SEND Improvement Board 17th October 2019

Contents

SEND Improvement Board 17th October 2019 ....................................................................................... 3

Governance, Reporting and Scrutiny Timeline ................................................................................... 3

Monthly: .......................................................................................................................................... 3

Termly: ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Biannual reporting: ......................................................................................................................... 3

Communications and Engagement update......................................................................................... 3

Progress ........................................................................................................................................... 3

Impact ............................................................................................................................................. 4

Next Steps ....................................................................................................................................... 4

Key Concern 1 – Safeguarding ............................................................................................................ 4

Progress ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Next Steps ....................................................................................................................................... 4

Impact ............................................................................................................................................. 5

Key Concern 2 – CCG leadership ......................................................................................................... 5

Progress ........................................................................................................................................... 5

Next Steps ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Impact ............................................................................................................................................. 6

Key Concern 3 – SEND Strategy action plan ....................................................................................... 6

Progress ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Next Steps ....................................................................................................................................... 7

Impact ............................................................................................................................................. 7

Key Concern 4 – Joint Commissioning ................................................................................................ 7

Progress ........................................................................................................................................... 7

Next Steps ....................................................................................................................................... 8

Impact ............................................................................................................................................. 8

Key Concern 5 – Mainstream schools support for SEND .................................................................... 8

Progress ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Next Steps ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Impact ............................................................................................................................................. 9

Key Concern 6 – Suitable specialist provision ..................................................................................... 9

Progress ........................................................................................................................................... 9

Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 10

Impact ........................................................................................................................................... 10

Key Concern 7 – Fragile relationships with parents/carers .............................................................. 10

Progress ......................................................................................................................................... 10

Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 11

Impact ........................................................................................................................................... 11

Key Concern 8 – quality of EHCPs ..................................................................................................... 11

Progress ......................................................................................................................................... 11

Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 11

Impact ........................................................................................................................................... 12

Key Concern 9 – SEND systems and tracking .................................................................................... 12

Progress ......................................................................................................................................... 12

Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Impact ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Key Concern 10 – SEND exclusions ................................................................................................... 13

Progress ......................................................................................................................................... 13

Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 13

Impact ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Key Concern 11 – Local Offer ............................................................................................................ 14

Progress ......................................................................................................................................... 14

Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Impact ........................................................................................................................................... 14

Key Concern 12 – Academic outcomes, behaviour and attendance ................................................ 15

Progress ......................................................................................................................................... 15

Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 15

Impact ........................................................................................................................................... 15

SEND Improvement Board 17th October 2019

Governance, Reporting and Scrutiny Timeline

Monthly:

• Joint Local Area Workstream Leads group - 9th October and 4th November

• WCF Directorate Leadership Team - 16th October

• Local Area SEND Improvement Board - 17th October

Termly:

• Head teacher’s briefings - 21st & 22nd October

Biannual reporting:

• CCG Clinical Executive - 30th October

• Integrated Commissioning Executive Officers Group - 11th November

• Health and Wellbeing Board - 24th September

• Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership - 8th November

Other reporting:

• CFC Scrutiny - SEND Improvement Update - 13th November

Communications and Engagement update

Progress

• A detailed Communication Content Plan is now operational and shared with all comms

partners

• The plan has ensured a drive on SEND communications externally and internally

• Regular quarterly Partner comms meetings now in place. Two meetings have taken place so

far

• Evidence tracker established to monitor engagement and communication around campaigns

• Graduated Response guidance launched to schools and Early Year Settings

• Communication handover to Communication Manager following the launch of

Worcestershire Children First on the 1st October

• Local Offer SEND Improvement Plan web pages updated

• In September, copies of the Inclusion profile were sent to head teachers

• 8 SENCO seminars focused on statutory matters and lessons learned from casework

• Two Pilot Surveys: parent carers and schools & settings

Impact

• Increased promotion around Preparing for Adulthood stakeholder workshops in September

and October and SENCo seminars assisted good attendance and an increase in web visitors

• Operational communication is facilitated through the DCO role and is having a positive

impact on the quality of advice given and service

• FiP has restructured to include a Stakeholder Reference group to have a greater reach across

the county.

