NW SEND Regional Network News

January 2016

Dear colleagues

Happy New Year.

If you’ve received this newsletter via a colleague and would like to be added to the circulation list for future issues please email Cathy Hamer CWH01@hotmail.co.uk.

Also when you’ve got good news to share, or challenges you’d like to work with others to find solutions for, do get in touch so we can share the learning across the North West. If you would like to contribute to network activities, request connections for support, or provide information about forthcoming events for future editions of this newsletter please contact Dr Cathy Hamer, NW SEND Regional Network lead, Email: CWH01@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 0778 357 7284.

Gill Hoar

NW SEND Regional Lead, Oldham

NW Regional Network Events

Developing and writing good EHC plans within the required timescales.

These are DfE led workshops supported by Mott MacDonald

12.1.16  Partnership for Learning Charity, South Road, Liverpool. L24 9PZ

13.1.16 Red Pepper Company, Wigan Investment Centre, Waterside Drive’ Wigan, WN3 5BA

The workshop will equip attendees with the necessary knowledge and resources required to disseminate learning within their respective areas via a ‘train the trainer’ approach.

NB They are parallel workshop so you should only book at one.

There are 4 spaces per local area which should include the following:

1 x Local Authority (LA) representative who has the strategic responsibility for EHC Plans in their respective LA.

2 x LA representative in addition to the above who will play a key role in disseminating learning throughout the LA.

1 x parent carer forum representative (Note: parent carer forum invites are being issued directly to the forums by Contact a Family).

Once you have agreed who is attending on behalf of your local area, please can you register on the following link:

 http://www.eventbrite.com/e/education-health-and-care-ehc-plan-workshops-north-west-region-tickets-19636355869

 If your Local Area is no longer listed on the drop down menu of the order form, the allocation for your Local Area will have been filled. If this is the case, or if you would like more than 4 places for your Local Area, please let SENDdeliverysupport@mottmac.com know by providing the names you would like to add to the waiting list, along with their contact details. Should you have any difficulties with the booking process, please contact Mott MacDonald at SENDdeliverysupport@mottmac.com.

21 January 2016 Children & Families Act: LA and Health Implementation

10 – 4 Park Lane Suites, Whitefield, Bury M45 7PX

The Department for Education and the Council for Disabled Children are bringing together representatives from Local Authorities and health services in each government region to discuss and work through specific elements relating to implementation of the SEND reforms. The idea of these sessions is to tease out local challenges and share best practice across areas within a region.

To maximise this peer-support and multi-agency working, we would like to invite a relevant colleague from each LA along with a colleague from the corresponding CCG (ideally this would be the Designated Medical/Clinical Officer or, if no DMO/DCO is in post, the health commissioner with responsibility for the SEND agenda). Please do liaise with your colleagues to ensure that there will be representation from both LA and health from your local area at the session.

Issues for discussion are:

·      Joint arrangements to deliver improved outcomes;

·      Developing the local EHC planning process.

  CDC will facilitate discussion through activities, useful resources will be shared and local networking will enable continued peer support going forward.

Book at: https://dfehealthnorthwest.eventbrite.co.uk

For more information please contact Luke Nunn at the Council for Disabled Children at lnunn@ncb.org.uk

2 February 2016 9.30 for 10 – 4, Children and young people with special educational needs in custody.

The Hive, 51 Lever St, Manchester M1 1FN

On 1 April 2015, new legal requirements to support children and young people with special educational needs in custody came into force. The Council for Disabled Children, the National Children’s Bureau and the National Development Team for Inclusion are offering FREE training to support implementation. This work is being funded by the Department for Education.

Who can attend: Anyone working with children and young people in custody.

What are the benefits of attending?

 ·         To reinforce your knowledge and understanding of the new legal duties and Code of Practice

·         To give you the practical tools you need to put in place local protocols and systems

·         To help you support children, young people and parents in youth custody to participate in decision making

There is an initial allocation of 3 places per Local Authority Area. Please ensure you have representation from;

·         SEND Team

·         Youth Offending Team

Parent/Carer Forum representatives are welcome, as are young people and LAC/Care Leaver workers and representatives plus any other stakeholders or key workers for this group.

