Management Information Sheet
INDES, IPSEF, PEaSS and Element 3 funding arrangements - Spring 2023
The purpose of this MI Sheet is to update school leaders, SENCos and inclusion leads on the development of the Identification of Needs Descriptors in Educational Settings (INDES) and Inclusion and Provision SEF (IPSEF). These two processes, alongside the Provision Expected at School Support (PEaSS) suite of resources provide the foundation and principles upon which ongoing improvements in SEND provision across Norfolk schools, settings and services are developed, and they will be central to the next phase of SEND transformation over the next six years.
Last term saw the introduction of a revised process for accessing support for children and young people with SEND in mainstream settings. Thank you to those of you who have engaged with the process which has helped us to adjust and make refinements whilst running parallel with the original procedure for accessing Element 3 funding.
Identification of Needs Descriptors in Educational Settings (INDES)
Currently, we have engagement from 383 mainstream settings and over 8,500 submissions, the majority of which, we are pleased to say, are being moderated within settings.
Support for SEND Triage
When an INDES submission is received and the setting has requested support via the webform, the Support for SEND Triage (SST) process is engaged. Once the submission has been processed, the setting will receive feedback from a panel of SEND professionals, which will range from individual, holistic advice and signposting to additional funding - it may also lead to an offer of support from a SEND Adviser if wider, more strategic SEND cohort advice is appropriate.
Moderation
In order to ensure these approaches are consistently used and embedded across schools and settings, a programme of moderation provides a robust quality assurance process.
We have recently carried out our second INDES Moderation Panel (IMP) bringing the number of settings moderated to 100. The IMP is one layer of moderation that reviews the INDES submissions and supporting information (SEN Support plans, EHCPs (Education, Health, and Care plans), review documentation) with 3 possible outcomes:
| Outcome | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | *iLevels evidenced
|
SEND Adviser support is available to all settings regardless of the outcome. |
| 2 | iLevels evidenced
|
|
| 3 | iLevels not evidenced
|
*(iLevels = best fit scores from INDES submissions in each SEND area)
It is our aim to moderate all Norfolk mainstream settings within 3 years with a view to bring about greater consistency in:
- How SEND is identified, and
- Robust, co-produced SEN provision planning
As part of our planning processes, we will contact schools and settings to invite colleagues to take part in an IMP. Ensuring decisions based on the INDES are consistent is critical to developing a stronger SEND system and professionals who have taken part have found the experience incredibly useful, and it strengthens internal moderation processes within schools and trusts.
Moderators from settings have commented on how the IMP sessions were 'very positive and beneficial' and that they 'found it incredibly useful' So, if you would like to join the moderation group, please email indesipsefsupport@norfolk.gov.uk
Inclusion and Provision SEF (IPSEF)
There are 223 settings that have now completed IPSEFs to date with numbers rising every week. It is an essential part of our processes to have sight of a setting's IPSEF and supporting information, eg, costed provision map, so we have a complete picture of a setting's context and capacity to meet need.
Inclusion in a Nutshell tool
The tool has been developed so SEND leads can present all their SEND data in one place for their own reporting procedures. We are not asking that settings complete this but if you decide to, it would be useful context alongside your setting's IPSEF submission. The revised version is now available on our webpages.
IPSEF Peer Review
We will be inviting settings to take part in a review of your setting's IPSEF which will be done with peers, ideally from your community.
INDES/IPSEF webforms
We run a continuous programme of testing for the webforms which are the most used of all Norfolk's online forms. The testing periods help us to make revisions and adaptations to the forms from feedback you've given us, so they are more user friendly. Please continue to give us feedback at indesipsefsupport@norfolk.gov.uk so we can include suggestions in future testing phases.
Please ensure your contact details are accurately recorded on webforms.
INDES IPSEF guidance and staff CPD
There is a range of guidance documents that have been developed to support you when implementing INDES and IPSEF processes in your setting. We have also created a CPD session and resources for you to use with your staff so INDES and IPSEF can be used effectively in your setting. Please visit our web pages.
Provision Expected at SEN Support (PEaSS)
The main PEaSS document is now in the final stages of review and the revised version will be available on the webpages shortly.
A PEaSS focus group with representatives from a range of settings took place on 21 February 2023 to find out how information in the PEaSS is currently used, which parts are the most important and how we can best support settings and families to digest what it says and have a good working knowledge of it. Further updates on this work will be shared in the summer term.
Element 3 funding
A reminder that the previous process has been phased out and will cease as of 31 March 2023 (end of financial year) meaning all funding under this process will end. Information on the revised process, which we have trialled over Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023, is here alongside guidance documentation to support you.
Please note, all agreed funding under the revised process, unless otherwise stated, will continue without the need for re-submission unless a child's needs have significantly changed.
Leavers
An amendment to the INDES webform has been devised so settings can let us know when a child leaves. The form does not request INDES data and is not time-consuming to complete.
Please note, our team carries out an audit during August to ensure settings are receiving funding for children and young people on their rolls. Should the audit show settings are receiving funding for children and young people who have left, and the setting has not let us know, funds will be recouped.
Bandings and amounts (revised process)
Pilot bands for Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023 are:
| Band | Annual allocation | Total per individual |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £1,350 | £7,350 |
| 2 | £2,240 | £8,240 |
| 3 | £4,044 | £10,044 |
| 4a | £8,000 | £14,000 |
| 4b | £12,000 | £16,000 |
| 4c | £16,000 | £22,000 |
These are allocated to individual CYP (Child or Young Person) who have high special educational needs and are used in conjunction with the settings contribution of the initial £6,000.
Bridging Fund (early years to Year R)
We are pleased that so many of your children were supported within the Bridging Fund process this Autumn and Spring terms - over 500 - and aim to continue this into the next academic year. We will communicate more about this in the summer term.
Those eligible for the fund are children who have received complex or medical needs funding in their nursery setting, or, who have an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan). Settings do not need to apply or request the funds as they will be allocated automatically in the Autumn term.
More information on the bridging fund will be communicated in the summer term.
Ongoing support to settings
We hold termly E3 funding workshops - our next session is 2 May 2023. Please visit our event page to book your place.
SEND Adviser support is available to SENDCos and setting leaders in a strategic partner capacity to support planning for provision for SEND cohorts. Advisers are already working with settings who are proactively planning for the September 2023 intake. To request SEND Adviser support please email: inclusionandsend@norfolk.gov.uk.
Surgery sessions are also available to support discussions around need (INDES), provision (PEaSS) and capacity to meet need (IPSEF). Find more information and book your place here.
More information
More information is available on our web pages:
Many thanks for your ongoing support. Should you have any questions/comments, please contact us at: