Questions About the Hartlepool & Darlington Send Pathfinder
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HARTLEPOOL & DARLINGTON SEND PATHFINDER
- What is the SEND Pathfinder?
The Government’s Green PaperMarch 2011 ‘Support and Aspiration’recommended a new approach to special educational needs and disability. It suggested a change from a Statement of Special Educational Needs to a Single Plan. The Plan would involve Education, Health & Social Care working together. It is called an Education, Health and Care plan.
The Darlington & Hartlepool Pathfinder pilot has worked out an assessment process which brings together Education, Health and Social Care. We are hoping to avoid repetition and duplication of information. Your family and your child should be at the heart of the process.
We want
better life outcomes for your child
you to have more choice and control
to explore how personal budgets would work across Health, Education and Social Care
to transfer power to professionals on the front line and to local communities
to promote joint working between Education, Health and Social Care services
- What will happen if I sign up for the SEND pathfinder?
Darlington Local Authority is hoping that we can work in close partnership with yourself and the other agencies involved in the life of your child.
By signing up you agree to:
take part in research by IPSOS and Mori
the gathering and sharing of information about your child
attend and contribute to meetings with involved professionals
your child’s voice being heard in whatever way is most appropriate to them
If you decide that this is not the right time for you or your child to try something new you could become a comparison family. This will mean everything stays the same for you except you will be contacted by Ipsos Mori to let them know what has happened about your child’s education, health and care.
- Who will be involved and why?
You as parent/carer and your child will be at the centreof the team around your child, including for example:
Teacher
Early Years Service/Portage
Educational Psychologist
Consultant Paediatrician
Speech and Language Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Physiotherapist
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Social Worker
These are the people who can help to assess your child’s needs. They may already have written reports or they may become involved as part of this process.
What will happen?
The co-ordinated assessment process is needed when the support your child requiresisin addition to and different from the normal provision available for all children/youngpeople.
The Multi-Agency Forum considers the reports submitted anddecides whether a co-ordinated assessment is needed
The Special Educational Needs Statutory Team will write to all members of the multi-agency team who need to do an initial or a revised assessment foryour child
Professionals completing assessments rely on the school or settings to let you know when an assessment will take place. All professionals will send a report and answer your questions
The Making Sense Meeting is a chance for you to understand the reports written and to shape the Plan.This meeting will consider:
what is important for and to your child
what is not working for your child
what is working well for you your child
whether there are unmet needs
whether further specialist assessment is needed
what outcomes should be priorities for your child
how outcomes could bemet
A Planning Meetingto discuss a draft Plan and to:
confirm the priorities and needs of your child
confirm outcomes & available resources
plan together who, when and what support will be provided.
- Who will help me to understand the process?
You can choose any support person to help you through this process - this may be a preferred professional, a friend or an Independent Parental Support Worker.
An independent facilitator will chair the Making Sense Meeting; they will not be employed by the Local Authority and willensure that your priorities and your child’s needs are at the centre of everything that happens.
5. Who will help my child to contribute fully to their plan?
Your child’s views are very important. It is their plan.
Your child may record their own views
You may help your child or present their views for them
The Educational Psychologist will usually seek your child’s views
School staff may help to record your child’s views
In Darlington we have a peer support arrangement with Darlington Action on Disability (DAD) for children over 11 years of age. They have a Young Leaders Group and a specific worker who can help to gain young people’s views and help them to understand the Plan.
6.Why will this new approach be better than a Statutory Assessment of Special Educational Needs?
The hope is that you will:
tell your child’s story once and that this will be shared with other professioanls on your behalf
have help to understand reports and to know who can do what
understand personal budgets and direct payments
feel fully involved in planning for your child’s future
7. What can I do if I don’t agree with the Education, Health and Care Plan?
You will be involved in the Making Sense meeting which puts together the first draft of the Plan. There may be a smaller planning meeting which adds more detail. You can be supported in these by the Independent Facilitator if you think there will be issues with other agencies. You can be supported by a key worker who would normally be a professional you know and trust. Writing the plan will be done together but there may still be some aspects that you would like to challenge. Each agency will have its own system for raising concerns and managing complaints. A mediation service is available to help resolve disputes. The SEND Tribunal is the final arbiter in educational matters.
8. What is a conversion from a Statement of Special Educational Needs to anEducation, Health and Care Plan.? What kind of assessments will my child and I have?
A Making Sense meeting will be held to replace your child’s statutory annual review meeting. The meeting will use Person Centred Tools to focus upon what is important to and for your child. With you and your child at its core the meeting will consider progress and targets in the following areas:
Health
Education and Learning
Communication
Friends Relationships and community
Living independently
The statement will be re-written as a Plan to reflect agreed outcomes and the ongoing commitment of services from Education, Health and Social Care.
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