THE USE OF RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN WITH SLCN the research findings which fed into the BERCOW review a

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THE USE OF RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN WITH
SLCN-the research findings which fed into the
BERCOW review and their implications for its
implementation

• James Law

Implementing Bercow Making it happen Royal
National Hotel, Bedford Way 7.1.09
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The research

• Lindsay, G.,Desforges, M., Dockrell, J., Law, J.,
  Peacey, N. and Beecham, J. (2008) The effective
  and efficient use of resources in services for
  children and young people with speech, language
  and communication needs. Monograph Nottingham
  DCFS
• Lindsay, G.,Desforges, M., Dockrell, J., Law, J.,
  Peacey, N. and Beecham, J. (2008) The effective
  and efficient use of resources in services for
  children and young people with speech, language
  and communication needs. Brief Report Nottingham
  DFCS

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The questions we addressed

• Strand 1 - whether there is evidence on which to
  base recommendations to improve the effective and
  efficient use of resources in services for
  children and young people with speech language
  and communication difficulties (SLCD)
• Strand 2 - whether a cost benefit analysis for
  investment in services for this group of young
  people is feasible.

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And more specifically in strand 1..

• To assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the
  different arrangements for organising and
  providing services in selected areas
• To determine, in these areas, the resources
  deployed across different services phases (early
  years primary, secondary, post-16) universal,
  targeted and specialist services and
  preventative and remedial services
• To form a view as to whether, in these areas, the
  deployment of resources is achieving the outputs
  and outcomes expected effectively and
  efficiently.

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A few words on methodology..

• Six local authorities (LAs) and associated
  primary care trust (PCT) were selected to
  represent a range of locations reflecting
  geographic spread, urban/rural, and data on the
  percentage of pupils with SLCN in primary schools
  (those at School Action Plus or with a statement
  of special educational needs (SEN), as recorded
  in the most recent DCSF statistics)
• Within each case study a range of educational
  provision for pupils with SLCN was identified,
  taking into account age (nursery to secondary)
  and type of provision (mainstream, mainstream
  with designated integrated specialist provision
  for pupils with SLCN, and special schools for
  SLCN)
• Interviews were held with the LAs senior SEN
  manager a senior manager in the PCT and head
  teacher or head of integrated resource in each
  designated educational provision.

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The main themes

• Approaches to identifying children and young
  people with SLCN
• Trends in provision for children and young people
  with SLCN
• SLT service working practices
• Cooperation between the local authority and
  primary care trust
• Monitoring of provision for children and young
  people with SLCN
• Training and continuing professional development
• Research and evaluation of services and
  provision
• The feasibility of a cost-benefit analysis of
  investment in services for children and young
  people with SLCN.

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Recommendations

• Monitoring and evaluation
• nationally agreed criteria across health and
  education
• categories of SEN re SLCN
• progress monitored across all key stages using
  nationally collected data
• Provision
• integrated not just individual therapy
• working practices and record keeping for SLTs
  working in school settings
• review and evaluate provision for SLCN made in
  the secondary and beyond
• Collaboration
• training courses and CPD with enough funding for
  those in mainstream and specialist provision
• disseminate models of practice in professional
  development that are systematic
• more coherent and give an appropriate balance to
  competencies

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Recommendations

• Cost effectiveness
• Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) should be
  employed rather than cost-benefit analysis. CEA
  should be incorporated into outcome studies so
  that the costs and outcomes of interventions can
  be jointly analysed.
• Research programme
• interventions including examination of the
  following key issues
• locational (e.g. special school. Integrated
  resource, mainstream)
• pedagogic (e.g. specific programmes for specific
  needs)
• organisational (e.g. nature and deployment of
  support services, use of data informed
  developments),
• employer base interaction (e.g. use of
  consultancy model v direct teaching/therapy)
• cost effectiveness and efficiency of different
  interventions and models of collaboration
• an examination of the range of working practices
  in integrated/inclusive resources for children
  with SCLN is necessary in order to develop advice
  about good practice and relevant training.