1. BETTER ASSESSMENT BETTER PLANS BETTER OUTCOMES
NatSIP Policy Group

2. Starting assumption
An Education, Health and Care Plan should be as good as, if not better than, a statement.

3. What does ‘better’ mean?
An increased focus on outcomes
Children having their needs rigorously assessed and identified
Parents having confidence in the process and assessment
Parents having communication with professionals early in the process
Lamb Report (2009)

4. A parent’s comment (Lamb Report 2009)
‘Parents need to have much more input into the process......I’m often asked to accept things by professionals who do not seem to take my opinions and observations into account. There needs to be more listening to the parent and less leaping to conclusions about parenting skills....’

5. Working towards the EHCP
Gather and evaluate existing information Request the additional information and assessments required Collate and analyse professionals’ summaries Draft EHCP

6. The second assumption
No matter how technically brilliant the template for an EHCP may be, the individual child’s EHCP will only be as good as the information with which it is populated.

7. The importance of assessment
‘A focus on the quality of assessment will improve the quality of outcomes’.
Ofsted 2010: A statement is not enough

8. The importance of assessment
‘The quality of a statement will be significantly determined by the quality of advice submitted during the assessment process itself, including contributions made by parents and by children and young people themselves’. DfE (2010) Guidance on Improving the quality of statements

9. Starting points for NatSIP work on assessment (cf. Medway)
To identify as part of a single assessment process :
what information should be
gathered and reviewed
the potential sources of this
information....
(....jargon free and preferably on 2 sides of A4!!)

10. Better assessment, better plans, better outcomes framework
Purpose: To provide a multi-disciplinary framework for the assessment of the need of a child or young person with sensory impairment.

11. So that....
Outcomes are improved

12. The Framework format Information required and possible sources
Questions to ask after information gathered for:
Education Planning
Health Planning
Social Care / Family Support
Planning
The views of (a) the CYP and (b) the parents should be included when considering the questions
Speech, language and communication

13. Assessment and information gathering summary sheet
To aid professionals present the information they have been responsible for gathering, in a jargon free way, using a common format. (See page 6 of document)

14. Points for clarification Comments Discussion Questions

15. A possible format for an EHC Plan for C&YP with SI
Reflects
the content / format of the summary of information gathered sheet
the minimum content of an EHC Plan as in Draft SEN Bill.

16. Draft Bill – EHC Plan sets out
the child’s or young person’s SEN
the outcomes sought for him or her
the special educational provision required by him or her
Any health and social care provision of a prescribed description required by him or her.

17. Next steps....
Continue to consult on the draft frameworks to get views on:
Minimum information and assessment requirements to inform the EHC Plan.
Possible template for an EHC Plan for Sensory Impairment (low incidence)