Getting It Right For Children With Disabilities held on 5th March 2012

Inveraray Conference Centre

Present:Alan Shields (AS), Catherine Dobbie (CD), Jamie Huston (JH), Liling Payne (LP), Dorothy MacDonald (DM), Ann Kendal (AK), Patrica Renfrew (PR), Maureen MacIntosh (MM), Christine Walker (CW)

Apologies: Roslyn Redpath, Mark Lines, Mary Wilson

Welcome / Action
1. / Equipment Sub Group
JH explained that the group met in January. CHP projects have been slow to kick off. CD is in talks with Chris Smith from West Dunbartonshire Council about their Highly Dependent Learners Group which meet each month. CD has asked to attend every second meeting. CD explained that West Dunbartonshire is very aware of children in their area that require equipment and those that have equipment.
Storage of these items is still an ongoing issue with equipment currently stored within schools however Integrated storage would be the long term solution.
LP explained that equipment was being purchased through the respite budget, with confusion regarding the process of requesting equipment now that the occupational therapists are now NHS Highland not Social Work. AK asked for more clarity regarding this process as staff within the Acorn Centre are not all aware.
Group agreed that a central pot was preferred for equipment rather than pockets of money across different departments. This idea is due to start next financial year, AS to look into whether it would be suitable for education to join.
Communication equipment – a small number of pieces are currently being used. Work to be done with speech and language staff surrounding the use of equipment and what’s currently out there.
The council along with Call Scotland are currently organising a free event for staff to demonstrate the various pieces of technology which are available on the market. This event is due to take place on the 20th April at Inveraray Conference Centre. The group were advised to contact Jenny McFarlane regarding invitations etc. Parents aren’t invited to this event, however a future event for parents could be run. / AS
2. / CSPs and GIRFEC plans
DM currently putting together a leaflet for parents regarding GIRFEC. She asked the group to explain the links regarding the existing support plans and the new GIRFEC model.
AS explained to the group the recent named person training which has received positive feedback. There are currently talks regarding specific area training for particular needs across the authority.
PR also highlighted to the group that it is the named person who calls a GIRFEC meeting.
AS explained that GIRFEC now replaces everything that sits under the Coordinated Support Plan (CSP) AS explained that schools should be making plans to switch over to the new procedures when they can. AS suggested that this could be done when a review is due or during a transition phase (primary to secondary) and the new procedures should be used when a new pupil is raised. There are no set time frames for the transition as some larger schools may struggle with meeting these.
DM explained that parents are becoming frustrated and confused at the many different meetings that take place, limiting them to discussion points rather than the issues which are real to them.
AS explained that due to the length of a meeting and gathering all partners round the table it is not always possible for all points to be raised, discussed and agreed in one sitting. It was, however, agreed that a drive to fewer meetings is a key part of GIRFEC
3. / Children with Disability Team – Update/Transition Referral to the team
LP updated the group of the current situation since the Social Work review. As part of the Service review in Children and Families, the Children with Disability Team no longer have a Team Leader post and there is a vacancy within the team in the MAKI area that is currently going through the recruitment process. Due to the success of the team and the fact that there is a full time post in each locality of the authority, the team has now reached capacity level and is struggling to cope with the volume of referrals to the team. This is being compounded by the fact that some of the referrals are inappropriate with insufficient information to determine if they are appropriate for the team so they are being allocated to the staff with the assumption that a full assessment of need is required. We are also receiving late transitions referrals that are being presented as a “priority” purely because they are of transition age. Referrals are coming in ‘late’ and with very little detail, which means that the team have to do a full assessment under Section 23. Along with the lateness of the referral some are unclear as to whether they are children or adult services.
Schools should be compiling a yearly list along with the input of their Area Principal Teacher which they would send on to the Quality Improvement Manager.
Ongoing difficulties with transition between child services and adult services, were discussed. LP gave examples of issues which have arisen during transitions. Argyll and Bute Council currently having 8 young people with exceptional health needs.
LP to forward the multi agency document between councils and NHS to the group. / LP/AS
5. / Review of Work Plan
Agenda Item to be included in the next meeting.
6. / AOCB
Additional Assistant/Pupil Support
AS informed the group that there is a new process in place. Originally schools placed a bid for the following academic year. These bids were discussed centrally and schools are informed, however this process took time, which meant schools were informed late on and were not always given full feedback following the selection process.
The new process will see schools working with their Area Principal Teacher’s. The Area PTs would then sieve through the draft bids and submit the final bids which will continue to be discussed centrally. The aim of the central team will be to inform schools of any outcomes by May. This new process will help to smooth out the planning for August and allow HR to put in place necessary procedures in time for the August start.
AS confirmed that he did not anticipate any central budget cuts to the additional support however individual support is looked at each academic year, so some schools may gain whilst others drop.
Parklands
It was asked whether there were any truth in the talk of Parklands becoming a centre for Autism. AS explained that there have been many reviews surrounding Parklands in the recent years. Parklands continue to offer support to surrounding schools e.g. sensory room/hydrotherapy room. It has been decided to increase the roll of Parklands with more nurture/outreach work to other schools, supporting pupils in mainstream education. Training with regards to Autism ongoing, however this is due to the numbers of young people with Autism in the authority.
View Point
CD informed the group the Matt Evans met with the secondary schools in November. Questionnaire has been rewritten and 8 out of the 10 schools have signed up. Dunoon Grammar school are running with the process, however Oban High although they have registered pupils have yet to complete any questionnaires. Once this is embedded the plan is to roll out to primary schools.
7. / Next meeting
11th June 2012 from1.30 – 4pm in Inveraray.