Crib sheet

Multi-agency board jointly chaired by Sue Harrison, our Director of Children’s Services and Anne Murray, Chief Nurse, Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

Multi-agency board jointly chaired by Sue Harrison, our Director of Children’s Services and Anne Murray, Chief Nurse, Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group. Agreed this Board will be restructured and hold strategic responsibility for the development of the written statement of action.

Meeting to discuss development of the SEND Partnership Programme and specifically the development of engagement with parents and carers.

Progress update to Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

SEND Partnership meeting to discuss the SEND Partnership Programme and finalise arrangements for initial listening events with parents and carers. Agreed our dedicated resource to lead the SEND Partnership Programme – SEND Programme Manager.

Five ‘Meet the Director’ groups planned over 3 days:

• 24 March
• 31 March
• 1 April

62 parents and carers registered for above sessions.

Individual emails sent to all 62 parents and carers advising that, due to COVID-19 and government guidance, the Meet the Director groups had to be postponed.

During this time, health leaders were seconded on to the front line and their capacity to support partnership improvement work was affected. Despite the challenges, there was engagement (wherever possible) often outside office hours, to ensure some progress in improvement planning and delivery.

First restructured SEND Partnership Board held, to prepare to continue to develop and implement the written statement of action during COVID-19. Board jointly chaired by Sue Harrison, our Director of Children’s Services and Anne Murray, Chief Nurse at Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG). Membership includes senior leadership from us, BCCG (and health providers), CAMHS and SNAP Parent Carer Forum.

Programme team in place to support SEND Partnership (programme and project management, communications).

Comprised of a joint-theme lead (Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and us) for the areas of development identified in the Ofsted letter. Each theme is supported by a representative from SNAP Parent Carer Forum. The group meets fortnightly.

Partnership agreed and committed to programme governance, written statement of action template, timelines and co-producing with parents, carers, practitioners, professionals and young people.

Launched ‘SEND News’ fortnightly email bulletins to parents and carers. These deliver the latest written statement of action development updates, useful resources, advice, guidance and support on education, health and social care SEND services available across Central Bedfordshire. Theme leads started to identify outcomes and action areas for respective areas of development.

Theme leads started to identify outcomes and action areas for respective areas of development.

These groups were:

• listening events to better understand what is working well, what could we do better and how
• led by Sue Harrison, our Director of Children’s Services; Anne Murray, Chief Nurse at Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group; Kirsty Green, Director of SNAP Parent Carer Forum
• attended by our senior management, along with other senior managers from CAMHS and health therapy services

Read the feedback from our Meet the Director focus groups.

Theme leads started to identify outcomes and action areas for respective areas of development.

Launched survey to better understand what is working well and what we could do better.

Attended cross-Bedfordshire, multi-agency, Voice of The Child Group (Local Safeguarding Children Board sub-group) to discuss and identify best way to engage children and young people during COVID-19 in co-producing the written statement of action in a meaningful way.

Meeting with Department for Education to discuss draft written statement of action.

Survey to all professionals and practitioners supporting children and young people with SEND in Central Bedfordshire, to ask what is working well and what we can do better, together.

First meeting with group of partner organisations to discuss and agree approach to asking and co-producing with children and young people with SEND (including Healthwatch, CAMHS, voluntary organisations and health providers).