Next Steps

• Comms Content plan will continue to be developed to ensure drive continues

• Meet the Team campaign is in development to include video and graphics for social media

and Local Offer website

• Graduated Response and Local Offer promotion will continue through the SENCo networks,

training, interactions with professionals and promotional materials

• Parent friendly Graduated Response is being developed and will require wide Comms

support

Reach and engagement to parents will increase through the new FIP newsletter and local, regional

and national networks

Key Concern 1 – Safeguarding

Progress

• ILACS - sampling for children with EHCPs and additional vulnerabilities and leaders’ response

to prioritise these children – demonstrated that we are collating information and acting on it

• Combined social care/education vulnerable data is reviewed at Missing Monday meetings

• Pressure on AP places due to exclusions also discussed at Missing Monday meetings

• Briefing sent out to all WCC / WCF / Babcock staff regarding use of Part time timetables

• SENCOs reminded of the requirement for the school SEN Information report to be updated

(of the SENCOs who attended the Autumn 2019 Seminars 54% confirmed report had been

updated this year, 27 % planned to be updated, 17% confirmed report not yet reported)

Next Steps

• Further aggregation of vulnerable data to safeguard children / young people

• Review /mapping of AP (including a focus on prevention of exclusions, provision and

reintegration)

• Aggregation of information and data available on part-time timetable pupils.

• Guidance on Medical needs to be produced

Impact

• Missing Mondays - multi-agency approach to understanding vulnerabilities and

acting promptly

• Operational impact: Have greater knowledge of CME and vulnerabilities

• Perryfields Intervention Programme (PIP) - to avoid permanent exclusions

• Better able to coordinate a joined-up response for children

Key Concern 2 – CCG leadership

Progress

• Dr Louise Bramble nominated as Lead GP for SEND - role linked to improvement activity and

governance

• SEND policy and practice updates included in GP quality improvement planning

• Fully integrated leadership team and SEND Champions embedded across the partners

• Approval of Business case for Umbrella Pathway to reducing waiting times for Umbrella

Pathway and mental health services proposes two key investment initiatives:

• Additional workforce to increase capacity.

• A new support model for children, young people and families following diagnosis or when a

diagnosis is not identified but a child or young person experiences significant difficulties.

• Funding (£100K) allocated by Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commissioners from

Mental Health Investment Standards (MHIS) funding to address the backlog and ongoing

demand for Umbrella Pathway assessments.

• An additional £100K allocated for ongoing support as identified by families and carers during

co-production events and reviews. This has been modelled to include a facilitator with lived

experience to co-ordinate support packages that include integrated workshops, seminars

and provision of advice. Professionals will participate in these sessions according to need.

Additional individual interventions will be available for exceptional cases who do not

currently receive support from commissioned services.

• Autism and Anxiety parent training additional sessions are taking place this term, these are

planned across the county up to March 20 following successful evaluation. First session in

September was fully booked, 26 attendees. All the upcoming sessions until new year are also

fully booked.

• Health partners have joined school’s mental health network, first meeting held this term

• Dr Louise Bramble nominated as Lead GP for SEND - role linked to improvement activity and

governance

• SEND policy and practice updates included in GP quality improvement planning

• Fully integrated leadership team and SEND Champions embedded across the partners

• Approval of Business case for Umbrella Pathway to reducing waiting times for Umbrella

Pathway and mental health services proposes two key investment initiatives:

• Additional workforce to increase capacity.

• A new support model for children, young people and families following diagnosis or when a

diagnosis is not identified but a child or young person experiences significant difficulties.

• Funding (£100K) allocated by Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commissioners from

Mental Health Investment Standards (MHIS) funding to address the backlog and ongoing

demand for Umbrella Pathway assessments.

• An additional £100K allocated for ongoing support as identified by families and carers during

co-production events and reviews. This has been modelled to include a facilitator with lived

experience to co-ordinate support packages that include integrated workshops, seminars

and provision of advice. Professionals will participate in these sessions according to need.

Additional individual interventions will be available for exceptional cases who do not

currently receive support from commissioned services.

• Autism and Anxiety parent training additional sessions are taking place this term, these are

planned across the county up to March 20 following successful evaluation. First session in

September was fully booked, 26 attendees. All the upcoming sessions until new year are also

fully booked.

• Health partners have joined school’s mental health network, first meeting held this term

Next Steps

• The next 6 monthly SEND Update to CCG Clinical Executive is planned for 31 October 19.

• Continuation of Autism and Anxiety parent training

• Monitor data link planned to investment

• Training needs for professionals re: autism and anxiety

• CCG - co-chairs of the Improvement Board

Impact

• Increased understanding, awareness and application of the Local Offer

• Investment related to improving effectiveness and experience for children

• CCG contribution to higher level commissioning (ICEOG) is based on shared understanding of

priorities

• Very positive evaluation of Autism and Anxiety parent training leading to recommissioning

and consideration of how to extend learning to professionals

Key Concern 3 – SEND Strategy action plan

Progress

• Started SEND SEF evaluation, including gathering feedback from education providers via

a survey regarding progress and areas for development

• School and EY SENCOs have been able to highlight their support needs, what seems to work

well and what doesn’t.

