Tag: NNPCF

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Change Programme Partnerships Delivering Better Value for SEND Department for Education Uncategorized

DBV update

NNPCF logo

In response to the concerns being raised by PCFs recently about the SEND work, Delivering Better Value for SEND (DBV), Department for Education (DfE) advisors and in particular the Change Programme Partnership (CPP) our co-chairs arranged a meeting with the DfE on 11 September.


The NNPCF had been made aware that there was a change to the DBV contract.
The programme focuses on two key approaches:


Firstly, short-term help, to identify sustainable changes in each local authority, that can drive high quality outcomes for children and young people with SEND.


Secondly, building an objective evidence base. The data will be then used to inform future policy, as well as to build and show best practice that can be shared nationally and inform future national programmes.


The programme has been led by Newton Europe and CIPFA, the latter focusing on the financial aspect.


The programme was split into 3 tranches or groups, with the 55 local authorities that were deemed to have a very high, high-needs budget deficit.


Feedback from tranche 1 was given to the DfE and resulted in an extra module being added, and this was about financial sustainability, with CIPFA and DfE SEND advisors leading this piece of work. This work will only affect those local authorities in tranche 2 and 3 groups.


At the SENDAP Board on 18 September and at the CPP launch on 19 September, David Johnston, Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing stated that it is not a directive of the DBV work to reduce the number of EHCps by 20%, as stated in the media.
We will continue to drive the narrative that early help and intervention is the key to help and support SEND families.


For further information on DBV, please see their website


The regional DfE SEND advisors are currently under review. Unfortunately, due to an issue with HR, some still do not know what will happen. The DfE were unable to comment on this, at this stage.
We have concerns that the DfE advisors are supposed to be leading this work with CIPFA, however, there is still uncertainty about the role of the DfE SEND advisors.


Lastly, there have been lots of questions raised about the Change Programme Partnerships (CPP).
The CPP launched September 2023, and will look at the many aspects of the SEND AP implementation work and will use regional areas to test the changes before they become live for all. It is a regional programme that will feature specific local areas, but regions should be working through these changes together.

Every DfE region has a CPP, with a group of LA’s and ICB(s) where there is Lead LA and 1-3 supporting LA’s. This a 2–3-year programme and details can be found here: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan (publishing.service.gov.uk)


The lead consortium for this project is:
REAch (Reaching excellence and ambition for all children), PA Consulting will lead the consortium, which comprises of IMPOWER, Council for Disabled Children (CDC) and Olive Academies.


We are seeking clarification on how the project will work as we know that PCFs and SEND families feel completely out of the loop and are rightly concerned about how it will all work.
We are in the process of organising a meeting with the DfE, to seek further clarification on these matters, and hope to share an update on the progress of these rather complicated projects as soon as we can.

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Autism NNPCF work

NNPCF Autism Central update

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In December 2022, we informed you of a new programme, funded by Health Education England called the National Autism Peer Education Programme. The lead organisation for this programme was announced as the National Autistic Society (NAS) and whilst we informed you of the programme, it was in very early development, and we wanted to update you on where the programme is now.


The National Autism Peer Education Programme is now called Autism Central, it is a peer education programme for parents and carers of autistic people. The aim is to offer high-quality and easily accessible learning, information and guidance developed by autistic people, parents and carers and delivered via regional hubs across England, alongside a dedicated website.

The Autism Central website hosts details about each regional hub, information resources developed for the programme and signposts to useful external resources.
Training and support delivered via 7 Regional Hubs across England:
Including online and in-person training, group support and 1:1 mentoring

How far along is the project?
The organisations that have been contracted to run each regional hub were appointed in early 2023 via a tending process and are now in the recruitment and training phase of development. Hubs have started offering online training and information events. Phase 1 of the programme will begin in Autumn 2023 and this will include stakeholder engagement with local and national organisations. Phase 2 will begin in early 2024.

How are NNPCF involved?
Our role is a small but important one in ensuring that the programme is driven by lived experience and the needs of families. Two members of the NNPCF Steering Group were appointed as members of the Autism Central Governance Steering Group (GSG) and Expert Reference Group (ERG) in March 2023. A Compliance & Monitoring Sub-group (CMSG) of the GSG was formed in June 2023 and NNPCF have a representative in this group also.

