Background to SE7 SEND Pathfinder programme

What will the Pathfinders be doing?

The pathfinders will all test some core elements of reform, including:

• a single education, health and care plan from birth to 25 years old, focusing on whether outcomes for disabled children and their parents have been improved
• personal budgets for parents of disabled children and those with SEN so they can choose which services best suit the needs of their children
• strong partnership between all local services and agencies working together to help disabled children and those with SEN
• improved commissioning, particularly through links to health reforms
• the role of voluntary and community sector organisations and parents in a new system
• the cost of reform.

Pathfinders will also test some optional elements, including:

• whether a national funding framework would help parents understand what level of funding is available to support their child’s needs
• better support to help parents through the process
• support to vulnerable children through the new process
• and the impact of reforms on children aged 16 to 25, or children in the early years

Who are the SE7 Local Authorities?

Hampshire has been chosen, as part of a successful regional bid with six other south east areas (called the South East 7 or SE7), to develop and trial these new approaches.

The SE7 authorities are:

• Brighton and Hove City Council
• East Sussex County Council
• Hampshire County Council
• Kent County Council
• Medway Council
• Surrey County Council
• West Sussex County Council

The SE7 also includes 4 PCT Clusters:

• NHS Kent and Medway
• NHS Sussex – covering Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex
• Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth PCT Cluster
• NHS Surrey

Pathfinder work in Hampshire - what are we doing?

The four key areas of focus within Hampshire are:

• A new assessment and Single Plan approach, including the role of a key worker
• Establishing Personal Budgets
• A 'Local Core Offer' setting out what you could expect for your child from health, social care and education
• Support to Parents and Carers, including trialling approaches to mediation, complaints and redress

The SEND Pathfinder Change Board is an influential multi-agency mechanism to drive activity in a local area as part of the national Special Educational Needs and Disability Pathfinder programme.

The Local Change Board meets bi-monthly and reports, via the Hampshire Lead Officer (Fliss Dickinson, County Service Manager (SEN and Specialist Teacher Advisory Service), to the SE7 Pathfinder Regional Steering Group which also meets bi-monthly. This Steering Group is responsible for reporting the progress and outcomes of the Pathfinder programme regionally to the SE7 Directors of Children's Services and Leaders and to the Department of Education and Department of Health.

Delegated accountability for the programme of work within the Hampshire Pathfinder areas rests with the Deputy Director of Children’s Services (Children and Families), Steve Crocker, who is also the Chair of the Hampshire Change Board.  The Vice Chair is Ray Daniels, a parent/carer represenative from the Hampshire Parent Carer Network. Accountability for local decisions within the programme rests with the Pathfinder Change Board. The Terms of Reference set out the remit and membership of the group.

How are parents and carers involved in the Hampshire Pathfinder?

The Hampshire Parent Carer Network (HPCN) explain further….

Parents are involved in all aspects of the Pathfinder program in Hampshire, in a variety of capacities.

The main "Change Board" decides on the strategy and direction for pathfinder activity in Hampshire and we have 2 parents reps on this board, one of whom is also the vice-chair of the Board. In addition, we have 2 parent reps on the "Core Group" which looks at the implementation of activity (as opposed to strategic decision making) across all Pathfinder areas.

There are a number of Pathfinder workstreams in place in Hampshire and on each of those we have 2 parent reps. Some of the work streams also have sub-groups (for example an Education sub-group for the Local Offer work stream) and parents sit on those groups also.

We use an online document sharing system "Huddle" to allow all parents who are involved to share notes, updates and information from their meetings. There is a facility to have online discussions and to comment/discuss files that have been uploaded. Parent reps all make a commitment to share information in this way. The documents uploaded are available for the whole Hampshire Parent/Carer Network committee to see, meaning that wider input is available when needed.

In addition to this, we also have a monthly face to face meeting where we discuss the Pathfinder from a parental point of view and again, this allows us the opportunity to share information and ideas.

In April 2012, Hampshire Parent/Carer Network (HPCN) and Parent Voice undertook a parental confidence survey to help inform the Pathfinder work in Hampshire. 470 parents/carers responded. The results of the survey have been shared widely and are being used to inform current work and projects taking place.

In November, 2012 HPCN and Parent Voice submitted a joint response to the Education Select Committee who were scrutinising the draft Legislation. As a result of this, two parent reps were invited to the Select Committee hearing on 6 November to give verbal evidence on behalf of parents and carers. Our response is available online through the SE7pathfinder webpage [link here].

We post updates on our Facebook page (this can be reached via our webpage link on the right of this page or can we put the link back in here? I couldn't email it with it in) about national developments and local activities taking place. "Like" our page to be kept informed.

For further information, or to get involved with the Hampshire Parent/Carer Network:

Telephone: 07770 977124

Email: info@hpcn.org.uk

Alternatively you can email Hampshire County Council.

All SE7 Pathfinder work has been co-produced with parents, the voluntary and community sector and a range of other people involved in the process like schools, Adult Services for Transition, Colleges, Health. This is a booklet from parent carer representatives on what co-production means and has meant during the SE7 Pathfinder work:

Children and Families Bill

The Draft Bill was published 5 February 2013, which gave some clarity around expectations. The indicative draft of the Regulations and Code of Practice were received 14 March 2013. Key headlines from the Bill, as set out by the DfE, are:

1. 1.Involvement of children, young people and parents at the heart of legislation, including assessments and local offers.
2. 2.More streamlined assessment process, which integrates education, health and care services, and involves CYP and their parents. New 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, replacing Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments, which reflects the child or young person’s aspirations for the future, as well as current needs.
3. 3.New requirement for LA, health and care services to commission services jointly re meeting the needs of CYP with SEN & disabilities.
4. 4.LAs to publish a clear, transparent ‘local offer’ of services for all CYP with SEN, so parents can understand what is available.
5. 5.New statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in FE and a stronger focus on preparing for adulthood. Young people can appeal in their own right to the Tribunal.
6. 6.Offer of a personal budget for families and young people with a Plan, extending choice and control over their support.
7. 7.SEN duties will apply to Academies and Free Schools directly. A range of other institutions, including colleges, NMSS and independent specialist institutions will also have SEN duties.
8. 8.Mediation and disagreement resolution – independent of LA.

Some reassuring news was published 5 March 2013. Edward Timpson MP announced that the Bill would be amended to place a legal duty on Clinical Commissioning Groups to secure health services that are specified in EHC Plans. This had been absent in the Draft Bill published 5 February. Further details on what this means in practice is awaited from the DfE.

Formal consultation on the indicative Code of Practice and Regulations will be undertaken in the Autumn of 2013, however, as a Pathfinder we have the opportunity to provide early feedback following the publication of the indicative drafts.