Special Educational Needs

Tuesday 8th November 2011, The Royal Society, 09:00 - 16:00

Special Educational Needs: Delivering Effective Education and Care for All Children

BOOK TODAY and secure your place.

Overview

Figures released in 2011 by the Department for Education categorise that there were some 1,449,685 pupils with SEN without statements (a formal document detailing a child's learning difficulties and the help that will be given), representing 17.8 per cent of pupils across all schools. On March 29 2011, the government published its Green Paper: ‘Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability.’ It looks to change the way that special needs provision is assessed and proposes a new assessment that will take all areas of a child's needs into consideration.

The paper aims to improve the SEN system through a number of clear measures: ensuring parental choice over which school their child attends; reforming teacher training and professional development; and outlining the role of the social sector in delivering services. Additionally, the paper will set out what support will be available to young people with SEN and disabilities post-16 and will include strategies for improving early identification. The paper also proposes that by 2014 parents would have the option to have an independent budget.

Funding remains a core issue in the provision of SEN services. The government have announced a number of measures to increase access to services, including extra funding for Short Breaks and the introduction of an Early Intervention Grant worth £2 billion by 2014-15.

The government has also highlighted the need for greater collaboration between schools and the health services to ensure young people’s needs are met. To facilitate this, the government are rolling-out 4200 extra health visitors to improve early identification rates.

Following the publication of the Green Paper, the Department of Education and the Department of Health are now seeking bids from prospective Green Paper pathfinders. The pathfinders will be funded to test the core proposals from the green paper: a single assessment process; ‘Education, Health and Care Plan’; greater engagement of the voluntary sector; and use of personal budgets. Bids will involve those from local area partnerships between local authorities and PCT clusters.

Agenda

This forum comes at a time of great change for the sector and will offer delegates the chance to discuss future funding opportunities and what the green paper will entail. Following a period of testing proposals in local areas from September 2011, the forum will be a timely opportunity to assess interim findings and their impact. Sessions will focus on early identification of young people’s needs; personalising services in mainstream and specialist schools; and discuss training for school staff.

08:45	Registration and Coffee
09:30	Chair’s Welcome Address Dr Katherine Rake OBE, Chief Executive, Family and Parenting Institute (CONFIRMED)
09:40	Opening Keynote: Support and Aspiration - The Future for SEN Services The SEN Green Paper – developing a consensus on the future for SEN Setting out clear expectations from services Improving identification through the Early-Years and school based category of SEN The future for SEN funding Introducing personal budgets – empowering young people and their families Improving choice between mainstream and specialist schools through the development of free schools Ensuring consistency of services in all areas across the UK Developing the Achievement for All programme to improve attainment Stephen Kingdom, Director, Special Educational Needs and Disability, Department for Education (CONFIRMED)
10:00	Questions and Answers Session
10:10	Improving Health and Well-Being for Children and Young People with SEN An overview of health care and the Health & Social Care structure : The role of health and well-being boards Providing health care for young people with SEN and disabilities - what works and what does not work in supporting children with complex health needs The single assessment for education, health and social needs - challenges of integration and joint working with schools to improve continuity of service Improving partnership working across paediatric and adult health services Professor Gillian Baird OBE, Consultant Paediatrician, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, Professor of Paediatric Neurodisability, King's College London, (CONFIRMED)
10:30	Supporting the Interests of Children with SEN in Education Supporting good education for children with SEN in their local community The future for funding SEN services for Local Authorities How will the structural reforms in education impact on the proposal in the SEN and Disability Green Paper? Developing secure transitions between education and employment Philippa Stobbs, Assistant Director, Council for Disabled Children and Policy Vice Chair, Special Educational Consortium (CONFIRMED)
10:50	Questions and Answers Session
11:10	Coffee Break and Networking
11:35	Ensuring Rights and Justice for Disabled Children The impact of the Green paper on SEN and Disability Improving health services for disabled children The Impact of the Health and Social Bill on provision of services for disabled children and young people The role of the Education, Health and Care Plan in securing appropriate post-16 education and training A joined-up approach to SEN services – working with local authorities, parents, schools and Health and Wellbeing Boards Laura Courtney, Campaign Manager, Every Disabled Child Matters (CONFIRMED)
11:55	Reflections: Inspiring Leadership Across the SEN Workforce Training arrangements for all those working with children and young people Modes of leadership across SEN services – promoting the role of the workforce Enhancing professional development in the workforce Encouraging greater collaboration across schools and service providers Supporting staff to identify need and tackle challenging behaviour Catherine Fitt, formerly Strategic Director - Children’s Services, National College for School Leadership (CONFIRMED)
12:15	Questions and Answers Session
12:35	Lunch and Networking
13:35	Afternoon Keynote: Empowering Children and Families Personalised budgets – ensuring protection for vulnerable families Supporting families to access services appropriate to their needs Enhancing social and educational inclusion for all children Funding for SEN services – the benefits of Short Breaks Over-identification – ensuring appropriate identification and evaluation of needs Raising awareness of social exclusion Dame Clare Tickell, Chief Executive, Action for Children (CONFIRMED)
13:55	Case Study - Collaboration in a Permissive System - Swimming with Sharks and Dolphins Some of the challenges facing SEND: children, adults, politics, structures Partnerships: what adds value Partnerships: what have special schools to offer An East Midlands approach to multi-partner work David Bateson OBE, Principal, Ash Field School, Leicester and Chair, Federation of Leaders in Special Education (CONFIRMED)
14:15	Questions and Answers Session
14:35	Coffee Break and Networking
15:00	Case Study – Personalising Services for Children with SEN and Disabilities Working in partnership to deliver services Partnering with health providers to commission services Working with parents to develop proportionate and appropriate assessment pathways A joined-up approach to achieving Education, Health and Care Plans Developing a continuum of provision and support for children and young people with SEN and disabilities Developing frameworks to encourage independent living Janet Leach, Head of Joint Services for Disabled Children, Enfield Borough Council(CONFIRMED)
15:20	Closing Keynote – Delivering Improvements Through the Inspection Process Ensuring all schools in the mainstream and special sector meet learners needs Latest developments in SEN inspections Accountability in the school system and clarity over standards Improving the collection of and use of data Improving services through the inspection process Are learners wrongly being identified as having SEN? Progression post-16 for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities Janet Thompson HMI, National Adviser for Learning Difficulties and Disabilities, Ofsted (CONFIRMED)
15:40	Questions and Answers Session
16:00	Chair's Summary and Close

* programme subject to change without notice

Exhibitor:

Mayer-Johnson

Audience

The audience will include representatives from local authorities, central government departments & bodies, schools, health services, & voluntary sectors including head teachers, special education providers, SEN teachers, directors of education, children and youth services, LEA officers, and social workers.