Our role in each group:
Governance Steering Group (GSG) – guide the strategic direction of the project, manage risks, have oversight of performance and impact and financial sustainability.

Expert Reference Group (ERG) – support the development of information and training resources.
Compliance & Monitoring Sub-group (CMSG) – Monitor Quality Assurance and Risk across programme delivery including quality and improvement, safeguarding and data protection.

The regional hub tendering and contract award process had been completed prior to the appointment of a permanent NNPCF member to the GSG. As a member of the CMSG, NNPCF will have oversight of performance and delivery of the project by the regional hub providers.

Advisory and Governance Partners
Autistica
Ambitious about Autism
The Autism Education Trust (AET)
The Autism Alliance
Contact
Great Minds Together
National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNCPF)
British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD)

Delivery Partners
National Autistic Society (Autism Central Programme Manager)
Aspens – South East Regional Hub Provider Aspens | Autism Central
Bristol Autism Support – South West Regional Hub Provider Bristol Autism Support | Autism Central
Contact and Ambitious About Autism – London Regional Hub Providers Contact and Ambitious about Autism (London) | Autism Central

Contact and Ambitious About Autism – Midlands Regional Hub Providers Contact and Ambitious about Autism (Midlands) | Autism Central

Daisy Chain – North East and Yorkshire Regional Hub Provider Daisy Chain Project | Autism Central
Essex County Council – East of England Regional Hub Provider Essex County Council | Autism Central
Great Minds Together – North West Regional Hub Provider Great Minds Together | Autism Central

If you want to contact the NNPCF about this programme, please email info@nnpcf.org.uk

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DfE Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing NNPCF work

Co-chairs meet the new Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing



On 31 Aug 2023 we learnt that a new minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing had been appointed, David Johnston OBE.

Co-chairs Tina Emery and Sarah Clarke had an introductory meeting with the minister on 5 September.

The meeting went very well, giving Tina and Sarah a chance to highlight the importance of parent carer forums as well as the value that coproduction brings when working with parent carers who have lived experience.


They spoke about various subjects which included:

  • how vital it is to recognise the value of early intervention and the early identification of needs,
  • that behavioural and uniform policies, and the way they are implemented, often has a disproportionate impact on our children
  • the value of good inclusive school cultures
  • the ordinarily available offers that some schools already implement

The minister then asked our co-chairs to name one change that could make the biggest impact. This was a great opportunity to quote our school attendance case studies, where 81% of respondents had stated that the reason for their children not being able to attend school on a regular basis was, that their child’s needs were not being met. A further 89% of respondents felt if their school had recognised those needs and met them promptly it would have made a huge positive difference to their child’s life.

The meeting ending with an invitation for the new minister to attend a NNPCF steering group meeting, to meet with our parent carer forums from around the country, in their own regions, as well as an open invite to attend our next conference.

We look forward to working with David Johnston OBE, the new Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing.

Below you will find our introduction letter to the minister , and his reply.

Letter to the new minister David-Johnston-MPDownload
Letter-from-David-Johnston Minister for Children , Families and Wellbeing Download
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Attendance Action Alliance NNPCF work Support for CYP with SEND

Attendance Action Alliance

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On 5th September 2023, NNPCF co-chairs Tina Emery, and Sarah Clarke, took part in the Attendance Action Alliance meeting, chaired by Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education.

At the start of this academic year, the alliance renewed its pledges at 10 Downing Street, to support children and young people to get back into school.

Whilst there has been some improvement across the board in the attendance figures, the alliance is keen to ensure this continues to improve.

The NNPCF has always advocated the difference between non-attendance and those who are unable to attend for other reasons. Our case studies have reported that SEND parent carers want their children and young people to have an education, but their SEND needs must also be acknowledged and subsequently met.

Along with the importance of being able to start the academic year successfully, which often proves very problematic for those with SEND. Details such us good and timely communication around school transport and the inevitable school year timetable changes can have a massive positive impact to the start of the term for our children.

To support understanding on mild illness and school attendance, Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, along with other health colleagues has written the following:
Letter to school leaders on mild illness and school attendance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


For the last two years, at the start of the academic year, we have highlighted the need for a joined up supportive approach and not the punitive approach that, unfortunately, our children experience. In response to our requests, the DfE recently published a blog on what constitutes a reasonable adjustment.

