You said, we did

You said:

Having immunisations can be difficult for some children and young people (CYP) with SEND. Is there any support available?

We did:

All CYP should have access to immunisations and have their jabs when they are due. Feedback will be shared with health colleagues and the need for reasonable adjustments where necessary will be discussed with them. Providing flexibility with appointment timings or the environment can sometimes be sufficient to assist.

We did:

The issue of immunisations will be raised with Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) to find out how schools could help to support this. Annual health checks for people with learning disabilities aged 14 plus are also available. Details can be found here.

You said:

What happens when the time comes for my child to move school?

We did:

At the end of Year 6, parents/carers of children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) will receive notification from the Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT) asking them to make choices about their child’s placement. This is known as a phase transfer.

We did:

The Luton Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIAS) helps enable children, young people and their parents/carers to participate in decisions regarding their education needs in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. Further information on the SENDIAS service can be found here.

 We did:

A future transitions themed meeting with parents will be held, working with EPIC Luton parent carer forum to arrange this.

You said:

Is there an update from Active Luton following the recent leisure focused meeting with parents?

 We did:

Good progress has been made working together with individual parent representatives and EPIC Luton, who have provided valuable insight into their own experiences and helped to ensure that proposals are suitable and provide the support needed by CYP and their families. Luton Libraries service has approved significant investment for an additional sensory equipment area. The purchase of books and lighting is also being looked into based on feedback from parents.

You said:

Is training available for parents?

 We did:

Specific training requests sent to SENAT will be considered and delivered with the SENDIAS service where possible and there is sufficient demand.

You said:
On the subject of mental health, children and young people sometimes fall through the gap or do not receive much intervention if they do not meet thresholds. Parents and carers can also have mental health problems of their own and can sometimes feel isolated.

We did:
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) has been funding areas of deprivation and providing support through schools. Thresholds are also constantly reviewed. Additional investment has been made into CHUMS Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service for Children and Young People to reduce waiting lists so that CYP do not fall through the gap while waiting for CAMHS support. Further CAMHS investment has funded an intensive support team and an educational psychologist has just been appointed in the Neurodevelopment team.

You said:
The SEN card has been mentioned at previous meetings. Could you provide more information about this?

We did:
This is part of an ongoing pilot which has been very successful so far. The clock on the card signifies the need to ‘spend more time’ with the child or young person. It is not a go fast card but acts as a visual reminder to staff/departments that the CYP has special needs and may, for example, require a bigger room or wheelchair.

You said:
Could the SEN card be provided by GPs or collected before the appointment?

We did:
The SEN card pilot is still in the early stages of development and currently requires a conversation with a consultant. However, the intention is to roll this out further in future and feedback received will be taken away and reviewed as part of this process.

You said:
Getting blood tests can be a struggle for some children with SEND. Advance notice is required for blood tests carried out in the inpatient department.

We did:
Parents and carers can now book paediatric blood tests through an online booking system or automated telephone service. More information can be found here

You said:
Some parents believe that co-production is still weak and that there is not enough accountability between agencies when it comes to EHC Plans.

We did:
A lot of work has been done around this. Regular multi-agency audits and strategic meeting are held to improve processes, templates have been reviewed to ensure that they capture needs and the quality of advices has improved. Feedback has also been passed on to schools with reminders of what a good review looks like and for the need to be proactive in planning reviews.

You said:
A meeting with parents took place at Luton Central Library a few weeks ago. Is there an update on the feedback provided?

We did:
Comments received have been taken on board and future plans include better signage and the purchase of sensory books and lava lamps. In addition, reference books will be available in libraries so that sensory books are always accessible to visitors.

We did:
The need to improve libraries and leisure centres is recognised and a small working group is being developed to engage with parents/carers and adults with disabilities to obtain further feedback, test ideas and work together to find out how best to make things more accessible for CYP and families. Comments will also be picked up as part of the Library Service consultation.

You said:
It is good to hear that more is being done to improve libraries. How are the issues around swimming pool access for CYP with SEND being addressed?

We did:
Pool pods have been purchased by Active Luton to make swimming pools more accessible and the aim is to increase swimming session availability for CYP with SEND and families. Active Luton is committed to listening to feedback from CYP and parents/carers and improving provision. Ways to minimise sensory overload in swimming pools will be looked at as part of this.

You said:
Some short breaks clubs have long waiting lists which could lead to some CYP missing out.

We did:
While some clubs do have waiting lists there are others that have space for those wishing to join. The Short Breaks Statement 2021 accessible via the following link provides information on local provision.

