WELCOME TO THE NATSPEC ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015

Implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014 17 March 2015 Caroline Bicknell, Deputy Director Department for Education, 0-25 SEND Unit

The aims and features of the SEND reforms Contents The aims and features of the SEND reforms Implementation: progress and challenges Current activities underway

Aims of the SEND reforms We want all children and young people with SEND to achieve well in their early years, at school and in college; find employment where possible; lead happy, healthy and fulfilled lives; and have choice and control over their support. The SEND reforms join up support across education, health and care, from birth to 25. Help will be offered at the earliest point, and with children and young people and parents/carers fully involved in decisions about their support and what the young person wants to achieve. Measures of success include: Positive experience of the system for children, young people and families Improved outcomes for children and young people Effective preparation for adulthood

From September 2014 new requirements on LAs and Clinical Commissioning Groups: Work with children and young people with SEND and families. Establish partnerships across education, health and care, including early years, post-16 institutions and housing. Co-produce and publish the Local Offer Develop plans for joint commissioning Develop processes for assessment, planning and EHC plans Identify what could be provided through personal budgets Local mediation and disagreement resolution arrangements

New rights for young people and parents Young person or parent of a child has the right to request that a particular institution, including a college approved under section 41, is named in an EHC plan The local authority must comply with that preference and name the school or college in the EHC plan unless it judges that: it would be unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or SEN of the child or young person, or the attendance of the child or young person there would be incompatible with the efficient education of others, or the efficient use of resources Local authority to co-produce EHC plans, the Local Offer etc

Education Health and Care Plans From 1 September anyone, including a post-16 provider, can request an assessment of education, health and care needs Young people with EHC plans can ask for a particular college to be named in the plan Final EHC Plan must be shared with institution named in Plan EHC plans must be reviewed annually and, from age 13 (Yr9) must include preparing for adulthood.

Section 41 and specialist post-16 institutions Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014 allows the Secretary of State to publish a list of approved independent special schools and special post-16 institutions. The approved list allows independent institutions to make themselves subject to duties in Children and Families Act Young person has right to request that a S41 institution is named in their EHC Plan LA under a qualified duty to agree that request

Students aged 19-25 Some 18 year old students will need longer to achieve the outcomes in their EHC plans, so will need to continue in education with plans up to a maximum age of 25. No automatic entitlement to continued support at age 19 Nor can an LA cease an EHC plan simply because a young person is aged 19 or over. In deciding that SEN provision is no longer required, the local authority must have regard to whether the educational or training outcomes in the EHC plan have been achieved. As you told us, a special school is not the best place for a student of this age. DSG cannot be used to fund such places.

Preparing for Adulthood How can we make sure young people are better prepared for adult life? Preparing for adulthood EHC reviews from Year 9 onwards Better transition into post-16 education and training High quality study programmes including pathways to employment such as supported internships Multi-agency approach Support for transition to adult services

Supported internships Study programmes for young people with LDAs or EHC plans Extended work placement plus further study in English and Maths 36% offered paid work in the pilot Life changing transition into employment £5m for LAs on supported internships and other preparation for employment: just announced Help on PfA’s website – supported internship section with advice and link to Access to Work funding

Progress since September 2014 Delivery partners everywhere working hard to implement reforms and good progress being made Independent Supporters in place and positively received. February LA implementation survey shows further improvements since October Positive feedback from parents and young people Minister Timpson asked Ofsted/CQC to develop inspection framework Other feedback positive too, though challenges with: Transitions from Statements and LDAs Meeting EHC timescales Building quality of Local Offers

Some challenges in post-16 Local Offer – work in progress, particularly over post-16. Capacity for EHC assessment and planning Dealing with multiple LAs with different requirements Placements and funding - relationships with LAs and commissioning of specialist provision. EHC plan transfers – progress and involvement of colleges 13

DfE Action underway includes… DfE SEND Advisers – continuing support and challenge to LAs Joint workshops for LAs and FE sector – underway now Ofsted/CQC inspection proposals on SEND – likely to consult soon Joint action with DH to improve health engagement – Designated Medical Officer conference 23 March SEND FE sector working group – NATSPEC member Call for Evidence on High Needs Funding – evidence being considered Extra £5 million for supported internships Future delivery support plans and VCS funding in 2015-16 – likely to be announcement shortly 14