SCN0354

Written evidence from the National Association of Therapeutic Parents (NATP Ltd)

1. This submission is sent on behalf of the National Association of Therapeutic Parents (NATP Ltd) a not for profit organisation which provides support for parents who look after children with developmental trauma.

Executive Summary

2. Information and views have been gathered from parents who we support through our organisation. Parents were asked to give their views on the questions stipulated by the SEND review in the form of a questionnaire where they were asked to express their views on the SEND process. From this we had 24 parents who responded.

3. The main points in this submission include:

• Parents experiences of assessment and support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. (SEND)

• Parents Experiences of the transition from Statements of Special Educational Needs and Learning Disability Assessments to Education, Health and Care Plans.

• Views on the level and distribution of funding for SEND provision including the impact this has on individuals.

• Views on the roles and co-operation between Education, Health and Social Care sectors in relation to Education, Health and Care Plans. (e.g. positives and negatives)

         Parents experience of the provision for 19-25 year olds including support for independent living; transition to adult services; and access to education, apprenticeships and work.

Introduction

4. My name is Sair (Sarah) Penna and I am one of the Directors of NATP Ltd t/a the National Association of Therapeutic Parents. We work closely with parents to support them and the needs of their children through the use of Therapeutic Parenting. The NATP exists to provide support, education and resources for parents and supporting professionals relating to therapeutic parenting, effective interventions, compassion fatigue and the effects of early life trauma.
   
   We provide support in order to promote better outcomes for children who have suffered early life trauma, by significantly improving the consistency and quality of support available to Therapeutic Parents in the UK and Worldwide, regardless of whether they are Foster Parents, Adopters, Kinship Carers, Special Guardians, Step Parents, or Birth Parents.

5.     We are making this submission because children who experience early life trauma often need support in school, as a lot of children struggle with the school environment, transitions, academic work and the social side. As a result of early life trauma the child may experience Attachment issues, Sensory issues, Working memory issues or display behaviour patterns associated with these.

6.     School is one of the main issues which parents come to us asking for support on. A common theme this relates to is their child’s ability to cope with the day to day routine, and the emotional and cognitive developmental progression that they are making. We also have associate members of NATP who have joined in order to gain information and advice to support children within their settings. Associate members include supporting professionals who work in the education sector.

7.     From the parents who answered the survey the following common themes were picked out.

Parents experiences of assessment and support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

8. The following views were collated from responses:

1. Parents felt experience of support in some schools was good.
2. In general, there was recognition of the areas of vulnerability and good safeguarding plans in place.
3. Had good experience with the support from the school who have used the Pupil Premium effectively.
4. With reference to children placed with Foster Parents, the support from local authorities to obtain an EHCP which properly addresses the challenging difficulties was good.
5. Parents felt schools have very limited understanding of attachment difficulties, and disorders associated with this and how these present in school. For instance fear triggered behaviour (anxiety, masking, emotional dysregulation)
6. Some parents felt it was hard to get an assessment, for children. Assessment took a long time to be completed.
7. Parents felt some schools minimise or do not acknowledge the difficulties that a child experience in an educational setting.
8. Some parents felt support was only offered once the child’s behaviour became an issue in the school. They expressed this should be preventative and not crisis support.
9. Some parents felt that looked after children receive priority over biological children regardless of need.
10. Some Parents felt there was a lot of discussion and form filling but no actual application of strategies.

Parents Experiences of the transition from Statements of Special Educational Needs and Learning Disability Assessments to Education, Health and Care Plans.

9. The following views were collated from responses:

1. Promoting independence in post 16 young people seems to be key task but not very well balanced with understanding individual needs and history and safeguarding person. Emotional age over chronological age had not been taken into account.
2. Some parents felt that they did not have prior statements and were waiting for school support for EHCP application over a year after requesting it.
3. Parents felt that the transfer was a slow process taking up to 4 years in some cases.  Some thought it was late, and rushed.
4. School had not viewed trauma and high functioning Autism and Attachment Disorder a need to apply for EHCP. Only higher needs funding.
5. Transition to EHCP was late and rushed- parents felt they had to arrange for the reports from professionals.

