Draft Document Do Not Circulatesue Thomasfebruary 2017

DRAFT DOCUMENT DO NOT CIRCULATESUE THOMASFEBRUARY 2017

LISTEN TO MY VOICE Engagement Toolkit – Overview

This toolkit is to enable you to review what you provide to ensure that children, young people, young adults receiving SEND services effectively engage and feel confident and empowered to participate in the life of your service.
You will find that this toolkit is formatted to support service providers, theirparents, carers and guardians and children, young people and young adults to interpret the Listen to My Voice Quality Statements(p17 of LTMV Toolkit) in a meaningful way for them. Some of that has been done and is below.
You will also find specific templates for you to usewith your service users and their parents, carers or guardians as well as for your staff, volunteers, governors and trustees. You can use one or indeed all three. An Action Plan template is available to help you move forward with any improvements you identify (page 18)
For parents and young people, it might be useful to review the statements with a small group of parents and a group of young people before you start to ensure that everyone is on board.

Listen to my Voice
Quality Statements,
P17 / PARENTS, CARERS AND GUARDIANS
/ YOUNG PEOPLE, YOUNG ADULTS AND CHILDREN / SERVICE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS / Somethings that you might look at to evidence this:
(These are examples that have been given by children, parents and services – you may come up with your own as you plan your activities) / Some places you might find help. / Outcome for CYP and parents/carers/guardians:
We involve all children and young people in our services regular consultation, evaluation, monitoring and review of activities through encouraging the development of effective communication skills that enable children and young people to feel valued, listened to and respected. / We encourage our staff, carers, parents and guardians to engage with our setting in a variety of ways including representation, advocacy and consultation.
Parents are reassured that staff and volunteers are encouraged to develop effective ways to communicate with their family. They feel valued, listened to and respected. / Children and young people feel valued, respected and listened to. They get to take part in consultations, school councils, monitoring things so they go well and suggesting change.
I like school/college/service / We provide opportunities for parents, children and young people to take part in consultations and monitor, review and revise our service. We do this by developing effective communication skills that enable children, young people and young adults to feel valued, listened to and respected. /

Quotes, photographs, statements and the arts are used to enable young people to communicate effectively.
Speak to the children and (LISTEN)
Parent/Children’s evaluation form (Written.)
Visual children’s evaluation
Photographs of activities
A children’s/young person’s forum or council
You said We did (Pants&tops) Boards
Policy for engagement of parents and for engagement of children and young people
Excerpts from news letters
School Council minutes (Specific)
Assessments evidence the effective recording of children and carers views, aspirations, needs.
Staff used to working within the setting evidence greater understanding in ways of communication with the children / young adults.
Induction training for staff
Assessment comments
Supervisions/observation
Regular meetings for staff – for feedback on whole package provided – include parents.
Service evaluations & inspection reports
Instruction and information in a variety of formats
Young People/parent interviews / SC Minutes
Training Records / Supervision

/ Internet – Council for Disabled Children and others.
Listen To My Voice toolkit – for links etc. (Insert LINK)
SENDIAS
Local Offer Web Site
Children England Project / Young people, children and their carers evidence that they are being listened to and their views are being taken into account.
Children and young people and their carers understand why and how decisions are made which may seem to be different to those wanted by them.
Children and young people engage with their assessments, reviews and plans.
A needs analysis that includes explicitly the young people and children in this cohort is developed as part of our service planning processes. / The school takes account of the needs of all children based on evidence and analysis of need. / The service takes account of what I need but also what is needed by everyone else.
The school/service knows what I need and helps me to achieve. . / We base our activities and use our resources on what is needed and important to the children and young people we serve. /

Needs analysis available on request or is evidenced in plans (CYP Plan, Strategic plan, Minutes, Termly Activity.)
Planning supports the JSNA/CYP Plan/ CYP Plans/ehc
Links to the CYP Plan and Strategies.
EHC Plans
POET
Consultations and decision making evidence that parents, children and young people are engaged.

