Tower Hamlets Children S Social Care Response To

Tower Hamlets Children’s Social Care Response to Every Disabled Child Matters NHS Tower Hamlets and Local Authority Charter 2011

1. We know how many disabled children live in our area and all agencies in our area are working together to plan services based on this knowledge. Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments The SEN team maintains data on the above children Khalida Khan- 2252 children / young people aged 0-up to 18 are a The EPS maintains the ASD database in Service Manager known to have additional needs, learning difficulties partnership with others to help predict need with David Carroll or a disability. This also includes children and young and uses this to help plan provision needed. Head of Education people with an SEN statement. Psychology Service 1533 out of 2252 children and young people Information is reported to the multi agency Disabled identified with a disability ( April 2011). Children Strategic Group and Be Healthy Commissioning and Delivery Group.

Information is shared with the local parents forum Parents and Carers of Children with Special Educational needs (PACSEN) ; the Integrated Services for Children with Disabilities Partnership Group and the Short Break Providers Forum.

2. We have an identified lead with specific responsibility for services for disabled children and families. Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments The Integrated Service Manager for Disabled Khalida khan Evidence of partnership work is strong from the Third Children Sector, Schools and Statutory Services such as is the senior manager for disabled children. Health, Education and Social Care. A range of Mulberry Place inclusive and specialist provision is commissioned 5 Clove crescent within a Framework known as the Family Well Being London E14 2BG Model. Tel 0207 364 2129. [email protected]

3. We are providing clear information to support choice and control for parents that explains how we provide specialist services and also make all universal services accessible. Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments The following is available from the internet and from Khalida Khan A practical Directory for families has been consulted 1 the Children and Family Information Service: upon and will be finalised for publication this year. The Directory of Services for Disabled Children and Care pathways are also available. Young People www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/childrenwithdisabilities Short Breaks Self Referral for Disabled Children The Children with Disabilities Team can be contacted Transition into Adulthood Services Mulberry Place 5 Clove crescent London E14 2BG Tel 0207 364 2724 4. Parents and carers in our area have access to transparent information on decisions made about their child, and have access to mechanisms for providing feedback Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments Jenny Miller- Parents Advice Centre The Parent Advice Centre ( PAC) work closely with Manager of Parent 30 Greatorex St PACSEN and families for all children with a disability Partnership – London E1 5NP subject to a Special Educational Needs ( SEN) Parents Advice 020 7364 6489 statement. Centre

There are PACSEN members who are part of the Integrated Services for Children with Disabilities Partnership Group.

The SEN team provides clear information to parents SEN and carers about how processes work, how decisions Mulberry Place are made and how they can continue discussions David Carroll- Head 5 Clove Crescent, with the LA through all processes. of EP Service London E14 2BG Tel 0207 364 1450 The SEN team receives notifications from Health and www.towerhamlets.gov.uk others of children thought to have significant SEN. These are often very young children. The Education Psychology Service (EPS) responds on behalf of the Local Authority working with families to determine the degree of difficulty and type of support needed as the child enters education provision. EPs encourage parent and carers to express their views on how their child is best supported, their preference regarding the school they would their child to attend.

5. Disabled children and their families are involved in the planning, commissioning and monitoring of services in our area, including both specialist and universal services. Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments We have PACSEN members who have sat on Parent PACSEN interviewing panels for Social Workers and have also www.pacsen.org.uk been involved in short break tendering panels. [email protected] 2 Through the Children’s Centre Network EPs support parents of children who have disabilities giving them the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings. This is a valuable piece of work enables parents to feel more in control and better able to care for their child.

6. Our Parent Carer Forum is instrumental in developing and reviewing services in our area and promoting choice and control for parents.

Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments PACSEN is apart of the wider national parent and Parent PACSEN carer forum which hold regional cluster meetings to www.pacsen.org.uk discuss services, support/concerns and promoting [email protected] the parents forum in your local area. PACSEN also 07855858409 have an up and running website, email address and mobile telephone. PACSEN members have also been involved in surveys that will be used as part of national statistics for Parent Participation by the government

7. We actively include disabled children and young people in any decisions made about them and the services that they access, that might affect them. Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments We consult with Disabled Children in primary and Khalida Khan If you have a child under the age of five or a child secondary schools ( Fun Days at Mile End Leisure with disabilities: Centre) to find out what their priorities are through http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EYCWD an annual Disabled Children’s Forum event. If you are aged 14- 19: Disabled Children are members of the wider Youth http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RateMyYouthCentre Council. Third Sector organisations have user If you use services for children with disabilities and forums. In addition, SEN annual reviews have a would like to tell us how well we are doing: person centred approach to transition planning for 14 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CWD2 to 19 year olds.

