Welcome to our May newsletter.

Since our last newsletter, I have been able to meet some of you in person at either the recent case review sessions or the SENCO workshops, where we considered the strengths and challenges in the SEND system. Both activities have provided valuable insight on what you think is working well and where we can collectively make improvements.

Following these discussions, it was felt that it would be helpful to remind SENCOs that we provide assessment guides to support the accurate identification of needs in schools, so please see the information below.

Please also take note of the SENDIAS resources, which include a useful guides to help SENCOs have positive conversations with parents. SENDIAS provides information explaining the SEND system and the provision available in schools for children at SEND Support, which we know can be a challenge for parents who are new to the area of SEND.

We’ve also included links to the most up to date forms and provision maps, as we discovered when we talked to you that not everyone has seen these.

You will also see the link to the Education and Skills Strategy, where the SEND and Inclusion Strategy (2019-24) is embedded as a central plank in improving provision and outcomes for our children and young people with additional learning needs.

Finally I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our SENCO Conference on 21^st June at the Avisford Hotel – I know tickets are selling out fast so don’t forget to sign up!

Overview of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle

The Graduated Approach, which includes the  Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) cycle, is described in the SEND Code of Practice (6.44 onwards). It details support for any child taking the form of a four-part cycle through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what support or adaptive approaches the pupil requires to make good progress and secure good outcomes.

This process can be likened to a spiral growing tighter round the pupil as we know more about them -   drawing on more detailed approaches, more frequent reviews and more specialist expertise in successive cycles of APDR in order to match interventions to the SEN of children and young people.

Assess

The first part of the cycle involves gaining a thorough understanding of the child or young person: their strengths and areas where they will need support. Analysis of needs is an essential aspect of providing sensitive and appropriate support for children and young people in education. This involves staff and key adults working with the SENCO to develop a clear picture of the child or young person’s strengths and needs.

Information can be gathered from the child or young person, staff and parents in a variety of ways.  This can be through observations, scrutinising work and consultation with children and parent carers

Standardised assessments

Standardised assessments can also form part of the assessment.  The ‘ASCT and LBAT APDR and Assessments Guide’ has a list of assessments that could be used, including ones for purchase and also ones that can be found for free.  The guide is sectioned into:

• Language Assessments
• Tests of Underlying Ability
• Tests of Attainment
• Reading Assessments
• Spelling Assessments
• Handwriting Assessments
• Maths Assessments
• Phonological Assessments and Dyslexia Screening
• Neurodiversity
• Free assessments for Phonological Awareness / Reading / Spelling / Speech and Language / Number
• Social and Emotional Mental Health Assessments – purchase
• Social and Emotional Mental Health Assessments – free
• Autism Education Trust – Pupil Progression tool
• Social Communication Checklists
• The Social Play Record
• The Coventry Grid
• A Range of Observation tools
• Sensory Audit

Each section explains what the assessment is called; where it can be purchased or where it can be found for free and what the assessment can be used for.  More information regarding the APDR cycle and assessments can be found here:  The ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ cycle | Tools for schools (local-offer.org).  If you are unsure as to which assessments to use, please do speak to your allocated advisory teacher from ASCT or LBAT and they will be able to assist you or to help you interpret the results.

SENDIAS offers impartial information, advice and support to children and young people who have SEND (special educational needs and/ or disabilities) for those aged 0-25 and their parent carers.

The SENDIAS website has a number of useful resources.  This includes factsheets to download to help families navigate the SEND system, which cover a wide variety of topics such as SEN support,Talking with Professionals, School Exclusions and the EHCNA process.

There are also web page  ‘Guides’ on SEND subjects. These give more detailed information for those parents and carers who want to understand a bit more, including any national law and guidance related to a subject.  The SENDIAS team is currently updating this section and adding more subject guides, so it's worth keeping an eye on the website! Currently the guides are on:

• SEN Support in the Early Years and in Schools - Find out about SEN Support in mainstream schools and nurseries. This area also includes information on the graduated approach, funding and the various duties on settings.
• Education, Health and Care Plans - Find out about Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA), EHC Plans, Annual Reviews and advice on how to go about choosing your placement of preference.
• Appeals, Mediation, Disagreement Resolution & Complaints - For information on the various types of appeals, the different options and steps you can take in appealing decisions, and the paperwork you may need to use.

Places are selling fast but there's still time for SENCOs to book on to the SENCO Conference on 21 June.

The theme of the conference will be “Are we listening” and we will focus on co-production with children, young people and their parents.  We are delighted to announce that our keynote speaker is from the organisation When the Adults Change.  Tara Elie’s talk will be about how listening is at the heart of building positive relationships with young people; she will also be running a workshop on coaching conversations and restorative approaches. 

