You Said We Did / FAQs
On this page we will set out how we have responded to consultations and discussions with parents and carers as well as other partner organisations. We have divided the page up into six sections based on user feedback.
Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)
Assessments
July 2021
You said: We would like clarity on the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments process.
We did: We have included a section on the Local Offer homepage which details the process of asking for an assessment, the Community Assessment Meeting (CAM) and the assessment process.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
July 2021
You said: CAMHS access criteria is unclear including information to help understanding of what is offered
We did: We have illustrated on the Local Offer the services available in Sandwell.
On the Local Offer we have information about Sandwell Specialist CAMHS including the referral process to CAMHS Single Point of Access (SPA). This includes information about the THRIVE framework which gives details of the graduated approach to addressing mental health needs.
We have reviewed and updated the wording on the Family Information Support (FIS) webpage under the current “Mental Health” title
Multi-Agency Assessments (MAA)
July 2021
You said: We need clarity on the Multi Agency Assessment (MAA) pathway for Autism (ASD) diagnosis. The length of time it takes to receive a diagnosis of Autism is too longWe need clarity on the Multi Agency Assessment (MAA) pathway for Autism (ASD) diagnosis. The length of time it takes to receive a diagnosis of Autism is too long
We did: There is a Parent representative from the Sandwell Autism Group at the ASD multi-agency Steering group to ensure parents voices are heard.
The ASD Steering Group is currently reviewing information about the MAA Pathway to ensure it is clear and up-to-date.
Early Years MAA pathway has been established and kept under review so that more children receive an earlier diagnosis.
Inclusion Support are reviewing internal and school processes to make access to the Complex Communication and Autism team easier for parents / schools to raise concerns.
SEND Local Offer
October 2022
You said: : I can't find the schools that have focused provision and searching focus or focused doesn't bring up a list apart from one school
We did: There is a section about schools with focus provisions on the Education page at: https://fis.sandwell.gov.uk/kb5/sandwell/directory/family.page?familychannel=2_1&loboolean=1. In the section there is reference to the Parent/Carer Guide which is available in the downloads section. The list of schools with focus provisions is in section 4 as stated.
You said: I cannot find reference to SEND Mediation Services on the Local Offer
We did: There are SEN Mediation services available should there be disagreements about statutory assessments/outcomes of reviews etc. All details of the mediation services are provided by the SEN Team in their communications with families. There is reference to this on the Local Offer at:
https://fis.sandwell.gov.uk/kb5/sandwell/directory/advice.page?id=dqg3Nr1f-nI and
https://fis.sandwell.gov.uk/kb5/sandwell/directory/advice.page?id=0OMUA6i98-g and
https://fis.sandwell.gov.uk/kb5/sandwell/directory/site.page?id=NcmrEYKJDAA
You said: It is not clear in the information about the statutory SEND process that consideration of mediation is mandatory before any claim can be made to the SEND Tribunal
We did: The relevant pages have been amended to make the requirement to consider mediation much more explicit.
July 2021
You said: We would like to see improvements on the SEND Local Offer
We did: A group of parents have worked with partners across the local area to make changes and improvements to the Local Offer. This includes the Google translate functionality. The Local Offer is a standing agenda item on the SEND Operational Board to ensure that information is accurate and kept up to date. There is a feedback tab on the right-hand side of the Local Offer homepage so please continue to send us any comments or suggestions so that we can continue to make improvements.
Parent/Carer Forum
July 2021
You said: We would like to see more involvement with the Parent/Carer Forum
We did: The new Sandwell Parent Carer Voices United was formed in January 2021. A parent carer representative attends meetings with various organizations within Education, Health & Social Care as well as offering support to other local voluntary organizations. A parent representative also attends the Sandwell SEND Operational Board and Sandwell SEND Strategic Partnership Board.
The forum shares the lived experiences and ideas of parent carer members. Going forward, the themes from the parent care steering group will be discussed at the SEND Operational Board meeting.