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SENDIASS Update
We are now moving into the Summer Holidays and so this will be our last Newsletter until September. We want to wish you all a lovely summer break and hope the weather improves!
We are currently extremely busy, if you no longer need your appointment, please cancel with at least 24 hours’ notice so that the appointment can be booked by other parent/carers that need to speak with us.
We are still open over summer should you need to book an appointment to speak with an Advisor, but we also have a great deal of resources and booklets on our website to support with answering any questions you might have. Whilst we are currently so busy we would encourage you to look at our website to see if it is able to help you move forward before you book a telephone call with us.
Over the summer we will be taking time to increase our range of resources to help you self-serve.
We are in the process of updating our website to make it more accessible and currently have a parent/carer consultation survey out. Please take some time to fill this in, this is a great help to us:
Caselaw Update
High Courts and Upper Tier Tribunals can make rulings on parts of the law that need clarifying (the grey areas), those rulings are called ‘Case Law’.
Following a Case Law ruling all other Courts and Tribunals then have to follow this and it takes precedent over what the law says.
Nottinghamshire CC v SF [2020]
In this case law update The Court of Appeal upheld a decision made by the First-tier Tribunal and Upper-tier Tribunal around whether it was ‘necessary’ to issue an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan).
The original appeal was brought by the parents of a 7-year-old child with a range of SEN including ASD, Hypermobility and Dyspraxia. The LA felt the school had successfully identified the child’s needs and were meeting them appropriately so an EHCP was not necessary. The First-tier Tribunal agreed that the child was making progress and the school were identifying and meeting the child’s needs appropriately but the school were putting in significant support.
Based on the evidence the First-tier Tribunal ordered the LA to make and maintain an EHCP for the child. They found that the level and quality of provision made by the child’s current school is unlikely to be reproduced in another Local Authority mainstream school and the child would require an EHCP to ensure the correct delivery, monitoring and provision is put in place.
The LA appealed this to the Upper-tier Tribunal who agreed with the First-tier Tribunal, they found that they had applied the correct statutory legislation and that based on the evidence an EHCP was necessary.
The LA then took the appeal higher to the Court of Appeal, they also found that the First-tier Tribunal had used the correct legislation to conclude that there was enough reason for an EHCP to be necessary. They agreed with the two previous tribunals and so felt there was no reason to continue and dismissed the case.
The decision made by the Court of Appeal stressed that the test for whether an EHCP is needed is based on the wording of ‘necessary’ and those making the decisions about whether to issue an EHCP should look to the future and not just at the current situation.
Staff spotlight
Jo Thompson, Engagement and Advice Worker
I am Jo and I am one of the newer members of the SENDIASS team as I only joined in January.
I’ve previously worked in schools and in roles that support young people and have been a long standing school governor since my own children were at school. I also volunteer as a Family Support Worker for Homestart.
I’ve always been passionate about helping people get support that can really help them, especially families that have more challenges – things can be better if we work together to help.
My role is as an Engagement and Advice Worker and I work closely with Laura and Bridget. Together we get out and about across the county to help get SEND information, advice and support to people who wouldn’t otherwise contact us. It means every day is different and we get to meet lots of people, families and organisations. Through our outreach and support we can really help change things for young people with SEND.
Norfolk SEND Youth Forum update
The Norfolk SEND Youth Forum, will be meeting up, before the summer break, this Saturday, 13th July at County Hall. We have a busy agenda which includes reviewing the work of the group, from the last academic year, and planning for the year ahead.
We also have a number of professional requests to consult with the group, and will be asking members to make decisions on which of these are of interest to them, and where they feel they can share their experiences in a meaningful way, to improve a service or provision for young people with SEND.
A Youth Forum meeting is never complete, until we have also had lunch together, and celebrated the successes and achievements of its individual members, and the group!
Which leads me on nicely to share the wonderful news, that the Norfolk SEND Youth Forum, have been chosen as finalists for the Flourish Awards in the category for Individual Award in Norfolk. This category is for outstanding contribution towards ensuring children and young people are respected as individuals, confident in their own identity and appreciative of their own and others' uniqueness.
One of our members said very succinctly, some time ago “We are all unique, and all brilliant” and we are understandably thrilled that the group has been recognised for their work. The awards take place in September, and two of our members will attend to represent this group!
We welcome new members, and if you would like to become part of this group, please complete an on-line Registration Form by clicking on the link below:
https://www.norfolksendiass.org.uk/young-people/youth-forum/registration-page/
Bridget Robinson, Engagement and Advice Worker
Engagement and Advice Update
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The Big Norfolk Holiday Fun Summer programme is now OPEN!
The Big Norfolk Holiday Fun programme has launched again for Summer!
Offering activities and free food from 98 providers across over 200 locations, there should be something for everyone this holiday.
The programme is for those children on benefit related free school meals and you can book up to 16 free sessions per child!
For those that that aren’t eligible for free school meals, many providers offered discounted places too. Check out the full listings here : everymove.co.uk
With almost 25% of all places taken by SEND children, the programme aims to be inclusive as possible with many specialist SEND providers and session available, additional staffing the norm, and opportunity of 121 support available on request. Please contact the provider in the first instance before you book to ensure they can accommodate your child’s needs and they can ask any additional questions.
If you have a Personal Assistant through Short Breaks, you can access funding for them too- check out how here.
For more information including frequently asked questions, please see https://www.activenorfolk.org/public/bignorfolkholidayfun/
Why delay? Book today! everymove.co.uk
Just One Norfolk
Here are some links to webpages that might be helpful to look through over the summer:
Starting High School
Moving to secondary school can feel like a big step. You and your child may have mixed feelings about the change. This move comes at a time when children are changing developmentally. It is normal to have a few worries and nerves, the below link gives help on how to prepare for this change:
Starting High School (justonenorfolk.nhs.uk)
Getting back into School Routines
Going back to school after any break can present challenges for children, young people and even parents and carers. It’s worth doing a little bit of preparation before the new school routine begins, to make the transition as easy as possible for everyone, the below link gives ideas and tips to help with this:
Getting Back into School Routines (justonenorfolk.nhs.uk)
Keeping safe in Summer
Summer is a time for families to enjoy good weather and being outside. Children love playing outside in the summer months; in the garden, on the beach and at playgrounds, parks or attractions. Being aware of some of the risks can help you to keep your family safe while you all enjoy the sun, please see the below link for more information:
Keeping Families Safe During Summer (justonenorfolk.nhs.uk)