Local SEND Improvement

SEN Support refers to children and young people with special educational needs within schools and educational settings who do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

The expectation is that the majority of children and young people with SEND can have their needs met by the resources, provisions and support that are ordinarily available at SEN Support.

Through the SEN Support Impact Group, we want to embed the Ordinarily Available Provision to promote awareness and understanding across early years, schools and college settings.

The Impact Group aims to ensure early and intensive intervention as appropriate to ensure better outcomes are achieved for children and young people.

The diagnosis and escalation of needs relating to Autism and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) in our children and young people is growing rapidly in Buckinghamshire, as is the pattern nationally.

Our focus is to ensure early identification of need, to ensure there are sufficient school places for children with the most complex level of need relating to Autism and SEMH.

The identification of need encompasses both education and health. Part of this work will focus on how waiting lists for diagnoses are reduced, and how the transition from children’s to adults’ mental health services can be more timely.

We are also developing a Sufficiency Strategy which will help inform future needs across Buckinghamshire.

Following consultation in Summer 2021, feedback has been collated into the Consultation Outcome Report. This report provides an overview of all the feedback received.

Preparation for Adulthood is a key aspect of the Children and Families Act (2014) and underpins our SEND and Inclusion Strategy. It encompasses four key priorities including:

• Healthy living
• Independence
• Ambitions for the future
• Socialising and taking part

Through our Impact Group, we are embedding preparation for adulthood into Annual Reviews from year 9 upwards to ensure that young people have access to high-quality career advice and guidance and exposure to work-related learning.

This is to develop greater opportunity and choice to enable young people to access appropriate education programmes that will support employment including supported internships, apprenticeships and voluntary work.

A key workstream within this impact group is to develop a coordinated approach across Buckinghamshire to increase information and availability of supported housing options.

An all-age Integrated Commissioning Service coordinates joint commissioning arrangements between the Local Authority and the Clinical Commissioning Group.

The joint commissioning arrangements help to promote stronger partnership working across services which provides children and young people with SEND easier access.

Strong partnership working focused on securing positive outcomes for children and young people will help to create services to support them without delays in relation to budgets/funding.

The Impact Group is working collaboratively across key providers to reduce waiting times across relevant services which will influence future service delivery and commissioning activity to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.

Professionals from a variety of teams, co-chaired by the Head of the Integrated SEND Service and a member of FACT Bucks will discuss and monitor any operational changes so that solutions can be co-produced.

The group will monitor statutory performance indicators in order to provide effective support and challenge to drive progress and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Through this Impact Group, implementing changes to the EHCP Annual Review paperwork process will ensure the right questions are being asked to enable progress to be accurately monitored.

Where disagreements happen, we're also working towards an approach that ensures resolutions are achieved without escalation.

The Quality Assurance Impact Group is responsible for driving improvements in the quality of Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) and in the experiences of children, young people and families who are subject to an EHC Needs Assessment or who require an EHC Plan.

Co-production is a key piece of work within this Impact Group, as we hope to strengthen the child/young person's voice to ensure their views and needs are fully reflected within their assessments and plans.

All Local Authorities are required to produce a Local Offer which sets out in one place information about services available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25 years.

The Local Offer explains how to access these services and has useful information and signposting.

The Buckinghamshire Local Offer has been developed with parents, carers, young people and professionals and is continually being reviewed and improved.

Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations already play an important role in working with children and young people with SEND and their families. We believe they can play an increasing role by working collaboratively with statutory services, businesses and the wider community.

We also recognise that there are many smaller charities and community organisations that have a profound impact on the day-to-day lives of children and young people with SEND and their families.

We aim to identify, empower and support that work, to ensure better signposting to those organisations and to enable better collaboration and partnership working.