SEND Improvement Plan 2017 STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Developing a

SEN/D Improvement Plan 2017

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Developing a SEND strategic plan/principles that has evidence of political/corporate/ cross partner leadership is the key priority for the Local Area

Early Help Issue Identifying and signposting of families with children with SEND is variable within early help services. There is no centralised process for information sharing. Early help staff require clarification of processes and procedures regarding SEND in early help services. Updated SEND training is required. EHCPs are not always routinely used to inform early help support, CAF assessments or TAF interventions Action By Whom Centralised process to E. Hartley be established for information sharing. When SEND and Local Offer C. O Connor awareness and outcomes training to be delivered to practitioners. 31. 07. 17 30. 09. 17 Processes to be established to ensure EHCP’s are informing all other related assessments.

Early Years Issue Understanding the EY’s SEND landscape to aid monitoring provision against needs for services Action Storyboard to be launched By Whom C. Fenlon E. Wright When 30. 06. 17 The data system is to be embedded and encompass all available data around EY needs. Analysis of Early Years and Identification and Planning Quarterly Health database to inform Group. LA on identified children This will likely to inform future planning regarding those likely to require support. Identification and Planning Group to be established. Gap in understanding the trends in requests for additional support by early years settings to aid distinguishing between social circumstances (early help) and delayed child development (early intervention) Undertake a snapshot Penny Bishop + EIT analysis over a 6 month period of referrals for the EI team and also for Inclusive Practice funds. 30. 06. 17

Early Help Issue Action By Whom When Consistency of named Develop a staged Penny Bishop + EIT SENCO’s in settings SENCO training package for newly appointed with graduated support packages and existing with peer support strategies/networks. 31/7/2017 Quality assurance of some processes of delegated funding streams across Early Years 31. 07. 17 Review allocation Early Years Forum process of funding Working Party streams for sector awards to be clear and consistent.

Local Authority Issue Action The Local Offer requires further development in order for it to inform future commissioning in a meaningful and responsive way. Systems to be established S. Tittle with Commissioning lead and JSNA. Ensuring strategic information contained in LO is communicated to commissioning officer. The Local Authority is not Joint Commissioning of meeting its legal duty to SALT to be actioned. Joint Commission SALT provision for schools By Whom E. Quesada LA vision to educate more Pupil Funding Agreements Margaret Morris SEN/D in mainstream is introduced. Evaluation of presenting a challenge. these and requests for assessments to be analysed. Work with clusters of schools to establish local solutions When End of each term 15. 07. 17

Local Authority Issue Action By Whom When Request for high needs places increased. Commissioning Review will recommend how provision should be designed moving forward. Sally Gibbs Margaret Morris 31. 10. 17 Currently some support services are unable to deal with the demand from settings, schools and Colleges. Reorganisation of support Deborah Gornik services to go out for Margaret Morris consultation. Clinical Psychologists support to be commissioned. School Intervention Officers to be appointed and support schools. Joint commissioning of Elaina Quesada services to be in place. 01. 09. 17 SALT /OT are not providing an appropriate service to schools.

Local Authority Issue Action By Whom When Exclusions in mainstream Schools to be challenged schools and SEMH regarding exclusion rates special schools higher than the national average Sue Talbot Deborah Gornik Some schools have CYP not attending or these CYP are being offered reduced days and the LA has no database of them Letters to be sent to schools regarding pupils on roll and not attending Deborah Gornik 31. 05. 17 Parents/ schools not always fully informed when a decision is made to not assess or issue EHCP. Coordinators to have EHCP co-ordinators meetings with all schools/ families following a No decision 01. 09. 17

Local Authority Issue Action The SEN Threshold and SENCO’s to evaluate and toolkit have not been enhance the Threshold evaluated so SEN team Document and Toolkit are unsure of whether it is shaping practice Newly formed PCPW and the LA to have a stronger focus on coproduction. By Whom When C. O’Connor J. Hudson P. Arista 15. 07. 17 LA to request support from CAF. LA to continue to develop wider engagement with other groups. EHC Plans require Quality Assurance Group J. Hudson Assurance to ensure the working across authorities quality is high to be timetabled and feedback given to Plan writers. 30. 05. 17 Not all advices received are SMART and Outcome Focussed. Ongoing Guidance and additional training to be produced and delivered in conjunction with organisations. Paul Arista Julie Hudson

