial establishments
The First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability)

5. The Code in focus..
0-25 age range
clearer focus on the participation of children and young people and parents in decision-making
stronger focus on high aspirations and on improving outcomes
emphasis on joint planning and commissioning of services
close co-operation between education, health and social care
Local Offer of support for children and young people with SEN or disabilities
New focus on graduated approach identifying and supporting pupils and students with SEN
For children and young people with more complex needs a co-ordinated assessment process
There is a greater focus on support that enables those with SEN to succeed and on successful transition to adulthood

6. New Service delivery Models
The ‘radically new’ is in the wider education system:
Services increasingly devolved
Greater freedom to choose and to purchase
Localised responses
LA holding the balance in relation to demand and expectations
Current challenge of an immature market and a new system

7. SEMH and SEN
Persistent mental health difficulties may lead to pupils having significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of those of the same age. Schools should consider whether the child will benefit from being identified as having a special educational need (SEN). Any special education provision should ensure it takes into account the views and wishes of the child and their family.
……….has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age,
the importance of the child or young person, and the child’s parents, participating as fully as possible in decisions, and being provided with the information and support necessary to enable participation in those decisions
the need to support the child or young person, and the child’s parents, in order to facilitate the development of the child or young person and to help them achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood

8. Saying the same things?
challenge of Social, Emotional and Mental health language
Thresholds and confidence - Clarifying the process and specifying the thresholds for identifying such difficulties.
Entitlement - All children are entitled to an education that enables them to:
achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, and
become confident young children with a growing ability to communicate their own views and ready to make the transition into compulsory education

9. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties Meeting the range of need and being transparent
6.32 Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behavior. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.
6.33 Schools and colleges should have clear processes to support children and young people, including how they will manage the effect of any disruptive behaviour so it does not adversely affect other pupils.

10. Resourcing and Strategy
It is for schools, as part of their normal budget planning, to determine their approach to using their resources to support the progress of pupils with SEN.
They should consider their strategic approach to meeting SEN in the context of the total resources available, including any resources targeted at particular groups, such as the pupil premium.
Ordinarily available - the clear description of the types of special educational provision they normally provide and will help parents and others to understand what they can normally expect the school to provide for pupils with SEN.
They are expected to provide additional support which costs up to a nationally prescribed threshold per pupil per year.
The responsible local authority will provide additional top-up funding where the cost of the special educational provision required to meet the needs of an individual pupil exceeds the nationally prescribed threshold.

11. How schools can promote their pupils’ mental health -
The culture and structures within a school can promote their pupils’ mental health through:
a committed senior management team
an ethos of setting high expectations of attainment for all pupils with consistently applied support
an effective strategic role for the qualified teacher who acts as the special educational needs co-ordinator [SENCO]
working with parents and carers as well as with the pupils themselves,
continuous professional development for staff
clear systems and processes to help staff who identify children and young people with possible mental health problems
working with others to provide interventions for pupils with mental health problems that use a graduated approach to inform a clear cycle of support
a healthy school approach to promoting the health and wellbeing of all pupils in the school, with priorities identified and a clear process of ‘planning, doing and reviewing’ to achieve the desired outcomes.
Mental Health and Behaviour Guidance (DfE

12. Shared Learning
Caroline Thompson: SENCO from St Peter's Catholic First School Bromsgrove – A behaviour success story.
Emma Pritchard: Assistant Headteacher from Hollymount Primary School A child's transition from nurture group to a main stream class.
Jackie Castle: Headteacher from St Clements Primary School. implementation of the Thrive programme.
Jane Naylor: Headteacher from Round Oak School Warwick. raising aspiration through health and wellbeing.