Young people and children are engaged in the development of job roles and recruitment of adults working with this cohort. / Partnership Officers – data
Local area teams
SEND / Inclusion
Assessment team
Careers / Children and young adults who face significant challenges to learning are engaged in a way that is appropriate to their communication and developmental needs.
Children and young people have opportunities for strategic engagement in their education, health and care service including council based services.
4. Ring fencing and adapting activities to enable all young people and children to take part is considered within our service, including allowing additional time if it is required, to get it right for each child. / The service is flexible and sometimes prioritises the needs of one child over those of others to allow that child to take part.
Staff and volunteers are able to identify barriers and opportunities to enable all young people to engage in activities. / There are activities that we can do that we might not have been able to if changes had not been made.
I can make suggestions about what I want to learn and how I am taught.
I understand information that is given to me.
I can give my views and opinions on what happens within my learning, health and care services. / Ring fencing and adapting activities to enable all young people and children to take part is considered within our service, including allowing additional time if it is required, to get it right for each child. /

Planning notes, photos, cyp views. Parent views
Supervision etc.
Person centred planning evidence
Young people’s feedback
Parental feedback

Children and young people are given plenty of time and a choice of communication methods during consultations and discussions about their aspirations and needs.

There is evidence of inclusion of young people facing challenges to learning within the democratic processes within the service. / Funders
Contract Mgr (clauses)
VCS and other local services
National support organisations
(LTMV links) / We feel empowered and confident and able ask for change to enable us to take part in activities in our setting.
Children, young people and their carer’s are aware of their risk indicators and that staff are seeking ways to engage with them effectively.
5.Activities and skills of workers are focused on empowerment and resilience, to engender feelings of self-worth and confidence in the children/young people. / Staff focus on our children, believe in their abilities to achieve and give them confidence to speak out. / Sometimes,staff go on training so that they can learn how to help me get better at speaking out and dealing with stuff.
My EHC plan will help deliver good outcomes for me and make a difference to how I learn. / Activities and skills of workers are focused on empowerment and resilience, to engender feelings of self-worth and confidence in the children/young people. /

Tools used to identify changes in confidence (Outcome Star?)
CYP Engage in a variety of activities within the setting.
Interviews/evaluations with parents and cyp.
Having a range of activities set out in a room or pictures of different things to see what the child wants to do or has a preference for.

Surveys made fun for children to get into. / SEND svs.
Local Offer webs ite
Access to websites and tools.
Planning meeting chairs. / Children and young people engage with strategic planning within their service, community and city.
Exclusions are reduced.
We include the energy and good will of other service users to help reach out to these children and young people who may find it more difficult to communicate and take part. enable access to training to enable staff and volunteers to develop our skills base and to enable them to recognise the barriers to opportunities to engage that some children and young people face. / Sometimes health, social workers, support staff and others come to the school to work with the children and young people. We feel that the services recognises that and respect that some young people and children will not want to engage, but some will say no because they do not feel able to say yes. / Sometimes we find it hard to speak to certain people. Our service will let us choose friends to support us and help us take part.
There are people involved in the service who really get me and listen to me. / We include the energy and good will of other service users to help reach out to these children and young people who may find it more difficult to communicate and take part. /

Joint events planned
Shared consultation activity
Ex service users are encouraged to support current users.
Young people trained as mentors / Buddies.
Partners contribute within the setting.
Having people in from a range of different services that specialise in different things to share ideas.
Information and feedback from services such as trainers, managers and workshop participants. (Evidence that feedback is used in planning)Give them different ways to engage e.g. through activities, pictures or props.

Evidence that activities are available for those that do not wish to engage in consultations/reviews/assessments etc. / SEND Direct
CDC
Local Offer
Sendiass
Children England / Participation in activities and consultation events increase. Young people, children and carers value the setting.
Transition processes are improved and service users support each other during transitions.
Service is developing a ‘Friends as advocates’ process.
There is a greater understanding of the challenges that young adults face as they transition from children’s to adult services.
Reasons are identified for young people and children that disengage.
We are able to identify accessible role models for the children and young people through effective community networking, building good relationships with services and key agencies who may have skills and resources to share to support individual children or young people and by listening to them about who they admire and respect. Some of these services may come together to help reduce cost or look at project/funding opportunities. / Services are working together to support children and young people, parents, carers and guardians to engage. They use respected adults to support this. / Cool people like musicians, actors and sports stars are able to come and talk to us sometimes about how it feels to be different.
What I say can and does make a difference to my plans/reviews and to services who ask me what I think. / We are able to identify accessible role models for the children and young people through effective community networking, building good relationships with services and key agencies who may have skills and resources to share to support individual children or young people and by listening to them about who they admire and respect. Some of these services may come together to help reduce cost or look at project/funding opportunities. /

