Creating strong links between Creating strong links between schools and SEN professionals schools and SEN professionals

in multi-agency teamsin multi-agency teamsByBy

Gareth D MorewoodGareth D Morewood

Director of Curriculum SupportDirector of Curriculum SupportPriestnall School, StockportPriestnall School, Stockport

1414thth September 2010 September 2010

What is going to happen?What is going to happen?

• Give you a context where positive Give you a context where positive multi-agency working has recorded multi-agency working has recorded some successsome success

• Highlight some of the barriers that Highlight some of the barriers that need to be challengedneed to be challenged

• Offer some ideas on how to develop Offer some ideas on how to develop further effective partnershipsfurther effective partnerships

BackgroundBackground

• My own journeyMy own journey

• My current contextMy current context

• Ranges of needsRanges of needs

• Structure of Curriculum SupportStructure of Curriculum Support

• Provision & Access MapProvision & Access Map

• Supporting students in mainstream Supporting students in mainstream schools – working in partnershipschools – working in partnership

Distributing leadership and Distributing leadership and responsibility...responsibility...

• Strand Manager positionsStrand Manager positions

• Strength in-depthStrength in-depth

• Creating strong and sustainable linksCreating strong and sustainable links

• Providing pro-active support as part Providing pro-active support as part of a whole-school responseof a whole-school response

• Ensuring corporate responsibilityEnsuring corporate responsibility

Does Every Child Matter?Does Every Child Matter?

• Being HealthyBeing Healthy

• Staying SafeStaying Safe

• Enjoying and AchievingEnjoying and Achieving

• Making a Positive ContributionMaking a Positive Contribution

• Economic WellbeingEconomic Wellbeing

Evidence from where…Evidence from where…

• Success of the young peopleSuccess of the young people

• Parent/carer feedbackParent/carer feedback

• Student’s own views and thoughtsStudent’s own views and thoughts

• Views of other professionalsViews of other professionals

• OFSTEDOFSTED

• SEF and own monitoring and SEF and own monitoring and evaluationevaluation

Why work in partnership?Why work in partnership?

• There are many well documented There are many well documented reports on outcomes of partnerships reports on outcomes of partnerships and collaborations in supporting and collaborations in supporting vulnerable young people.vulnerable young people.

• Think about your setting – why does Think about your setting – why does a partnership give you higher a partnership give you higher chances of positive outcomes?chances of positive outcomes?

What are the reasons for working What are the reasons for working together?together?Why do we need to work together?Why do we need to work together?• Often a lack of information sharing across agencies Often a lack of information sharing across agencies

and servicesand services

• Duplicated assessments to identify needs and Duplicated assessments to identify needs and subsequent provisionsubsequent provision

• Poorly co-ordinated integrated activities across Poorly co-ordinated integrated activities across agenciesagencies

• Too much ‘buck passing’ and referring on of clients Too much ‘buck passing’ and referring on of clients between agenciesbetween agencies

• Lack of continuity and inconsistent levels of service Lack of continuity and inconsistent levels of service provisionprovision

• Unclear accountabilityUnclear accountability Rita Cheminais, 2009

There are now There are now requirements...requirements...The Children Act (2004) requires Local Authorities (LAs) The Children Act (2004) requires Local Authorities (LAs)

to:to:

• identify the needs, circumstances and aspirations of identify the needs, circumstances and aspirations of children and young people,children and young people,

• agree the contribution each agency will make to agree the contribution each agency will make to meeting the Every Child Matters outcomes,meeting the Every Child Matters outcomes,

• improve information sharing between agencies,improve information sharing between agencies,

• oversee arrangements for agencies to work oversee arrangements for agencies to work collaboratively in the commissioning, delivery and collaboratively in the commissioning, delivery and integration of services.integration of services.

So, where to start?So, where to start?

• What are the six most important What are the six most important aspects of working in partnership?aspects of working in partnership?