Once booked on to the conference, delegates will be sent a booking form to choose two afternoon workshops from a choice of five:

1. The Authentic Pupil Voice – Carys Wreyford, Chi Uni
2. Autism in Schools Project – Jane Crawford, Aspens, WSPCF
3. Parent Carer views: how to strengthen the home school relationship – Hannah Torr, WSPCF and Gemma Humphrey
4. Using Progression Tools to unlock communication and understanding – Speech and Language Therapist
5. Starting School Successfully - planning a positive transition into YR for children with SEND – Early Years Advisory Teachers, SEND

We look forward to seeing many of you there.  Tickets are priced at £100 to include refreshments and workshops and can be purchased via  West Sussex Services for Schools.

A reminder that these were updated last year and can be found on the EHCNA pages on Tools for Schools:

• EHCNA form
• Provision map
• Provision map guidance, which includes examples of costed provision maps.

Sussex Prisoners’ Families provide family and professional support. We can give advice and training to professionals working with children and young people that have a family member or loved one facing the criminal justice system.

One in fifty children have a relative in prison and the suffering of these children often gets missed. We have lots of ways we can help you identify and support these children, which include;

• FREE training sessions for schools
• a selection of resources for schools and families
• We take referrals  
• FREE advice line for professionals and families 01273 499843
• One to one work with students at school with our outreach workers

If you would like to book training with us we can tailor it to you. Please email lou@sussexprisonersfamilies.org.uk

You can also visit our website , Facebook  or Instagram  for more information.

Have you checked out our blog pages recently?  

Planning successful transitions for autistic children - a reminder of best practice autism and social communication strategies

Why shaming doesn't work - includes a link to an article about how children do better when they feel better

Local Area SEND Inspections - with information about how families can play their part in the Ofsted / CQC Local Area SEND Inspections

Are you interested in being the Chair of our Board of Trustees?

We are looking for a passionate and energetic person to lead us!

LOCATION: West Sussex

REMUNERATION: Voluntary position - Un-remunerated (reasonable expenses)

West Sussex Parent Carer Forum (WSPCF) is a local independent pan–disability charity that engages and empowers parent carers by providing information, support and training to help them secure the best possible future for their children and young people (aged 0-25) who have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND).

We work in partnership with service commissioners and providers to share our knowledge and experience and to help plan and develop accessible local provision. This creates better outcomes for families through providing them with opportunities for participation and co-production, thereby bringing their views and their child/young person's needs to the decision-making table.

Our motivated and collaborative Trustee Board have a deep-rooted passion to support the lives and rights of children and young people with SEND, as such they are seeking an accomplished leader to Chair and support the continued ambition of WSPCF.

Potential candidates for this unique and exciting opportunity will be highly successful and proven focused individuals with either previous Chair or Board experience, who are also a parent carer.

Whatever your background and experience; your personal qualities, lived experience and empathy with the ethos and aims of the charity will be critical to ensure success in such a high profile and valued position of responsibility.

Your mission:

• To lead the Trustee Board, being accountable for its performance and ensuring inclusive leadership so that the Trustees are aware of and fulfil their duties within the laws needed for proper governance of the Charity.
• To ensure the Board provides an appropriate strategy for the direction of WSPCF.
• Safeguard and protect the financial direction and future strategic plans for the Charity related to fundraising and sustainability
• To support and positively challenge (where appropriate) the CEO, ensuring the Board and executive staff work in genuine partnership.
• The Chair will act (in partnership with the CEO) as an ambassador for the Forum and the parent carers we support.

You will have excellent influencing and negotiating skills as well as a willingness to devote the necessary time and effort into the role, aligned with clear examples where you have provided strategic leadership and related results. You will be practiced in clear and concise judgement and decision making, as well as having an optimistic, proactive approach to the future development and growth of this Charity.

We are committed to achieving diversity and welcome applications regardless of sex, gender, race, age, sexuality, belief and disability. 

For more information on us, and the important work we do in West Sussex please see our website; www.wspcf.org.uk.

How to apply

Please send a copy of your CV, together with a supporting statement (maximum 2 sides) addressing the requirements for the role to our Chief Executive; rowan.westwood@wspcf.org.uk.

Queries

If you would like to know more about this opportunity or have an informal chat with our current chair (leaving due to moving out of area), please email rowan.westwood@wspcf.org.uk  to arrange a call back.

Closing Date

Thursday 8^th June

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

West Sussex County Council wants to enable every young person to secure the skills, knowledge, and confidence to achieve their ambitions.

The Education & Skills strategy, developed with partners, sets out how the council will facilitate this, by addressing inequality in education and levelling up provision (where it does not meet the needs of all).

The strategy takes a single view of the young person, including their life experiences both at home and school, from the early years through to post 16 and adult education, and is underpinned by ten key principles. To hear about these principles, please watch our short-animated video.

To read the full strategy, please visit our Education & Learning Strategy webpage. Here, you will also find a handy executive summary.

If you have any comments or queries regarding the strategy, we would love to hear from you; please do get in touch via EducationandSkills@westsussex.gov.uk