Short Breaks Statement 2021

You said:
The cost to attend clubs, after school provision and child care can be restrictive. Is there anything that can be done about this?

We did:
Feedback received will feed into the work around the SEND Strategy refresh currently being undertaken and inform future provision.

You said:

What has changed since the last Ofsted visit?

We did:

We are in the process of producing a programme update against the 116 actions identified in our Written Statement of Action and hope to complete this by the end of February.

You said:

Not all parents know who Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in schools are.

We did:

This is to be raised at the SENCO Network meeting on 26^th January where SENCOs will be reminded to introduce themselves to parents.

You said:

Trying to book regular dental/eye check-ups for CYP with additional needs can be difficult.

We did:

The Strategic Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) will take back to health colleagues, feedback regarding the issues faced by parents in trying to book appointments.  It was acknowledged that better routes for CYP with more complex needs are required and this is an area currently being worked on.

We did:

The Eye Service was contacted after the meeting and the following update obtained:

In relation to eye services for children with SEND in Luton:

• For children under 6 or who are not able to access a high street optometrist due to their anxiety or sensory difficulties, the Eye Service is happy to see them in clinic via a referral from the Optometrist, 0-19 team, or from the GP.
• If children are in a special school, they can be seen in Lady Zia Wernher or Chiltern (Beech Road or Kingsland).
• The Eye Service Lead confirmed that she is happy to attend the Health focused LPCV meeting with professionals in person.

You said:

Further clarity is needed around personal budgets.

We did:

Feedback has been passed on to SENAT (Special Educational Needs Assessment Team) and this issue is being explored.

You said:
Services such as sight/eye appointments need to be more inclusive.

We did:
We acknowledge that this is an area where we need to strengthen training and guidance to ensure practitioners are more SEND aware e.g. allowing extra time, providing suitable waiting areas etc. GP Leads along with hospital and CHUMS colleagues will also be invited to relevant future LPCV meetings with professionals. Feedback from the session has also been shared with Community Health Leads.

The local authority together with our parent carer forum have also agreed to run a programme of future meetings for parents with professionals, which will include themed sessions focusing specifically on Health, Social Care and Education.

You said:

Research suggests that girls are better at masking autism, how is this being addressed?

We did:
We confirmed that training is available in relation to how girls mask autism which is aimed at (1) educating professionals and (2) supporting girls. This is an invite only group and details will be added to the Local Offer to reflect this and provide additional information.

You said:

Information such as upcoming training and events isn’t always passed on to parents and carers by SENCOs.

We did:
Further work will be undertaken to ensure that information, advice and guidance including details of events and training are passed on to schools/SENCOs for dissemination to parents and carers, via the schools newsletter.

You said:

More support for parents is needed around knowledge on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and needs assessments.

We did:
The Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT) has offered to extend training on EHCPs and Annual Reviews to parent groups, which is currently available for professionals. This offer will be made via the parent carer forum and SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIAS). SENAT will explore with LPCV whether open drop-in sessions could be made available for specific questions and themes.

In addition, parents are encouraged to access the SENDIAS to receive support and guidance on their individual queries on the EHCP. SENDIAS will also work via the Working Together Group to co-produce resources to support parents and young people on the EHCP process.

Following SENDIAS’ recent attendance at an LPCV coffee morning to discuss EHCPs, SENDIAS are in the process of updating their website to include timeframes and links to further information on EHCPs.

You said:

When it comes to the EHCP Annual Review process some schools are better than others. How do we ensure consistency of practice?

We did:
This will be raised at the SENCO Network meeting on 24th November and learning from audits is now a standing agenda item to allow sharing of best practice and information will be shared through the schools newsletter.

The EHCP Annual Review process is also being strengthened through additional training, regular auditing and increased collaborative working across education, health and social care.

You said:

It would be good to find out more about what happens after school i.e. the transition to adulthood.

We did:
We have produced a transition to adulthood leaflet, accessible via the following link: Transition to Adulthood

You said:

What support is available for siblings of SEND children and young people?

We did:
Information about CHUMS Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service for Children and Young People is now available on the Local Offer and accessible via the following link: CHUMS. CHUMS offers a range of services across Luton including support for children and young people who are caring for someone with a disability, chronic or serious illness, mental health condition or learning difficulty.

You said:

It is not clear what the ‘Local Offer’ is – could it be renamed? 

We did:

The parent consultation group is currently considering this. 

You said:

You would like to know how the Local Offer website is being used.

We did:

We have published a website statistics report.

• Luton Local Offer website statistics

You said:

Information about certain services and provision for young people is missing e.g. Community Choices.

We did:

Information about Community Choices including a video is now on the Local Offer.

