MANCHESTER’S TRANSITION PLAN FOR THE NEW 0 TO 25 SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY SYSTEM
Introduction
This Transition Plan is published by Manchester City Council in September 2016.
Following consultation with parents and representatives from schools, health and social care about arrangements for transferring children and young people with statements of special educational needs (SEN) and learning disability assessments (LDAs) to the new SEND system the local authority published the first Transition Plan in September 2014 and reviewed it in 2015. This latest Transition Plan provides an update and sets out Manchester’s arrangements to meet the requirements in the statutory guidance published by the Department for Education in August 2014.
The plan provides information about when children and young people will be transferred to the new system and also sets out how the transfer process will be implemented. The timetable for transfer continues to be monitored and the Transition Plan will be reviewed at least annually until April 2018.
To transfer children or young people from statements of SEN to Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs) the local authority will undertake an EHC needs assessment under section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014. A transfer review will be initiated which will allow for outcomes to be developed for inclusion in the EHCPs and for provision to be identified to support the children and young people to achieve these outcomes. Families and young people will be notified before the transfer review is due to start.
Young people who are currently receiving support in further education or training as a result of an LDA who remain in further education or training during the transition period and who request and need an EHC plan will be issued with one. It is expected that all young people over 19 years of age by September 2016 who require additional support to continue in education or training will transfer from an LDA to an EHC plan by the end of December 2016.
The number of children and young people with statements of SEN and LDAs expected to transfer between September 2014 and April 2018 was 2247 statements of SEN and 347 LDAs.
Between September 2014 and August 2016 (Year 1 and Year 2) the LA completed 1338 transfer reviews. There are 909 children and young people with statements who will need to have transfer reviews between September 2016 (Year 3) and April 2018 (year 4).
Timetable
Year 1 (September 2014 to August 2015)
- Statements of SEN will be maintained for all children and young people in mainstream provision who are in the following year groups, in accordance with Part IV of the Education Act 1996, and will not be converted to EHCPs in Year 1:
-Reception
-Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
-Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13
- Young people who have left school and school 6th forms this year and who will be in receipt of support as a result of an LDA in further education or training will not be converted to EHCPs in Year 1.
- Young people with statements of SEN in the following year groups who will be leaving school in summer 2015 will be subject to the new SEND system and will have transfer reviews:
-Years 11, 12 or 13 leaving mainstream schools, resourced mainstream schools and the hospital school
-Years 11, 12 or 13 leaving special schools and independent and non maintained special schools
-Year 14s leaving special schools and independent and non maintained special schools
- All children and young people who currently attend special school provision in Manchester will be subject to the new SEND system. Transfer reviews will be initiated in this academic year (Year 1) and may, where necessary, continue into the following academic year (Year 2).
- EHCPs will be drafted for children currently in Year 6 special school provision who will be transferring to secondary special school provision in September 2015.
- Transfer reviews will be initiated for young people in receipt of an Education Direct Payment.
Year 2 (September 2015 to August 2016)
- Statements of SEN will be maintained for all children and young people in the following year groups in accordance with Part IV of the Education Act 1996 and will not be converted to EHCPs in Year 2:
-Reception
-Years 1, 3, 4, 5
-Years 7, 8, 10, 12, 13
- The following children and young people with statements of SEN will be subject to the new SEND system and will have transfer reviews:
-children moving from early years setting to school
-children moving from infant to junior
-children moving from primary to secondary school
-young people in Year 9
-young people moving from school (including 6th forms) to a post16 institution or an apprenticeship
- Children and young people moving from mainstream to special school or from special school to mainstream will have a transfer review.
- All children and young people who currently attend special school provision in Manchester will be subject to the new SEND system and transfer reviews will be completed in this academic year (Year 2).
- Young people who receive support as a result of an LDA who intend to be in education beyond August 2016 can request an EHC needs assessment.
Year 3 (September 2016 to August 2017)
- The following children and young people with statements of SEN will be subject to the new SEND system and will have transfer reviews:
-children moving from early years setting to school
-children moving from infant to junior
-children moving from primary to secondary school
-young people in Year 9
-young people leaving custody
-young people moving from school (including 6th forms) to a post16 institution or an apprenticeship
- Children and young people moving from mainstream to special school or from special school to mainstream will have a transfer review.
- Children and young people with statements of SEN who are home educated will have a transfer review.
- Children and young people in the following year groups will have a transfer review in this academic year (Year 3) and continue into the next academic year (Year 4):
-Years 1, 3, 4, 5
-Years 7, 8, 10, 12, 13
Year 4 (September 2017 to April 2018)
- Any children and young people with statements of SEN who have not had a transfer review because they did not fall into the categories indicated above will have a transfer review in the autumn term of 2017/18.
- All children and young people moving into Manchester with a statement of SEN will have a transfer review.
Process for children and young people with statements of SEN
Over the transition period from September 2014 to April 2018 the annual statement of SEN review in the designated Years 1 to 4 will be replaced by a transfer review.
It will be expected that transfer reviews for Year 6 and Year 11 to 14 school leavers will be carried out early in the academic year to meet statutory timelines. It will also be expected that all transfer reviews are person centred.
The local authority will contact schools at the start of each term to confirm who will require a transfer review. The school will notify parent/carers who will be affected by the transition arrangements.
Stage 1 of the transition process will be a person centred review, arranged by the school or setting, which will review the statement of SEN, seek up-to-date health and care advice and consider whether the statement of SEN needs to continue.
Stage 2 of the transition process will involve the local authority carrying out an education, health and care assessment of needs. The information from the transfer review and any further advice from education, health or care professionals, as appropriate, will be used to inform the outcome of the assessment.
Stage 3 will be the local authority’s decision following the assessment of needs. If the local authority decides an EHCP is necessary a plan will be drafted and issued to the family for consideration. If an EHCP is not required the local authority will issue a summary of the assessment which details the support available without a plan. The young person and family will be notified of their right of appeal at the end of this process.
This process should take 14 weeks from the date of receipt of the transfer review from the school or setting.
Process for young people with learning difficulty assessments
Learning difficulty assessments (LDAs) may be replaced by EHCPs during the transition period where there is evidence that a plan is needed.
Young people who are in receipt of support as a result of a LDA in further education or training can choose to continue to receive the additional support, where it is still required, until the end of their studies or learning in further education or training or until 1 September 2016, which ever comes first.
If young people choose to request an EHC assessment of needs during this transition period the local authority will have 6 weeks to seek evidence from the educational or training establishment, consider the request and make a decision.
For young people over 18 years of age the local authority will have to consider whether more time is needed for them to complete their education or learning and carry out an EHC assessment of needs if the evidence supports this. If the local authority decides not to undertake an EHC assessment of needs the young person and their family will be notified of their right of appeal.
If the local authority agrees to an EHC assessment of needs this must be carried out in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice within 20 weeks of the request.
Appendices
Number of statements
Year Group / TotalEarly years / 9
Reception / 61
Yr1 / 115
Yr 2 / 135
Yr 3 / 132
Yr 4 / 138
Yr 5 / 154
Yr 6 / 169
Yr 7 / 185
Yr 8 / 175
Yr 9 / 229
Yr 10 / 233
Yr 11 / 259
Yr 12 / 86
Yr 13 / 92
Yr 14 / 75
2247
Number of LDAs for new students and continuing students
Post16/19 / Total347