Partnership working (provide transport) crossroads, action for children, schools and colleges.
Qualified coaching staff – consistency is key
Enhanced coaches – specific sports i.e. wheelchair basketball / indoor curling
YP schools activities – they devise the timetables and service provides what they want.
Working with partners to provide reports on participants to enhance knowledge of what to expect on a session.
(Bring in celeb coaches/mentors as per one of the case studies)

Community leaders evidence good relationships with services. Newspaper reports, sponsorships, activities. / Reduced need for being asked the same questions again and again
Costs are reduced through sharing of resources.
Joint service/funded projects are developed for this cohort of cyp.
Children and young people are confident and feel able to engage effectively in the life of the school/college/service /

Do your teachers respect you and find ways to make sure you can give your views on learning?
Do you enjoy taking part in consultation activities? Are there better ways we could ask your opinion?
Do you feel comfortable giving your opinion to a group of adults?
Do you feel your school council listens to the views of children with challenges to learning? How could they do better?
Do you think your EHC plan will make a difference to your learning? Were you able to take part in the decision making?
When your school ask for your opinion on things like trips, school dinners and activities, do they tell you what the result was of that consultation
Do you think what you say makes a difference?
Do people make sure that the information is given to you in a way that you found it easy to understand?

/ This is about processes. Undertaking the development of a‘ Pupil Passport’, a ‘This is Me’ EHCP or other Assessment.
Results from this element should be forwarded to These questions can be answered in addition to the Toolkit below by services users and/or their parents/carers.

LISTEN TO MY VOICE

ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT TEMPLATE

PARENTS, CARERS AND GUARDIANS.

Listen To My Voice – Quality Toolkit – Parents, Carers and Guardians
of children who face challenges to learning are confident and feel they have a ‘voice’ in their children’s education and in the life of the school/college/service.
Name of Service / Names of those carrying out the review / Contact details for service lead / Contact details for lead reviewer

This tool is for you to use with the parents, carers or guardians of children and young people receiving SEND support within your service, be it a school, higher or further education setting, apprenticeship provider, alternative provision, health service or recreation.
The quality indicators are taken from the Listen to My Voiceresource, p17, and reworded by parents. There are other ways of putting the question within the children and young people’s toolkit and for the service internal review toolkit.

There are many examples of evidence, but you might want to work with parents and carers to identify those specific to your service. The parents you work with may want to include additional questions and re-word questions below. This is a tool that you can use as it is or change and make right for your setting.
Quality Indicator –
Parents say: / You might identify evidence from the examples below: / What we do well (The evidence we have is:) / What we need to do better – and what action will we take? (See Action Plan template in the Listen to My Voice Resource pg. 18)
1 / We are encouraged to engage with our setting in a variety of ways including representation, advocacy and consultation. /

Parent evaluation form (Written.)
Comments from other parents.
Photographs of activities including parents/carers
A parent’s council where challenges to learning are recognised and addressed.
Policy for engagement of parents and for engagement of children and young people
Excerpts from news letters
Parent governors include parents of children accessing additional support in learning.
Assessments evidence the effective recording of parent and carers views, aspirations, needs. .
Staff are welcoming and treat parents and carers with respect as their child’s first educators.
Supervisions/observations identify foster carers are included within the setting.
Parent forum link to setting based group for parents of children on the SEND register.
Parent mentors in place
Service evaluations & inspection reports
Instruction and information in a variety of formats

2 / Parents, carers and guardians are reassured that staff and volunteers are encouraged to develop effective ways to communicate with their family. They feel valued, listened to and respected. /

Attendance valued at CHIN Meetings,
Child voice is evident
Text/email/face to face communication with key worker as required.
Doctors, social workers, teachers and others make eye contact and speak to parents with respect.
Social Worker visits are regular and dates are not changed more than once.
Supervision meetings
Unannounced visits
Child is happy to attend setting
Specific toys/equipment/activities for child’s specific needs
On-going training and development /
Support groups for parents
Parents talk about the setting and the staff in positive language.
Progress seen between visits.