• A full analysis of SEND data has informed the development of a set of priorities for the SEND

HN financial plan, that are consistent with Improvement Plan workstream priorities

Post-16

• Three stakeholder engagement workshops have been held during Sept/Oct 2019 with

families and professionals to discuss Preparing for Adulthood and gain input to strategy

action plan

Next Steps

• Participative approach to undertake new self-evaluation of effectiveness of Local Area,

building on pledges during and engagement with Co-Production week

• Complete SEND SEF

• Update SEND Strategy include Joint Commissioning Strategy, Preparation for Adulthood

Strategy, All-age Autism Strategy and HN Recovery Plan

Post-16

• Carry out analysis of feedback received from stakeholder engagement – identify quick wins

and longer-term action plan for updating strategy, re-designing services and updating Local

Offer

Impact

• Preparation for Adulthood is now recognised by all partners as a priority and there is cross-

organisational buy-in to the project plan and further work taking place

• School and EY SENCOs who have attended LA seminars, have been able to identify their own

priorities for support in the context of feedback from the Local Area Inspection.

• The work of the SEND Improvement Programme has enabled higher levels of and more

meaningful engagement with parent representatives and other stakeholders, so that there is

already consensus about Future SEND Strategic Priorities.

Post-16

• Some of the key messages from stakeholder workshops – need to improve information

about services and eligibility, and co-ordination between professionals; need to

acknowledge wide range of needs and tailor pathways and offers accordingly, with flexibility;

early planning is very important so people know what to expect and what is/will be available

to them.

Key Concern 4 – Joint Commissioning

Progress

• Short Breaks Cabinet report on 26th September, agreed revised delivery model for the

provision of overnight short breaks by Worcestershire Health and &Care Trust. The changes

include investment in the Osborne Court site and closure of the Unit at Ludlow Road

Kidderminster.

• Financial Plan underpinning HN Budget will enable clarity about future priorities for savings

and investment – schools forum agreed consultation for DSG funding

• Integrated Commissioning Executive Officer Group agreed 0-25 agenda section for this

monthly governance group to start from January to include performance and finance

monitoring

• CCG agreed investment to joint commissioning of SENDIASS – additional funding

• First school mental health network took place in October

Next Steps

• Planning for stakeholder event for January, including parents to agree high level outcomes

for commissioning to link with SEND strategy.

• Embedding Mental Health Pathway with Partners.

• Preparation for JATI is developing our system understanding

• Partnership focus on 19 – 25 years priorities

Impact

• Investment of Osborne Court site will provide increase of provision and flexibility to manage

it in more sustained way in the future

• Some of the key messages from stakeholder workshops – need to improve information

about services and eligibility, and co-ordination between professionals; need to

acknowledge wide range of needs and tailor pathways and offers accordingly, with flexibility;

early planning is very important so people know what to expect and what is/will be available

to them.

• Transition plan impact – 18 children will transition from Ludlow Road to alternative,

overnight short breaks.

• SENDIASS - sustainability of young person adviser post

Key Concern 5 – Mainstream schools support for SEND

Progress

• Updated Graduated Response Guidance launched and praised by SENCo’s in seminars

• 122 professionals attended the Autumn 2019 Seminars, of which 113 were SENCOs

• All SENCo’s confirmed that they had seen the new GR when asked at the SENCo seminars

• Analysis of annual placement trends used to support work of Schools Forum task group

• Children’s Services Briefing note issued to guide staff on action to take where children are

out of school

• Mental health network for secondary provision launched (lead jointly by health and

education)

• Training and development network: training audit underway, shared branding agreed,

shared planning of future SENCo briefings/networks

• Clear articulation of role of preventative support to settings in High Needs recovery plan

• Targeted SEND focused offer from the School Improvement team through work with schools

causing concern and SEND leadership training

Next Steps

• The development of parent/carer version of the Graduated Response using co-production

• Question asked at all SENCO seminars about intention to update SEND Information Report

• Post 16 Graduated Response guidance

• EY SENCO questionnaire analysis complete and report scheduled to be drafted

• Completion and publication of Responsibility Framework

• Reviews of Alternative Provision and MET will include focus on prevention through

graduated response

• Training and Development Network Moving forward it will be ‘branding’ training

opportunities which align with the work of the Network with a shared logo.

