Introduction
The Local Offer was introduced as part of the National Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Reforms 2014 to help improve the quality of information about local services and support for children and young people with SEND and their families. The guidance states that the Local Offer should:
- provide clear, comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date information about support and services and how to access them.
- make provisions more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving children and young people with SEND, and their families, in its development and review.
Local Offer Usage
September 2023 – July 2024
- Total number of page users: 33,204
- Average number of users per month: 2,767
- Most visited time of year: July
- Least visited time of year: December
The total number of page users is up by nearly 6,000 users as compared to last year’s data with the average number of users per month also having nearly doubled in number over the past year.
The most looked at areas included information on the SEND Local Offer Directory, getting a SEND assessment, and types of SEND: Sensory and physical needs.
Local Offer Steering Group
In the school year 2022-2023, Brent designed a Local Offer Steering Group. the steering group was established to oversee the development of the Local Offer and ensure it meets the statutory requirements and the needs of parents and families. The steering group identified some priority areas for review and development for 2023-2024. This included content on the Health and Wellbeing and Social Care sections, as well as updating Events on the Local Offer and making navigation through the Local Offer easier.
In 2023-2024 the Local Offer Steering Group has established its terms of reference and focus on three main areas of development: Health and Wellbeing, Navigation and Social Care. To address these areas, separate workstream focus groups met on a regular basis to review how information should be presented clearly and concisely, reflecting any updates in policies and procedures. The outcomes of these meetings are fed back to our IT team to be updated on the Local Offer. This has been an ongoing process this year with Brent collaborating with different teams within Health and Social Care as well as with the NHS and Brent Parent Carer Forum. By working with these two organisations, Brent is ensuring that the information provided on the Local Offer is accurate, supported by the NHS and aligns with the requests of parents and families.
The workstream that focused on navigation and Events for the Local Offer completed the work in June 2024 this included several updates and changes taking place to the layout and introduction to Brents Inclusions Journey.
The next target of the Local Offer Steering Group is to have the Social Care and Health information updated on the Local Offer for the end of October 2024.
Looking ahead, Brent Parent Carer Forum will support in organising user groups comprising of parents and families to navigate and provide feedback on the updated Local Offer pages. If you wish to be a part of the testing group, please contact Brent Parent Carer Forum at admin@brentpcf.org
Newsletter
Brent’s Local Offer publishes a SEND Newsletter towards the end of each academic term, with the latest edition published in July 2024. This edition focused on highlighting the personal achievements of our children and young people, providing information on a range of support services, as well as listing events and activities offered during the summer period for children and young people with SEND.
The SEND Newsletter serve as a way for Brent to inform parents and families of the work our various services have been doing and how they have positively impacted children and young people across Brent.. The newsletters also promote SEND specific events and activities occurring during the winter, spring and summer, with links for further information to ensure everyone can participate in these activities during school breaks.
Training
When the SEND 0-25 Team deliver training/workshops, Parents and Carers are sign posted to the Local Offer for people to gain updated information and advice. Due to the number of changes implemented to the Local Offer this year, a workshop took place to show parents and careers the changes and developments that had been made to the Local Offer.
Parents have shared feedback indicating that the site is becoming easier to navigate and understand regarding various referral pathways and access to services. Some Parent quotes referencing the changes include:
“Easier to understand”
“More interactive and up to date “
“So much easier to find what you’re looking for “
“We look forward to seeing further updates and revision in other areas”
Further feedback on the Local Offer was shared through the quality assurance telephone calls made to parents with regards to the EHC Needs Assessment where they are asked about the Local Offer. Some examples of feedback included:
“A lot of information which is good to have access to, very comprehensive and thorough.”
“Was not aware of Local Offer but now is and looking forward to exploring it and it is very good that Brent has this information online.”
Person Centred Planning
Brent's person-centred planning aims to look at things from the child's perspective, allowing them to participate in planning activities and events within society. A central focus on the child can involve looking at the child's interests and the experiences they've already received and listening to their ideas.
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years provides statutory guidance relating to part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. This is regarding the need for a stronger focus on the participation of children/ young people and their parents/ carers in decision making at both individual and strategic levels. The use of a person-centred approach provides the opportunity to fulfil these principles.
A person-centred annual review provides an opportunity to engage directly with children and young people by putting them at the ‘heart’ of the process. All schools across the borough should use this approach when having annual reviews. Guidance is provided to support the process and urther information on the person-centred approach can be found on the Local Offer. This includes a booklet for parents/carers and children and young people.
During 2023-2024, Brent’s Children and Young People (CYP) department used the person-centred planning approach to review the previous Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) template. This was carried out in consultation with professionals within Education, Health, and Social Care, and parent/carer members of the Brent Parent Carer Forum. The aim was to co-produce a revised EHCP template incorporating the most up-to-date guidance from Ofsted, the DfE, and learning from SEND and Education Law, with the outcome of making the Brent EHCP more child-centred and more user friendly for families and people who support the child or young person.
Following this collaboration with Brent’s parent and carers, Education, Health and Social Care partners, we have made a range of improvements and will be ready to launch the new EHCP template in September 2024.