Minutes of OLP SENDCoordinators Meeting – Wednesday 1 February 2017, 1.30pm at Langmoor Primary School

Present – Peter Merry (OWLS Trust), Kim Mayer-Gibb(Langmoor),Jane Smith (Langmoor), Nadine Curran (Brocks Hill), Becci King (Glenfield), Lucy Prescod (Launde), Anya Chadwick (Woodland Grange), Thea Roberts (Little Hill),VeenaPankani (Little Hill), Ros Robinson (Brookside), Kate Brown (Brookside), Tammy Dorrington (Glenmere), Lucy Gallacher (Houghton), Siobhan Long (Manor), Ali Lines (Gartree), Sandra Bloxham (EHCP Facilitator Leics C.C), Dr Khalid Karin (CAMHS)
Minutes: Jodie Totman (Launde)

Apologies – Anne Temple (Highcliffe), Kerrie White (All Saints), Amy Vickerman (All Saints), Sandra Mahoney (Oakfield), Patsy Bhamra (Glenfield), Alison (Oakfield Short Stay)

Agenda

  • EP
  • Update from Sandra Bloxham
  • Update Sandra Mahoney
  • Audit responses
  • Future projects and plans – Speech and Language?
  • Autism Out Reach level 2
  • Speech & Language training across OLP.
  • AOB

Welcome

Welcome from Peter, introduced Jodie Totman (Launde) referred all admin to go through her at the OLP email :

Welcome to guest speaker Dr Khalid Karin psychiatrist currently working at CAMHS. Whose book is available for £18.75 on amazon.

‘A Practical Guide to Mental Health Problems in Children with Autistic Spectrum: It's Not Just Their Autism!’. - Dr Khalid Karim

Recommended:‘Kids in the Syndrome Mix of ADHD, LD, Autism Spectrum, Tourette's, Anxiety, and More!’ – Dr Martin L. Kutscher

Guest - Dr Khalid Karim

Explained his role and answered questions on a variety of issues regarding schools, funding and CAMHS. Peter thanked him for his honest appraisal and invited him back for a future meeting (annual) as his input was invaluable.

  • Leicestershire is the 3rd poorest for CAMHS funding in the country. Most investment went to LA but this gets cut by up to 90%. CAMHS deals with referrals which go up by 10% each year.

Government agenda – 1.4b was put in to increase services, but money isn’t being seen in the mental health service.

  • Role of the school nurse has changed since being taken over by public health. Find out their role (differs between city and county).
  • Money has been seen going into:

New Eating Disorder team based in Morston House(Any age).

Crisis team – mental health crisis and ‘early help’

CAHMS LD – any age, IQ 50 and below, young offenders, moderate learning difficulties, based at Rothesay.

Advice line – will be expanding, changing remit and engaging with schools more.

  • CAMHS is currently transforming but unsure of what it is being turned into. Access Group at Valentine centre get referrals and these decide if it goes to CAHMS. Referrals are accepted from GP, paediatricians, school psychiatrist, send a letter with the child when they go to the GP. It has to say very clearly what the issues are – not a long document.
    Grey area at the moment of what they do cover and what might be covered i.e. diabetes. Over 11yrs should have a diagnosis with CAMHS. Currently there is a 19 month waiting list for treatment. People are seen quickly for first appointment but secondary is not available.
  • Difficulties with services - AutismExample: Young people <11yrs do not have resources so patients get no further in the system i.e. cognitive assessments not being available.
    Diagnosis Example: Cognitive assessment monitored when children are older and the diagnosis has changed. Don’t want to be ‘diagnosed and dumped’. These types of policies have been re-written by Khalid and his team.
  • ADHD make up 40% of referrals at CAHMS – attachment is over diagnosed but no one works with these cases. There are blurred lines regarding this which makes it hard to diagnose.
  • Sarah Bains – Is the new ASD Nurse, works in pediatrics, she is looking into post-diagnosis autism.
  • Premature babies – Possibly a reason that autism diagnostics have gone up as they are surviving. More likely to have ADHD, autism, emotional problems, learning difficulties, dyslexia, blood flow is reduced to frontal lobe which is personality and processing. Sometimes have a ‘best fit’ diagnosis because they have a range of issues. This means children are coming into school with things have not been seen before.

