Stockton-on-Tees Local Area SEND Self-evaluation
The local area’s effectiveness in identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities V6 working document March 2017
Overview
What does good look like for our children and young people with SEND – overview
All partners are meeting their duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice
Leaders have an understanding of the local area’s strengths and areas for development in respect of SEND
There is good promotion of the Local Offer, it is well used, can be understood and gives a comprehensive overview of support available
There are clear procedures for keeping children and young people with SEND safe and these are implemented. Children and young people with SEND feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe.
The parent/carer forum is representative of parents/carers in the local area and parents/carers know about it. The parent/carer forum is involved with SEND developments at all levels including strategically.
A needs assessment and joint commissioning arrangements are in place. Effective joint commissioning is carried out.
Parent carer satisfaction with the local area is strong.
Outcomes for children and young people with SEND are improving.
Current position / Strengths / Evidence\\sbcmb-fs-01\CESC\SEN SEF Inspection\Self evaluation and action plan\SEF\Documents to support SEF\Overview / Impact / Areas for development / Action plan reference
The SEN Development Group has oversight of work related to SEND. Since September 2016 the membership of the group has been refreshed and the group’s strategic role emphasised. The group’s work since September 2016 has focused on:
- Taking forward a revised approach to SEND
- Self-evaluation of the local area’s work
- Development and monitoring of a SEND action plan
- Moving forward work on data, needs assessment and the SEN strategy
- Joint Commissioning
The SEN Development group has led work to agree what the Local Area considers as ‘good’ for our children and young people with SEND. This was developed at a multi-agency event in January 2017.
Reports on SEND are presented to the Children and Young People’s partnership (CYPP), the Children and Young People’s Health and Well-being Joint Commissioning Group (CYPHWBJCG), the Health and Well Being Board and Cabinet.
SEND will be an area for member scrutiny in 2017.
The Local Offer was originally developed with parents/carers. It has been publicised via information days and via the ‘Local offer on Tour’. There is dedicated staffing in place to develop and update the offer. A mobile friendly version of the offer has been developed. Information has been tagged according to the 4 categories of need. There is a dedicated Local SENCOs Information area. Partners can have access to a facility to update their section of the Offer. The Local Authority is engaging in peer review of the Local Offer as part of regional work. Following this further work will be carried out with parents/carers and children and young people on the Local Offer. The Local Offer report for 2016 indicates that for respondents to the Local Offer survey:
- Over half searched for information on either education or information, advice and support, or both.
- Nearly 60% said the website was ok to use with nearly 30% saying it was easy.
- Two thirds found what they were looking for.
- Over 80% were parents/carers.
The Local Area recognises that there are gaps in current arrangements for SEND:
- A Designated Medical officer or Designated Clinical Officer needs to be appointed
- Joint commissioning needs significant development
- Personal budgets need developing
- The JSNA needs updating to reflect children and young people with SEND
- The SEND strategy needs finalising.
Work is ongoing in the Local Authority to develop a SEND data dashboard and also a SEN Portal to improve information exchange.
The parent/carer forum (PCF) Stockton United for Change (SUfC) is currently undergoing a period of change and transition. A new steering group is being formed. The Local Authority is working with the group and Contact a Family to support this work. New ways of working with the group and with parents/carers are being exploredThe forum is represented on the SEN Development group.
The Local Authority had a positive OFSTED inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers in 2016. Children’s services in Stockton-on-Tees are good. The inspection judged that support for children and young people with complex care needs and disabilities is good.
ADisabled Children Annual Assurance Reportis presented to the Stockton Local Safeguarding Children’s Board each year.
Regular Safeguarding Forums are held for schools and there are regular safeguarding briefings to schools. Updates to schools and settings about safeguarding for children/young people with SEND (Safeguarding forum Spring 2017). Designated Teacher (DT) Meetings take place each term which support these processes.
The Early Years team in EIS carry out Safeguarding and welfare audits for all settings and child minders.
A joint social care SEND file audit was held in the Autumn of 2016.
Adults’ social care have a designated team meeting the statutory safeguarding duty and carrying out safeguarding enquiries for adults. Where necessary the team links with the adults’ LD team. / SEN development group – strategic overview including self-evaluation
Representation across education, health, social care and from parent/carers.
