West Sussex County Council sent this bulletin at 28-06-2017 08:50 AM BST
Please disseminate this newsletter to parent carers, professionals and those who are interested in reading more. Haven't received a
copy or know someone who hasn't? Email sarah.dimmock@westsussex.gov.uk.
Inclusion and the SEND Strategy
Inclusion is at the heart of the
West Sussex SEND strategy and to support its ongoing implementation we recently
held a successful Index for Inclusion conference. The guest speakers were Professor
Tony Booth (author of Index for Inclusion), colleagues from Surrey and head
teachers & parents from 2 Surrey schools.
The conference offered an
opportunity to hear:
About
the concept and power of the Index for Inclusion; explore the principles behind
the materials and develop thinking as to how the Index can be effectively
utilised in West Sussex to place inclusion at the centre of School Improvement
for the benefit of all our children & young people.
How
in Surrey the project was established in schools, is working in practice and
has positively impacted upon children’s outcomes since its launch. We heard
that it improves attainment and progress outcomes for children with SEND and
other groups, and increases parental confidence in maintained settings.
Over 70 schools attended and many said that they
would be interested in being part of a pilot roll-out of the strategy in West
Sussex. Some have even visited the Surrey schools to find out at first hand how
this is working.
We are currently considering, based
on the work done at the conference, how the implementation of the Index should
be managed and we will be writing to schools with proposals before the end of
term, ready for the start of a pilot in the autumn term.
The SEND strategycan be viewed here and we are currently reviewing the overall
implementation plan and prioritising actions which will have the most
effect on the objectives. We will update you about this shortly.
Meeting our deadline to transfer statements to Education Health & Care Plans (EHCPs)
Staff within the SEN Assessment Team have been working to transfer statements of SEN to EHCPs. These need to be completed by March 2018 and the Department for Education (DfE) is asking us to report on a monthly basis on our progress. We have recruited additional staff and are now making good progress towards that target. We apologise to those who are waiting for the transfer to be completed.
Our link SEND adviser from the DfE recently visited West Sussex to discuss our progress on this and other aspects of the reforms. This was a very positive discussion which recognised that our performance on transfers and timeliness of new EHC Needs Assessments is improving, with helpful suggestions for how we can continue to improve.
SEND Inspection Reminder
Inspectors from Ofsted and the Care
Quality Commission will be in our area for one week - they will visit
education settings and meet with children, parents, teachers, leaders and
governors. There will also be focus groups and we are briefing those who
may be involved in these. The phone call giving us five days’ notice of the
inspection could arrive any Monday during term time so the next possible dates
are 3 and 10 July. Guidance for education settings,
health staff and other partners can be found here.
The focus of the inspection is on
how effectively we identify, meet the needs and improve outcomes for children
and young people with SEND, and it will look at how the local area as a whole
meets its responsibilities. This will include children & young people who
are at SEN Support, as well as those with Education Health & Care Plans. We have
developed a self-evaluation framework to ensure we will have a good
understanding of our effectiveness and an improvement plan which identifies areas
where we need to do further work.
For more information contact Jon Philpot, Principal
Manager (SEN & Inclusion).
IPEH
Jellyfish has impact on young people’s brains!
This
picture shows how Jellyfish, a Youth Interventions course, has helped
a group of 13-17 year olds by focusing on independence skills, empowerment and
building self-esteem and confidence.
Read
this moving story from Mid-Sussex Hub, 'One Girl and her horse', sharing how Jellyfish
helped.
Along with West Sussex Educational Psychology Service, three trainee Educational Psychologists (as shown in the photo) conducted a piece of small-scale research aiming to understand the views and experiences of three female pupils, aged 13-14 in a local mainstream secondary school to do with SEN Support.
An
Online
Survey has been launched to gather information on learning,
training and work support for people with lifelong disability or autism in West
Sussex. We want to find out from as many people as possible what support is
available. This survey is part of the Life Pathways project.
If
you support people, directly or indirectly, who have a lifelong disability or
autism to prepare for, find or stay in work then we want to hear from you. Tell
us about the opportunities available, the challenges, what’s working well, and
the barriers to employment. Full details of why we are asking you for this
information can be found on the survey
itself.
NEW Familiarisation Sessions
New sessions for Children and Young People with ASD and their families.
These are quiet sessions with small
groups exploring the sensory tent and craft and game activities. The group will receive a backstage familiarisation visit of sets, props and characters. If your child is happy to stay, you can pay to watch the afternoon performance at little extra cost (this starts at 2pm). Don't forget to bring along a picnic.
Are
you working with any 16-17 years olds who are not doing anything this summer?
Please inspire them to get involved and have a life changing summer in
2017. Sign up today!
Contact
0330 222 2279 for more information.
Alice's Tea Party
Fun for all the family! For children and young people with SEND (ages 0-25) and their siblings.
These are half-day sessions which include interactive, multi-sensory walkabout
performances, lunchtime games, craftactivities and a sensory tent.
There is plenty of parking, a hoist, changing facilities and secure venues.
Brighton Pride is proud to support the first ever Disability Pride in England, taking place in Brighton & Hove on Sunday 9 July 2017.
Disability Pride will be a proud celebration of the disabled community with a day of performances including live music, street food, education, arts and comedy at the heart of the city. The
Disability Pride Brighton event is a celebration of and for ALL people with
ALL disabilities. All ages and families welcome.
For more information click through to their website.
Inclusive Teen Gym
Inclusive Teen Gym, funded by Short Breaks, is aimed at teenagers aged 14-18 who have a disability. On the scheme the participants are entitled to 12 one hour gym sessions, 4 of which are with a Personal Trainer, at a cost of £5 each. They will be partnered with a buddy of similar age who will be able to offer support and will complete the workout session at the same time. They believe access to their facilities can help improve the mental and physical health of those participating.
To qualify for West Sussex County Council Short Breaks schemes clients must be receiving the middle or higher rate of DLA. View their poster for more information.
VRQ Training Available!
Free VRQ Level 2 training is available for all staff
through Chichester College. The courses are distance learning and you complete
a workbook which is then assessed and on completion you will receive a
certificate. There are a wide range of courses on offer and these are at an
introductory level. Read more on the Local Offer.
From the Editor...
Welcome to July's edition of the SEND newsletter. Here you will find articles ranging from training and event opportunities, to services promoting the work they do and also an update from Jon Philpot, Principal Manager for SEN & Inclusion.
If you have any news articles, case studies or training and events coming up around September-December time, please let me know and I will be able to include these for you.
Some
of the services listed in this newsletter or on the Local Offer site are
provided by private service providers and not by West Sussex County
Council. These do not have a recommendation or endorsement from the local
authority. If you decide to use a service / provision, you should be aware that
you are responsible for doing your own checks to ensure they are suitable and
fit for purpose. West Sussex County Council will not be liable for any
damages or losses suffered by anyone who relies on the information in this
newsletter.
