Leeds SEND IASS ADVISORY BOARD

Leeds SEND IASS ADVISORY BOARD

Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 12th November 2015 at 10.00 at Technorth, Training Room 3.

Present / Lucy Murray
Sara Smithson
Esme Winston-Little
Bridget Mork
Barbara Robinson
John Bolas
Justine Merton
Trish Lowson
Caroline James
Hayley Harding / EPIC Leeds
EPIC Leeds
SENDIASS South SEN
SENDIASS Co-ordinator
Family Information Service
SENSAP
SCOPE Leeds IS
Primary School Improvement
NHS Commissioning
SENDIASS Information Officer
Minutes
1.00 / WELCOME, APOLOGIES
Apologies received from Barry Jones, Complex Needs Area Lead (South); Benita Powrie, Community Health Care NHS.
2.00 / PREVIOUS MINUTES
Agreed, with name spelling corrections.
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
11.00 / BOARD MEMBER UPDATES
EPIC Leeds
SS reported that EPIC is undertaking a period of internal monitoring and data analysis. This shows that the dynamic is made up of 45% BME and 55% white British, with 20% being traveler families. They have also released an infographic and an up to date one minute guide, which will be sent to all panel members.
Following feedback, EPIC have arranged two small support offers in East and West at the end of February/beginning March so local families can come along to access information. EPIC will explain available support and suggest ways of navigating services, beyond the traditional service environment. There are changes and cuts ahead so EPIC are trying to help families to understand the new service environment, rather than challenge it.
EPIC have also been working on a health project, in partnership with the Department of Education and the Department of Health, to work with colleagues for the implementation of Children and Families Act. The first meeting is scheduled for January and the project will be concluded by end of 2016. This is an opportunity to bring EPIC’s expertise with Parent Partners to help the NHS to meet the Family Act criteria.
SCOPE
JM reported they have received 50% of expected referrals consisting of 52 one-to-one cases, 16 around conversions. The rest are new applications. Scope does have capacity to take on more referrals, despite Margaret leaving the service.
JM will be visiting a lot of parent groups over the next few weeks to explain EHC plans to families. The service has been funded until the end of March, but CDC has been talking to government about extending until 16/17. May know shortly after the November spending review, and hopefully by the end of February whether service will be extended for another year. JM will let the advisory board know once she hears about the decision.
SENSAP
JB advised that he would circulate his full review after the meeting but had selected some highlights to report.
JB reported that the Gateway portal has now been rolled out, however seven schools have not signed up and 12 are partially set up. BM and TL felt it would be useful to know which schools are still to be set up.
SENSAP has been working on achieving a consistent approach to the service for example issuing guidance for ‘Next step’ meetings. Also they have devised a calendar showing schools and parents the best times to ask for EHC assessments as school holidays can impact on EHCP applications. There was a discussion about MAP meetings being held over the Christmas closedown, and the difficulty in ensuring that these meetings are not scheduled to occur during school holiday times. Current advice is that for the next couple of weeks, requests for assessment should be avoided as they will fall during the Christmas holidays.
JB also reported that Wiki IT is being investigated as a way of engaging families and children in providing their own advice. Looking at collaborating with six other LA to buy it in and pilot, test it out across a few schools in Leeds. The service cannot fund the whole city’s access to system; however schools could fund or buy into the system themselves. An alternative would be to create a bespoke version that may be cheaper. BM reiterated the importance that OFSTED places on services asking and working with young people and children in delivering services.
JB advised that the MAP minutes are also being audited, ten at a time.
Action Point: JB to circulate Review report, Calendar and ‘Next-steps’ guidance documents.
Continuing Care
CJ reported that she is currently working on refreshing the children’s continuing care policy. Working with families at the complex end of spectrum, consulting those who already use service.
They have 25 children that are eligible for continuing care, with 4 of them having personal health budgets. Currently also looking at wider personalisation agenda in terms of short breaks. They are currently a tiny team with a lot of work.
Catherine, a new appointment, has the remit for SEND complex need and will be in post for a year. CJ wanted to know whether she is still the best person to come to the Advisory Board meeting?
