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This term has been a busy one with some face to face services starting up again, such as our drop in sessions in North Devon. There has been a lot of change in our information too, with a brand new website and new information about elective home education and SEN support in schools. We know that there are some key topics missing on our website, such as exclusion and social care, and these will be part of the next phase of new resources this year and into next.
The new website has gone down well inside and outside the county, with other local authority services like ours giving us positive feedback. We want to know what you think though! We’ve got a star rating system for each page, where you can give us a rating from 1-5 stars. The more you do that, the more insight we will have about what needs improving.
As you will know if you’ve tried to contact us recently, the email and telephone services has also been very busy. We have long term plans to respond to the ongoing increase in demand. It’s going to take a little while to get everything in place and running properly though, so please bear with us. We’ll be sharing more about our new systems and what you can expect in the Autumn term. In the meantime, remember that if you can’t get through on the phone, the website now has lots of information that may answer your questions. You can also contact us using the web form at any time.
Revised and updated Guide to Elective Home Education
We’ve reviewed and updated our comprehensive guide to elective home education - working with parents and professionals to answer the questions we get asked every day about elective home education. This practical guide gives you information about:
- your rights and your responsibilities
- what to think about if you’d like to home educate, including pros and cons
- the help that’s available to home educators and how to get the most out of it
- home education if your child has an EHC plan
- how to help your child or young person go back to school after a period of home education
You can read the guide on the website, or download the PDF Guide.
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New DiAS website launches!
We launched our new look website in May. It has a fresh new look and feel, alongside improved navigation, so there is more than one way to find what you need. Information is grouped into logical ‘journeys’ so you can move step by step though processes.
We’ve kept the Question and Answer format and the small chunks of user friendly information. It’s based on the things parents ask us, and there is a brand new section exploring SEN support in school and what that looks like.
We’ve also increased and improved the information we have for young people – there’s a dedicated part of the website with tips and advice about everything from study skills to mental health and wellbeing and getting support in school. we would love to know what you think, so please tell us!
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Our Children and Young People’s work
We've carried on working directly with young people right across Devon to ensure they’ve had advice and support to get their views heard. We’ve supported young people at school meetings, met with them in their home or a place of their choosing, and helped them feel comfortable and able to talk about some of the difficulties they’ve experienced.
We’ve also been creating information specifically for the new area for young people on our website. Topics include, getting help in school, going to meetings and giving your views and opinions. If there’s anything you’d particularly like us to cover please let us know.
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Ambassador volunteer update
Ambassador Volunteers are links to their local SEND communities, sharing information from DiAS and the Parent Carer Forum Devon with parents and carers.They also feed back to these organisations to ensure policy makers are listening to parent voices. Existing groups for parent carers have started up face to face meetings again in Okehampton, Exmouth, Honiton and Braunton. Several new groups have also started up too in Barnstaple and Bideford, South Molton, Sidmouth, Exeter, Cranbrook and online.
The next Ambassador Volunteer training will be a virtual session, 10am -1pm, Wednesday 14th September 2022. If you’re interested in taking part, complete the form to register your interest!
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New information about SEN support
SEN support is the core support that every child and young person with SEND gets, whether they have an EHC plan or not. To answer your questions about this area, we’ve developed a new section of our website. In it you can find lots of practical advice and examples, as well as information about the law and how to get more help for your child.
There are four new pages:
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North Devon drop in sessions
This month, our face to face drop in sessions returned to North Devon. Kate and Michelle from the DiAS team met individually with 12 parents and carers and gave information and support about a variety of subjects - including school based support, children out of education, Education Health and Care Plan issues and how to refer for specialist support. Each slot with a DiAS Officer lasted 30 minutes and the feedback from parents was really positive. More sessions are planned for the next school year, so keep an eye on the website and Facebook page for details.
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Contacting us by email
We've made a small change to the way you contact us by email. To help us give you the answers you need, we're asking enquirers to please use our web contact form, rather than emailing us direct to the email address.
The form asks you for some information about you and your child, as well as what you specifically need help with. Knowing a bit about what the issues are, helps us to give you the most useful and relevant reply. Thank you!
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Information and tools to help you choose a school
We get asked about this topic a lot, so in response we’re creating new materials and tools. They aim to help you think about the type of school that might be best for your child, how to search for and narrow down your options and how to get the most out of a school visit. Resources will include:
- Choosing a school web page and factsheet, answering the main questions
- Top tips for finding and visiting schools – practical tips and a step by step guide
- Questions to ask – the kind of things you might want to know
- A schools comparison chart – to help you compare schools with each other
Keep an eye on the website and Facebook page for details.
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Ofsted and CQC inspection outcomes
Ofsted and the CQC did a joint re-inspection of Devon SEND services in May this year. Inspectors spoke with children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), parents and carers, teachers and leaders from schools, Parent Carer Forum Devon, and local authority and National Health Service (NHS) officers. Inspectors considered 2,012 responses to an online survey for parents and 90 emails.
Inspectors concluded that Devon’s SEND service continues to require improvement. Devon County Council has apologised for failing to improve services that support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
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One Devon is Devon’s new integrated health and care system
One Devon is the name of the new health and care system in Devon. It’s a collaboration of the NHS and local councils, as well as a wide range of other organisations like the voluntary sector, who are working together to improve the lives of people in Devon.
One of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that people need support which is joined up across local councils, the NHS and voluntary and community organisations – One Devon aims to do just that. You can find out more on their website.
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SEND Tribunal update for parents and carers
As of May 2022, the SEND Tribunal is facing an unprecedented backlog and will be prioritising cases where a child/young person is out of education or where a child is moving from one phase of education to another - such as from primary to secondary school or from secondary school to post 16 education or training.
IPSEA have issued specific advice about what parents need to do. You can find out more on their website.
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