Transcript Slide 1
Creating strong links between
schools and SEN professionals in
multi-agency teams
By
Gareth D Morewood
Director of Curriculum Support
Priestnall School, Stockport
14th September 2010
What is going to happen?
• Give you a context where positive multi-
agency working has recorded some
success
• Highlight some of the barriers that need to
be challenged
• Offer some ideas on how to develop
further effective partnerships
Background
• My own journey
• My current context
• Ranges of needs
• Structure of Curriculum Support
• Provision & Access Map
• Supporting students in mainstream
schools – working in partnership
Distributing leadership and
responsibility...
• Strand Manager positions
• Strength in-depth
• Creating strong and sustainable links
• Providing pro-active support as part of a
whole-school response
• Ensuring corporate responsibility
Does Every Child Matter?
• Being Healthy
• Staying Safe
• Enjoying and Achieving
• Making a Positive Contribution
• Economic Wellbeing
Evidence from where…
• Success of the young people
• Parent/carer feedback
• Student’s own views and thoughts
• Views of other professionals
• OFSTED
• SEF and own monitoring and evaluation
Why work in partnership?
• There are many well documented reports
on outcomes of partnerships and
collaborations in supporting vulnerable
young people.
• Think about your setting – why does a
partnership give you higher chances of
positive outcomes?
What are the reasons for working together?
Why do we need to work together?
• Often a lack of information sharing across agencies and
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services
Duplicated assessments to identify needs and
subsequent provision
Poorly co-ordinated integrated activities across agencies
Too much ‘buck passing’ and referring on of clients
between agencies
Lack of continuity and inconsistent levels of service
provision
Rita Cheminais, 2009
Unclear accountability
There are now requirements...
The Children Act (2004) requires Local Authorities (LAs) to:
• identify the needs, circumstances and aspirations of
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children and young people,
agree the contribution each agency will make to meeting
the Every Child Matters outcomes,
improve information sharing between agencies,
oversee arrangements for agencies to work
collaboratively in the commissioning, delivery and
integration of services.
So, where to start?
• What are the six most important aspects
of working in partnership?
• Look at the 12 statements.
• Choose 9.
• Prioritise in the ‘diamond nine’ template.
• Then choose the ‘top 6’...what are they?
Rita Cheminais, 2009
STATEMENTS – choose 9, and prioritise....
A.
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C.
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F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
Taking part in joint activities and projects
Views being listened to by others
Able to effect change
Knowing contributions are valued
Sharing decision-making
Finding solutions to problems in partnership with others
Being respected by other practitioners
Sharing ideas, knowledge and expertise with other practitioners
Participating in regular inter-professional training
Understanding different practitioners roles and responsibilities
Having an agreed vision, aims and objectives
Helping to remove children and young people’s barriers to learning
Prioritising...
Team Around the Child...
The function of the TAC includes:
• reviewing and agreeing information shared through CAF
• planning and agreeing actions with timescales
• identifying solutions, allocating tasks and appropriate
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resources
agreeing the Lead Professional
monitoring and reviewing outcomes with timescales
reporting, as required, to other review meetings or resource
panels
identifying gaps and informing planning and commissioning
Underlying Principles of the Team Around
the Child Process and Meetings
• The child’s needs must come first;
• The family should always be present at a Team Around
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the Child Meeting;
Meetings follow the same format;
Proformas are provided so plans are clear,
understandable and provide consistency;
The child’s welfare is everyone’s responsibility;
All organisations must work together;
The parents’ or carers’ rights must be considered.
Help? Some useful documents...
• Parents guide -
http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/upload/pdf/
TAC_Parent.pdf
• Stockport Common Processes Website –
http://www.stockport.gov.uk/services/cyp
d/childrenssocialcareandsafeguarding/com
monprocesses3/
Stockport Common Processes Leaflet
http://www.stockport.gov.uk/2013/2982/93
22/55811/thecommonprocessesmodelleafl
et?view=Standard
DCSF – CAF web pages
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/s
trategy/deliveringservices1/caf/cafframew
ork/?cidm=booklet
Away from process and TAC/CIN...how
about the reality?
• Back to our 6 most important benefits of
multi-agency working.
• Do they reflect the ECM agenda?
• Should they?
Be healthy
• physically healthy
• mentally and emotionally healthy
• sexually healthy
• healthy lifestyles
• choose not to take illegal drugs
Stay safe
• safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence
and sexual exploitation
• safe from accidental injury and death
• safe from bullying and discrimination
• safe from crime and anti-social behaviour
in and out of school
• have security, stability and are cared for
Enjoy and achieve
• ready for school
• achieve personal and social development
• attend and enjoy school
• achieve stretching national educational
standards at primary school enjoy
recreation
• achieve stretching national educational
standards at secondary school
Make a positive contribution
• engage in decision-making and support the
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community and environment
develop positive relationships and choose not
to bully and discriminate
engage in law-abiding and positive behaviour
in and out of school
develop self-confidence and successfully deal
with significant life changes and challenges
develop enterprising behaviour
Achieve economic well-being
• engage in further education, employment or
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training
access to transport and material goods on
leaving school
live in households free from low income
ready for employment
live in decent homes and sustainable
communities
CASE STUDY – Lewis P
It is important to evaluate and reflect...
• It is important to evaluate the impact of
any partnership.
• Safeguarding vulnerable young people
needs to be the main priority.
• Fight for better outcomes, if necessary.
Reflecting – building capacity...
Gibbs' model of
reflection (1988)
So back to Lewis – time to
reflect ... your thoughts?
So what makes good practice?
• Where are strengths?
• How can we ensure good working
relationships?
• How can you establish/strengthen your
partnerships?
• Analyse yourself...
And finally....
Working with different agencies can and should
provide the best way forward for some of our
most vulnerable young people.
Unfortunately it is sometimes the SENCo, or other
educational staff who have to take the lead to
get things moving.
Being knowledgeable and empowered is our
greatest asset.
Being able to advocate strongly and support in an
uncompromising manner is our greatest ally.
Thanks for listening...and Good Luck!
Gareth D Morewood
Director of Curriculum Support [SENCo]
Priestnall School
Stockport
[email protected]