How can we improve our information sharing? Consultation closes 14 June
Do you care for a young person with special needs?
We are exploring new ways to provide families with professional SEND information, advice and support and are keen to hear your views about our proposed improvements.
The consultation on the proposed changes on how we offer SEND (special educational needs or disabilities) information, advice and support closes on 14 June 2020.
Visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/iasconsultation for more information, some frequently asked questions and a downloadable questionnaire if a written submission is preferred.
Email us at sendtransformation@hertfordshire.gov.uk if you have any queries. We look forward to hearing your views.
Transforming SEND services - Update on 'Local Delivery Network'
What's happening in Stevenage?
We have been working alongside a range of Families First services in Stevenage, learning more about how they deliver services so that we can share the emerging learning and recommendations gathered within the Early Help settings between Family First and the 0-25 Together service. By working with Family Centres, Barnwell school, Stevenage Educational Trust (Stevenage Local School Partnership), Intensive Family Support Team, being co-located in Greenside Special School and based on learning and evidence from case studies, we have worked collaboratively with Early Help colleagues to develop and create a first draft SEND self-help guide for parents/carers and a toolkit for professionals.
In our ‘Community around the School’ project, we are meeting with partners to understand existing issues that schools are particularly experiencing. We hope this joint working will encourage workers who are uncertain about which services are available (“you don’t know what you don’t know”) to find out how to access them when they really need them and reduce the “scattergun of referrals to range of services and reduce tribunals, exclusions etc.
This work provides us with opportunities to understand the complex commissioning arrangements and data across education, health and social care partners and to help creative minds to get together to achieve results such as:
- building networks to improve local partnerships
- testing and delivering new ways of working at a local level to improve outcomes and quality
- designing and applying new tools and systems that help citizens to help themselves wherever possible
If you have any questions or feedback regarding the Local Delivery Network project, please email us at SENDtransformation@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Transforming SEND services - Update on 'Preparing for Adulthood'
Preparing for Adulthood projects aim to ensure young people with SEND can successfully move into adult life with equal life chances, independence and work opportunities to achieve their aspirations as citizens of Hertfordshire
One of the main areas of focus in the Transforming SEND Services programme is to make sure that we can provide young people with SEND and their support network, with suitable educational pathways.
To help them make informed decisions when thinking about leaving school, a document which shows what mainstream schools within the county are offering to those who are aged 16 years and older is going to soon be available on the Local Offer. Using the online document, you will be able to find the school address, links to the school’s website and 6th form department, the courses that are offered and information about their special educational needs policy and relevant contacts in the school.
For any questions please email simon.fraser@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Transforming SEND services - Update on the 'Local Offer'
Helping families to educate their children at home
With children and young people out of education settings at the moment, families may be needing a bit of extra help to keep their child’s education progressing, or to help keep them entertained. The Local Offer, Hertfordshire’s website for families of young people aged 0 -25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), has a resources area where parents and families can find materials and resources they can use to help their child learn key skills. The resources area is to specifically support families whose child has an additional need, although there are certain educational activities that can help any pupil to develop a skill they may be struggling with and so anyone can use them.
The resources area includes:
- Activity sheets and ideas provided by the Specific Learning Difficulties team, which can help progress in key areas including writing, memory, numbers and spelling
- Practical help for children who are struggling with their mental health, either as a result of COVID-19 or more generally
- Help with explaining COVID-19 to younger children and young people with autism, including social stories and easy read documents
- Materials which help young people to develop their independence, including cooking activities
- Lots of fun ideas for your children to do independently or as a family at home to encourage them to explore and use their imagination
Find it all at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/SENDresources
.
Supporting children and young people with SEND as schools and colleges prepare for wider opening
The government has issued new information on the recommended approaches that local authorities, educational settings and parents should follow for the return to educational settings from 1 June 2020 of children and young people with EHC plans.
The guidance also includes recommendations for those with complex needs but who do not have an EHC plan.
You can read the guidance on GOV.UK here
A new system for Exceptional Needs Funding in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire County Council is replacing Exceptional Needs Funding (ENF) with a more effective system for identifying SEND needs and resources.
The new system will be called Top Up (High Needs) Funding for mainstream schools and nurseries.
How will the new Top Up (High Needs) Funding system work?
It will start from 1st September 2020 and the work to get things ready is continuing despite Covid 19.
Funding - A review highlighted that compared with similar local authorities HCC spent significantly less of its High Needs Block funding on supporting children with complex needs in mainstream education. Around £4 million pounds of extra funding has been found to implement the new system for this financial year.
Hertfordshire Parent/Carer Involvement (HPCI) has worked closely with HCC to ensure any changes are a positive move. You can read more detail on their website here.