The following information could be used by forums to help their local parent carers inform the schools that their children and young people attend to identify what reasonable adjustments are and how they can be used to help: What are reasonable adjustments and how do they help disabled pupils at school? – The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk)

The Department for Education (DfE) have published a revised statutory guidance for all local authorities on home to school travel for children of compulsory school age.

They have also published the following response to the public consultation on the guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance
 
Some of the changes to the guidance, specifically relate to children with SEN, disabilities and/or medical conditions, which have been highlighted by Contact’s school transport inquiry.
 
Aimed at schools, Working together to improve school attendance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  states “This report finds that children who miss one of the first few days of the new term for unauthorised reasons are much more likely to miss long periods of their schooling than their peers who attended those first few days. These children had a predicted overall absence of almost 45%, or 31 days across the term compared to children who missed days near the end of term with a predicted overall absence of 20-30%. This shows just how important it is that children are at school, ready to learn in the first days of the September term.”


A parental guide for school attendance will be published soon.


Regional Attendance Hubs are soon due to be launched. It is hoped they will enable schools to better support their pupils to get them back into school. Government to tackle post pandemic absence rates with new support – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Let’s get ready for September | Children’s Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk) (published July 2022)

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DfE Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing SEND AP Implementation Board. SEND Review

Government announces more support for children with SEND

  • Over a thousand new special school places confirmed, as additional seven special free schools to be built
  • Local authorities in every region selected to be at the forefront of delivering transformational reform set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision (SEND and AP) Improvement Plan
  • Reforms backed by £70 million to test what works to ensure children and young people get the best possible services

Over a thousand more children and young people with SEND are set to benefit from access to high-quality specialised learning, with seven new special free schools in Cambridgeshire, Kent, Merton and Norfolk selected to be built alongside the existing 83 already committed to opening, located across England from Devon to Darlington.

Once complete, this investment will almost double the number of special free school places available across the country – from around 8,500 to 19,000 – ensuring all children receive a quality education, tailored to their needs.

Today, local authorities across the country have been selected to deliver a ground-breaking new programme to test and refine the reforms to services for young people and families.

Backed by £70 million, the local authorities will help inform the development of new national standards to improve the consistency of provision across the country.  

Each area will also bring together education and health services, as well as parents and families to develop an inclusion plan that sets out how they will deliver local services in a co-ordinated way – for example making sure a child with special educational needs who is behind in reading is quickly assessed and given the right support. This addresses feedback from families that the current system is often fragmented with agencies not working together.  

This follows recent confirmation that high needs funding is increasing by a further £440 million for 24/25, bringing total funding to £10.5 billion – an increase of over 60% since 2019-20.

Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Claire Coutinho said: “Making sure children with special educational needs and disabilities get a superb education is a priority.

Earlier this year our Improvement Plan set out systemic reforms to make sure every child and young person gets consistently high-quality support, no matter where in the country they live. “

Today we’re making sure that those reforms are informed by the experiences of real families, up and down the country, and creating the thousands of new places at specialist schools and in staff training courses that are needed to make sure our plan is a success.”

The Government is also confirming today an expansion in training for early years staff, adding an extra 2,000 training places for early years special educational needs co-ordinators on top of the 5,000 already announced. 

Measures confirmed in the Improvement Plan included:

  • a new leadership level National Professional Qualification for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (NPQ for SENCOs), ensuring SENCOs have the training they need to provide the right support to children. The NPQ will replace the NASENCO from September 2024 and will start in Autumn 2024. Further information on the transition to the new NPQ can be found here: Transition to national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
  • a new approach to AP will focus on preparing children to return to mainstream or prepare for adulthood. AP will act as an intervention within mainstream education, as well as high-quality standalone provision, in an approach that meets children’s needs earlier and helps prevent escalation.
  • an extension until March 2025  to the AP Specialist Taskforces, which work directly with young people in AP to offer intensive support from teams made up of experts, including mental health professionals, family workers, and speech and language therapists, backed by an additional £7 million investment.
  • a doubling of the number of supported internship places by 2025, from around 2,500 to around 5,000, backed with £18 million of funding to help young people make the transition into adulthood.
  • £30 million to go towards developing innovative approaches for short breaks for children, young people and their families, providing crucial respite for families of children with complex needs – the programme funds local areas to test new services including play, sports, arts and independent living activities, allowing parents time to themselves, while their child enjoys learning new skills. 13 local authorities are taking part in the second year of the programme.

