SEND Accountability Inspection
Proposed Approach to Preparation
Jo Charlan – Senior Business Intelligence Officer
1st OCTOBER 2015
1
INTRODUCTION
This report sets out the proposed approach to the preparation for the SEND
accountability inspection regime and requests that the Partnership Board agree the
following recommendations.




2
That the SEND Partnership Board agrees the proposed approach to preparing
for the SEND Accountability Inspection and oversees progress
That the SEND Transformation Board acts as an inspection preparation group
That in advance of the publication of Department for Education guidelines, a
position statement is prepared to enable the council to examine its evidence,
outcomes and impacts
That upon the publication of the guidelines, the SEND Transformation Board
uses the position statement to develop a self-assessment.
BACKGROUND
The Children & Families Act 2014 set out a sweeping programme of reforms to the
statutory framework for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). The changes
represented the most comprehensive reform of the SEN system for over 30 years;
many of these changes took effect from September 2014.
In March 2015 the DfE published the document, Special educational needs and
disability: supporting local and national accountability. The document builds on the key
elements of accountability set out in the Children & Families Act 2014 and the SEND
Code of Practice: 0-25.
1
Pilot Inspections
Based on the pilot inspection of Calderdale which was undertaken in early 2015, we
know that there will be focus on at least two themes:
1) Our effectiveness in identifying children and young people who have special
educational needs / disability and how effective those local arrangements are.
2) How effective we are in meeting the needs of these young people and in
improving their outcomes.
They will examine our early years settings, primary and secondary schools, special
schools and post 16 providers.
Given that the recent SIF inspection made recommendations in relation to our
transitions service, it is likely that this may also be an area of focus. We are currently
anticipating a school improvement inspection and in the event that this occurs before
the SEN inspection, this will be factored into this position statement.
3
PROPOSED POSITION STATEMENT AND SELF ASSESSMENT
The guidance around the inspection of local authority SEND accountability is not
expected until late 2015. Therefore at this stage, it is proposed that in preparation for
the publication, the authority prepares a position statement to establish the current state
of the SEND system in Oldham for children, young people and their families. The DfE
have set out a proposal of how they expect to measure success at a national level
through data on improved outcomes for and user experience across three broad areas.
These will be used to establish the basis of the draft document:
 Positive experience of the SEND system for children, young people and their
families
 Positive outcomes for children, young people and their families
 Effective preparation for adulthood
A proposed template for generating the position statement can be found in APPENDIX
1.
Draft schedule for position statement readiness
The draft schedule to have the position statement and self-assessment ready is as
follows:
DOCUMENT
Draft position statement
Agree position statement
Self-Assessment draft
4
DEADLINE
Responsible
Officer/Group
30th
OCTOBER SEND
2015
Transformation
group
(additional
officers as required)
5th November 2015
SEND Partnership
Board
Early 2016
As above
GOVERNANCE
Preparation for the SEND reforms inspection process should be overseen by the SEND
2
Partnership Board, chaired by Caroline Sutton. The SEND Transformation Group, with
additional officers as required and appropriate terms of reference will have responsibility
for preparing the position statement and the self-assessment. The SEND Partnership
Board will have ultimate sign off of any documents.
5
REFORM PROGRAMME THEMES
Five SEND Reforms workstreams were originally established at the start of the
transformation programme. One workstream (Parental and Young Person Engagement)
concluded their remit and was reconstituted (Rate and Review) and a further
workstream (Early Years) is currently being established. It is anticipated that the
progress updates for these workstreams will play a significant part in the completion of
the position statement and self-assessment.
All of the established workstreams have evolved over the last 12 months moving
forward from the initial requirements for change arising from the Children & Families Act
2014 and SEN Code of Practice to ensure that Oldham are fulfilling their statutory duties
towards children and young people with SEN or disabilities. The workstreams have
progressed the nine key actions identified within the SEND Reforms Implementation
Plan to ensure that the reforms were successfully implemented. The workstreams are:







6
Local Offer
EHC Transitions
Joint Strategy & Commissioning
Post 16
Parental and Young Person Engagement
Rate and Review
Early Years
DATA – what we know about our SEND children and young people
Oldham has a school population of 41,300, of whom around 2.6% (approximately 1070)
are children and young people who are subject to a statement of Special Educational
Needs. The number of children subject to a statutory assessment and statement has
risen steadily for the last 5 years. Whilst the number identified with ASD has significantly
increased, it has been offset by a reduction in the proportion identified with moderate
learning difficulties (MLD) and specific learning difficulties (SpLD).