Please book your Area 'team' through Josie Ritson (jritson@ncb.org.uk) at CDC. If you would like more than 3 places please let Josie know and any spare places will be re-allocated nearer the day.

Other events:

15 January 2016 10 – 3.30

Regional Accessible Information Standard Implementation Workshop

Mercure Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester. M1 4PH

The Accessible Information Standard directs and defines a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents, where those needs relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss.

This regional workshop is aimed at informing delegates about the standard, providing feedback and guidance from pilot sites and facilitating workshops to instigate discussions to find a way forward to achieve successful and effective implementation.

NB This event is for individuals working in and managing any NHS organisation/service and publically funded adult social care organisations/providers.

19 January 2016 Master class – Jointly commissioning children’s palliative care, The Studio, 51 Lever Street, Manchester. M1 1FN

To support effective joint commissioning of children’s palliative care, including short breaks, Together for Short Lives is running an all-day masterclass. There is no charge for attending the event, which will bring commissioners and providers together to discuss and learn about successful joint commissioning and hear about cases in which joint commissioning has improved outcomes for children and young people.

http://www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/professionals/events/8560_one-day_masterclass_jointly_commissioning_childrens_palliative_care

8 February 2016 Key Working training

King’s House Conference Centre, King’s Church, Sidney Street
Manchester M1 7HB

The Council for Disabled Children has developed training on the key working approach to working with disabled children, young people and those with SEN and their families. This training is for a multi-agency group of professionals from across health, education and care and builds on learning from the Early Support Programme. If you are a parent or carer, you are very welcome to attend too.

The training will empower professionals to work in partnership with young people and their families as well as support them in implementing the SEN and Disability reforms. The one-day workshop is an opportunity for colleagues from different agencies to come together to understand the key working approach, functions and how it can benefit families and services.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cdc-key-working-training-manchester-ch-tickets-19533437036

10 February 2016 4 – 5.30 ‘Being heard and influencing decisions in Lancashire: the long and windy road’. Perspectives from the local authority, the voluntary sector and from young people.

Brook Building Room 142A, The Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation, School of Social Work, Care and Community, University of Central Lancashire, Fylde Rd, Preston, Lancashire PR1 2HE

Kate Baggaley from Barnardo’s Participation Service, Hannah Peake from Lancashire County Council and young people from Lancashire's participation groups including LINX, POWAR and CSI want to take the opportunity to share our journey with you. This will include our own personal journeys in terms of participation and will focus, crucially, on the young people's experiences. We will highlight our highs (and lows) and we will also take the opportunity to share our organisational journeys and the impact participation has had in Lancashire and beyond. This is effectively a verbal version of our annual report and will be a very personal, practical, experienced based session and we hope it will give you an insight into participation for all those involved. We will finish with our plans for the year ahead.

This seminar is part of a new series for 2015-16, ‘Children as Agents of Social Change’. For further details see www.uclan.ac.uk/cypp

The seminars are free, including refreshments. Please reserve your place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-centre-seminar-being-heard-and-influencing-decisions-in-lancashire-tickets-20473046433

4 March 2016 Key Working training

Partnership for Learning, Training and Conference Centre, South Road /Speke, Liverpool L24 9PZ

This is the same training as is available on 8 February.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cdc-key-working-training-liverpool-ch-tickets-19546120974

10 – 11 March Elklan total training package for 5 – 11s

Ramada Hotel Salford Quays

www.pecs-unitedkingdom.com

19 – 20 April 2016 Care and Treatment of Offenders with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability conference, Manchester
This event is an opportunity for reflection and sharing among services providing care for learning disabled offenders, both in the public and independent health and social care sectors and the criminal justice system. Book at

http://www.autism.org.uk/professionals/conferences/offenders.aspx

SEND Implementation Grant Funding Confirmed

As part of the government's commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable children, the DfE have confirmed the following funding will continue, increasing in 2016 to 2017:

          special educational needs and disability (SEND) implementation grant to support English local authorities in the transition to the new SEND system

Top Ten Questions – DfE Answers:

Special Needs Jungle has received answers to ten questions (+ other supplementary ones too) to the DfE

http://www.specialneedsjungle.com/the-dfe-answers-your-top-10-questions-on-the-changes-in-sen-and-disability-education/

http://www.specialneedsjungle.com/12706-2/

Focus: Inclusive childcare

‘Developing inclusive childcare practices for 0–5s with SEND’
Family Action has been funded by the Department for Education (DfE) to support school-based early years childcare settings to develop their inclusive practices for 0-5s with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Read about the Childcare in Schools project.