There followed a short discussion: BM suggested that as CJ is involved in continuing care, it would be useful if she could still attend. SS said that as the Advisory Board meets to support the SEND IASS service, it has to represent all the services involved. Catherine’s and CJ’s cases will overlap, however CJ may have more children who have already been through the EHCP, whereas SEND IASS is about getting people started in the system. BM suggested that since the start of EHCP, education and health are being discussed at children in need meeting. EWL highlighted that families tend to have a lot of links with early years medical provision. However, at primary school it seems to drop off as health care moves from community to within the school so less health support is available. It was agreed that CJ should have a discussion about who was most appropriate to attend.
Primary School Improvement
TL reported that the big change in schools has been the removal of National Curriculum levels and that there has been a lot of work going on around the new assessments’ procedures.
There continues to be a termly primary review group, chaired by Andrew Eastwood, head of learning improvement. Sometimes SEN issues are brought up during this meeting. As there are only a few members of the group, it does make for easier communication. BM asked to be kept up to date with the monitoring and assessment that schools are doing.
TL explained that the Government set age related expectations, last year it was set at level 4 for year 6, the new guidelines is now nearer a 5c. BM suggested that parents may be confused when looking at this school data next year, and that it would useful to see a chart that shows the new levels compared to the old.
EWL explained how a child from one of her cases had gone from Level 1a to ‘working towards Year 6 expectations’ on their assessment.
TL suggested that removing the old levels is a positive move, as the aim is to try and broaden and deepen understanding which is better for education. In previous years the pressure has been on to achieve level 4/5 and sometimes level 6 (GCSE Grade C equivalent). TL believes it is nearly impossible for year 6 to reach this standard at age 11. SS asked whether this mean that the levels reports for this year will look worse? TL advised that as parents etc. will not be comparing like with like, it would be better to focus on targets and outcomes.
SEND IASS
BM reported that the database is most likely to go to Sharepoint as this is the cheapest option that could met need. However the council is also looking at Charity Log as an alternative.
The website has been updated, but there hasn’t been time yet to put the Children’s and Young people section on. On the Take Over Day 2014, young people suggested that the website should include videos, cartoons etc. that would appeal to them. When the website moves over to its new server, BR suggests that it will be easier to add and edit different types of content. BM also wants link to www.iassnetwork.org.uk for young people’s information.
BM reported that brochures A – J have been produced and sent to all schools, NHS commission groups, clusters and children’s centres.
Action Point: BM asked HH to find out whether leaflets can be displayed at the customer lounge at Trinity Leeds.
Family Information Service Update
BR reported that the SEND IASS website would be incorporated under the Family Information Service website. There was a discussion about technology solutions re the new web hosting and database. Put a bid in to be a pilot early implementer for the proposed increase to 15 hours FEEE.
SENSAP Review Of first 67 EHCPs
JB reported on a survey conducted via a feedback form on the SENSAP website. 35 families had responded, only 28 had answered all the questions. 25 families agreed that an EHCP had made a difference to their child. Everyone thought their plan captured the needs of the child well. Members agreed this was a positive outcome. In response to a question from TL, JB suggested that the questions people had not answered were about attending the MAP meeting (maybe they hadn’t gone) or whether the EHCP had made a positive difference (maybe too early to tell).
SS asked for the survey results to be sent on, as the responses show lots of positive good news that would be great to share.
Action Point: JB to send survey results to EPIC.
STATISTICS
The termly statistics were shared with the group as well as the telephone stats comparing year on year. Discussion started with the total number of calls received and it was noted that this year, September is lower than last. EWL suggested that this probably because the demand for EHC plans and assessments would have been higher last year following their initial launch.
Although the service has received less referrals, the number of stage 2 cases is higher, reflecting that the complexity of work is increasing: There are more calls about social care, capacity issues, and parents call about all levels of the EHC plan. Judgment is that there is about 10 hours work for each stage 2 referral.
