Transition Plan-revised

Introduction

The Department for Education produced revised guidance for local authorities and their partners in September 2015 that sets out how and when we must transfer existing statements of special educational needs or learning difficulty assessments to Education, Health and Care Plans.

That guidance says we must complete all the transfers by 1st April 2018. This leaflet explains our arrangements for children and young people who live in North Yorkshire and who currently have a Statement or a Learning Difficulty Assessment.

In drafting this plan we have consulted representatives of primary, secondary and special schools, further education colleges, parents and carers, a disabled young people’s group, local authority officers and colleagues in health and social care services.

The order in which we will do Transfers

By 31st March in years 2016-2018, we must transfer the Statements of the young people who are leaving school in this academic year and moving into further education or training.

By 1st September 2016 all those young people who receive support as a result of a Learning Difficulty Assessment, and who are continuing in education or training should have an Education, Health and Care Plan.

We will transfer your son or daughter’s statement to an Education, Health and Care Plan if they are:

  • in an infant school and moving to a junior school
  • in Year 6 planning a move to secondary school
  • in Year 9 as they start to prepare for adulthood
  • in Y11+ with an emphasis on preparing for adulthood
  • or in provision which is likely to require significant change.

The Transfer Review Process

To transfer a Statement or Learning Difficulty Assessment to an Education, Health and Care Plan, the local authority (LA), must carry out a ‘transfer review’. The SEND Code of Practice says we must do a needs assessment. In order to give us enough time to ask for advice, meet with you and to draft the plan, we have 20 weeks to finalise the Plan from when we first write to you, giving notice that we intend to carry out a transfer review.

We will not ask for more or new advice if you as parents, your daughter or son, the person who gave the advice and the local authority officer, who is responsible for the review, agree that what we have already is sufficient.

Most transfer reviews will take the place of an annual review and we will talk to settings, schools and colleges about their proposed dates for these. They may give you a date well in advance of the meeting and we will write to you when we know this, but at least 2 weeks before the review process starts officially and to those other people involved in the review. We will try to let you know up to 8 weeks before the meeting date, at which a local authority officer may be present, so we can ask for up-to-date advice, if we all agree that we need to.

LA writes to parents or young person giving notice that we will conduct a transfer review at least 2 weeks before the transfer review process begins; professionals informed of meeting date. / Approximate timings:
Advice requested, if it is needed, and returned within 6 weeks. / By week 6
Transfer review meeting held and annual review form completed / Week 8
Annual Review form and other evidence sent to SEN admin team within 2 weeks of meeting / Week 10
EHC plan drafted (if required) / Week 12
LA Central SEN Panel considers whether 1) to issue an EHC Plan; 2) or a Support Plan; or 3) cease to maintain a Plan, and informs parents and young person / Week 14
Parents and young person consider draft Plan or Support Plan (in place of an EHC Plan) / Week 16
Listen to views and LA finalises Plan / Week 18
Final Plan issued / Week 20

Rough guide to the number of transfers in each year

Transfer point / 2015/16 / 2016/17 / 2017/18
Year 2 / 50 / 30 / 10
Year 6 Year 5 / 90 / 75 / 75
75
Year 9 / 130 / 90 / 90
Year 10 / 110
Year 11+ / 300 / 280
Totals / 570 / 585 / 250/1405

How you will know when your child’s statement/ learning difficulty assessment is being transferred

The table above gives you an approximate idea of the year in which your child will get an EHC Plan. We will write to you at the start of the transfer process to let you know when and how it will happen. Your setting, school or college may already have suggested a date in advance of us writing to you officially. We will transfer as many children and young people as we can in each year and all of them by 1st April 2018.

Where you can get information and support

To learn more about the Education, Health and Care assessment and planning process and the wider reforms for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, please visit the Local Offer website: www.northyorks.gov.uk/send

Core Assets Children’s Services have recruited and trained a number of Independent Supporters whose job is specifically to support families and young people going through the transfer process in North Yorkshire.

They can be contacted directly on 0800 028 8455

The SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (formerly Parent Partnership Service) can offer information and support to families of students with SEND up to the age of 25yrs whether or not they have a Statement, Learning Difficulty Assessment or an Education, Health and Care Plan.

They can be contacted on 0845 034 9469

If we cannot agree about the decisions that the Local Authority has made, you may ask about the Disagreement Resolution Service or the Mediation Service and/or lodge an appeal with the SEND Tribunal. Talk to SENDIASS or an Independent Supporter (numbers above) if you want more information about these services and how to apply.

1

Revised Sept 2015