 

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Consultation Government

Consultation update

Our consultation update includes the current live government consultations, which can be completed by forums or as an individual parent carer.

More details on each consultation and parliamentary inquiry can be found below:

Working Together to Safeguard Children is the multi-agency statutory guidance that sets out expectations for the system that provides help, support and protection for children and their families.

It applies at every level from senior leaders to those in direct practice with families, and across all agencies and organisations that come into contact with children. It gives practitioners clarity about what is required of them individually and how they need to work in partnership with each other to deliver effective services.

Changes are being proposed to the section on the assessment of disabled children.

Working together to safeguard children: changes to statutory guidance Closes 6 Sept

    Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners.

    The DfE is gathering a range of views to help ensure that the information sharing advice provides more clarity, is easily understood, and instils confidence to share information appropriately amongst practitioners.

    This includes whether the changes will potential impact those who share protected characteristics such as disability.

    Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners Closes 6 Sept

    Oliver McGowan code of practice on statutory learning disability and autism training

    This Department of Health and Social Care consultation considers the extent to which the Oliver McGowan code of practice on statutory learning disability and autism training (the code) provides Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered providers with the necessary guidance.

    CQC registered providers are now required to ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role.

    Views and feedback from this consultation will inform the final version of the code to be laid to parliament.

    Oliver McGowan draft code of practice Closes 19 Sept

    Disabled people in the housing sector

    The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee are examining the role of Government, local councils and developers in ensuring the delivery of suitable housing for disabled people and what the Government can do to support disabled tenants in the private rented sector in England.The Committee is seeking evidence on a number of points that may be relevant to parent carers who need access to accessible and adaptable housing in all sectors of housing. It is also looking at how the Disabled Facilities Grant supports housing adaptions, as well as how government can support disabled residents who do not live in new build homes.

    Disabled people in the housing sector Closes 21 Sept

    Safeguarding vulnerable claimants

    The Work and Pensions Committee is to examine how DWP supports vulnerable benefit claimants and whether its approach to safeguarding needs to change.

    The Committee is looking to hear from people with lived experiences of these issues, and their families.

    The Committee intends to hold a roundtable event with benefit claimants with additional needs to discuss the issues raised in this inquiry.

    Further information on how to register your interest will be published on the Committee’s website.

    The Committee is looking at the main challenges for vulnerable claimants when making a new benefit claim, as well as improving support for the process.

    Supporting vulnerable claimants Closes 13 Oct

    Categories
    National Representatives NNPCF work Participation

    Participation news

    Welcome to the Participation Summer update.

    In June, our team came together, in person or online for our annual National Representative day, which this year was in London.

    We started the day with a quick team building exercise, then our co chair, Tina Emery gave an update on the areas of work that the NNPCF are currently involved in.

    Our Policy and Consultation lead, Claire Fisher, then asked what information the Nat Reps would find helpful to have to aid their roles on the different teams they are part of. She also spoke about adapting the Talking Points documents, which is usually shared on the website.

    Melissa Chesman, our Communications lead, then spoke with the team about the best way of sharing what activities and meetings they are involved in with our wider parent carer community.

    Over the last few months our Nat Reps have participated in a number of meetings including being a member on the judging panel of the Mental Health Awards, and then they attending the awards ceremony themselves (which was presented by author Michael Rosen). More information about the awards can be found here: https://www.rootofit.com/awards . They have also been involved in a large project to work to support our Policy and Consultation Lead. They analysed the 192 case studies previously shared by parents and carers where children and young people’s needs are not being met in school and don’t have EHCPs. We are currently working on how to best share this information.

    We said farewell to Louise Engels,who was a new National Rep in the East Midlands, but sadly due to a change in the circumstances within her forum had to stand down from the role. However, we were able to welcome Dave Barnard from the London Region to the Nat Rep role, and we look forward to working more closely with him going forward.    

    The London Region now have a new Health Team and are already taking their first steps in identifying parent carer health priorities across London and improving coproduction across the region too.