Post 16 Issue Action By Whom There are no processes in place for young people to self-declare that they have SEN. Procedures to be Andrew Roberts established on how young Paul Arista people are encouraged to come forward and selfdeclare. Increased funding required to meet Post 16 demand Regulate funding for all Post 16 providers. Develop post 16 funding protocol. Prep for Adulthood Group Dec 2017 Challenges for parents and young people when moving from children’s to adult services especially with health services Discuss these issues at the Prep for Adulthood steering group and include in Local Area transition Strategy Margaret Morris Paul Arista Dec 2017 Increased number of Re-invent the brokerage parents and young people project to find solutions to seeking out of borough any gaps in provision. specialist provision. When Ongoing

CCG Issue Action Waiting times for paediatricians, CAMHS etc too long Health visitor and School Nurse information is not tracked. The information from Health visitor and School Nurse to be incorporated into database. Health information on Local Offer requires development. Easy read versions of information to be produced. Adult health services do not have a secure understanding of the SEND reforms. Training regards the reforms to be delivered The collation of the health needs of 19 -25 age group is patchy. Protocol to be established on who provides this element of support.

Social Care Issue Although CYP and families who are requesting support by way of Direct Payments are now assessed by the CWD Service who carry the expertise in disability and the services offered on the Wirral a risk would be that the Social Work staffing has not been increased in order to address the increased level of assessments. As there are no Short Breaks residential placements on the Wirral other than the Willowtree Short Breaks provision this leads to a heavy reliance on this service. For moderate learning difficulties we do not have a residential short breaks provision and with lack of available in house foster carers who work with our children with disabilities this can lead to out of borough placements being required. This is currently being addressed by the Service Manager for CWD Service and the Fostering Service. Following the assessment process a needs led decision is made as to whether Direct Payments would be suitable to meet the identified needs. Currently budgets aren’t pooled and this sometimes reduces inclusive opportunities. Action Analysis of capacity to take place. Analysis of out of borough placements to be addressed by the Service Manager for CWD Service and the Fostering Service. Consideration is being given to pooling young people’s Direct Payments should they chose to in order to increase the potential for additional social integration. Personal Budgets are also being considered to be used in a similar way should the CYP chose to do so

Social Care Severe disability is well catered for on Wirral. The area for improvement is within the Locality Teams. Too narrow a threshold has a negative impact upon some families. For this threshold to be increased the CWD Service would require investment and additional staffing this may be less effective than ensuring all social workers understand support pathway for children with low to moderate needs Universal services to be better supported by the expertise of the Children with Disabilities team. Locality Teams require training in low and moderate disability in order for them to receive the best services from these teams. For adult services there is not a coherent policy re DASS Senior Managers have been invited to join the identification of need and the commissioning of places. SEND Operational Group in order to work alongside Children’s social care, education and health colleagues to further promote integrated working and planning for future commissioning. DASS and Children’s commissioners from social care and health to work together to build future services according to need.

Youth Offending Team Issue Action All Local Authority SEND staff, and YOT staff have not got a detailed working knowledge of SEND Reforms in the Youth Justice System To complete training with staff in Team Meetings also to send briefing note to all staff so they understand roles and responsibilities. . All Local Authority SEND staff, and YOT staff have a working knowledge of SEND Reforms in the Youth Justice System Lack of a clear Working Protocol and Process for staff to follow when involved with YP with possible SEN/D To complete a Working Protocol and Process for staff to follow in undertaking SEND Reform on YP identified. Inconsistent knowledge by the SEND Teams on the role of Youth Offending Teams YOT to attend Team Meetings for SEND Teams and complete presentation on the role of Youth Offending Teams