• Look at the 12 statements.Look at the 12 statements.

• Choose 9.Choose 9.

• Prioritise in the ‘diamond nine’ Prioritise in the ‘diamond nine’ template.template.

• Then choose the ‘top 6’...what are Then choose the ‘top 6’...what are they?they?

Rita Cheminais, 2009

STATEMENTS – choose 9, and STATEMENTS – choose 9, and prioritise....prioritise....A. A. Taking part in joint activities and projectsTaking part in joint activities and projects

B. B. Views being listened to by othersViews being listened to by others

C. C. Able to effect changeAble to effect change

D. D. Knowing contributions are valuedKnowing contributions are valued

E. E. Sharing decision-makingSharing decision-making

F. F. Finding solutions to problems in partnership with othersFinding solutions to problems in partnership with others

G. G. Being respected by other practitionersBeing respected by other practitioners

H. H. Sharing ideas, knowledge and expertise with other Sharing ideas, knowledge and expertise with other practitionerspractitioners

I. I. Participating in regular inter-professional trainingParticipating in regular inter-professional training

J. J. Understanding different practitioners roles and responsibilitiesUnderstanding different practitioners roles and responsibilities

K. K. Having an agreed vision, aims and objectivesHaving an agreed vision, aims and objectives

L. L. Helping to remove children and young people’s barriers to learningHelping to remove children and young people’s barriers to learning

Prioritising...Prioritising...

Team Around the Child...Team Around the Child...The function of the TAC includes:The function of the TAC includes:• reviewing and agreeing information shared through CAFreviewing and agreeing information shared through CAF

• planning and agreeing actions with timescalesplanning and agreeing actions with timescales

• identifying solutions, allocating tasks and appropriate identifying solutions, allocating tasks and appropriate resourcesresources

• agreeing the Lead Professionalagreeing the Lead Professional

• monitoring and reviewing outcomes with timescalesmonitoring and reviewing outcomes with timescales

• reporting, as required, to other review meetings or reporting, as required, to other review meetings or resource panelsresource panels

• identifying gaps and informing planning and identifying gaps and informing planning and commissioningcommissioning

Underlying Principles of the Team Underlying Principles of the Team Around the Child Process and Meetings Around the Child Process and Meetings

• The child’s needs must come first; The child’s needs must come first;

• The family should always be present at a Team The family should always be present at a Team Around the Child Meeting; Around the Child Meeting;

• Meetings follow the same format; Meetings follow the same format;

• Proformas are provided so plans are clear, Proformas are provided so plans are clear, understandable and provide consistency; understandable and provide consistency;

• The child’s welfare is everyone’s responsibility; The child’s welfare is everyone’s responsibility;

• All organisations must work together; All organisations must work together;

• The parents’ or carers’ rights must be considered.The parents’ or carers’ rights must be considered.

Help? Some useful Help? Some useful documents...documents...

• Parents guide - Parents guide - http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/upload/http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/upload/pdf/TAC_Parent.pdf pdf/TAC_Parent.pdf

• Stockport Common Processes Stockport Common Processes Website Website –http://www.stockport.gov.uk/service–http://www.stockport.gov.uk/services/cypd/childrenssocialcareandsafegus/cypd/childrenssocialcareandsafeguarding/commonprocesses3/ arding/commonprocesses3/

Stockport Common Processes Stockport Common Processes LeafletLeaflethttp://www.stockport.gov.uk/http://www.stockport.gov.uk/

2013/2982/9322/55811/2013/2982/9322/55811/thecommonprocessesmodelleaflet?thecommonprocessesmodelleaflet?view=Standardview=Standard

DCSF – CAF web pagesDCSF – CAF web pages

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/strategy/deliveringservices1/caf/strategy/deliveringservices1/caf/cafframework/?cidm=booklet cafframework/?cidm=booklet

Away from process and Away from process and TAC/CIN...how about the reality?TAC/CIN...how about the reality?