BM advised that due to staff levels, professional judgment is exercised on whether the service supports parents on school visits. There followed a discussion about parents’ experiences of visiting schools, and how school sometimes put parents off selecting their school. BM stated that the service will challenge a school if they try to put parents off – as this could result in parents going on to select a school that is on the other side of the city or out of authority.
SS asked whether there has been an increase in parent’s confidence? People are maybe more willing to change from a statement without apprehension because awareness of EHCP is improving, families gaining confidence in the process. There was a discussion about improving how schools deal with EHC assessment requests and the difficulties that some schools face in completing the forms. TL suggested approaching the SENCO networks, to get the SENCO’s to share good practice with each other. They could help with statements/EHC submission because better school evidence is more useful at MAP. JB agreed that some cases get turned down because the school hasn’t done the work correctly ahead of the MAP.
SS hopes that schools will come on board because colleagues have a better idea and knowledge, families will be more confident because all aspects are tied together. Once all conversions have been done, in theory then the peaks in work will be at start of year and on children’s move to high school.
Action Point: JM asked BM to send her a copy of the booklet ‘A guide to visiting schools for parents and young people’.
SS suggested pointing families to EPIC when they are looking at schools and SILC’s. Getting the parents to talk to each other about their experiences can help convert a parent’s way of thinking in a different way to talking to professionals. SS believes parental liaison is very important and EPIC can help match families up to discuss similar experiences.
Social Emotional Mental Health Referrals & Strategy Group
BM asked whether the strategy group is up and running? She had been invited to the first one, but then the next two had been cancelled. She hasn’t been invited to another one. Suggested she contacted Kate Brooks as Natalie is not in work – SS advised that work is ongoing, but actual meetings not taking place.
STAFFING
BM advised that Imogen is now off maternity leave and following a period of annual leave, will be coming back job share at the end of this month. The job-share post has been released for recruitment. The post will be reviewed on 31 August 2016, in line with service review and possible TUPE issues
HH will be here until 31 March, building capacity in the service. Fiona is currently off on long term sick, BM meeting her next Thursday. BM stated that she keeps building partnership to support service. JM reiterated that if there are any conversions that SCOPE can help with, please refer to her.
BM advised that a lot of referrals are not about EHC, they are early intervention through Early Help meetings and Child in Need meetings.
SS extended a well done to all staff working in difficulty circumstance.
Capacity (specialist provision)
JB reported on Capacity:
BOSTON Spa: Full
Woodhouse site: 50 spaces by January across the year groups.
Social Emotional Mental Health Provision: Going to Exec Board
Hallcliffe: Primary provision for social emotional mental health opening in January.
NW SILC: A little capacity
West SILC: Full. BM asked about this SILC taking children without statement.
South: A little capacity. Possible to increase capacity if there is a group – they have physical space but not enough staff/numbers at the moment to increase.
EWL reported that she currently has seven cases where social emotional and mental health is a barrier to education. They can’t go into generic SILC because of the vulnerability of other children. These seven would usually have gone to Elmete SILC.
SERVICE REVIEW
The Leeds SEND IASS will be reviewed and BR reported on the Recommission Meeting held this week. The service will go through the soft-market process to see if there are any other organisations interested in delivering the service. Those who have previously expressed an interest may not want to; BR thinks the pension liability for council staff may put organisations off.
The Budgets have not been agreed for this year either. However, it is possible to express interest without knowing the budget. SS suggested working on the basis of current year (£175k) subject to change with budget cuts. BR to ask MAZ to take off I.S Grant money that ends on 31 March.
The Council has shared the market test exercise, which is basically the Code of Practice and some of the Children and Families Act. This information should come to the board, SS suggested it would be interesting for members to see how the board can support the bid. The bid will be confidential to the service, and mustn’t be shared wider. Keep it within part of the advisory board.
SS declared an expression of interest as SS chairs the Advisory Board. However another member of EPIC would be able to sit on the advisory panel to look at the bid.
Action Point: Send a copy of the Market Test Exercise and the Procedure Timetable to all members of the Board.
AOB
No items.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting is to be held 3 March 2016. SS asked for any agenda items to be forwarded three weeks ahead of the meeting.
SS thanked everyone for attending.

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