Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Reading SEND Local Offer · people, which resulted in creating the following posters and flyers. The Family Information Service deliver the SEND Local

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Family Information Service/SEND Local Offer Annual Report 2019/2020


Reading – SEND Local Offer

Annual Report 2019-2020

www.reading.gov.uk/sendlocaloffer

Produced by the Family Information Service/SEND Local Offer – January 2020




Introduction The Children and Families Act 2014 requires that all Local Authorities publish an Annual Report on Special Educational Needs and Disability this includes the Local Offer. This report will provide a ‘snapshot’ of what has been achieved over the past year working with parent/carers, young people, schools, community and voluntary organisation and our plans for the future in maintaining and developing the information. The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice states that the purpose of the Local Offer is:

• To provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about the provision available and how to access it

• To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving disabled children and those with SEN, their parents, disabled young people and those with SEN, also service providers in its development and review

More information on what the Local Offer should include is in the SEN (Local Offer) regulations 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015 - chapter 4. To ensure Reading is meeting the requirements of the Children and Families Act 2014 we must also ensure that we continue to:

• Consult with all partners on the information available on the Local Offer.

• Involve children, their parents and young people in the preparation and review of the Local Offer.

• Publish comments on the Local Offer

• Ensure that the information is accessible to everyone Prior to the SEND Code of Practice, Reading already provided a DISC Information Service through the Family Information Service, a tailored specialist service for parents, carers and young people with SEND. The Local Offer is an extension of this service. However during 2018 we made some subtle changes to increase awareness of the word ‘Local Offer’ in relation to SEND Information, one of the changes included having a dedicated [email protected] inbox from which all updates to parent carers and professionals are sent, this is the main inbox for all Local Offer related enquiries. These small changes have raised the profile of the Local Offer in

mailto:[email protected]





Reading. We have also created a dedicated URL so that parent carer can access the site quickly www.reading.gov.uk/sendlocaloffer The Family Information Service delivers the SEND Local Offer on behalf of Brighter Futures for Children.

Working in Partnership Reading works closely with the Pan Berkshire Local Offer Group, which includes Reading, West Berkshire, Bracknell Forest, Windsor & Maidenhead, Wokingham and Slough Borough Councils; through this we are able to share information and best practice with other local authorities. Representatives from Parent Carer forums actively take part in this group. With the Local Offers being more imbedded as part of the SEND information, the group has become more virtual. We have worked collaboratively with our neighbouring LA’s which hugely benefits parent carers, children and young people; it means that we are able to seamlessly share information on services that can be accessed by families in neighbouring local authorities. This has been particularly beneficial in regards to schools information, support services, leisure and recreational activities, this has ultimately benefited our families being able to access a range of services. Through the Pan Berkshire Group we have worked closely with colleagues within Berkshire Health Foundation Trust (BHFT) to ensure robust information on children and young people’s health services are easily accessible through the Local Offer. The feedback from parent carers was that they wanted one platform where they could access all information including health. We worked in partnership to set up a ‘syndication’ area through our database system provider which allows us to extract information directly from the BHFT website and publish on the Local Offer. This enables the user to access ‘live’ up to date information on BHFT services and avoids discrepancies and duplication. Reading also worked in partnership with Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) and hosts all the service records. Parent carers can access this information directly from the Local Offer. Reading is also a key partner in the SE19 Co-production, Participation and Local Offer group, and lead on aspects of the development of Local Offers. We are also part of the CCG joint implementation group, leading on aspects of the Local Offer. During 2019, Reading took part in our 3rd Local Offer Peer review, previously under taken with Portsmouth and West Sussex, supported by Reading Families Forum. Our third peer review was with the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead which took place in November 2019 – outcomes of the reviews have been posted on the Local Offer.

http://www.reading.gov.uk/sendlocaloffer




We have good working partnerships with community, faith and voluntary sectors in Reading, and we use this relationship to support families contacting the service for help and information. Communication – Promotion of the Local Offer Promoting and raising the profile of the Local Offer to families who have a child or young person with SEND is essential. We have a rolling outreach programme and communication plan, to ensure we continue to increase awareness and usage of the SEND Local Offer. Available 9am – 5pm (Mon – Fri) via phone service, face to face, social media platforms and through partnership working. Working in partnership with other practitioners and organisation is a good way of getting the message out in to the wider Reading community, especially as the SEND Local Offer is bigger than just a website. Below is a ‘snap shot’ of the services we have worked with and are involved with in promoting the SEND Local Offer. FIS/SEND Local Offer have representation on the SEND Strategy Board and the Short Breaks strand of the strategy. We attended and engaged at 113 outreach, events and meetings (January 2019 - December 2019) to increase awareness of the SEND Local Offer, we also worked with the following organisations to support families

