Parents as Partners

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Parents as Partners
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Parents as Partners
Timetable 1.30 Welcome and introduction from
Philippa Russell, Chair 1.35 Benchmarking of
Parent Partnership Services (Nick Knapman) 1.50
Mediation works (Susanna Diegel) 2.00
Providing information for parents on the web
(Julia Parnaby and Ann Tinklepaugh) 2.10
Conferencing with parents (Kate Evans) 2.25
Every Family Matters (Ollie Pardo, Alyson Fisk
and Pat Bullen) 2.40 Further questions or
general discussion on working with parents 2.45
Break Summary will be done after break
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Benchmarking Parent Partnership Services
Nick Knapman Co-facilitator SEN Regional
Partnership (SW)
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The big picture
Challenge
Comparison
Service development
Collaboration
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Costs
Range of services
Staffing
Parent Partnership Services in England National
benchmarking 2004
Manage-ment of services
Planning, monitoring and evaluation
Access to services
Strategic work
Casework
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Using the report

• How does our service differ from
  national/regional averages?
• How do we differ from our statistical neighbours?
• What accounts for such differences?
• What lessons can we learn from others?
• How can we use this information to improve what
  we do?

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Want more information?

• Parent Partnership Services in England
• National benchmarking 2004
• www.parentpartnership.org.uk
• www.sw-special.co.uk
• nknapman_at_devon.gov.uk
• drussell_at_ncb.org.uk

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Mediation works

• Susanna Diegel
• Development Officer
• Yorkshire and Humberside SEN Mediation
• Midlands SEN Mediation

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SEN Mediation User Comments

• Parents
• Everyone had a chance to talk and put their
  points across. I felt it was the first chance I
  had to explain my views and they had to listen.
• The whole process of mediation was a very
  positive experience. I was extremely impressed
  by the professionalism of the mediation team.

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SEN Mediation User Comments

• LEA representatives
• Best outcome possible was achieved.
• Excellent service throughout. Very well managed.
  Engendered a spirit of co-operation that made
  resolution very straightforward.
• This was very helpful in solving a difficult
  situation and a useful opportunity for all those
  involved to discuss the future.

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SEN Mediation User Comments

• School representatives
• My expectations were exceeded. The mediator was
  highly skilled and did a superb job! A very
  professional service.
• The disagreement was resolved promptly and to
  everyones satisfaction.
• First experience of mediation and it was a very
  positive one.

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Want more information?

• www.midlandssenmediation.com
• www.yhsen-mediation.com
• office_at_midlandssenmediation.com
• www.senmediation.org.uk

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Providing information for parents on the web
Julia Parnaby Advice Line Co-ordinator /
Adviser Ann Tinklepaugh Step-by-Step
Co-ordinator Advisory Centre for Education
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Want more information?

• julia.parnaby_at_ace.dialnet.com
• 0207 704 3376
• www.ace-ed.org.uk

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Conferencing with parents
Kate Evans Manager Partnership with
Parents Surrey County Council
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Why do it?

• Good practice
• Growing expectation that it will happen
• Can change strategic thinking
• Can reduce disagreement

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What can it do?

• Bring together parents, schools, LEA and other
  partner agencies
• Explore different perspectives to meeting
  childrens needs
• Identify best practice for working together
• Contribute to the development of SEN strategy
• Identify areas for development for effective
  working with parents

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Table tasks
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What did people think?

• More aware of the fact that professionals do
  care about my childs future.
• Realisation that I had so little concept of the
  difficulties faced (Headteacher)
• As ammunition for requesting/demanding more
  resources to support families in their own homes
  (Social Care Manager)
• Parents feel empowered to feel involved from the
  beginning must be taken seriously in meetings
  to assess and make decisions in the future.

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But .

• today only works if it results in real change

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Want more information?

• Conferencing with parents
• Good practice guidelines
• www.sersen.uk.net
• www.scrip.uk.net

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Every Family Matters

• Ollie Pardo
• Derby Derbyshire Parent Partnership
  Co-ordinator
• Alyson Fisk
• Parent
• Pat Bullen
• EMSEN Co-ordinator

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Working with the Regional Parent Partnership
Network

• Work strand within EMSEN action plan for 3 years
• PPS (Parent Partnership Service) represented on
  EMSEN management group for two years a parent on
  the group for almost two years
• Two annual conferences Listen to Me the voice
  of the child/young person Nov 2003
• Every Family Matters Feb 2005

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Hard to Reach Familiesor hard to reach services?

• Turning the concept of hard to reach on its
  head- what can services do differently?
• Reaching a wide range of participants from health
  and social care, the voluntary sector, alongside
  education

• Eleven workshops focusing on specific approaches
  work such as work with fathers/work with
  survivors etc
• Hearing the voice of children young people
  through an inclusive theatre group

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Pursuing the hard to reach- making every family
matter

• Next steps in ensuring services reach out further
  into communities in the region
• Influencing other key stakeholders, such as
  Initial Teacher Training in the region

• Taking further our specific joint project with
  SureStart, looking into both leisure
  opportunities for disabled children young
  people and looking into Direct Payments

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Every Child Deserves..Play Leisure

• Additional SureStart project commissioned to
  explore leisure play opportunities for disabled
  children
• Voluntary sector partner sought to conduct
  research

Source ContinYou 2005
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Research into play leisure

• 69 of mainstream providers had not been asked to
  take a child with complex needs
• 58 of parents/carers had difficulty accessing a
  club/activity

• Main barriers to inclusion
• Lack of understanding by staff
• Support for children

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Every Child Deserves Play Leisure

• Solutions
• To the lack of understanding by staff
• Use of Good Practice Guide and Audit Tool for
  inclusion Every Child Deserves Play and Leisure
  
• (adapted from Nottinghamshire EYDCP Hands up
  for Inclusion pack)
• To support for children
• Use of Direct Payments

• Voice of the Child
• How do we obtain the childs views?
• Do we focus on the needs of the child or the
  parent?

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Every Family Matters

• Find out more on the EMSEN website
• www.emleas.org.uk

• Contact us at
• Kjenkins.GOEM_at_go-regions.gsi.gov.uk
• Pat_Bullen_at_talk21.com
• Tel [phone]

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Parents as Partners