• Back to our 6 most important Back to our 6 most important benefits of multi-agency working.benefits of multi-agency working.

• Do they reflect the ECM agenda?Do they reflect the ECM agenda?

• Should they?Should they?

Be healthy Be healthy

• physically healthy physically healthy

• mentally and emotionally healthy mentally and emotionally healthy

• sexually healthy sexually healthy

• healthy lifestyles healthy lifestyles

• choose not to take illegal drugs choose not to take illegal drugs

Stay safeStay safe

• safe from maltreatment, neglect, safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation violence and sexual exploitation

• safe from accidental injury and death safe from accidental injury and death

• safe from bullying and discrimination safe from bullying and discrimination

• safe from crime and anti-social safe from crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school behaviour in and out of school

• have security, stability and are cared for have security, stability and are cared for

Enjoy and achieveEnjoy and achieve• ready for school ready for school

• achieve personal and social developmentachieve personal and social development

• attend and enjoy school attend and enjoy school

• achieve stretching national educational achieve stretching national educational standards at primary school standards at primary school enjoy enjoy recreation recreation

• achieve stretching national educational achieve stretching national educational standards at secondary school standards at secondary school

Make a positive contributionMake a positive contribution• engage in decision-making and support the engage in decision-making and support the

community and environment community and environment

• develop positive relationships and choose not develop positive relationships and choose not to bully and discriminate to bully and discriminate

• engage in law-abiding and positive behaviour engage in law-abiding and positive behaviour in and out of school in and out of school

• develop self-confidence and successfully deal develop self-confidence and successfully deal with significant life changes and challenges with significant life changes and challenges

• develop enterprising behaviour develop enterprising behaviour

Achieve economic well-Achieve economic well-beingbeing• engage in further education, engage in further education,

employment or training employment or training

• access to transport and material goods access to transport and material goods on leaving school on leaving school

• live in households free from low income live in households free from low income

• ready for employment ready for employment

• live in decent homes and sustainable live in decent homes and sustainable communities communities

CASE STUDY – Lewis PCASE STUDY – Lewis P

It is important to evaluate and It is important to evaluate and reflect...reflect...

• It is important to evaluate the impact It is important to evaluate the impact of any partnership.of any partnership.

• Safeguarding vulnerable young Safeguarding vulnerable young people needs to be the main priority.people needs to be the main priority.

• Fight for better outcomes, if Fight for better outcomes, if necessary.necessary.

Reflecting – building Reflecting – building capacity...capacity...

Gibbs' model of reflection

(1988)

So back to Lewis – time to So back to Lewis – time to reflect ... your thoughts?reflect ... your thoughts?

So what makes good So what makes good practice?practice?

• Where are strengths?Where are strengths?

• How can we ensure good working How can we ensure good working relationships?relationships?

• How can you establish/strengthen How can you establish/strengthen your partnerships?your partnerships?

• Analyse yourself...Analyse yourself...

And finally....And finally....Working with different agencies can and should Working with different agencies can and should

provide the best way forward for some of our provide the best way forward for some of our most vulnerable young people.most vulnerable young people.

Unfortunately it is sometimes the SENCo, or Unfortunately it is sometimes the SENCo, or other educational staff who have to take the other educational staff who have to take the lead to get things moving.lead to get things moving.

Being knowledgeable and empowered is our Being knowledgeable and empowered is our greatest asset.greatest asset.

Being able to advocate strongly and support in Being able to advocate strongly and support in an uncompromising manner is our greatest ally.an uncompromising manner is our greatest ally.

Thanks for listening...and Good Thanks for listening...and Good Luck!Luck!

Gareth D MorewoodGareth D MorewoodDirector of Curriculum Support Director of Curriculum Support

[SENCo][SENCo]

Priestnall SchoolPriestnall School

StockportStockport

gareth.morewood@priestnall.stockport.sch.ugareth.morewood@priestnall.stockport.sch.uk k