Extended Services and Special Schools
Workshop, London, 29th April
Output from ‘Addressing the Challenges’ exercise
developing people, improving young lives
1. How can communication be enhanced between schools,
families and providers?
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We asked – you said – we did
One size doesn’t fit all. Use a variety of communication methods and persevere with positive communication which celebrates
success of any extended service activity
Family info service
A point of contact with a friendly face for families
Cluster to include wider community e.g. police, church, voluntary organisations, ESW, Housing association, PCT, General
practitioners.
PSAs and FSWs
Keep your promises – do what you say you will
Equality and balance
Listen
Never assume
Plain English
Empower families
I.T. systems that ‘talk’ to each other.
Strategic resourcing –> one stream
Role of social worker
Getting GPs on board – How?
Brokerage
School Forums
Parent Workshops e.g. internet security
Cluster social workers
2. How best can we deploy and develop the skills of the special
school workforce?
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Skills/ interests/ hobbies audit of staff team
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Shared ES agenda and ownership if it
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Maximise strengths and areas for development
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Align student’s voice with ES agenda
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Student Voice: Key! Need to know how to do this accurately and effectively to meet needs and dreams and aspirations
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Reflective practice, celebrate success and review
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Training - shadowing, buddying up - internally, and within cluster
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Inreach – outside agencies work within the school
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Training physical intervention skills
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Ensure all special school staff have an entitlement to CPD – equal to mainstream colleagues
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Share ES with parents and wider communities
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Appropriate remuneration – Job spec, Hours, Role
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Partnership building
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Using special school workforce to influence/ develop mainstream, virtuous circle
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Not an extension of skills, more use of existing in extended context
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In order to work effectively in a special school, staff need all the KSU of mainstream colleagues +++!
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Employment law and practice keeping up with us! Need to be able to employ e.g. nurses, therapists and give them their
professional standing and appropriate support
3. How best can special schools engage with, and benefit from,
working in a cluster?
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If special school sits in one cluster – does that penalise that cluster? They will/may have to subsidise provision
Should special schools be open after 3.30pm or should all SEN learners access their own local provision within
their own community?
Extended service provision needs to be individualised/ personalised basis – plan per child/ family
Have a voice within the cluster –> breaking down barriers
Raising awareness
Not take no for an answer
Consistent funding
A clear overt shared commitment to SEN and clear coordinator role
Time – cluster co-ordinator makes links, arrangements, co-working
Local (geographical) cluster a bit artificial
Should special school have their own cluster. Cross-county/LA/area
Benefits in both
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Cross area – signposting sharing practice
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Local – need local support
Turn up to meetings -> become involved
Promotes collaborative working
Should they be included? (sp school)
4. What are the key processes which would help resolve the
transport challenge?
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Incorporate flexibility into strategy
Find a good compromise between flexibility and finite budgets
Recognisable landmarks for kids on the home-school bus journey
Round trips for students accessing ES
Sell the benefits of what the need may be whole myriad of issues
Audit current practice with providers
Research the feedback
Ensure LT buy in at DCS level – have one strategy
Know how many children need transport – identify need
Employ administrative support to manage transport issues.
Walking bus
£ - Disadvantage subsidy
Cluster minibus
Safety
High court judgement (statement)
Special schools operating as geographic hub
Sometimes the mountains are too big to drive the bus up
Benefits
Signposting parents to their entitlements
Too burdensome on head teachers
Education talking to transport and bus companies
5. What would make multi-agency working more effective in
delivering ES within special schools?
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Short/ medium/ long term planning
Directories of services i.e. websites
Developmental work with partners
Parental support i.e. PSAs
Signposting
Engaging adult services
Communication is essential! (at all times even holidays and weekends)
Aligning strategic planning and resources across services for children/ YP
Someone to co-ordinate and follow through
Ensuring special schools are part of the cluster structure
Someone to co-ordinate and follow through
Collaboration between services around delivery and prevention
Strategic drive(r)
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Person centred planning and reviews, and developing with adult services (Devon)
Creating the climate
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Workforce development - skilling TAs with physio, speech therapy and OT support etc.
Clear strategic plan
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Clear roles and responsibilities
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accountability and commissioning
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How does data inform the commissioning of services
Dedicated teams within schools one day a week
6. How do you best define ‘community’ to meet the delivery of
the core offer?
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Community is
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Partnership working
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School community (lots of discussion) –> wider community (lots of discussion)
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Question – what is responsibility of the child’s local community when he/she is schooled elsewhere? And vice versa?
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Community of interests – very good idea. E.g. school specialisms: art, communications
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Community definition
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How does the special school support its own children and young people and also other ‘communities’
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Child’s family/ home community
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Community and interest e.g. drama, sport, urban, rural, regional
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Geographical cluster as community
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School as community
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Cluster of special schools as community
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Child and family linked to special school and mainstream school
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Cluster to cluster communication, involving C&YP services, emergency services, volunteers etc
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Cluster co-ordinators provider conduit between two communities
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Employ cluster co-ordinator to serve special schools
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Adult college
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Include special school parents in their own local community parenting networks/ workshops
7. How do we overcome the ‘confidence gap’ in providers and
mainstream schools so they might support service delivery?
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Best for all pupils (not just ‘my school’)
Effective planning between schools and others
School visits
Induction days
Flexible TA contracts – (all round year)
Befriender role
Where in the funding for voluntary sector?
Provide core support team for consistency
Involve PCT in partnership
Allocate nurse to attend activities
Trumpet/broadcast/publicise success -> Encourage parents to ‘recommend’
Schools and mainstream provider pool funding, PCT contributes, families and young people benefit
Joint training -> skills share
Encourage providers to come into school (with parents)…
… School staff to work with providers …
… (Suitably trained staff acting as link professionals)…
…Develop shared approach to delivery for particular children
Take time to build partnership to ensure effective delivery and shout it when works