LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY
Local Transfer Plan
How we plan to transfer Statements of SEN, and Young People receiving support as a result of a Learning Difficulty Assessment, to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
Special Educational Needs (SEN) Service – information for parents and young people
Issued December 2014
Updated September 2015 Introduction
Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 came into force on 1 September 2014 in relation to children and young people with special educational needs. As a result all Local Authorities will begin the gradual withdrawal of Statements of Special Educational Need (SEN) and post-16 Learning Difficulties Assessment (LDA) (section 139a/Moving On Plan), as well as the launch of a new, joined up Education, Health and Care needs assessment for children and young people, from birth to 25.
All current Statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN) are to be transferred to an Education, Health and Care Plan (known as an EHCP). This process will take a maximum of 20 weeks. All transfers will be completed over the next 3 years and by April 2018.
st An EHCP should also be in place by 1 September 2016 for young people in further education and training who require provision as a result of a Learning Difficulties Assessment and are continuing in further education or training beyond that date.
What is the difference between a Statement/Learning Disability Assessment and an EHCP?
The new Children and Families Act 2014 replaces the current Statement of Special Educational Needs and Section 139a Learning Difficulty Assessment with the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which is available from birth to age 25 years for children with special educational needs who are accessing education. More information about Education, Health and Care Plans can be found on the Bexley local offer website by following the link http://www.bexleylocaloffer.uk
The main differences are that the EHCP is:
More person centred with more engagement and involvement from parents, carers, children and young people in the process More co-ordinated assessment process across education, health and care services Focusses on outcomes to be achieved for each child/young person Runs from birth to age 25 (previously birth to 19 year provision) The legislation applies equally to all schools including academies and free schools.
Proposed time scales
The London Borough of Bexley has to transfer over 1300 statements and approximately 150 Learning Disability Assessments by April 2018. The DfE has provided local authorities with guidance indicating which groups of children and young people (CYP) must be transferred first, as well as suggestions for the phasing of transfers over subsequent years.
The following table refers to all children with statements or learning disability assessments in education, whether at mainstream or special school (in or out of the borough) resourced provision, Elective Home Education or further education. This will tell you when we anticipate we will transfer your child/young person’s statement or LDA to an ECHP.
Target dates for Pupil Pupil Year Pupil Year Pupil Year Pupil Age Numbers transfer to EHC Year SeptemberPlan 2014/15 6 11 19-25 325* September 2015/16 6 9 11 305 September 2016/17 5 6 9 11 388 September 2017/18 3 4 5 212 *Non –statutory EHC plans written as part of the pathfinder project before September 2014 will also be transferred in the year 2014/15. This group represents an Additional 102 children and young to be added to the 2014/15 total in the table above.
Children who will be moving on to a new educational setting in the academic years 12, 13 and 14 will also be given priority in each transfer year.
Outside of the groups identified in the table above it is our aim is to make the new arrangements available to all other children and young people as quickly as we are able to.
For those young people for whom a LDA has been carried out and a report has been written before 1 September 2014, the provisions of section 36 of Part 3 of the Children and Families Act do not come into effect in relation to that young person before 1 September 2016 unless they;
Ask the local authority to secure an EHC needs assessment;
A post-16 institution requests an EHC needs assessment;
The local authority decides to secure an EHC needs assessment.
Where an EHC needs assessment is carried out the local authority will complete this by 1st September 2016.
A report on progress against the Transfer Plan and a revised Transfer Plan will be published at least annually. The Transfer process
We have written to both Maintained and Academy Schools to tell them to expect further details of the actions they may need to take in order to start the transfer review process.
Letters have been sent out to all parents of Bexley children with Statements of SEN to explain the plans for transferring Statements of SEN to EHCPs and when the process will begin for them. Information about transfers is also available on the Bexley Local Offer website http://www.bexleylocaloffer.uk
Young people with section LDAs (section 139a/Moving On Plans) will receive information about Education, Health and Care needs assessments, how to request that their LDA (S 139a/Moving On Plan) be transferred to an EHCP, what happens at each stage of the process, how long the process takes and who to contact for support and advice.
We will write to parents and the young person to ask them to complete Section A of the new EHCP template, which is where the parents and young person’s views and aspirations are recorded; guidelines for completion will be included.
Support for parents and young people may be provided by the school or setting, or Independent Supporter. There will be an opportunity to discuss this with an SEN officer from the Local Authority once parents/the young person have been notified of the transfer. It may be necessary to seek updated professional advice if the existing information about a child or young person’s special educational needs is considered by parents, the young person, the professionals involved or the Local Authority not to be suitable or sufficient. Parents/Young person will receive paperwork and will have a discussion with SEN officer from the Local Authority to discuss and agree outcomes. We aim to complete the final plan within 20 weeks. The final plan sent out to all parties once agreed.
What happens if I do not want to transfer from a statement to an EHCP?
The legislation indicates that all children and young people with a statement of special educational needs who are accessing education must be transferred to an EHCP by April 2018
Will every statement automatically convert to an EHCP?
Just as currently happens at annual review meetings consideration will be given, as part of the transfer process, as to whether a child/young person has special educational needs that require provision that is outside of the resources usually available. If special educational provision is still required and the child/young person is remaining in education then the transfer to an EHCP is required.
What are my rights of appeal during the transfer process? Your rights of appeal remain, although you may be asked to consider mediation.
Bexley Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service’ (SENDIASS), formerly the Parent Partnership Service (PPS)
The main changes to SENDIASS (formally PPS), involve extending impartial advice and support to include; all education, health and social care issues that relate to special educational needs and provision. This advice and support is also now to be offered, not just to parents, but to children and young people up to age 25yrs. In light of the changes also happening with regard to the Statutory Assessment process, the provision of impartial advice and support is a matter of national and local consideration and when clarified, it will be possible to inform everyone about the different routes to advice and support. Bexley SENDIASS
Tel: 0203-045-5976 E-mail: [email protected]
Postal Address: Bexley Information, Advice and Support Shepway Centre Oxford Road Maidstone ME15 8AW
Independent Supporters
Independent Supporters are funded by the Department for Education, via the Council for Disabled Children as delivery partners until March 2016. Their role is to support families and young people through the statutory process of transferring from an SEN Statement or LDA to a new EHC Plan. In Bexley, Independent Support is being delivered by Greenwich Association for the Disabled and Mencap.
All Independent Supporters receive nationally delivered training to carry out their role.
Tel: 020 8269 0674 Email: [email protected] Website: www.gad.org.uk
Address: The Forum @ Greenwich, Trafalgar Road, Greenwich, SE10 9EQ
Where can I go for more information?
Further details can be found on the Local Offer pages at http://www.bexleylocaloffer.uk and parents can contact the SEN Service should they have any questions or concerns. Parents can also access impartial information, advice and support via the Bexley Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service’, formerly the Parent Partnership Service.
Reviewing the transfer plan This transfer plan will be reviewed at least annually. Further consultation will be ongoing, groups that have been consulted to date are: Children and Young People, Special School Head Teachers Head Teachers, Social Care Health and Bexley Voice (parent forum)
For further information about this transfer plan please contact [email protected]