Job responsibilities
The post holder will;
Providing professional and clinical leadership and be a source of expertise on matters relating to health and SEND, acting as a strategic health lead for the Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) planning process and pathway.
To work with and support organisations across health, social care and education in relation to the SEND operational processes including monitoring of quality and performance.
Ensure healths compliance with the legislation and spirit of the SEND Code of Practice leading to improved outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disability.
The post holder will ensure that the outcomes for disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs are maximised by working to improve quality of life, school absences, mental and physical health problems, personal autonomy and involvement in further education and employment, independent living and community inclusion.
To support Senior Commissioning Managers CYP with individual case work and commissioning of support packages where SEND is a significant issue, this may also include chairing MDT meetings or Care, Education and Treatment Reviews (CETRs) which is part of Transforming Care.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
o To work as part of the Wakefields Childrens Alliance in providing expert input into strategic and clinical planning, standard setting, and assurance process in service provision for children and young people with SEND. The post holder will be a source of expertise and specialist knowledge for all issues relating to the local and national SEND agendas, and where appropriate, encompassing safeguarding and children looked after. The post holder will provide specialised clinical advice in safeguarding and children looked after in association to SEND.
o Engage with social, education and health care providers and other stakeholders to promote the needs of SEND children including designated and named professionals for safeguarding and looked after children.
o Engage with, support, and facilitate the development of networks for a range of people who are involved in the delivery of the SEND agenda. For example, families, commissioners, service providers.
o Engage with regulators and commissioners to continue to develop high quality support and services in West Yorkshire ICB and Wakefield District.
o Provide support and advice on the framework and preparation of EHCPs to a sufficient and consistent high quality, and support resolution of operational issues.
o Work alongside the SEND lead within the community health provider service to ensure that identification, assessment, planning takes place, and that health advice is available for children and young people undergoing an education, health, and care needs assessment.
o Monitor the timely completion of relevant health assessment and reports for statutory EHC needs assessment.
o Resolution of disagreement on health issues / provision with parents and young people, and with the local authority.
o Work alongside others in relation to personal budget for health provision within EHC plans.
o Ensure the delivery of health provision in EHC plans is being made appropriately and meets the expected quality standard.
o Work with health providers and commissioners on the information requirements to monitor the care of children and young people with SEND.
o Work with partners in education, social care, and health to ensure that there are adequate quality assurance processes in place for EHC Plans.
o Support an effective partnership process for the coordination and transition to adult services for children and young people with an EHC Plan.
o Develop and maintain integrated and collaborative working arrangements with key stakeholders including the Local Authority SEND Team. Attend and actively participate in appropriate SEND board / partnership meetings at place and ICB level. Support collaborative working with the regional SEND leads
o Devise, review, manage and update policies and procedures in relation to SEND for WYICB, ensuring that they reflect the current statutory guidance.
o Disseminate the policies and procedures throughout the local health economy and enable understanding and compliance of their statutory responsibilities in relation to SEND reforms implementation.
o Ensure that governance and health components of SEND policy and procedures are updated and communicated. This may include identifying gaps and system solutions in the following areas of scope:
o Ensuring mechanisms are in place to assure the Childrens Alliance and the local authority about health providers early identification, assessment, advice, and intervention regarding children and young people with SEND and those requiring an education health and care plan.
o Respond to relevant Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), Health Needs Assessment (HNA) and any other local assessments requiring input from a health perspective.
o To provide information and advice relating to the ongoing review of the Local Offer.
o To support and represent WYICB in the complaints, mediation, disputes resolution and tribunal process relating to EHCPs.
Communications & Relationship Skills
o Develop and maintain integrated and collaborative working arrangements with key stakeholders, including the Wakefield SEND team to review and address any concerns in relation to processes for notification and requests related to education, health and care planning (assessment, care planning and review).
o To be part of the West Yorkshire network of DCOs and DMOs to share and learn from experiences and good practice.
o Lead and influence system and culture change across multiple organisations in relation to the SEND reforms.
o Engage and liaise with all relevant health service providers, including paediatricians, GPs, specialist nurses, therapists, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), 0 - 19 public health services, and continuing healthcare services to enable implementation of statutory requirements for SEND, and to decide with them an appropriate division of responsibilities.
o Work with partners in education, social and health care to ensure that the health needs of vulnerable groups (such as children looked after, the electively home educated, children and young people known to the youth offending service and those on a child protection plan) are understood, and that support is well co-ordinated from a health perspective.
o Advise education services, schools, and other relevant agencies (particularly social care) on health matters relevant to SEND.
o Communicate very sensitive, complex condition related information about children to patients, relatives with empathy and reassurance.
Analytical & Judgmental Skills
o To contribute to the local EHCP assessment process, by attendance at panels to approve requests for assessment and to confirm the health requirements within the EHCP.
o To support the escalation of operational issues in relation to the EHCP process for highly complex cases.
o Provide advice and guidance to health provider services and commissioners in relation to information and data requirements regarding children and young people including data on monitoring and future trends.
o Use evidence-based knowledge and research findings in critical decision making which involves judgements where highly complex facts and situations require analysis within a framework of clinical governance.
Planning & Organisational Skills
o Working as part of the Wakefield Childrens Alliance support effective joint commissioning of services that will meet the health, education, or social care needs of children with SEND. This will include ongoing reports of activity, demand, and service gaps.
o Ensure parents/carers, children and young people are involved in the development of services and contribute to ensuring that when services are commissioned by WYICB (Wakefield) incorporates the voice of children, young people, and their parents/carers.
o To act as an expert on the needs of children, young people with SEND and their families and have an excellent understanding of the SEND services provided by the NHS, local authority, schools, voluntary and community sector.
Policy and Service Development
o To lead on the development of polices and strategies, which as part of the Childrens Alliance which will work towards ensuring WY ICB (Wakefield) meets is statutory requirements under the Children And Families Act (2014)
o Provide advice to all organisations across the health and care community on the implementation of effective system audit, training, and supervision in relation to SEND Code of Practice (2014) and any subsequent amendments and guidance.
o Lead and oversee quality assurance and improvement across the health and care community for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
o Lead on the development of systems to monitor SEND performance in provider and commissioned services to meet national standards. And maintain oversight of these and ensure that relevant commissioner is aware of any issues in standards
o Work with the Childrens Alliance to provide support and challenge to senior medical colleagues such as Paediatrici
Patient/Client Care in order to ensure the children and young people receive the most appropriate care and services from health organisations, the post holder will be required to maintain clinical registration and competence by;
o Attending relevant regional and national continuing professional development activities to maintain knowledge and skills. This includes meeting professional organisation requirements as well as receiving specific training that relates to specialist activities.
o Receive clinical supervision as appropriate.
o Participate in staff professional development review at least annually. Formulate an annual personal and professional development plan.
