This presentation starts each of the Cluster Groups in the Midlands. It is updated so that it is current for each session. You will note that it does not have an introductions slide. In the West Midlands this was requested.

1. East and West Midlands
Early Support Cluster Group

2. Agenda
Time
10:00
Session
Coffee and register
10:30
11:00
Updates, Early Support Offer and
Quiz
Local Offer: Solihull
12:00
12:45
1:15
2:00
2:10
Lunch and networking
Local Offer : Early Support
Activity with feedback
Fill in your evaluation
Chance for 1 -1 discussion
Who

4. Government’s vision
• Children’s SEN are picked up early and support is routinely
put in place quickly
• Staff have the knowledge, understanding and skills to
provide the right support for children and young people
who have SEN or are disabled
• Parents know what they can reasonably expect their local
school, college, LA & local services to provide, without
having to fight for it
• Aspirations for children and young people are raised
through an increased focus on life outcomes, including
employment
• For more complex needs, an integrated assessment and a
single Education, Health and Care Plan are in place from
birth to 25
• There is greater control for parents and young people over
the services they and their family use.

5. Key aspects of the SEND reforms
• A single streamlined process from 0-25, including an
increased focus on preparing for adulthood and new statutory
protections for 16 to 25s in FE
• Single Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) replacing
the statement
• Local authorities to publish a clear, transparent local offer
of services
• Option of a personal budget for families and young people
with an EHCP
• New requirement for local authorities, health and care
services to commission services jointly - including a
statutory duty on health (CCGs) to fulfil provision agreed in the
EHCP
• Local authorities need to work in partnership with
parents and young people including involving them in
decision making and taking their views into account

6. Structure change, easy –
Culture change, hard!
‘Achieving our ambitions for disabled
children and young people and those
with special educational needs and
their families will mean changes in
the law. We have made clear that we
intend to introduce a Children and
Families Bill during the second
session of this Parliament to achieve
that. But it will also depend on
changes in the ways that
education, health and social care
professionals work with children,
young people and families and in the
ways they work with each other.’

7. The need for cultural change
Successful implementation of the SEND reforms and the new
COP is likely to require new ways of working and changes to
the existing culture of SEND service provision.
Achieving our ambitions
for disabled children and
young people and those
with special educational
needs and their families will
… depend on changes in
the ways that education,
health and social care
professionals work with
children, young people and
families and in the ways
they work with each other.
(Support and Aspiration – progress and
next steps (May, 2012)
“The leaders of early years settings,
schools and colleges are responsible
for establishing and maintaining a
culture of high expectations: a
culture that expects those working
directly with children and young
people with SEN to include them in
all the opportunities available to
other children and young people; to
facilitate their participation; and to
ensure that they achieve well”
Draft Special Educational Needs (SEN
Code of Practice: for 0 to 25 years – October 2013)

8. Early Support and culture change
• Early Support provides a framework for action for the
implementation of the SEND provisions of the Children and
Families Bill
• Based on 10 principles, it provides a framework for cultural
change and practical tools to enable this
Early Support has "demonstrated
the impact that well coordinated
family focused services can have”
and it “is helping to ensure that
the legislative framework
translates into real change for
families”
Edward Timpson, Minister for
Children & Families, 2013

11. Early Support: The national picture
Solution
focus
Tools to
support

14. SEND reforms:
Key activity since the summer
Up to date information about latest
news is on the NCB, CDC, InPrinciple
and NASEN websites
We will be holding clusters groups to
discuss broader implications of the bill
and content will be focussed on your
interest areas.

15. Latest news
• 8th January The Children and Young People’s Health
Outcomes Framework is available here http://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/cyphof
• 16th January NEWSFLASH: SEND Pathfinder Champion
Specification 2014-2015
• 20th January I received the booklet from In Control: A
briefing called Personal Budgets and the School Day.
• Guidelines for commissioners and local authorities on how
to put the UK Vision Strategy into action for children, young
people and their families have been launched today. To read
the guidance go to:
http://www.vision2020uk.org.uk/ukvisionstrategy/children

16. Updates continued
SQW has today (27th January 2014) published two thematic
reports covering key working and workforce development; and
the Education, Health and care planning pathway for new
entrants to the SEN system. Please find a link to each report
at the links below
• Key working and workforce development
• The Education, Health and care planning pathway for
new entrants to the SEN system
20th January: Extension of the Pilot to September 2015
Independent Supporters _ Announcements will be made in
March for tenders in April.

17. The Early Support Local Offer
Early Support, Training & Support:
•
•
•
Key Working Training
Parent Carer Workshops
Rapid Strategy Workshops
Early Support offer of 1 – 1 support to
authorities: See the hand out and talk to
me at the end if you are interested