Shropshire Parent And Carer Council

Areas of work PACC is currently involved in

The SEND Strategic Board & Partnership Board – The development and implementation of the SEND system in Shropshire is overseen by the SEND Partnership Board and the SEND Strategic Board.  Recently a new ‘SEND Quality Assurance & Control Group’ has been established to operate alongside the Partnership and Strategic Boards.  PACC provides representation on all of these.  Click here to see a diagram of the SEND Governance structure in Shropshire.  Ultimately the Shropshire SEND Strategic Board is responsible for ensuring that the outcomes in the Shropshire SEND Strategy are delivered.  To find out more about the Shropshire SEND Strategy click here.

Shropshire Written Statement of Action (WSOA) – this is currently a priority work area for PACC.  The WSOA was required after the Shropshire SEND Inspection identified 6 areas of significant weakness in local SEND systems, these were;

  • Inconsistent strategic leadership and weak strategic planning across the area, most notably in the Clinical Commissioning Group (Health), including the ineffective use of data to accurately commission and plan services
  • The lack of inclusion of health services’ input into the area’s SEND action plan
  • Significant waiting times for large numbers of children and young people on the ASD and ADHD diagnostic pathways
  • Significant waiting times for those needing assessment and treatment from the speech and language therapy service
  • Inconsistency in the quality of input from education, health and care into EHC assessment and planning
  • The high rate of exclusions for children and young people with an EHC plan and the high rate of repeat fixed-term exclusions for those receiving SEND support.

There are work groups for each of these areas and PACC provides representation on them all.  You can find out more about this work here http://www.paccshropshire.org.uk/shropshire-send-inspection

 

Autism in Schools Pilot – Autism in Schools is a national project being piloted throughout England and funded by NHS England.  It is aimed at supporting mainstream schools in particular to develop autism friendly environments and practices.  Shropshire is part of the North Midlands Autism in Schools (NMAIS) pilot, along with Telford & Wrekin, Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent.  To find out more about NMAIS click here http://www.paccshropshire.org.uk/autism-schools-pilot

 

Shropshire SEND Local Offer – The Local Offer aims to be a one stop shop for information about SEND service and support 0-25 years and covers all sectors, including education, health and social care.  PACC is part of the Local Offer working group and supports the co-production of the Shropshire SEND Newsletter, along with Shropshire Council and Shropshire & Telford & Wrekin CCG.  You can visit the Shropshire Local Offer by clicking here.

 

Preparation for Adulthood (PFA) – PFA actually starts in the early years when we all start to learn key skills, however in SEND PFA specifically starts in Year 9 when services start to support young people and their families to plan for the future.  There are currently four workstreams under PFA which are;

  • Employment & Volunteering
  • Accommodation
  • Information & Advice
  • Community & Leisure

PACC provides representation on all of these workstreams and the PFA Strategic Group which oversees these workstreams. PACC works closely with the Shropshire PFA team and Adult Social Care to support this work.

 

Learning Disability & Autism Programme and Delivery Boards – The focus of these Boards is the development, delivery and monitoring of support and services for people with a learning disability and/or autism.  The work reflects the commitments for this group outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/areas-of-work/learning-disability-autism/   Recently these groups developed the Shropshire Learning Disability & Autism Vision document https://www.stwics.org.uk/our-priorities/learning-disability-and-autism

 

STOMP / STAMP Steering Group – Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both (STOMP) and Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics (STAMP) are programmes run by NHS England aimed at improving the lives of people with a learning disability and/or autism.  Each local area is expected to develop support that stops the overuse of medication for this group and ensures that medication is used appropriately and only where necessary. You can find out more information on

STOMP- https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/improving-health/stomp/

STAMP - https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/improving-health/stamp/

In Shropshire this work is at its early stages.

 

Learning Disability & Autism Accommodation Group – PACC has recently joined this group.  Its work focuses on ensuring the housing needs of those with disabilities are considered now and in the future.

 

Covid Vaccination Uptake Group – work is being undertaken to support the accessibility of the local Covid vaccination programme for children and young people with SEND and their families

 

Learning Disability Partnership Board – This meeting brings together ‘Experts by Experience’ and representatives from the voluntary sector to work with statutory services to improve the lives of adults with a learning disability in Shropshire.

 

Autism Partnership Board – This meeting brings together ‘Experts by Experience’ and representatives from the voluntary sector to work with statutory services to improve the lives of autistic adults in Shropshire.

 

Carers Partnership Board – This meeting brings together ‘Experts by Experience’ and representatives from the voluntary sector to work with statutory services to improve the lives of carers in Shropshire.

 

Direct Payments Board (Adult Social Care) – This groups looks at all aspects of Direct Payments in Shropshire, developing information and support for adult Direct Payment users – see https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/direct-payments-in-adult-social-care/