Peer challenge to hold partners to account
Local Area agreement (including parent/carers) on ‘what is good’
Governance arrangements in place. Scrutiny and challenge.
Local offer being kept up to date.
Local Authority engaging in scrutiny of the Local Offer.
Strong inspection outcome
SLSCB is updated in respect of disabled children.
Schools are aware of current requirements and good practice.
Attendance at Safeguarding Forums and DT meetings is part of the school challenge framework.
Support and challenge re safeguarding
Joint audit of cases
Dedicated team / SEN Development Group terms of reference/minutes
Approach to SEND August 2016
All versions of SEF and action plan\\sbcmb-fs-01\CESC\SEN SEF Inspection\Self evaluation and action plan
Documents from extended session 10 1 17
SEN development group minutes.
Documents from extended session 10 1 17
‘What is good’ document
CYPP, CYPHWBJCCG, HWBB and Cabinet reports.
Local offer focus group information
SEN newsletters
Annual Local offer reports
Outcomes of peer review.
SEN Development group minutes
CYPP, CYPHWBJCG, HWBB and Cabinet reports.
SEN Portal project outline
SIF report 2016
Disabled Children Annual Assurance Report 2016
Safeguarding briefing and forum records including attendance
Audit documents
Audit report / Higher profile of SEND and increased focus leading to better progress
Ownership by all partners
Greater awareness of SEND responsibilities among partners
Leaders have understanding of local area’s strengths and areas for development.
Leaders, frontline staff and parent/carers are working to an agreed expectation.
Information available for parents/carers/SENCOs. Local offer developed in response to feedback.
Children with complex care needs and disabilities have social care needs met.
Overview/scrutiny of SLSCB. / Further work on self-evaluation framework
Implement revised approach to SEND.
Complete SEND needs assessment and update JSNA.
Complete SEND strategy.
Progress work on SEND data
Self-evaluation to be based on what the Local Area considers to be good.
Peer review of Local Offer
Engagement and further co-production with parents/carers and children/young people.
Appointment of DMO or DCO
Joint commissioning arrangements. At request of CYPHWBJCG the SEN development group is working in more detail on joint commissioning for SaLT and OT.
Personal budgets – especially education personal budgets linked to EHCPs.
SEND needs assessment.
Supporting SUfC as the group develops new membership and looking at innovative ways of working. / AfD 1
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AfD 3
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- How effectively does the local area identify children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities?
What does good look like for our children and young people with SEND – identification
The needs of children and young people are identified early. The following are in place:
- Health screening and checks
- Clear pathways
- Onward timely referral
- Multi agency working
- Information sharing and systems to support this
-Clear cross boundary arrangements
- Minimal waiting times (or no waiting lists)
All professionals have appropriate training and support to assist identification of needs. This applies across education, health and social care. Each child is treated as an individual when needs are bring identified.
All professionals have training and expertise in appropriate communication with parents/carers when a need has been identified. This includes both the timing and method of communication.
Support and guidance is available for parents/carers about information sharing.
EHC assessments are carried within the 20 week timescales, parents/carers and children and young people are fully involved and all relevant professionals contribute.
A transition plan is in place for transfers from statements to EHCPs and transfers are carried out in timescales. The transition plan is on track.
There are clear processes for identification of need for specific/vulnerable groups (e.g. CIN/CP/LAC, youth offenders, those educated out of area or at home, those in alternative provision, those in hospital and children of service personnel, new arrivals.)
There is appropriate identification at both SEN Support and statutory assessment level.
An accurate population level needs assessment and robust JSNA are in place.
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The health visiting service has a universal offer to families and those with children with SEND would have a targeted service. Antenatal contact is in place. There is a handover system in place for children moving from the neonatal unit. There is a Clinical Lead for early Help and support who is coordinating for early help and SEND across the community health visiting and schools nursing service. Led by this Clinical lead the service is developing a targeted help pathway and SEND pathway. The former will assist in identification and support prior to the SEND pathway. The Clinical lead is working to raise the profile of SEND in the services. The service uses the ASQ to assess children and will be introducing the ASQ (SE).
