Information, Advice and Support

May 2014

The National Parent Partnership Network (NPPN) was established in 1995 under the auspices of the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) to support, develop and promote the work of parent partnership services (PPS). NPPN is funded by the Department for Education (DfE).

National Network of Parent Partnerships

• Presentation – Reform: what will be the IAS duties and requirements on LA’s? (to whom, what and how?)

• Activity – Next Steps in implementing IAS locally

• Presentation - What is ‘Independent Support’ and how does it fit in?

Workshop Schedule

Key legislation/guidance which will guide new IAS Obligations:

• Children & Families Act

• Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014

• SEND Code of Practice

IAS Duties – Key Legislation/Documents

Who must receive IAS On what?

Parent of child/YP with SEN Matters relating to the child's SEN

Parent of child/YP with a disability Matters relating the child disabilities

Child with SEN Matters relating to the child's SEN

Child with a disability Matters relating the child disabilities

Young person with SEN Matters relating to the young persons SEN

Young person with a disability Matters relating to the young persons disabilities

Who must receive A&I On what?

Parent of child/YP with SEN Matters relating to the child's SEN

C&F Act: Section 32 – Advice & Information

Expectation that many children and young people will receive IAS via or alongside their parents

But…

LA’s must also ensure that they (CYP) are able to receive information, advice and support separately from their parents

IAS - Children and Young People

Local Authorities MUST have regard to:• Views, wishes and feelings of the child and his or her parent, or the young person

• Importance of the child and parent, or the young person, participating as fully as possible in decisions

• Importance of the child and parent, or the young person, being provided with the information and support to enable participation in decisions;

• Need to support the child and parent, or the young person, to achieve the best possible outcomes.

C&F Act Section 19 – Parent & CYP Participation

Joint commissioning arrangements must include arrangements for considering and agreeing —

• What advice and information is to be provided about education, health and care provision;

• By whom, to whom and how such advice and information is to be provided;

C&F Act: Section 26 – Joint Commissioning

Personal BudgetsInformation, advice and support3.  Where a local authority maintains an EHC plan or is securing the preparation of an EHC plan for a child or young person, it must make arrangements for the provision to the child’s parent or young person of the following information— (a) the provision for which a personal budget may be available; (b) details of organisations that provide advice and assistance in connection with personal budgets; and (c) the conditions which must be met before direct payments may be made.

Assessment and PlansProvision of advice, information and support to parents and young people

9.When securing an EHC needs assessment the local authority must consider whether the child’s parent or the young person requires any information, advice and support in order to enable them to take part effectively in the EHC needs assessment, and if it considers that such information, advice or support is necessary, it must provide it.

SEN and Disability Regulations 2014

Chapter 2 – Impartial Information, Advice and Support

• A dedicated and easily identifiable service;

• Built on existing Parent Partnership Service and any other local services for young people to create an Information, Advice and Support Service;

• Young people must be able to access independently from their parents;

• Should be impartial, confidential, arms length, free and accessible

•Promote independence and self advocacy

•Inform policy and practice

SEND Code of Practice - April 2014 Draft

• Local policy and practice;

• The local offer;

• Personalisation and personal budgets;

• Education law on SEN and related law on disability, health and social care, through suitably independently trained staff;

• Helping children, young people and parents to gather, understand and interpret information and apply it to their own situation; and

• Provision of advice through individual casework and through work with parent carer support groups, local SEN youth forums or local disability groups, or training events.

IAS - What Should be Provided?

• The Care Bill requires local authorities to establish and maintain a service which must provide information and advice relating to care and support for adults and support for carers.

• The Health and Social Care Act 2012 shifted responsibility for provision of Independent Complaints Advocacy Services from the Secretary of State for Health to local authorities from April 2013

Health and Social Care - IAS duties

• Identify health and social care providers and commissioners to agree provision

• Identify people and organisations who currently provide IAS to parents/carers, children and young people - what do they provide and how? Could their services be extended and become part of the IASS ‘umbrella’? Could staff be bought into the IASS? Co-location? What additional skills, knowledge and resource are needed?

• Where are the gaps?

Next Steps - Exercise