Reading Families Forum

Brighter Futures for Children

Alafia (ACRE) Schools (SENCO)

Autism Berkshire Children’s Single Point of Access

FiFi Vision Dingley Craven Road

Parenting Special Children

CAMHS Reading Mencap Carers Hub

Reading Voluntary Action

Dingley Promise Reading Libraries SEND IASS

Job Centre Plus The Avenue School

Health Colleagues, BHFT, RBH, CCG

Neighbourhood Groups

Early Years Team Brookfields School

Portage Faith Groups

Children Centres Jenna Redmond ASC group

SEN & CYPDT Team

Childcare Providers

Early Help Special United, young people’s forum

Elevate Other PVI Sector organisation supporting SEND

Adult Social Care Reading Arts Swings & Smiles Me2 Club

New Beginnings Berkshire Vision Berkshire Deaf Children’s Society

Sensory Consortium




Reading Rep Mustard Tree Communicare Welfare Rights

In 2018 we worked in partnership with Reading Families Forum and the SEN Team. Using the feedback from parent carers and young people, it was clear we needed some dedicated SEND Local Offer publicity to help with raising the profile and awareness of the SEND Local Offer. We ran a consultation with Reading Families Forum, parent carers and young people, which resulted in creating the following posters and flyers. The Family Information Service deliver the SEND Local Offer on behalf of Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC) therefore we are looking at re-branding the publicity in 2020, this will be done in partnership with Reading Families Forum and Special United.

SEND Local Offer Poster

SEND Local Offer Flyer (Above)




Local Offer – The Journey So Far…. We Asked, You Said, We Did Parent carers, young people and all practitioners are regularly asked to provide feedback about the Local Offer, this helps us to develop and improve the information. We have a dedicated page on the SEND Local Offer - Local Offer Feedback & Consultations where we publish all feedback. Below is the feedback from parent carers, young people and practitioners about the Local Offer during 2019. You can view feedback from previous years by visiting - http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=pTV5YgqMfbQ ‘You Said’ ‘We did’

Parent carers reviewed the Transport section of the SEND Local Offer.

The pages look good thank you. All links go to the most up to date RBC school transport policy

Other points:

• The school transport is not "discretionary" but statutory.

• There are no longer statements just EHCPs

• The links to the Reading Wheelchair Travel and Transport for London Elizabeth line don't work and throw you out of the Local Offer.

(January 2019)

All points raised in the feedback were actioned and updated on the SEND Local Offer.

A new link was sourced for the Wheel Chair transport

Voluntary Organisation Feedback - they wanted to see more information on Day Services for young people 16+. The Adults directory had information but they wanted details of services for young people.

(February 2019)

We researched the information and worked alongside the voluntary organisation, parent carers and colleagues from the adults team. With the information gathered, we created a sub section under Transition 16-25 section on the SEND Local Offer, named Day Services, all available services were tagged under this section for parent carers to access.

Feedback from Parent Carer about mental health support and services available for young people. The information is currently available on the SEND Local Offer, under Special Needs Support. However the parent

We took the feedback from the parent and actioned the request. A new sub category box was created under the Special Needs section, called Mental Health.

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=pTV5YgqMfbQ















carer wanted the information to be more accessible, by adding a 'green' box like we have done for other categories.

(March 2019)

Feedback from Parent Carers - Reading Leisure Centres - There needs to be clearer information about what they offer to children and young people with additional needs on their website, and publications.

(March 2019)

Followed up with the Reading Leisure team, they have now added the following on to their website.

Our activities are suitable for all abilities and are intended to be inclusive for children and young people with SEND, and their families. Please contact your chosen centre directly if you wish to discuss individual requirements.

The above has also been added to their record available to parent carers on our SEND Local Offer

Parent carer feedback at the Living With Autism Group (LWA) organised by Jenna, BFfC. Outreach event.