Action:

  • All – check new role of school nurse
  • Peter – Ask Inderjit if there is £50 available for Dr Karim’s books

EP

Fed back from 2 schools where Epic have been in to trial.
Anya (Woodland Grange) – Found their experience very limited, always having to ask for extra support. If you buy into a service it should be readily available but it is very hard to get hold of them.
Tammy (Glenmere) – They needed a lot of paperwork and they do not come into see the children so there is little impact.

PM – Head’s have come to similar conclusion, ideal to have own EP’s but not there yet. Likely to buy back into LA service next year.

Update from Sandra Bloxham
Chris Bristo has now left, Christine Finneganhas taken over the role.
Sandra is Sena as of today, this is one of the immediate changes that Christine has made.Managed by a Sena officer Alan Brigs.

Action:

  • Sandra - Invite Christine to come to the next meeting 14th June
  • All – Please email Jodie the questions you want to ask Christine beforehand so that Christine can prep for the next meeting.
  • Jodie - Send Christine the minutes of today’s meeting and questions

Update Sandra Mahoney
No update – Sends her apologies.

Action:

  • Veena - Send flyer to Jodie at

Audit responses

Action:

  • All - Email Jodie with any outstanding information.

Future projects and plans - Speech and Language / Mental Health

No update from Kerrieregarding work with the LA/hub on Autism – Sends her apologies.

Governmentis putting money into mental health, please can the group think about ways that this could be utalised in primary schools for the future.
Michelle Walton is the forward runner of mental health – doing a week on promoting positive mental health across the school. The focus is a lot around character, based on the 6 R’s.
Case to be – option of a learning group, external training to buy into

Action:

  • Peter – Invite Michelle to come to Autumn term meeting to discuss whole package of mental health work in school and putting her resources on the website
  • Thea – send information to Jodie for ‘Case to Be’

Projects
Those that are going to the Senconet at Burket House please get feedback for those that can’t.

Action:

  • Feedback from Senconet to be distributed

Ofsted

Discussion regarding what Ofsted want to see and ability to see a trail.The group agreed that as long as staff know their pupil and their case study really well that it would be fine. Meaning that staff shouldn’t need as many case studies on file.
Staff also noted that sometimes Ofsted will want to look at trails of pupils that are no longer SEN.

Accessibility plan

All to look at plan, it has been checked in a few schools recently. Look on the school bus for a guide.
Login:
Password: schoolbus

Action:

  • Jodie –update OLP website

Autism Out Reach level 2

Training session before Christmas.Thank you to all who attended this meeting.

AOB

  • The Key & The School Bus – useful for up to date information
  • Freeze on money going into different initiatives that were originally put aside for SEN
  • EP assessments – GP’s/paediatrician’s are not wanting to diagnose without letters. It has to be prioritised who gets assessed.
  • EP put in reports that they would top up funding however children come out in reports as highly attaining so do not get funded.
  • Invite Beauchamp to next meeting

All coordinators are to try and attend the SEN conference (Forest Way) which is taking place on the 6th October 2017. Heads have agreed with Peter that SEN staff can attend. Booking is not yet available.

Next Meeting – CHANGED DATE TO WEDNESDAY 21ST JUNE
Due to Christine Finnegan’s availability to speak to the group

Next Meetings Agenda

  • Guest as opening
  • Updates from Sandra B
  • Updates from Sandra Mahoney
  • Mental Health
  • SATS Yr. 6 issues – Language for parents (child needs reader etc)
  • SATs Journey
  • Transitions
  • Cake for Ros retiring
  • AOB

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