All statutory assessments processes ensure the child or young persons views are taken into account. We have training materials for staff capturing the views of disabled children. 8. Parents in our area benefit from our Parent Partnership Service, which is able to provide impartial advice and support to parents of disabled children and young people .

Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments Through outreach work PACSEN can also sign post Jenny Miller The EPS has lead EPs who liaise with the Children 3 parents to the Parent Partnership service for more with Disabilities team and the Child Development professional support. Team.

The Parents Advice Centre provides advice, information and support to any parents of disabled children and runs a number of specialist groups.

9. Our staff receive both disability equality training and training to ensure that they have core competencies to work with disabled children.

Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments All local authority staff receive equalities (including Mark Keeble- Senior disability) training as part of the Corporate Induction Business Partner – process and have their development needs Human Relations considered as part of the appraisal (PDR) process, ( HR) which includes a requirement for each employee being set at least one equalities related objective. Disability awareness training is available for all staff who require it for their roles. Guidance for managers on reasonable adjustments is also available via our intranet to help ensure they provide support to our disabled staff.

In 2011, the Council was successful in retaining its "Two Ticks" Positive About Disabled People accreditation following an assessment by Job Centre Plus. Tower Hamlets were the highest ranked local authority in the Disability Standard 2009 - a benchmarking assessment carried out by the Employers Forum on Disability. Liz Vickery and Lead Courses are run such as deaf awareness, inclusion Officer Social training is run for SENCOS and by Support for Inclusion and Learning, and EP Service. All EPs employed Head of undertake training on disability equality as part of Support for their basic training. Many EPs also provide similar Learning training directly to schools on request. Service and David Carroll

10. We have produced a short break services statement that has been drawn up in partnership with disabled children and their parents and have made it widely available.

Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments 4 Our short break service statement is captured in the Khalida Khan Service directory and self referral process. Our eligibility criteria for short breaks is open to families who require the service. The local authority has in effect, an open door approach to ensure we meet the needs of families with additional care responsibilities. The short break statement was drawn up taking on board feedback from parents. Our current literature sets out the core offer and entitlement offer for short breaks.

In 2010 /11 1380 children and young people either accessed a short break service or received a short break grant of £100 ( or both). In total, 995 children and young people received a short break service in the financial year of 2010/11.

11. We have regard to the provision of services suitable for disabled children, when assessing the sufficiency and supply of childcare in their area

Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments

The sufficiency report for children looked after Monica Forty- Head If you have a child under the age of five or a child ensured that the needs of disabled children were met. of early years and with disabilities: In addition, the local authority has two short break Children’s centres. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EYCWD overnight units run by Third Sector providers to meet If you are aged 14- 19: the needs of children with ASD and Complex care http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RateMyYouthCentre needs. Our current spend on short breaks for If you use services for children with disabilities and disabled children is £2,244,410 would like to tell us how well we are doing: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CWD2 Children’s Centres have consulted with parents and provide inclusive provision to meet the needs of families. Working parents have access to nursery and childminding provision.

We are currently in the process of undertaking our Karen Badgery childcare sufficiency audit and will be consulting External Funding parents/carers on their childcare requirements which and Commissioning includes for those with a disabled child. The survey Manager will go live on the Council's Internet and through early years settings.

5 12. We are working together with disabled young people and adult service providers in our area to ensure a smooth transition to adult services for disabled young people preparing for adulthood.

Evidence Status Lead Officer Comments

We have reliable data and good joint working Katharine Marks- between Adult and Children’s Services evidenced by Service Head , the Transition team. The Careers, Information advice Adults Social Care and Guidance Service and Joint Enterprise and Training (JET) service work closely. Key partners are members of an operational steering group. A strategic transition group overseas the development of transition services. The group is chaired by a Head of Service in adults (Health and Disability).

The EPS person-centred annual review project is developing planning and review systems for all children with statements of SEN so that children and young people are placed at the heart of the process. Others especially schools are supported in how they seek young people’s views on their education and actively include them in decisions made about them in school. EPs liaise with other professionals, such as LA specialists in the SLS, to ensure that children are well supported in particular during their transition into new settings.