We did a talk to 18 parent carers about the SEND Local Offer. The topic today was Sensory, which fitted in nicely as we are currently reviewing the Sensory section of the SEND Local Offer. 11 parent enquires for further information and support were taken. One parent fed back that they really like the regular 'information' emails sent out by Local Offer, and finds the information very helpful, however suggested we add 'Local Offer' in the subject type for her to easily identify emails from us, this ensures she will read them. The information does go out from the local offer inbox, however on a smart device having the wording in the subject type would really help.

(March 2019)

We now add 'Local Offer' in the subject then the name of the event/activity to help parent carers access the information more efficiently.

Parent Carer Feedback - wanted to find out where they can access a copy or information on easy to read guide to local elections.

(April 2019)

We currently did not have this information in our 16-25 section of the SEND Local Offer. After this request, we have now uploaded links on the 16-25 section landing page, and also added to the Policies page.

https://www.mencap.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-mencap/elections/easy-read-guide-voting-local-elections

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/journalist/electoral-commission-media-









https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/journalist/electoral-commission-media-centre/to-keep/new-easy-read-guide-helps-people-with-learning-disabilities-to-vote









centre/to-keep/new-easy-read-guide-helps-people-with-learning-disabilities-to-vote

Parent Carer Feedback from reviewing the Sensory Impairment page on the SEND Local Offer.

The sensory section looks very good to me - I like the way it defines it at the beginning i.e. sight and hearing. I did wonder, as a lot of autistic children suffer from sensory issues like noise, smell, crowds, lighting - which effects behaviour - whether something could be mentioned - otherwise it seems it is just hearing and sight according to your page. Maybe Autism Berkshire might have a view on this? Perhaps they would be willing to be mentioned for advice and Parenting Special Children.

(April 2019)

Based on the feedback provided, we have added a link to the Autism Berkshire and Parenting Special Children pages on the Local Offer. We have also emailed both organisations to review the page and to provide feedback.

Sensory Impairment and ‘what is sensory impairment’ pages, in accordance with the feedback we received http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=yjdblhTe_x0

Parent Carer Feedback -

The common questions and information section on the Contact website looks really good and might be a useful resource to have on our Local Offer.

(April 2019)

We updated and reviewed the information we had on Readings Local Offer about 'Contact', update the core information, and added a link to the Common Question tool on their website - http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=pNEdmuhpMeE&familychannel=3

Parent Feedback - Whilst attending the Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) event organised by Parenting Special Children, it was bought to our attention we need to create a record which provided information to parent carers about PDA. Parent fed back that they would really like more information on the Local Offer about PDA.

(April 2019)

New advice and guidance page create - http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=M4aqLevqRMY What is Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)?

Parent Carer Feedback - feedback from parent carers that they would like a dedicated section under Health & Social care listing Home Care Provider who offer a service to under 25 year olds.

(April 2019)

We took on this feedback and have now set up a dedicated search box (green box) under health & social care, which includes details of services parent carers and young people can access. http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/family.action?familychannel=3-13

Parent Carer Feedback - review of the Sensory section of the SEND Local Offer.

The programme was a pdf document, which is date sensitive. To avoid having out of date information on this section, we have now added



http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=yjdblhTe_x0




http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=pNEdmuhpMeE&familychannel=3






http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=M4aqLevqRMY




http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/family.action?familychannel=3-13









Had a detailed look at some of the links and they all seem fine apart from the only one I would query is under speech and language downloads. The programme is out of date.

(May 2019)

a link directly to the Children Centre's landing page on the Reading Services Guide, where the information is updated and reviewed on a regular basis.

Parent Carer and Professionals review of the current Care Passport.

Parent carers who complete the children & young people’s disability register, then have the option to complete and use the care passport. Parent carers fed back that some of the questions needed to be reviewed and updated, we also took this opportunity to update the logo and replace with the BFfC branding. The care passport was reviewed by Reading Families Forum, staff from RBC and BFfC, and voluntary sector organisation. (June 2019)

We started the review process around March 2019, held some workshops, and task and finish groups with parent carers and professionals. The final version was signed off by the SEND Strategy Group, and the new version was updated on the live site in June 2019.

