In order to gather information, the forum have started to use graffiti walls using Padlet.
You can read about all our Padlets past and present.
Padlet -bookable time slots with Case Officers
BCP Council have recently introduced a bookable time slots system to meet with Case Officers. We, Parent Carers Together would like the views from parents and carers on how this is working. We would like to hear from all families whether your child is in school, in Alternative Provision (AP) or receiving Education Other Then at School (EOTAS) support.
To gather feedback, we have created a simple 4 question virtual Padlet for you to add your thoughts to either the Early Years and Primary, Secondary or Post 16 section. All feedback will remain anonymous.
The Padlet will close on or around Sunday 15th December.
Padlet- Do you think Dorset should use the Neurodiversity Profiling Tool?
You may be aware NHS Dorset are considering using the Neurodiversity Profiling Tool that was originally piloted by Portsmouth Council in 2021/2022. You can view the YouTube presentation about the profiling tool developed by Portsmouth.
The Profiling Tool was then adapted by Cornwall Council to support the early identification and support of children and young people aged 0-19 presenting with neurodevelopmental needs.
Please note-this profiling tool used by Cornwall does not replace a formal diagnosis but is designed to be a visual tool that builds a holistic profile of a young person across 9 areas of development:
- Speech, language and communication
- Energy levels
- Attention and impulse control
- Emotion regulation
- Motor skills
- Sensory processing
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Systemising and Empathising
- Cognitive ability
We asked BCP parents and carers to take the time to view the video presentation, the Portsmouth Profiling Tool document and Cornwall’s Neurodiversity Hub and let us know via our anonymous Padlet whether they thought the Neurodiversity Profile Tool is something that we should encourage NHS Dorset to develop.
The Padlet closed on 3rd November.
We will the feedback with NHS Dorset, which included:
“Yes, we would love for BCP to start using the neuro diversity profile tool”.
“I absolutely love this and 100% yes, BCP should start to implement it”.
“Yes please. I’ve heard great things about the one developed in Portsmouth”.
Padlet-SEND services in BCP
Our purpose as a forum is to improve the services provided for children and young people aged from 0-25 years with Special Educational Needs and or Disability (SEND), living in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole.
We have a support and challenge role and are critical friends to BCP Council Children Services and local health acute and community services, including the Dorset NHS Integrated Care Board.
We created a Padlet which was live over the summer (end of July-beginning of September), to capture parent and carers experiences of Education, Health & Care Services.
The anonymous feedback was analysed and we compiled a report reflecting 50 voices of BCP parents and carers with a child or young person with SEND.
The report highlights 8 themes:
- Theme 1 -Delays and Bottlenecks in EHCP & Annual Review Processes
- Theme 2 -Insufficient SEN school places and lack of support in mainstream
- Theme 3 -Parental Burden
- Theme 4 -Inadequate Career Support and Transition Planning
- Theme 5 -Health and Mental Health Services
- Theme 6 -Social Care and Support
- Theme 7 -Communication
- Theme 8 -Support for siblings
Our PCT parent representatives will use the data and comments from the SEND Padlet survey to direct their work on specific projects, to highlight gaps in services and needed changes. Our findings and recommendations will be shared with strategic leads in BCP Council and Dorset NHS Integrated Care Board as well as relevant providers of education, health and social care services. We are committed to working with them to address the key issues identified in this report.
Thank you to all the parent carers who have given us their views and experiences. As your local Parent Carer Forum, we will continue to listen and raise your concerns about local SEND services with the relevant parties.
Padlet-Our Budgets
PCT wanted your views on Personal Budgets, Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets.
We asked if you had applied for any of these, to take the time to tell us what you thought of the process and how can it be improved.
One parent’s comment on the Padlet directed to BCP:
“Why can’t you have a single unified policy for Personal Budgets and Direct Payments? One policy that defines the process for working with a personal budget – regardless of whether it is from the EHCP, from Continuing Healthcare, or from Social Care?”