Performance for the 5 mandated contacts has remained static between Q2 and Q3 with only slight fluctuation across 3 of the 5 contacts. There is a concern about 9-12 month development reviews completed in timescales but performance improves significantly for reviews completed by 15 months (94%). Performance has dipped for 2-2½ year reviews but any reviews out of timescales are not included in the performance framework. Use of the ASQ has increased slightly at this review.It is recognised that further improvement is required as the service does not compare favourably with figures for the North East. Such improvement will assist with identification of need.
The health visiting service has recognised that the expertise of the service in SEND needs to be developed. SEND champions have been identified and a training programme implemented with the support of the Local Authority SEN and Engagement team. Training will also be delivered by SaLT, Physiotherapy and the Portage team.
The School Nursing Service is commissioned by Public Health to offer health assessment to all children, young people and families at transition to reception and secondary school, and vision and hearing screening to all children in reception. Current performance data raises concerns about early identification of need via the health assessments and screening which is being followed up by the commissioner.
The physiotherapy service offers a ‘drop in’ clinic at 3 children’s centres. Children can be seen without the need for a referral clinic appointment and onward referrals are made if necessary. In 2015-16 306 children were seen at the High Flyers Children’s Centre drop in clinic. 29.4% of these were referred on to outpatient paediatric physiotherapy or other services. For those with developmental delay 64.5% were referred on. In the same period192 children were seen at the Footsteps Children’s Centre drop in clinic. 28.6% of these were referred on to outpatient paediatric physiotherapy or other services. Of those with developmental delay 56.6% were referred on. The drop in clinics therefore play an effective role in identification of need and timely onward referral.
The physiotherapy service works closely with the neonatal unit. There is a need to establish links between the neonatal unit and the area SENCO, as well as with parent/carers via SUfC. This links to the need for a system for notification from health to the LA (see below).
CAMHS have a self-referral system which can allow quicker access to the service. However it appears this is not widely known and is not yet publicised via the Local Offer.
The Local Area has identified that improvements are required in the sharing of information between services at the point of identification of needs and more widely. There is no process in place for health professionals to notify the Local Authority of children identified as having or probably having SEND as per the Code of Practice.Health professionals do not currently have systems to record children and young people with SEND. Work is ongoing to address these issues.
The time taken for an assessment for a child/young person who may have Autism Spectrum Disorder is too long and unacceptable. This was recognised in the OFSTED inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers in 2016. This has been recognised by the Local Area and action planned to address this through a multi-agency 3P event in February/March 2017. CAMHS have also trialled a shorter approach to this assessment.
The Local Area has identified that there is a need for more joined up approaches for early years to assist early identification and early intervention. This includes:
- Development of links between health visitors and the early years settings
- Full development of the integrated 2 to 2 and a half year check
- A multi-agency approach for children in the early years
- Implementation of the early years moving forward document.
- Focus on early intervention and involvement of universal services in the first instance before referral on.
- Appropriate use of early help and the early help assessment
Links have been established between health visitors and the SEN and Engagement team and closer links are in place between Early Years staff in EIS and the SEN and Engagement team. Community Nursery Nurses are now linked to all settings. The 2-2 and a half year integrated review is being piloted in Tilery Primary School and the Star Children’s Centre. The role of the EDA Early Years/Primary (which includes the Area SENCO role) is seen as crucial in developing expertise and approaches in the early years.Settings will be supported by Early Years Provision Guidance for SEND which is in development. The New Steps tracking approach support tracking of children from birth to school and assists early identification of needs. The Early Years Moving Forward document has been rolled out and now needs to be fully implemented.
Health visitors use the Early Help Assessment when a concern is identified. The Early Help process is recognised as helpful in identifying need, but professionals express concern about consistency of the Team around the family approach and attendance at meetings.
There is joint working and co-location between the Early Help team and a CAMHS duty worker for initial screening and an advice and guidance line for parents and professionals. There was a reduction in waiting list from 16 to 0 weeks (November 2016) and no child waiting for an initial assessment.
In 2016 the Local Authority issued 64.6% of new EHCPs within 20 weeks excluding exceptions. This was an improvement of 9% on 2015 – LA data. (It was an improvement of 5.7% on the figure in LG inform for 2015.)