Feedback from Reading Families Forum (RFF)

Suggestion to add an organisation called Tree of Hope to the SEND Local Offer. The Chair of RFF and FIS/SEND Local Offer looked in to the organisations offer, and how there service could help Reading families

A record was created on the SEND Local Offer - http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=2yFR8aF-LUo

Feedback from Reading Families Forum.

It was identified at the Strand 4, Transitions to Adulthood that there was a resource available through an organisation called Speak Up Self Advocacy. This resource would benefit young people as they offer easy read documents.

(September 2019)

A record was created on the Local Offer, providing information to parent carer and young people. This information is also added to the SEND Local Offer 16+ newsletter, which is widely used by further educational settings and schools.

Link to the record on the Local Offer - http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=NwIs2Od1VoM

Feedback from Reading Families Forum

Parent carer fed back that it would be really useful to have Nasen listed on the Local Offer. Nasen provides training, resources etc. to help practitioners working with children and young people with SEND.

(September 2019)

Record created on the Local Offer, link also sent to the Early Years team, to cascade to childcare settings. Link to the record on the Local Offer - http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=jyIqMK3CZRw

Feedback from Reading Families Forum - Parent Carers

We spoke to the triage coordinator at Emotional Health Academy (EHA) and they confirmed





http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=2yFR8aF-LUo




http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=NwIs2Od1VoM




http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=jyIqMK3CZRw







Parent carers wanted information about the mental health, and emotional health support service for Reading children who attend a West Berkshire school, or have a West Berkshire GP service.

(October 2019)

that a free triage service was available to children and young people who live in Reading but attending a West Berkshire School, or are accessing a West Berkshire GP service.

Based on this information we now have information available on Reading's Local Offer, informing parent carers about this service.

Education Health & Care Plans (EHCP)

Reading Families Forum worked with the Family Information Service/SEND Local Offer and SEN to review the information on the Local Offer about EHCP's

(November 2019)

The following pages were reviewed, to ensure the information was up to date and accurate for parent carers accessing the SEND Local Offer.

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=pjbEBusSx4o

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=fT_TOtKeGMc

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=D_udN2jjy-o

Royal Berkshire Hospital - Paediatric Occupational Therapy, Dingley Child Development Centre

Parent carers (Reading Families Forum) fed back that they wanted clear links and referral process for the RBH OT, this was followed up with staff at RBH and BHFT to firstly make sure the referral process was on their own websites, and it was clear which service the parent carer could access.

(November 2019)

Referral process was added to the RBH website on the Dingley pages, a link was then added to their record listed on the Local Offer, and the record was further enhanced to make it an easier read, with appropriate links.

Link to the record on the Local Offer - http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=5GWDfxOaQsA

Feedback from professional (SENCO)

Child that is currently attending a setting who is a wheelchair user, the child is due to start mainstream school in September 2020, and will have an EHCP in place before then. The SENCO has been supporting the family to find a primary school in Reading that is fully wheelchair accessible, however without calling every school she would find it hard to access this information. The SENCO contacted FIS/Local Offer for help.

(December 2019)

We had a number of schools who had stated on their record listed on the Local Offer about wheelchair accessibility. However the parent carer and professional wanted an easier more efficient way to search and and identify this information. FIS/Local Offer, contacted all the primary schools and requested this information. The wheelchair accessible filter was ticked on all the schools who were fully wheelchair accessible, so that users can easily filter out these schools.

New Me2 Club in Reading. Parent carers and young people have been asking for the Me2 Club for many years, and through the hard work of RFF and BFfC bidding

























http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=5GWDfxOaQsA









For many years parent carers and young people have been asking for a club like Me2 to be available in Reading. The club was available in our neighbouring borough Wokingham and is very popular with young people.

(December 2019)

for the project to expand in to Reading, our children and young people can now take advance of this fabulous project.

Link to the record on the Local Offer, where you can find out more about Me2 - http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=E0hgCZUGA4I

SEND Local Offer Entries on the Website The Local Offer information and the range of services available have increased each year; FIS proactively research and create records on services available to families in Reading. We work closely with internal and external partners to ensure families have access to services which could support their family’s needs. The information below provides a breakdown of services available under each section.

