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Minutes

Meeting: / SEND Local Offer Meeting
Paper: / Minutes
Date:
Time:
Venue: / Friday 3 March 2017
9am to 1pm
County Buildings, Drawing Room
1. / Attendance
Rebecca Knight (Chair), Vanessa Allen (Minute taker),
Robert Eardley (Families First), Sarah Huggins (Entrust),CarrenHall (Parent), Sam Joyce representing Kim Edge (SSFP).
2. / Welcome and Apologies
Rebecca welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Apologies from Natasha Moody, Catherine Morris, Sheila Crosbie, Ruth Woodbridge, Karen Levell, Julia Anderson, Richard Lancaster and Leighton Reed.
3. / Notes from Previous Meeting held 13 December 2016
For ongoing updating and uploading of information – please send any information .
Explore the technical issues relating to google searching of Local Offer and SEND content on other SCC websites – I have been liaising with colleagues in the customer contact centre to understand the google searching technicalities and explore rationalising the information on other SCC websites to ensure consistency of information. There is further work to do to review this information and make amendments which I will continue to do and liaise with individuals as required.
To explore setting up a visit to T&W Council to review their website and ongoing management of the site and their data. – Natalie Bevan at T&W facilitated a visit for us on 6 February 2017.
4. / Introduction
  • Feedback from Telford and Wrekin Visit
This was a helpful and informative visit. Well worth the time spent reviewing their arrangements. RE thought the discussion around their “You said, We did” wasreally helpful.
T&W have involved their parent group in creating and then driving development of their site and received positive feedback from DfE about this approach.
The T & W site has been created using their own in-house IT team and they have dedicated resources for the IT development and ongoing updating.
The group discussed the concept of working with parents to drive the development of the Staffordshire site and all agreed this was approach we should adopt. Further discussion about arrangements to involve parents is detailed in section 7 – future development.
ACTION - RK to explore ongoing networking with T & W and other Las in relation to the Local Offer.
5. / Accessibility
  • Google Searching
In December 2016, RK met with Ben Gratton from Customer Services, to understand the searching issues. The dot.gov sites always come up first on google search and the advice given was to cleanse all other websites of SEND information and ensure it is included on the Local Offer site.
Lucy Gratton is also managing the transfer of information from the old Staffordshire Cares site to the new Staffordshire Cares site.
The SEND Family Partnership is also on the google search and further discussions are taking place to understand the relationship between the two sites and clarify what and where information should be sited to avoid duplication and confusion for parents.
The historic development of the SEND Family Partnership site is a fantastic opportunity to learn what information parents need and use as they have approximately 4,000 hits per month on their site.
Discussions in the meeting explored the types of searches parents are likely to do e.g., they will search for ‘attachment disorders’ rather than SEMH. We need to explore how this could be captured on the forms providers use when they register.
ACTION – RK to explore ways to ensure that search include medical conditions.
It was noted that the structure of the LO directory and searching facility is the same across the Staffordshire Cares site and the Local Offer is embedded within this directory.
  • Cleansing of Other Websites
RK is systematically going through all these sites and archiving as necessary as per advice regarding the google searching referred to earlier.
ACTION: RK to continue cleansing other websites.
  • Google Analytics
RK shared the usage analysis from google analytics. The data illustrates that there are not many people are using the site. Therefore, it can be assumed that not many parents are aware of or using the site.
The data provides a baseline for currently activity which will be reviewed at each meeting in the future to monitor usage.
The strategy around increasing parental awareness, knowledge and usage of the site is to be addressed via the marketing and communications work and the development of parental working groups.
ACTION – to share the data at each SEND Local Offer meeting and shared with the parent working group to stimulate discussions.
6. / Site Content
  • Accuracy Checks
Action for Children, incorrect phone code number, it should be 01543.
ACTION – VA to amend phone number
It was identified that The Haven (new free school doesn’t come up on the search). It is also not included on the Staffordshire schools search. Therefore, we need to ensure this is included on both.
ACTION – RK to explore why The Haven isn’t showing on the search directory.
Health colleagues have indicated that information they expected to see is not showing on the directory.
ACTION – RK liaising with Health colleagues to understand what is missing and resolve.
ACTION: All to keep checking the site and notifying RK of any queries/inaccuracies/missing information.
  • Layout of Site
The group considered that the site isn’t user friendly. The ‘Related Information’ section isn’t easy to navigate, the group felt there is too much text and it is not easy to find what you need.
ACTION: RK to meet with Open Object to explore what can and can’t be changed/reorganised to make it easier to see information.
  • Staff Training
Vanessa Allen and colleagues have received initial training regarding the Marketplace. Additional more detailed individual training related to making changes is being organised.
  • List of Providers