Padlet- Information leaflet
Prior to 2019, Bournemouth Council produced some information leaflets, that were sent out to parents as part of an information pack along with information on Educational Health Care Plans (EHCPs), etc.
We wanted to gather parent and carers feedback on whether it was a good idea for BCP Council to update these 6 leaflets:
- The Local Offer
- Support Plans
- EHCP Needs Assessment Timescales
- Who’s Who
- Routes to Resolution
- Money Matters
We asked parents and carers to let us know via the Padlet if the above titled leaflets are useful and if there is any information missing.
While the Padlet was live, one of our steering group members Peter collated the parent and carer feedback collected at that point, anonymised responses and shared with Mary Diffey, SEND Manager, BCP Council) who said:
“This is really useful feedback, thank you very much. I’ll ensure we incorporate this when we update the leaflets and will send back to you for further feedback.”
Padlet- What do you think about SEND services
With this Padlet, we encouraged all BCP parents and carers of children with SEND to add their feedback to to let us know what parents think about relevant services and lots did indeed share with us their thoughts-the positive and the negative.
The Padlet was grouped into various titles. Negative comments are in red and positive comments are in purple.
Under the ‘EHCP Process- including SEN Support, Graduated Response’, parents made the following comments:
“Completely unfit for purpose. Teachers time wasted writing the applications, hours wasted trying to get anyone to respond and too many tears shed with no communication, no support and apparently no accountability for breaching legal deadlines or arbitrary decisions made”.
“My son’s EHCP is reviewed every year but we never receive a final copy, this is the second year in a row”.
“I went through 4 different case handlers during my sons EHCP process”.
“The EHCP process took such a long time that some of the tools listed were out of date and no longer used”.
“Paediatrician was fantastic, we felt heard and gave us clear next steps”.
‘Access to Activities- including Short Breaks, After School Clubs etc‘, feedback included:
“0-25yrs is the EHCP range – where do young adults go to socialise? What happens when they are too old for holiday activities?”
“SEND holiday clubs for working parents…are there any?
This has now become such a nightmare, we need SEN inclusive clubs for children through holiday times, and or after schools”.
“School holidays clubs are pretty non existent for SEN children. Especially the children that love to be kept in a routine. There is nothing available for them as they can require 1-1 which most holiday clubs are unable to provide. There needs to be something in place to help ensure the support is given to SEN parents not just during school time but school holidays too especially summer as it a long time out of routine”.
“Lots seem to be based at Poole, would help if more were in Bournemouth”.
“Big shout out to Short Breaks and Diverse Abilities for their school holiday activities”.
“I really value the activities available to us. Short Breaks enables us to enjoy soft play which we haven’t previously been able to do.
I work full time so I struggle with childcare during the holidays covering the hours I need and having the tools and understanding to manage my sons needs”.
“Wonderful staff and some lovely activities.. school holiday clubs, brilliant and good price”.
‘Preparing for Adulthood/Transitions’:
“Transition to adulthood-no idea where to start on this. Where can I find a simple flowchart that tells me what I need to know/do and by when in relation to an 18th birthday?”.
‘Waiting times for assessment –both BCP Council and NHS Dorset’:
“It took 8 years to get a diagnosis. 1 year to get a draft EHCP. 16 months to get an EHCP which I’m now trying to take to tribunal due to the names school who failed my son and daughter and the LA want me to send them back, there no way”.
“5 years waiting for an Autism diagnosis. Finally received it during lockdown as my son was finishing yr 11-by which time it was too late for any significant help at school”.
We have used the above feedback and more in various meetings we have been involved in with BCP Council & NHS Dorset.
Examples-
- The Padlet received lots of comments about Short Breaks and Activity Clubs. We compiled a report about Short Breaks and have held a number of talks with Commissioners of the service and are working on putting together some Q&A sessions.
- Some parents commented on the waiting times and Case Officers. Mary Diffey from BCP Council has informed us they have recruited more staff to deal with the backlog.
- A parent feedback about Preparing for Adulthood (PfA). The forum have been pushing BCP Council to develop a parent guide about this.