Implementation The Children and
Families Act 2014
Birmingham
3 July 2014
André Imich, SEN and Disability Professional Adviser, DfE
Successful implementation
1
Systems and
planning
2
Engagement
3
The key areas
1. Systems and planning
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Senior level understanding (inc members)
Addressing capacity and resource implications
Progress towards workforce development
Setting up processes and systems (inc IT)
Planning how to convert statements and LDAs
2. Engagement with:
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Schools and SENCOs
Early years providers
FE colleges and other post-16 providers
Social care partners
Health partners, inc CCGs
Voluntary sector
Parents and Parent Carer Forums
Young people
3. The key areas
 Co-produce a 0-25 local offer
 Develop and trial a coordinated 0-25 EHC needs
assessment and planning process
 Set up joint commissioning structures
 A transparent process for personal budgets
 Establish 0-25 mediation arrangements
The new Code of Practice (June 2014)
1. Principles
2. Impartial Information, Advice and Support
3. Working together across education, health and social care
4. The local offer
5. Early years providers
6. Schools
7. Further education
8. Preparing for adulthood
9. Education Health and Care Plans
10. CYP in specific circumstances
11. Resolving disagreements
CYP in Specific Circumstances
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Looked after children
Care leavers
SEN and social care needs, inc children in need
CYP educated out of area
CYP with SEN educated at home
Children with SEN in alternative provision
Young offenders in custody
Children of service personnel
Local Offer – key features
 Co-produced with parents and young people
• Fully involve services in its development and review
• Holistic - cover 0-25 education, training, transport, social
and health care, employment, independent living
• Clear how to access support and services,
• Clarify how decisions are made, by whom, and what to do
if things go wrong
• Up to date, written in plain language,
• Clear about provision schools and colleges will deliver
Assessment and planning – Key principles
• On-going process, regular person-centred reviews.
• CYP and families at centre; involved in decision-making.
• A ‘tell us once’ approach to sharing information.
• Effective co-ordination between statutory services.
• Practitioners engaged and committed.
• Keyworking approaches - single point of contact.
Numbers of EHCPs
Q – Re the statementing process and the indication that
threshold and criteria are remaining the same, why is there
a presumption that there will be less EHCPs?
A - There is NO presumption that there will be fewer
EHCPs than SSENs. The legal test of when a child or
young person requires an EHC plan remains the same as
that for a statement under the Education Act 1996.
Therefore, it is expected that all CYP who have a statement
and who would have continued to have one under the
current system, will be transferred to an EHC plan – no
CYP should lose their statement and not have it replaced
with an EHC plan simply because the system is changing.
Quality Education Health and Care Plans
 Meet the requirements of the Act,
regs and the Code.
 Parent, child/ YP at the heart
 Describes positively what CYP
can do
 Clear, concise, understandable
and accessible
EHCP
 EHC plans must include sections A-K.
 The sections must be separately labelled from each
other using the letters.
 The sections do not have to be in the order of the letters.
 LAs may use an action plan in tabular format to include
different sections and demonstrate how provision will be
integrated, as long as the sections are separately
labelled.
(CoP – para 9:60)
EHCP Sections
A: Views, interests and aspirations
B: Special educational needs
C: Health needs
D: Social care needs
E: Outcomes
F: Special educational provision
G: Any health provision reasonably required
H1: Social care provision under S2 of Chronically Sick
and Disabled Persons Act 1970
H2: Any other social care provision
I: Name and type of setting
J: Personal budget
K: Advice and information gathered
EHCP Exemplar
http://www.sendpa
thfinder.co.uk/info
packs/ap/
Transition – Main points
 From 1/9/14 YP in FE and training with LDA can choose
to request an EHC assessment. No LDAs post 31/8/2016
 By 1/4/18, LAs must have transferred all statements to
the new SEN and disability system following a ‘transfer
review’. During the transition period (1/9/14 to 1/4/18)
LAs must continue to comply with Part IV of the EA1996
in relation to children and young people with statements.
 Within national parameters LAs should develop their own
transition plans, following consultation with parents, YP
and professionals. LAs should publish the first version of
their local transition plan by 1 September 2014
What will make the difference to CYP
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Extended statutory protections
Key working
Person centred approaches
One page profile
Smoother transitions
Being listened to/ empowered/ having a voice
Professionals collaborating – doing things differently
Focus on outcomes and the curriculum, support and
other arrangements to achieve them.
Implications for schools and colleges
• New Code (Sept 2014) applies to all state funded
schools
• Reinforced role of SENCo
• Application of SEN Support category
• Putting parents and children at the heart of the system
• Greater clarity about what school/ college provides
• Work with LA on local offer
• Ensuring no discrimination over admission decisions
• Working with Education, Health and Care Plans
• Improved transition planning and arrangements
• Support families in using personal budgets
• Outcomes/ outcomes/ outcomes
Implications for delivering support services
• Focus on the child/ young person
• Involve the parent – consider the wider family context
• Quality assessment  quality intervention/ application of
the social model
• Reporting advice and information
• Working together
• Understand the educational landscape
• Focus on outcomes/ plan early for adulthood
• Changes to service delivery and organisation  working
with (new/different) others
• Wider engagement (with new populations)
• Support schools in implementing SEN School Support
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Questions
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Comments
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Points of clarity
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Discussion