RK is exploring whether schools need to register for this as well as the schools directory and explore whether a link to Staffs School directory can be created to avoid duplication.
RK is also exploring whether a link to the SEN information report can be added to the schools directory pages.
The group also felt it would be useful to identify if schools are a Dyslexia friendly school.
ACTION: RK to explore whether a linkage to the schools directory can be made and also discuss possible updates to the schools directory administrators.
Entrust are registered as a provider.
ACTION - SH to check and confirm if she is happy with the content.
  • Registration Process/FAQs
RK shared written advice on how to register as a provider. Providers are required to set up an account and fill in a form to register.
ACTION: - RK to email provider registration instructions to the group and also consider sharing this with internal colleagues and ways is which to promote the LO internally.
7. / Future Development
RK shared the analysis of Ofsted Local Area Inspections illustrating Local Offer findings. To date, 20 LAs inspected. The main area for development identified across the LA area is that parents are not fully aware of the site. Accessibility and ease of use issues were also highlighted among many LAs. These are both issues for Staffordshire and future development activity was discussed and agreed with the group.
  • You said – We Did
RK is reviewing this section to explore how we can use this illustrate progressive development. Changes have been requested to show the dates that changes have been made.
ACTION - RK to request changes to the current ‘You said, we did’ section. RK to add the dates for the information already on the site.
  • Promotion and Marketing
The group discussed a range of different methods that could be used to promote the LO.
Facebook:
  • SEND Family Partnership uses Facebook to promote training etc.
  • Staffordshire Cares site links to Facebook, (the link is a Staffs Caresfacebook page)
Leaflets:
  • A previous credit card sized leaflet was identified as being helpful.
  • Send Family Partnership also have a Local Offer leaflet which is due to be reviewed and updated.
We also discussed a range of methods which could be utilised to spread the word widely to parents.
  • Chief Executive’s Blog.
  • LST Co-ordinators, SEND Keyworkers and LSTs.
  • Special School support Groups. PTA’s, mainstream school support groups. School websites. SCC public A4 booklet.
  • MP’s, District Councillors, County Councillors and School Governors
  • Doctors surgeries,
  • CAMHS,
  • Supermarkets etc.
  • Entrust newsletter,
  • School bag,
  • Intranet rotator.
  • Footers at the end of SCC emails.
  • Bulletin board on the intranet.
  • School notice boards
  • There is a my staff app which links to the corporate website. It didn’t appear that Staffordshire Cares has an app.
  • Send Family Partnership Newsletters
  • Developing bespoke surveys
ACTION - RK to develop a marketing/promotion strategy for the Local Offer (including acknowledgement of its link to Staffordshire Cares website/Family Information Service and explore the following:
  • Facebook and Twitter
  • intranet rotator
  • Entrust – Governor/Senco updates
ACTION - RE to find a copy of the document he has seen in schools relating to the LO and share with the group.
ACTION - SH to ask Julie Yates to include in the SENCO updates.
ACTION - SJ to send an example of the credit card leaflet if found to RK.
ACTION – RK is meeting with the wider SEND Family Partnership team to explore ideas for promotion and parental engagement.
  • Parent Working Group
Following the discussion regarding driving development of the site from parent views and feedback. The group discussed setting up a parent working group to lead on this area of work.
Carren Hall offered to lead this group and we discussed a number of ways of recruiting interested parents to get involved.
Kim Edge is also circulating an email asking for volunteers.
SPAN is disbanding and reforming which may provide further opportunities for parent liaison. These will be explored in due course.
ACTION: CH and SJ to collate names of parents who may be interested.
ACTION: RK to work with CH to set up a new parent working group along with Ian Norton and Caroline Heath. RK to set up a meeting to include Paula from SEND Family Partnership.
ACTION - SJ to ask the parent that she works with to see if he would get involved.
The group also discussed the need to involve schools and children and young people and linkages with parent groups.
ACTION: RK to give consideration to ways of engaging with children and young people and schools for further discussion.
ACTION - RK and SJ to arrange a meeting with Lancashire re their own C & YP groups.
  • Capacity of Site to Develop
At present, the capacity of the site to develop in response to parental feedback is untested.
Further knowledge of this will be clearer once feedback has been obtained from the parent working group.
RK is reviewing the Early Years information and the linkages with the Family Information
RK will also explore with Open Objects the extent of the development capacity.
The group will revisit this area when further information is available.
8. / Any Other Business
Well Active site developed by Cannock District Council. To be launched soon.
ACTION- RK to review linkages with the Local Offer site.
9. / Date of Next Meeting
Future Meetings:
Change Steering Group Meetings to termly.
Set up and implement Parental Working Group termly.
Thursday 30th March – cancelled.
Tuesday 26 April 2017 – use as preparation meeting to set up and plan for Parent Working Group, TBC.
10am to 12pm
Venue: TBC
Tuesday 23rd May 2017 – Parent Working Group Meeting, TBC.
Venue - TBC
Tuesday 25th July 2017 – Steering Group Meeting – review yearly activities and progress and plan for the following academic year.
Venue - TBC

Minutes of the SEND Local Offer Group Meeting 03.03.17 FINAL

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