Including Parents Conference

The shaping of Children’s Services in Nottinghamshire

Anthony MayCorporate Director for

Children, Families and Cultural Services

March 2011

This presentation…

• Sets the national and local scene for our current work

• Attempts to look at these issues from your perspective

• Sets out our planned response to the changing world

The Policy Context

• Focus on the importance of teaching and learning

• Greater autonomy available• Reviews of:

– Early Years– SEN– Early intervention– Child Protection– Schools capital

• Repeal of Children’s Trust legislation• Fundamental change to the delivery of health

Our strategic response

• Based on a revised vision and mission• Operating in an environment with 30% less

resources– smaller, leaner structure

• Focus on services the Council has to provide– Statutory services

• Creating a new public service offer that provides a balance between people and place related services

• Root and branch review of all services

Ambition

We want Nottinghamshire to be a place where children are safe and happy, where everyone enjoys a good quality of life, and where everyone can achieve their potential

Principles

• devolve decision making as near to the front line as possible

• deploy our resources to reflect the needs of communities• effective balance of delivery options• maximise value for money• secure services when and where they are needed• suitably qualified and effective workforce• promote participation in the planning and delivery of

services in line with the principles of The Big Society• match resources to priorities• work with partners to achieve our vision.

Priorities

• continue to improve children’s social care outcomes• continue to improve school/educational performance• increased focus on early intervention and prevention• close the attainment gap • increase the opportunities to take part in learning, sporting, leisure

and cultural activities, to develop new skills and have fun• conserve and enhance our country parks and green spaces• contribute to an improved visitor experience in Nottinghamshire• integrate our services to improve outcomes• shift the balance of our activity from a provider to a commissioner

of services• focus on performance and improved outcomes

Support and Aspiration:The SEN Green Paper

Proposals to improve outcomes for children and young people who are disabled or have SEN:– Early identification and support– Parents in control– Learning and achieving– Preparing for adulthood– Services working together for families

An “Achievement for All” Approach: A vision for Nottinghamshire

Reasons for adopting “Achievement For All”:

• Closing the Gap

• SEN Review

• Value for Money

• Quality First Teaching

• Political direction

What we have learnt from AFA• It is possible for learners with SEN to make better than average

progress• The value of establishing improved communication and relationships

with parents has impacted positively on pupil progress• Where structured conversations are implemented effectively,

partnership relationships between home and school have improved significantly

• Rigorous tracking of progress is helping schools to identify underperforming pupils

• The effectiveness of interventions needs to be rigorously evaluated• AFA approaches are most effective where there is clear leadership

from the top, but AFA has developed leadership at all levels• The importance of quality first teaching• All three strands of AFA impact on motivation, self esteem,

confidence and the progress of pupils

Future SEN services will provide support for :

• Individual children and families• Individual schools• Achievement for All networks• Assessment and Placement • Commissioning specialist placements

In addition families can expect support from:• Services within Children’s Social Care

• Services within Youth, Families and Culture

The expected outcomes are:

• Well informed and well-connected networks of schools and SENCo’s

• An increased focus on the progress of learners with SEND

• Improved outcomes for all learners

• Increased parental engagement

• Access to a range of types of provision

• Access to a range of services

Summary

• Unprecedented times of change• We will need your involvement more than ever• But working together will be in a different policy

and financial context• We’ve adjusted our ambition in the pursuit of

better outcomes through clarity of purpose and pathways

• The needs of children and young people with SEN remain a high priority