More than half (approximately 600) of Oldham’s children and young people with
statements attend a mainstream school or setting and this figure is close to the national
average. Of the children with statements in mainstream schools, just over 20 are placed
in Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP), providing them with a specialist placement
with opportunities to learn alongside their mainstream peers.
7
FINDINGS FROM RECENT INSPECTIONS IN OLDHAM
3
The Ofsted SIF inspection undertaken in June 2015 found that;
“Transition planning for care leavers with a disability or complex needs is not always
sufficiently timely to ensure good forward planning. This is particularly important for
those young people who are not eligible for adult social care support services but
nevertheless require, and are eligible for, an aftercare service. Examples were seen of
young people who had gaps in support because of this.”
As a result of this, Ofsted made the following recommendation:
Strengthen transition planning for disabled care leavers and other young people with
complex needs so that they receive all the services they are entitled to, including
support from the aftercare service.
Objectives to create change
Actions
Ensure that social workers from
adults and children’s services
view transition of care leavers and
aftercare as part of their day to
day practise
Training on the code of practice for children with
complex needs and disabilities will be
undertaken
ASC and CSC will identify key workers for
transition who will take the lead in this area
A regular pattern of transition meetings will be
implemented to plan for the future needs of
children and young people with complex needs.
All meetings will be minuted and action logs
agreed
Ensure that transition planning is
timely and that there is good
forward planning
8
The transition sub group of the LSCB will lead on
this
The referral and transition pathway will be
reviewed, agreed and established, this will
include transition from after care to adult services
INFORMATION GAPS AND ASSOCIATED RISKS
Any gaps in information should be taken into account and risk assessed when preparing
the information in appendix 1.
4
APPENDIX 1
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE
1. Short/medium term
Positive experience What do we know?
of the SEND
system for
children, young
people and their
families
What does
success
look like?
Responsible
officer/team
Evidence and Impact (What do we
know, how good is it and can we make it
better?)
1.1 Parents, children
and young people get
right support at right
time; feel that they are
listened to and in
control
1.2 Planned and wellmanaged transition at
key points
1.3 A joined-up,
transparent and
accountable system
5
Positive experience What do we know?
of the SEND
system for
children, young
people and their
families
Examples of
data and
intelligence
When do we
expect to
see an
impact?
Responsible
officer/team
Evidence and Impact (What do we
know, how good is it and can we make it
better?)
1.4 SEN appeals and
outcomes
1.5 Education, Health
and Care Plans
(EHCPs) completed on
time
1.6 Local authority and
parent survey data
1.7 Children and
young people’s
Personal Outcomes
Evaluation Tool
(POET) pilot
1.8 Feedback from
Independent
Supporters
Short/medium term:
From Sept 2014 to
Sept 2017
2. Medium/long term
6
Positive outcomes
for children, young
people and their
families
What does
success look
like?
Examples of
data and
intelligence
When do we
expect to see
an impact?
What do we know?
Responsible
officer/team
Evidence and Impact (What do we
know, how good is it and can we make
it better?)
2.1 Improved
progression and
attainment at all ages
2.2 Clear and
appropriate
expectations and
aspirations leading to
fulfilled lives
2.3 More resilient
families
2.4 Attainment data
2.5 Outcomes for
looked after children
2.6 Destinations after
Key Stage 4 & Key
Stage 5
2.7 School absence
and exclusion rates
Medium/long term:
3 to 5 years’ time
3. Fully emerge
4.
7
Effective
preparation for
adulthood
What does
success look
like?
Examples of
data and
intelligence
When do we
expect to see
an impact?
What do we know?
Responsible
officer/team
Evidence and Impact (What do we
know, how good is it and can we make
it better?)
3.1 Increased
employment
3.2 Choice and control
over living
arrangements /
Independent living
3.3 Participation in the
community
3.4 Health outcomes
based on need and
aspiration
3.5 Employment status
for adults with learning
difficulties and
disabilities (LDD)
3.6 Accommodation
status for adults with
LDD
Fully emerge:
5 to 10 years’ time
8