The Partnership for the Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS)

16/07/2024

 WHAT IS PINS?

Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) is a national programme funded by the Shared Outcomes Fund and delivered between the Department for Education (DfE), NHS England (NHSE) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). It aim’s of bringing health and education specialists and expert parent carers into mainstream primary settings to:

• help shape whole school SEND provision
• provide early interventions at a school level 
• upskill school staff 
• support and strengthen partnerships between schools and parent carers
• support and strengthen partnerships between Parent Carer Forums and Integrated Commissioning Boards

It will bring a range of practitioners from across education and health service to work alongside parent carers to improve outcomes for children and young people who are neurodivergent, in mainstream school.

In Shropshire there are 20 primary schools participating in PINS, from across the county. You can see the list of schools participating here.  Each school will be offered a range of support which will help School Leaders consider how to ensure that the school environment and practice, responds positively to the needs of all children.  There will be a focus on implementing reasonable adjustments in response to sensory, social and communication needs and creating a whole school culture of acceptance of difference.  Each school has been asked to complete an audit of how they respond to the needs of neurodivergent children, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.  This will inform the support they are offered.

PACC will particularly be supporting the parent carer communities of the participating schools, to come together, share their experience and to talk to the school’s senior management teams about what is working well and what could be improved.

PACC has employed Simone Goward in the role of ‘School Liaison Lead’ to co-ordinate PINS activity.  Simone is a parent carer, who has previously worked in the education system, so she brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to this new role. She will be supported to deliver PINs activity by Sarah Thomas and Denise Glover from the wider PACC team.

To date PACC has made contact with all of the PINs schools and carried out an initial visit to each school, to meet with Head Teachers, SENCO’s and parent carers to introduce PACC and the project.  Parents and parent carers of each school have also been asked to complete a survey sharing information about how welcome they feel in school and the quality of communication.

Simone shared the following about her experience so far;

I have been in post now for a little over a month and I can’t believe how much we’ve managed to achieve in such a short time. I can’t thank the schools enough for their support in the quick turnaround time they’ve had to sign the Memorandums Of Understanding, get surveys out to parents and arrange meetings with parent carers. Thanks also for such a warm welcome into school. I’m really excited about the potential this project has and I’m looking forward to what’s to come in the Autumn term. I hope everyone has a well-earned break over the summer.

PACC will arrange further parent carer meetings for the PINs schools from September, with the intention to establish sustainable school based ‘Participation Groups’.  These groups will not only provide a valuable source of information for schools about what is working and not working but will also provide key insights for PACC into parent carers experience of the wider Shropshire SEND system and support offer. Perhaps most importantly these groups will provide an opportunity for parent carers to come together, to share information and to support each other, ensuring that they know that they are not alone on this unexpected journey.