Impact

• Increase in understanding of schools and EY settings about their responsibilities to deliver a

graduated response indicated by quality and content of discussion at SENCo

training/support. Questionnaire conducted confirmed all SENCos asked had seen the new

GR. 2091 views on the Graduated Response page.

• Increased professional challenge to settings where robust arrangements for a graduated

response are not in place (including health colleagues)

• Engagement of secondary schools in Mental Health network is raising awareness of need for

leadership in schools and also preventative support needed to build capacity

• Focused SEND work from the school improvement team is impacting on consistency of SEND

practice in schools as demonstrated through monitoring visits and training evaluations.

Key Concern 6 – Suitable specialist provision

Progress

• Special Provision Capital funding – consideration of focus on mainstream provision for ASD

for Year 3

• Work progressing well on the development of an enhanced ASD base.

• Autism continuum of provision supported as part High Needs Recovery Plan

Post-16

• Concept brief has been developed for new 19-25 provision (Bromsgrove)

Next Steps

• Discussion with elected members in relation to capital funding support for autism education

• Consultation on year 3 SEND capital grant, to support mainstream Autism provision

Post-16

• Finalise concept brief and timeline for procurement for 19-25 provision

• Complete needs analysis across 14-25 SEND to inform provision needs for 2020 and beyond

Impact

• Sharing Worcestershire SEND profile has achieved increasing acceptance and understanding

that “rebalancing” the education system is the priority rather than assuming lack of

specialist provision

• In Worcestershire more EHC Plans now name a mainstream school - 6 in 10 (2018) rather

than 5 in 10 (2017). More first time plans now name a mainstream setting 52% compared to

48% special (2018). In 2017 52% named special and 48% named Mainstream.

• There has been a reduction in the percentage of first time EHC plans that lead to a special

school place, in 2018 this was 42% compared to 45% in 2017.

• 1.76% of pupils, who attend Worcestershire state funded schools, attend special schools,

compared to 1.9% in 2017. This compares to the average England position of 1.41% and the

regional position of 1.73%.

• Some Tribunal success in refusing special school in favour of mainstream

Key Concern 7 – Fragile relationships with parents/carers

Progress

• Planning for a series of workshops to develop training materials to encourage inhouse teams

to consider how they will co-produce with parent/carers

• Working with Families in Partnership to produce a half termly e-newsletter informing

parent/carers of the on-going work

• Continued work with parent/carers on Worcestershire's Early Years offer

• Information from the pilot parent/carer survey has been shared with workstream leads

for comment and action

• Continue to develop relationship and communications with SENDIASS

• The universal ‘Starting Well’ Public Health 0-19 tender fully co-produced with parent/carers

Next Steps

• Intelligence from the pilot parent carer survey is being analysed and a new survey developed

for circulation to all parent carers later in the autumn term

• Responses and actions resulting from the comments in the pilot survey will be shared with

parent carers through FiP

• Co-production modules will be delivered to WCF staff to encourage co-production in their

teams

• To continue to increase engagement and membership of FIP

Impact

• Parent carers have improved relationships with professionals

• Parent carers feel involved with their children's’ services both at an individual level and

strategically

• Parent carers feel informed about what is happening in their local area

Key Concern 8 – quality of EHCPs

Progress

• SEN managers and DCO have been supporting health teams to better understand processes

and their responsibilities & expectations of their input to assessments.

• A Standard Operating Procedure has been developed which contains advice around

report/outcome writing and what not to include. It details processes around EHC

assessments.

• Communication from LA regarding roles involved with SEND including DCO.

• Model for more accessible EHC Plan developed from feedback from a small parent carer

working group, discussed with SENCOs at Seminars and overwhelmingly supported

• Focus on improved response from LA to annual reviews from schools at SENCO Seminars

Next Steps

• Quality assurance – SEN team, Health and social care to audit the quality and content of

plans to identify areas of further development

• Widen the health information obtained to all Worcestershire community health services and

look to include those known to Acute services & OOA services

• Continue to improve input into annual reviews

• To work with adult services to become involved in the EHC assessment process for those

aged 18+ and look at service provision for those with EHCPs

• SEND Review & Monitoring Manager to develop programme / workshops to review and

improve annual review guidance and supporting proformas etc, with parent carers, SENCOs

(school and FE)

• Quality assurance framework to be extended to include school’s parents and professionals

looking at sample of EHCPs on a regular basis

Impact

• Better relationships and improved communication between SEN and health services –

generic DCO email for assessments for those not known to services to prevent information

being lost.

