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EHCAP launch training for Education, Health and Care Staff with an emphasis on Person Centred Practice and Working Together with the new SEN Code of Practice

The new SEN Code of Practice  provides statutory guidance on duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014  and applies to England. It covers the 0-25 age range and includes guidance relating to disabled children and young people as well as those with SEN. It is  relevant to everyone working with children and young people up to the age of 25 years  including in particular:

                Head teachers

                Governing bodies

                SEN Co ordinators

                School staff including Educational Psychologists, Teachers and Teaching Assistants

                Early Education Providers including Nurseries

                Children’s Centre staff

                Health staff including Community Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, GPs and Health Visitors

                Social Service staff including Principal Social Workers

                Local Authority staff including Family Support Workers and Early Help Teams

                Staff working with Young Offenders with SEN

                Staff working with Looked After Children with SEN

By comparison with the 2001 version, the new SEN Code of Practice has a  clearer focus on:

–      Keeping  the needs of  children, young people and families at the heart of what happens

–      High aspirations and on improving outcomes for children and young people into adulthood

–      Joint planning and  commissioning of services through  Health and Wellbeing Boards and Joint Strategic Needs Assessments

–      Local Offer of support - every local authority must identify education, health and social care services in their local area provided for         children,      young people and families who have SEN or disabilities

 –      Graduated approach to identifying and supporting pupils and students - SEN  

               support replacing school action/school action plus (in schools) and early years action/early years action plus (in early years settings).

 –      A co- ordinated assessment process for children and young people with more complex needs – the EHC or Education, Health, Care    assessment

-      Personal Budgets

–      Management of transitions into primary school, secondary school and into adulthood

–      Equality Act 2010, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Care Act 2014

An EHC  assessment of a child or young person with SEN could lead to an EHC plan. An EHC plan brings the child or young person’s education, health and social care needs into a single, legal document. 

Parents can ask their local authority for an EHC needs assessment – as can anyone at the child’s school (eg their teacher) or anyone who works with the child eg their doctor, heath visitor or nursery worker.

 An EHC assessment  and plan uses Person Centred Planning (PCP) which  puts  the child or young person  with SEN  at the heart of what happens by :

-Doing things  with them (and their families), not to them or for them.

                -Understanding their  abilities, needs and interests

                -Seeking to find out what is important to them from their perspective

                -Seeking to know what support they need to get the best out of life

                -Seeking to help them and their family make choices and decisions

Parents and carers of children and young people with SEN or disabilities say they want more emotional support and Dr Sarah Temple is working with an emotion coaching and mindfulness programme called Tuning in to Kids.

If you would like more information please visit www.ehcap.co.uk  or contact [email protected] to arrange training or mentoring for yourself or your team. The SEN changes are one of several key whole system transformation projects EHCAP are working with

Dr Sarah Temple MRCGP, NHS GP in South Somerset

Twitter @EHCAPSarah