    They are currently looking for forum representatives in the North West region of London to join them.

    Please email participation@nnpcf.org.uk if you would like more information!  

    We are always looking for more National Representatives from around the country. If you would like to find out more about the role, see here and please contact me via the above email address.  

    Have a wonderful summer!

    Jacqui

    Participation Lead for the NNPCF  

    Categories
    Integrated Care Boards NHS England

    Integrated Care Boards Joint Forward Plan

    On Friday 30 June, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) published their Joint Forward Plans.

    These outline their priorities and strategies for the next five years.

    This will be a key document for the development and delivery of health and care services including for children with SEND.

    Parent Carer Forums should review the plans published by their ICBs , available here: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-your-local-integrated-care-board/

    In particular, forums should look for the following themes in the plans:

    • Do children and young people feature prominently in the plan
    • Do children and young people with SEND feature?
    • Do the plans for CYP with SEND reflect local needs, for example:
      • Sufficient community based services to meet need (paediatricians, SALT, Ots, Physio, CAHMS)
      • School nursing
    • The roll out of key long term plan programmes such as the Dynamic Support Register, Care (Education) Treatment Reviews, Key working
    • Transitions to adulthood including things such as annual Learning Disability Autism health checks, LeDeR
    • Recognition of the needs of parent carers and an understanding that these needs are different from other types of carers
    • The principles of coproduction and support for community groups and the voluntary sector (e.g. PCF’s)
    • Plus any other priorities that have been identified locality

    For more information on the development of ICBs please take a look at the webinars and articles:

    NHS publishes guidance for executive lead roles in ICBs – National Network of Parent Carer Forums C.I.C (nnpcf.org.uk)

    What can SEND families and parent carer forums expect from Integrated Care Boards – YouTube

    Categories
    Alternative provision Health NHS England NNPCF Special schools

    Free NHS eye tests in special schools introduced

    Free NHS eye tests for children and young people who attend special schools will be introduced from next year.

    The NNPCF have been part of an ongoing piece of work as part of the NHS Long Term Plan where Sensory Checks (sight, hearing and dental) are to be put in place for children and young people who attend special residential settings and have Learning Disabilities and/or Autism.

    Pupils at special schools can face additional challenges in accessing sight testing services via opticians and a successful pilot scheme has proven the benefits of receiving tests and personalised advice in their familiar learning environments.

    We are pleased to say NHS England has committed to extend this offer to make free NHS sight tests available within all special school settings.

    You can read more information here: 

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/free-sight-tests-for-special-schools

    You can read more about why the service is so needed and welcomed here: https://www.seeability.org/news/special-schools-eye-care-service-revived?utm_source=banner&utm_medium=refer&utm_campaign=eyecare

    Categories
    Attendance Action Alliance Department for Education NNPCF work

    Attendance Action Alliance

    Earlier this month co-chairs Tina Emery, Mrunal Sisodia, with the incoming co-chair Sarah Clarke, met with Attendance Action Alliance, chaired by Minster Gillian Keegan, as Secretary of State for Education.

    This meeting had a keen focus on those children and young people who are Children in Need (CIN) and SEND, and the impact of low school attendance potentially has on long term outcomes.  These cohorts are less likely to continue education after 16 years and are more vulnerable to becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).  It was recognised that similar concerns and rates of attendance is being seen across the G7.

    The NNPCF advocated the difficulties experienced by children and young people with SEND on school attendance and the importance of coproducing the support required with families for pupils to be able to access school.  Including removing any ‘blame culture’, along with the importance of consistent reasonable adjustments being made by schools.  The need for strong joint working across all areas in partnership with families was also highlighted, to support all SEND & CIN cohorts back into schools.  Ensuring that the work starts early in the summer term, enabling pupils to start in September with their peers, as there is a strong correlation between attendance at the start of the academic school year and attendance being maintained.

    The NNPCF have consistently been raising the need for a joined up supportive, not punitive approach for last 2 years as children have returned to school. In response to our requests the DfE recently published a blog on what constitutes reasonable adjustments. Forums should share this with parents and with schools in their local areas.

    What are reasonable adjustments and how do they help disabled pupils at school? – The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk)

    You can read more about the Attendance Action Alliance on the government website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/attendance-alliance-group