Minutes:
Emma, Rosie and Evie from POWAR gave feedback from the SEND Together workshop which was held on 2 July 2016.
Links to the two films as shown at the meeting are below. The first was made before the first workshop in June to explain the purpose of the workshop and the second film was made after the workshop had taken place to inform young people and adults about what had taken place.
Film 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-tElBCH4Pc&feature=youtu.be
Film 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj1bkjo0SKs
In Lancashire, children, young people, parent carers and those who deliver services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, are starting their journey to work together.
On the 2nd June 2016 #Sendtogether launched this journey, a journey that is innovative, exciting and challenging - as it is a brand new way of working.
There are challenges on this journey and Lancashire know that they will not be able to give everyone all that they want, but they want to make a difference to the future of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Lancashire.
At the first workshop the discussions and activities produced the following four steps needed for this journey to be successful.
1. Engage – this means involving everyone to develop services in the right place at the right time.
2. Listen – time must be spent listening to what people want so that services are not wasted on things that are not needed. We need to make sure everyone has an equal voice and is heard.
3. Participate – we need to work as a team and make sure collaboration is done equally with everyone involved.
4. Co-produce – by building on what we know and using people's energy, experience and knowledge to shape our services.
By everyone working together, children, young people and their families will get the right support at the right time. This will be achieved by looking at what services there are now and building on this to make a better future.
A new strategy will be implemented, but this will be challenging as there are limited resources.
#SENDtogether brings children and young people, parents and carers, to be involved in influencing plans for SEND services together - and the next steps are to invite along people from services that support young people with Education, Health and Care plans.
This will include the people who decide where the funding goes, those from the places and services that the young people use, and also those who they look up to inspire them.
Our four promises from the first day are that we will:
1. include everybody
2. spread the word in a range of ways
3. share success
4. use any lessons learnt
The next steps are:
Step one - The SEND together group is going to provide a voice for parents, carers and young people in influencing the plans for SEND during the coming year.
Step two –This new way of working will be evaluated after the next two workshops.
Step three – Young people's participation will be supported through POWAR.
Step four –The Lancashire Parent Carer Forum and their role in the workshop will be included going forward.
Step five - POWAR will present progress to Lancashire County Council senior officers and Councillors.
Step six – Ground rules will be adopted going forward.
The next workshop will be in November.