• Better understanding by health services regarding expectations on them in relation to EHC

needs assessment – this should lead to improved reports and therefore a better understand

of a YP needs

• Educational Psychology and all specialist teaching teams delivering on KPIs to provide at

least 95% of advice with 6 weeks

Key Concern 9 – SEND systems and tracking

Progress

Special schools

• Approach to tracking outcomes from maintained special schools now embedded

(attainment, progress, destinations, attendance and exclusions)

• Monthly analysis of SEND Complaints is now prepared for Education & Early Help Leadership

Team

Post-16

• Post-16 outcomes working group established with action plan to improve data tracking and

outcomes monitoring for post-16

• "Transitions tracker" tool developed to improve cross-referencing of educational, health and

social care needs and joint working

Mainstream schools

• School Level Inclusion profiles based on summer term data shared with all schools to inform

self-evaluation and planning. Stimulus for annual conversation with School Improvement

Advisors.

Next Steps

• Work with DfE and Regional Schools Commissioner to consider how outcomes from

academy special schools and PRUs can be tracked

• SEND Review & Monitoring Manager to put in place enhanced attention to annual review of

CYP in NMISS placements with a view to monitoring outcomes and future planning

Post-16

• Develop improved tracking systems for post-16 outcomes

• Continue and build upon MDT approach to case tracking across education, health and social

care

Impact

• Local area now has good oversight of the outcomes achieved by our maintained special

schools and PRUs. These outcomes are positive in that they demonstrate sufficient progress

towards suitably challenging targets relative to their individual starting points.

• All of our OFSTED judgements for maintained special schools and PRUs are good or better.

Post-16

• Improved overview and tracking of all young people post-16 with EHCPs, across education,

health and social care and improved cross-organisational working is starting to contribute to

better experiences for YP in transition to adulthood and their families.

Key Concern 10 – SEND exclusions

Progress

• Draft action plan outlining scope of review of Alternative Provision agreed with a focus on

prevention of exclusions and vulnerable groups

• Mental health network for secondary provision launched (lead jointly by health and

education)

Next Steps

• Alternative provision review action plan to be finalised detailing timelines and capacity to

deliver

• Mental health and attendance conference in November 2019

Impact

• Increased understanding within schools of statutory responsibilities

• Increased professional challenge to schools regarding exclusions, part-time timetables and

use of alternative provision through

• Permanent exclusion of SEND support and EHCP pupils have reduced

• Fixed term exclusion of EHCP pupils have reduced

Key Concern 11 – Local Offer

Progress

• Updated EHCP and Graduated Response pages

• On-going promotion to families and professionals, including from FIP to parent carer groups

• Local Offer leaflets included in all letters to families through EHCP process

• SEND Champions have been sharing information and doing website demonstrations to

promote the site to professionals

• Planning for Local Offer content audit

• 349 children have now registered to the CWD register

Next Steps

• Content updates - Early Years, Preparing for Adulthood, Education, and Autism pages

• Continued promotion

• We are continuing to develop the information on the pages to make sure it is up to date,

easy to find and easy to understand

• Detailed review of visitor information to analyse what information people are looking at to

be able to make changes and improvements

• Embed business as usual approach to updating content

• Review of the CWD register and determine next steps

Impact

• Continued increase use of the Local Offer (total visitors in Sept 17,480)

• FIP SEND Local Offer - 100% co-produced

• Parent carers and professionals have told us how useful the information is and to have it all

in one place

• Parent carer survey carried out by Families in Partnership – over half of responses showed

that parent carers had heard of the Local Offer and knew what it was, and many could find

the information they were looking for

Graph of local offer website visits:

Key Concern 12 – Academic outcomes, behaviour and attendance

Progress

• School Level Inclusion Profile published to all schools provides a tool for self-reflection and

planning.

• A secondary school Mental Health network for settings has been set up and is starting to

work with schools to agree local leadership and approaches to meeting students’ needs with

Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs.

• Overall attendance of SEND pupils is included in the school level inclusion profile. The School

Improvement team discuss this data in their annual conversations with school leaders.

Next Steps

• Analysis and planning based on 2018-19 academic outcomes

• Establish role guidance for Senior Mental Health Leadership in schools through the

secondary school network

• Discussion about the role of annual reviews in monitoring and challenging attendance of

pupils with EHCPs will need to be a future development.

Impact

• 2018 attainment for SEN Support pupils in the EYFS is strong compared to national figures

and continues to improve over time.

• Progress and attainment of School age SEND pupils in 2018 showed variation. Some areas of

improvement apparent e.g. progress of children with EHCP in KS2.

• Early indications from 2018-19 academic outcomes data are positive.