On the Learning Exchange website you can

• See how their target settings are overcoming barriers to inclusion (funding, equipment etc).

• Download useful templates and tip sheets to help you develop inclusion further.

http://www.learning-exchange.org.uk/documents_library_pages/creating_inclusive_childcare_in_schools___0_to_5_years/supporting_schools

Focus: Schools

Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (Updated 11.12.15)

Statutory guidance about the support that pupils should receive at school.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3

The Mental Health Services and Schools Link Pilots will test a named single point of contact in 255 schools and in 22 pilot areas, meaning more joined-up working between schools and health services. The following North West CCG’s have secured funding: Salford, South Cheshire, Tameside and Glossop, Halton and Wigan.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hundreds-of-schools-benefit-from-3m-mental-health-investment

Focus: SEND Tribunal

Following three years of consultation and pilots, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal panels are going to be changed. With immediate effect, all appeals will automatically be allocated a two member panel. See more at:

http://www.senexpertsolicitors.co.uk/news/when-a-tribunal-isnt-a-tribunal-all-change-to-sendist-panels/?utm_source

Tribunal statistics annual release including SEND tables:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2015

Focus: Children and young people who have offended or are at risk of offending

Mencap’s Step Up is a project empowering people with a learning disability or communication difficulty aged 16-30 who have offended or are at risk of offending to move into employment. This peer-led project takes learnings from the successful Raising Your Game and Employ Me projects. Step Up engages and prepares this group to move into the workforce through social action initiatives and one-to-one support. The project is being pilot in 3 areas in the North West: Salford, Bolton and Rochdale.

https://www.mencap.org.uk/our-services/our-projects/step

Children in custody 2014-15: an analysis of 12–18-year-olds’ perceptions of their experience in secure training centres and young offender institutions

HM inspectorate of Prisons and Youth Justice Board

Children and young people in custody regularly report feeling unsafe, with intimidation and threats commonplace. The annual study found that a third of boys held in young offender institutions (YOI) reported feeling unsafe, while 24 per cent of young people in secure training centres (STC) also said they felt unsafe at some point. Those in YOIs who felt unsafe had higher rates of mental health and emotional problems on arrival (24 per cent), and were more likely to feel that they were not treated with respect by staff. The proportion of boys in YOIs that felt unsafe rose six percentage points from 27 per cent in 2010/11 to 33 per cent in 2014/15. For those in STCs, 39 per cent had experienced insulting remarks, 23 per cent had experienced physical abuse, and two per cent had been the victim of sexual abuse. In addition, 17 per cent felt threatened and intimidated, 32 per cent verbally abused and eight per cent had items stolen from them. Just four out of 10 young people held in custody had a training, sentence or remand plan in place, significantly lower than the 51 per cent that had plans in place a year earlier. The survey also showed that the number of children that identified as Gypsy, Romany or Traveller in YOIs rose from six per cent in 2013/14 to eight per cent in 2014/15. The figure for STCs stayed the same.

Reports and Information:

Rochford Review: Interim recommendations

This report provides guidance to schools about how to report statutory assessment outcomes for pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum tests at key stages 1 and 2

Rochford Review: interim recommendations

Pre-key stage 1: Pupils working below the test standard

These interim pre-key stage standards are to be used by teachers to report a statutory assessment outcome for specified pupils at the end of key stage 1

Pre-key stage 1

Pre-key stage 2: Pupils working below the test standard.

Interim pre-key stage standards to be used by teachers to report a statutory assessment outcome for specified pupils at the end of key stage 2.

Pre-key stage 2

16 – 19 Funding for special needs (DfE)

Spending on students with additional needs applies to those requiring extra support, but whose needs don’t meet the threshold for high-needs funding. This report looks at how 16 to 19 institutions plan, spend and evaluate their funding to support students with additional needs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-funding-for-students-with-additional-needs

International evidence on impact of funding linked to additional needs on participation and attainment by 16-19 year olds (DfE)

Additional needs pupils are defined as: being economically disadvantaged and in need of financial support to attend education, having low prior attainment and being in need of extra support to succeed in education, having low-level special educational needs and disability. This review looks at how governments provide funding to support students with additional needs and the effect funding has on their attainment. Findings show that this type of policy can have a significant impact on attendance, particularly in the case of girls, but impact on attainment is more mixed.

https://www.gov.uk/.../DFE-RR484_16_to_19_additional_needs_fundin...

