Item 11app 3 a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Policy

1. Context

The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Policy, the Behaviour Support Policy and the Inclusion Policy and are key elements of Hampshire County Council's policy framework for supporting the needs of all children and young people.

These three policies reflect the corporate objectives of the County Council, namely:

· maximising life opportunities

· stewardship of the environment

· achieving economic prosperity

· building strong and safe communities

· improving services

· developing councillors and staff.

The SEN and Disability Act 2001 and the publication of a revised SEN Code of Practice up-dated the statutory framework and procedures for SEN. The Government's strategy for SEN, Removing Barriers to Achievement, sets out an agenda for action on four fronts: early intervention; removing barriers to learning; raising expectations and achievement; and delivering improvements in partnership. These themes are a reflection of the major reform of children's services as set out in Every Child Matters.

Hampshire County Council's policy statement for special educational needs, last revised in 2000, has been revisited in the light of these national developments, the Council's Corporate Strategy and other related policies and plans. It includes principles, aims and objectives to guide the development of provision and arrangements for children with special educational needs, and to help Members and officers of the County Council monitor and track progress.

2. Principles

· all children are valued equally and have the right to learn, achieve and participate fully in education regardless of their abilities and behaviours

· all children are entitled to have access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that is differentiated to meet individual learning styles, recognising personal strengths and needs

· each child should receive an appropriate education in a mainstream school when reasonable adjustments can be made, that take into consideration the needs of all learners

· all children should be educated in schools as close to home as possible so as to maintain their place in the family and community

· the diversity of children's needs should be recognised and met through a range of flexible, responsive and varied provision, allowing parents to express preferences

3. Aims and objectives

3.1 The quality of provision for children with special educational needs is maintained and improved wherever it is delivered, by:

a supporting schools in their self evaluation of special educational needs and inclusion practices and monitoring the quality of all special educational needs provision

b supporting schools in setting targets for children with special educational needs to ensure that progress is tracked and achievement identified and celebrated

c providing staff with training, support and opportunities to share good inclusive practice so that they are confident in meeting the needs of all children

d developing the capacity of governors to understand and meet the needs of children with special educational needs and remove barriers to access and participation

e providing elected members with the information they need to develop, monitor and review provision for children with special educational needs.

3.2 Inclusion is developed further by recognising that schools and supporting services collectively provide for the needs of all children in the community, by:

f providing education and support for more children with special educational needs in local maintained mainstream schools

g working with children, parents/carers, headteachers, governors, education staff, colleges and voluntary and statutory agencies to embed inclusive practices

h ensuring that the range of maintained schools (mainstream, resourced provision in mainstream schools and special schools) across the county have the necessary skills, capacity and confidence to provide for the full range of children with special educational needs

i identifying and addressing with other statutory and voluntary agencies any barriers to inclusion that prevent a child's placement in a local maintained school

j matching levels of support as closely and effectively as possible to the identified needs of children and the development of inclusive provision for them

k ensuring that special schools and resourced provision in mainstream schools continue to develop quality education for children with the most severe and complex needs and a more flexible role in making provision and providing support services to children and staff in other settings

l taking opportunities to improve and develop provision for children with special educational needs, wherever a school reorganisation or new school is planned.

3.3 Effective assessment systems are operated as early as possible, in conjunction with other agencies, by:

m providing early identification, assessment and intervention for pre school children with special educational needs, where possible within inclusive settings, and in partnership with other agencies

n encouraging parents/carers and schools to work together to recognise and support children's special educational needs at the earliest stage, drawing on external advice where necessary, and using delegated resources flexibly to make appropriate provision

o ensuring that education services in liaison with other agencies, meet statutory obligations to children with special educational needs and their families within the prescribed timescales.

3.4 Resources are allocated and used efficiently, effectively and equitably by:

p controlling, maintaining and improving the overall level of resourcing for special educational needs where necessary and when possible

q developing, monitoring and systematically reviewing existing maintained provision to achieve the best possible match between needs and resources

r maintaining and developing systems so that school and Local Education Authority levels of funding are matched to children's needs and understood by parents/carers, schools, governors and other agencies

s ensuring that consideration is given to children with special educational needs in the development of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to support their learning.

3.5 Partnerships with children, parents/carers and other stakeholders work effectively, by:

t consulting and involving children, parents/carers, voluntary and statutory agencies in the strategic planning, policy development and service delivery of inclusive special educational needs provision in Hampshire

u providing integrated delivery of support for children and their families through close collaboration with statutory and voluntary agencies and local/regional partnerships

v ensuring that advice and support is available for parents/carers and that they are informed about the SEN and Inclusion policies, special educational provision, the implementation of the SEN Code of Practice and statutory assessment processes

w maintaining and improving parental/carer satisfaction, as indicated by the number of appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal and monitored by complaints procedures and evaluation systems

x making arrangements to ensure smooth transition when children begin schooling or transfer between schools

y working closely with families, colleges and other agencies including the Connexions Service, to plan transition arrangements towards further education, training and/or employment

z working closely with the Learning and Skills Council and further education colleges to increase opportunities for young people with special educational needs to enjoy the benefits of a local college placement.

4. SEN Action Plan

The SEN Action Plan is available to anyone on request and is maintained on a termly basis.

5. Related Hampshire County Council Policies and Plans

In reading the Policy Statement for Special Educational Needs, it is important that cross reference is made to the following related Hampshire County Council documentation:

· Corporate Strategy

· Corporate Strategy for Lifelong Learning

· Inclusion Policy

· Behaviour Support Plan

· SEN Early Years Strategy

· Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Strategy