Management Information Sheet

This briefing provides key information to settings regarding:

1. Local Offer updates and resources for SEN professionals
2. Changes to allocation of EHCP Coordinators and other key staff, new Children's Services team structures and key contacts
3. Newly published criteria for EHC needs assessments and Education Health Care Plans
4. Updated Transition Plan for conversions of statements of SEN to EHCPs (Transfer Reviews) and transfer review toolkit/paperwork for schools
5. Key information concerning annual reviews of EHCPs and annual review toolkit/paperwork for all settings

1. Local Offer updates and resources for SEN professionals

The Local Offer has been recently updated to include a new section for professionals. The page contains key information and resources for professionals involved in SEN including arrangements for:

• Undertaking transfer reviews for conversions of statements to EHCPs
• Transfer review paperwork
• An updated Norfolk Transition Plan with timelines of which children will be transferred at what point (including arrangements for young people with S139A Learning Difficulty Assessments in Post 16 FE or training)
• Information on arrangements for annual reviews of EHCPs including annual review paperwork
• New criteria for EHC needs assessments and EHCPs

The page complements information currently contained within the Norfolk Schools website on SEN statutory processes where existing paperwork for annual review of statements is found. We are currently reviewing the location of key information between Norfolk Schools website and the Local Offer for SEN Leads / SENCOs to determine where best key information sits for the breadth of settings now involved in the statutory process. This page will be continually developed and if you have suggestions for content, format and layout, then please provide your feedback through the Local Offer site.

2. Changes to allocation of EHCP Coordinators and other key staff, new Children's Services team structures and key contacts

Following the Children's Services restructure, there have been changes to team structures, posts and roles and how casework is allocated within the service. There are 3 new Inclusion Locality Teams within the Education Inclusion Service which comprise a team manager, EHCP Coordinators, Guidance Advisers and Young Persons Advisers:

a. City South - Team Manager: Sam Mccallum
b. North East and Broadland - Team Manager: Roger Allen
c. West and Breckland - Team Manager: Mandy Walsh

All educational institutions based within Norfolk boundaries will be allocated their EHCP Coordinator(s) according to the geographical area in which the setting is based and they will assume responsibility for all children with statements/EHCPs in that setting. This change particularly affects complex needs and independent schools who previously worked under different arrangements. There are some minor exceptions to this broad approach which will be communicated to settings by their link EHCP Coordinator(s). For settings located outside of Norfolk where Norfolk children with statements/EHC Plans attend, allocation to the Inclusion Locality Team and EHCP Coordinator will continue to be based on the home postcode of the child. Settings will be contacted by their allocated EHCP Coordinator(s) very soon particularly in respect of transfer reviews (see below).

Additionally, each Inclusion Locality Team comprises discrete EHCP Coordinators focussed exclusively on the 20 week process for new EHC needs assessments/EHC Plans. These EHCP coordinators comprise a "team within a team" and will cover all new requests for EHC needs assessment within their geographical boundaries, operating alongside their counterparts across Norfolk to bring decision making into one unified county approach to ensure rigour and consistency.

The post of Inclusion Commissioning Manager is the senior post overseeing all commissioning and operations relating to special educational needs; this post is held by Nicki Rider. Nicki assumes responsibilities relating to SEN commissioned provision and admissions for specialist SEN placements. She is supported by the Inclusion Locality Managers alongside Claire Jones, Local Offer Manager and Stuart Brunton-Douglas, Inclusion Projects Manager.

3. Newly published criteria for EHC needs assessments and Education Health Care Plans

Norfolk's criteria for EHC needs assessments have been updated and can be found in the professional's section of the Local Offer. Settings should read and familiarise themselves with the content of this document and consider carefully whether the criteria has been met before making any request for an EHC needs assessment. The local authority will base its decision making on clear evidence which shows how the criteria has been met and settings will aid the local authority by showing clearly how they have considered the criteria in their submitted applications.

4. Updated Transition Plan for conversions of statements of SEN to EHCPs (Transfer Reviews) and transfer review toolkit/paperwork for schools

The professionals' section of the Local Offer also contains documents for all settings on Norfolk's approach, timings and arrangements for undertaking transfers of statements of SEN to EHC plans. The Transition Plan shows the timings of transfers for cohorts of children and settings involved in the transfer process should familiarise themselves with this document. Additionally, a new toolkit has been published for transfer reviews and annual reviews of EHC plans alongside documentation for schools and settings. Any settings involved in either transfer or annual reviews should read and familiarise themselves with this guidance. EHCP Coordinators will be in touch with schools working with us on transfers very soon to discuss and agree the detail of the arrangements contained within the toolkit.

5. Key information concerning annual reviews of EHCPs and annual review toolkit / paperwork for all settings

The professionals' section of the Local Offer also contains new annual review paperwork for EHC plans and the toolkit for settings who are responsible for undertaking annual reviews. All settings involved in conducting annual reviews will need to familiarise themselves with this information.

And finally...

We would like to thank all educational settings for supporting and working with us in the first year of the reforms to SEN. Our approaches and practice are always evolving and we extend our gratitude to you for working with us on our collective journey. Settings can discuss thoughts and queries with their allocated EHCP Coordinator and members of the team will be out and about at a range of events and forums during the course of the next academic year to continue the developments. We look forward to meeting you and working with you again this year and co-ordinating our work across the new Education Inclusion Service to ensure that we can ensure we increase good inclusive outcomes for our children and young people.