Government response to No voice unheard, no right ignored - a consultation for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-rights-for-people-with-learning-disabilities

Evaluation: Independent Support

The National Development Team for Inclusion are doing research to find out what people think about Independent Support. They are conducting a survey to find out what young people aged 16-25 who have had an Independent Supporter think about the help they have had. Please could you pass on this message via email, forum, newsletter, Facebook or other social media to any young people who you think may have had help from an Independent Supporter:

 Are you aged 16-25? Have you had help through the EHC plan process from an Independent Supporter? If so, please complete this survey to say what you think about the support you’ve had www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Independent_Support

 Or for Twitter:

 Are you 16-25? Have you had help though the EHC plan  process from an Independent Supporter? Please do this survey www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Independent_Support

 If you would like paper copies of the survey to distribute to young people, please contact Annie Inman on annie.inman@ndti.org.uk or on 01225 789135.

Resources:

Key working: Free e-learning modules

Five on-line modules to support key working:

• The concept of the continuum of support

• The principles of key working as a way of working

• The specific key working functions

• Supporting decision making through best practice examples

• Using key working in supporting preparation for adulthood with young people aged 14 – 25

http://www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/keyworking

Involving young people in the recruitment process

NHS employers have launched a new guide to support employers wishing to involve children, young people and families in recruiting staff. It discusses the benefits, case studies and provides a checklist to help employers identify practical ways to adapt their recruitment processes.

http://preparingforadulthood.org.uk/news/news-2016/involving-young-people-in-the-recruitment-process-new-guidance-launched

Preparing for Adulthood self-evaluation tools

This suite of self-evaluation tools is designed to support professionals from across education, health and social care in both children's and adults' services, to ensure young people and their families are able to prepare effectively for adulthood.
They are not designed to be an exhaustive list but rather a prompt to support local areas to make progress in embedding the PfA elements of the SEND reforms.
These tools are made up of key themes for each audience and consider what should be happening in local areas. Professionals can use the self-evaluation tool to understand what is working well and where things might need to improve.
http://preparingforadulthood.org.uk/what-we-do/pfa-self-evaluation-tool

Young person’s guide to personal budgets in England

Together for Short Lives and In Control have launched a young person’s guide to Personal Budgets in England. This resource for young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions explains Personal Budgets and uses three case studies to illustrate the different ways they can be managed.

http://www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/professionals/resources/8719_young_persons_guide_to_personal_budgets_in_england?utm_sou

Youtube clips from Preparing for Adulthood:

Supported Employment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho5b4st-k8c

PfA Local Offer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2VgeWTtIbs

Living Live (Planning Live) – in SLD Schools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Samt4UBqSjM

Supported Internships

http://www.youthconnexions-hertfordshire.org/advice-and-support/young-people-with-learning-difficulties-andor-disabilities/supported-internships/

Short breaks and the local offer

Short Breaks and the Local Offer: http://bit.ly/1MhZLp0

 Action for Children case study: http://bit.ly/1OoZuXm

CAF case study: http://bit.ly/1OpJ1kb

Kids case study: http://bit.ly/1jfe7Qr

CDC cases Study: http://bit.ly/1LDqmCq

New map of changing places (UK toilets)

http://changingplaces.uktoiletmap,org

New websites:

Information, Advice and Support Services for Children and Young People

The Information Advice and Support Network have developed a new website to support disabled children and young people and those with SEN to understand their rights in accessing information, advice and support across education, health and social care. 

http://cyp.iassnetwork.org.uk/

Get your rights
 

Get Your Rights is a new interactive website for children and young people that provides information on young people's rights when using the NHS. This website has been co-produced with children and young people.

http://www.getyourrights.org/

Link to another newsletter:

What’s new at Contact a Family:

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9eee2b1f9768ecfa9240bb161&id=2f143d0b18&e=08dbbea055