6. Some parents found the process was straightforward and didn’t really need to change anything.

Views on the level and distribution of funding for SEND provision including the impact this has on individuals.

10. Parents views have been summarised below;

i.            Need to get assessments right to ensure needs are being identified properly.

ii.            Children living out of area for example - living in Wales but from an English Local Authority. Foster parents and children fall between gaps in the service, lack of funding.

iii.            Some parents were unaware of any funding being directed towards their children in mainstream school.

iv.            More focus on essential services regarding diagnosis’  (example given: wait 18 months for CAMHS. But the Adoption Support Fund would not pay for private assessments)

v.            Funding had only been spent on children when they've been in crisis and become a problem for the school.

vi.            Some parents felt adopted and looked after children have almost no appropriate provision unless violent and then there seem to be a handful of places.

vii.            SEND funding for provision in mainstream school is sporadic depending on regions, it is almost impossible to get in some areas.

viii.            Some parents felt children were being failed daily because schools do not understand things like attachment, foetal alcohol syndrome, sensory issues etc.

ix.            Some parents felt there was not enough provision in school and that Pupil Premium should be used for a specific child.

x.            Some felt that the Pupil Premium wasn’t enough. e.g. If a child needs 1:1 support the Pupil Premium barely covers a 30min a week session along with other support that is needed for that child. This means that support is only available at set times and if the child needs something at another time this can prove difficult to manage.

xi.            Some felt the local authority is was stretched as is the school’s own resources.

xii.            Non- existent.

xiii.            Takes too long for help to be put in place.

xiv.            Some parents felt that the process was having a negative impact on their child because of the lack of the right nurture and support.

Views on the roles and co-operation between Education, Health and Social Care sectors in relation to Education, Health and Care Plans. (e.g. positives and negatives)

11. The following views were collated from responses:

1. Some Parents felt there was a lack of communication between all departments,  lack of sharing appropriate information left parents feeling they had to repeat everything over again. 
2. Some felt that professionals who had worked for some time with the child and contributed to the assessment were not included in the first draft. Private diagnosis’ were not taken in to account only NHS diagnoses. Education seemed to not recognise social care input.
3. Some felt there was no communication and each party seems to work separately and then come together at the end of the process. The parent had to coordinate a vast amount of work on behalf of the child because of a lack of understanding.
4. Some Parents felt that there was some lack of communication between services but generally they seemed to work ok together.

Parents experience of the provision for 19-25 year olds including support for independent living; transition to adult services; and access to education, apprenticeships and work

12. The following views were collated from responses:

1. Some parents felt there is little support for transitions as they get older. Suggestions were made that those living with families who provide good care are often masking the problems – e.g. young person would not be able to work independent or present properly dressed for the day at college.
2. Some parents received no help for the young person.
3. Some parents felt a lack of understanding was given to the young person’s emotional age, and that the abilities of the person were based on their chronological age. What they should be doing as opposed to what they can do.
4. Some parents felt that placements for education and apprenticeships are hard to come by particularly for the 16 to 25 age bracket and not enough consideration is given to young people who have additional needs or trauma in their early life.

Recommendations which we would like the Committee to consider.

13. From our survey and the summarisation of the results, we make the following recommendations based on the parents views from our survey.

1. Schools to have gain a sound knowledge of attachment issues and developmental trauma, in order to understand the child’s survival based behaviour which they may display.

2. To provide fluidity in the support given in relation to EHCP process, to Looked after children who were placed in Wales but from an English Local Authority.

3. Schools to have sufficient training in using strategies which support children with developmental trauma.

4. The Education Sector (Schools) Social Services and Health Care team to maintain open communication with parents and each other throughout the EHCP process.

5. Support for 19 plus to be considered based on their emotional age and abilities as opposed to their chronological age, in order to offer the correct support for the young person.

6. EHCP assessment to take on board private assessments from specialists in the field, in relation to where diagnoses’ have been given.

October 2018