3 / The service takes account of the needs of all children based on evidence and analysis of need. /

Needs analysis available on request or is evidenced in plans (CYP Plan, Strategic plan, Minutes, Termly Activity.)
Co – produced Planning supports the JSNA/CYP Plan/ CYP Plans/ehc
Links to the CYP Plan and Strategies.
EHC Plans
POET
Consultations and decision making evidence that parents, children and young people are engaged.
Young people and children are engaged in the development of job roles and recruitment of adults working with this cohort.
Suitable recreation activities are available to suit the needs of all children..
The service takes account of the child’s need for ‘freedom’ so having play areas where there is only a single exit/entrance so that a child can explore safely and be suitably supervised.

4 / The service is flexible and sometimes prioritises the needs of one child over those of others to allow that child to take part. /

Support workers / parent volunteers comments
Parent evaluations
Care plans, EHCPs, Child’s records, minutes of CIN meetings, IRO, Commissioners.
(The same as above for GP surgeries and A&E)
Safe swing seats with harnesses and more nest swings so children can join in ‘usual/normal’ childhood activities.

Allowing children to not have to spend time queuing for rides but being able to wait elsewhere.
Planning notes, photos, cyp views. Parent views
Supervision etc.
Person centred planning evidence
Young people’s feedback
Parental feedback
Children and young people are given plenty of time and a choice of communication methods during consultations and discussions about their aspirations and needs.

There is evidence of inclusion of young people facing challenges to learning within the democratic processes within the service.

5 / Staff and volunteers are able to identify barriers and opportunities to enable all young people to engage in activities. /

Red Book – Evidence of development, medical records,(that they are held and should not be shared with the group in this case)
Adapted activities to fit child’s needs.
Wheelchair friendly activity, smaller groups, sensory considerations. Prior planning/visits,
Photo/diary evidence
Up to date care plans
Communication with carers – records
UKU of child’s wishes, likes
Understanding of triggers
Medication

6 / Staff focus on our children, believe in their abilities to achieve and give them confidence to speak out. /

Tools used to identify changes in confidence (Outcome Star?)
CYP Engage in a variety of activities within the setting.
Interviews/evaluations with parents and cyp.
Children/young people evidence confidence in speaking their mind positively.
Having a range of activities set out in a room or pictures of different things to see what the child wants to do or has a preference for.
Surveys made fun for children to get into.

7 / Sometimes health, social workers, support staff and others come to the school to work with the children and young people.
We feel that the services recognises that and respect that some young people and children will not want to engage, but some will say no because they do not feel able to say yes. /

Joint events plannedCarers and school staff work together on targets and keep an eye on milestones.
Social worker support
School nurse/carer/social worker/teacher work together
Speech and language are considered
SENCO works with carers
Good communication with support people

Support groups for parents
Shared consultation activity
Ex-service users are encouraged to support current users.
Young people trained as mentors / Buddies.
Partners contribute within the setting.
Having people in from a range of different services that specialise in different things to share ideas.
Information and feedback from services such as trainers, managers and workshop participants. (Evidence that feedback is used in planning)Give them different ways to engage e.g. through activities, pictures or props.
Evidence that activities are available for those that do not wish to engage in consultations/reviews/assessments etc.

8 / Services are working together to support children and young people, parents, carers and guardians to engage. They use respected adults and ex-service users to support this. /

Partnership working (provide transport) crossroads, action for children, schools and colleges.
Qualified coaching staff – consistency is key
Enhanced coaches – specific sports i.e. wheelchair basketball / indoor curling •YP schools activities – they devise the timetables and service provides what they want.
Working with partners to provide reports on participants to enhance knowledge of what to expect on a session.
(Bring in celeb coaches/mentors as per one of the case studies)
Community leaders evidence good relationships with services. Newspaper reports, sponsorships, activities.

LISTEN TO MY VOICE