You said:

There needs to be more detailed information about what happens from year 9 onwards and who can support and about options post school. 

We did:

We have added a landing page to give more detail about the Transition Team and social care options post school. 

In September 2020 we held another focus group for parents and carers. Five parents were able to meet face to face and four other parents joined virtually. We asked parents

1. what they thought about the tone, language and character of the LO
2. what they thought about the home page and how this could be improved and
3. how we should use social media 

You said:

There was too much text on the home page and videos need to be more prominent.

We did:

We enlarged the introductory video and reduced the text.

You said:

We should have an “easier to digest” home page and suggested we have ‘I am a parent’, ‘I am a child or young person’, ‘I am a professional’, ‘I am an organisation’ buttons that take the user to a series of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers. 

We did:

We have begun work on this and we have sent out the FAQs to our parent consultation group to see if they like these questions and if they can suggest others.

You said:

Parents said that the hyperlinks were difficult to distinguish from the main text and suggested these could be in light blue rather than purple. 

We did:

We have changed these and now the links are much more visible making information more accessible and easier to find.

You said:

Parents said that we should definitely have Facebook and also Twitter accounts. 

We did:

We now have these set up and we are starting to get followers and our tweets retweeted and liked.

You said:

Parents suggested many more organisations than we had thought of to promote and follow on social media.

We did:

We are doing this. 

You said:

Parents said as well as having an online presence we also need hard copy leaflets and cards that can be given to parents telling them about the Local Offer. 

We did:

We have printed A5 leaflets and and business cards that fit neatly into pockets, purses and wallets (so less easy to loose) and given these to schools, Nurseries including PVIs, GPs, Health visitors, paediatricians and other Health professionals to give out to parents when they attend appointments. We also have A4 and A3 posters displayed in GP surgeries, schools and nurseries, libraries etc. and we have a slide that is shown on screen in GP surgeries.

You said:

Parents said we need more videos in community languages to explain pathways, specific conditions such as autism and to deliver training. 

We did:

We have created 4 training videos on sleep, managing challenging behaviour, sensory needs and play and communication in community languages. We have videos about our NDD pathway in community languages. We have a video explaining autism in community languages.

You said:

Some people might not know what some of the acronyms mean like CAMHS.

We did:

Added jargon buster feature.  

You said:

Some of the words are difficult to understand what they mean, e.g. continence

We did:

Changed ‘continence’ tile to add ‘toileting difficulties’

You said:

Because I like shopping I want to know if the toilet at the Mall shopping centre completely accessible with hoist?

We did:

Found out that there is one fully accessible toilet in the Mall. We wrote to tell the young person about this and contacted The Mall to ask them to have an entry on the Local Offer 

You said:

More people should know about and promote the Local Offer.

We did:

We have a clear communications strategy to promote awareness of the Local Offer: we have posters in a range of places where families can see them (Schools, GP surgeries, libraries, etc.) We have training slides that are incorporated into many other training sessions, we have a powerpoint slide for GP surgeries, we are going on local radio shows to talk about The Local Offer.

You said:

The information on the Local Offer needs to be accurate and up to date and in the right place.

We did:

We have employed a dedicated Local Offer Admin Officer to help us keep the The Local Offer up to date.

You said:

There were some functionality issues, e.g. if in 19 – 25 category and use back arrow you go back to 0 – 5.

We did:

We had Open Objects fix these functionality issues.  

You said:

There should be more videos and pictures/ photos of young people.

We did: 

We have added more videos and have included young people talking in these. 

You said:

SEND strategic vision, policies and pathways should be on the Local Offer.

We did:

SEND strategic updates are now very visible on the Local Offer and can be accessed from the  home page

You said:

Clear pathway information right from when someone has concerns about a child through to the processes involved in getting support including an EHC Plan should be on the local offer and easy to find.

We did:

Step by step information starting with initial concerns is on the home page.

You said:

Key support service information should say what the service does, who is it for, who and how can it be accessed, what to expect after a service has been involved.

We did:

We asked key support services to write their service information to answer the five key questions parents needed answering.

You said:

There should be a video explaining what the Local Offer is.

We did:

We have included an introductory video involving Luton parents and young people to explain what the Local Offer is and how it has been co-produced.

You said:

There should be a way of translating information into different languages.

We did:

You can easily change the language of the text using the accessibility tools.

You said:

Parent training workshops should be in different languages so these can be accessible to parents / carers with a range of first languages.

We did: 

Six training sessions for parents/ carers that have been delivered. These are to be translated into a range of community languages and parents / carers involved in the consultation meetings will translate these.