Categories Number of Records 2015/2016

Number of Records 2017/2018

Number of Records 2018/2019

Number of records 2019/2020

Carers Advice & Support

41 72 76 86

Early Years & Childcare

88 108 150 154

Education, Schools & Services

122 131 128 125

Health & Social Care

120 88 107 122

Sensory Impairment

31 37 40 43

Short Breaks 28 38 46 44

Special Needs Activities

117 151 170 192

Special Needs Support

201 236 258 301

Transition 16 – 25

205 260 284 302

Transport 9 9 7 7

Special needs support is one of our most asked for information, along with special needs activities and short breaks, therefore we proactively research

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=E0hgCZUGA4I







and develop these areas on the Local Offer to meet the needs of Reading families. Due to parent and young people’s demand we have increased the information available under Transition 16+, however there is more work to be done in this section for 2019/2020. During 2019 a new guide was developed in partnership by BFfC, RBC, RFF and Mencap to inform parent carers and young people about transitions in to adulthood - www.brighterfutruesforchildren.org All of the above categories are supported by robust advice and guidance pages, which provide more information and pathways to access services etc. Some of the advice and guidance pages are harvested from BHFT and NHS where appropriate. Parent feedback has been very positive on the harvested information, as they are able to find all the information on one platform. In order to make the user experience more efficient we have created sub headings under each section, so that the user can access the information they are looking for quickly, this is regularly reviewed by parent carers. We are also utilising the ‘Panel App’ where we have created short links to information, the following page provides a good example to the health information landing page - http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/family.action?familychannel=3-13 In order to meet accessibly we have a ‘glossary app’ that provides an explanation where an acronym is used on the Local Offer. This has been particularly useful for parent carers. Website Statistics SEND Local Offer is part of the ‘all services hub’ which includes Adults, Family Information Service and Youth; this provides huge benefits to families accessing information. The records are integrated and can be accessed through simultaneous routes. The Web stats below include the data for the whole site, using Google analytics which picks up the landing page information, also the Open Objects own web stats which provide data on individual records visited by users.

MONTH YEAR WEB HITS - Google Data

Google 'Session' Data

Open Objects Web Stats

January 2019 52,740 hits, 42,513 unique visits

24,417 106,839 page requests - 64,219 unique sessions

http://www.brighterfutruesforchildren.org/

http://www.brighterfutruesforchildren.org/








February 2019 44,827 hits, 35,828 unique visits


March 2019 49,138 hits, 39,771 unique visits


April 2019 49,138 hits, 39,901 unique visits


May 2019 50,528 hits, 41,124 unique visits


June 2019 49,191 hits, 38,694 unique visits


July 2019 50,981 hits, 41,375 unique visits


August 2019 46,017 hits, 36,945 unique visits


September 2019 59,367 hits, 47,269 unique visits


October 2019 56,287 hits, 45,217 unique visits


November 2019 51,182 hits, 41,591 unique visits


December 2019 37,721 hits, 31,039 unique visits

20,417 210,582 page request - 154874 unique sessions

Local Offer Additional Support – Brokerage Enquiries & Support As part of the support provided to families who have a child or young person with SEND - Between 1st January 2019 – 31st December 2019 – the Family Information Service/SEND Local Offer provided in depth information, advice and guidance to 396 (which includes families who contacted the service with a SEND enquiry, also providing brokerage to access services, on support, childcare, schools, health, special needs activities, short breaks, carers support etc.). This area of our work has significantly increased with requests for




support of children/young people with more complex needs, the demand for brokerage is increasing. A note from the Chair of Reading Families Forum (RFF)

"The Local Offer has continued to work in real partnership with parent carers and young people with SEND to develop the local offer, updating the information and ensuring it is user friendly. The Local Offer team have attended several events to inform parent carers of the Local Offer and always attend the half-termly Special United youth forum events to hear what information young people want. They do an excellent job in promoting the Local Offer and ensuring information is accessible." Ramona Bridgman, Chair of Reading Families’ Forum. The Reading Services Guide – SEND Local Offer Feedback Survey 2018-2019 The SEND Local Offer feedback survey was co-produced with Reading Families Forum and published on 28th October 2019 and closed 2nd December 2019. A total of 54 parent carers, young people and professionals completed the survey. Full survey feedback can be viewed on the Local Offer Feedback Page Highlights from the Local Offer Feedback Survey

1. Type of person taking part in the survey

Parent 77.78%

Young person 1.85%

Carer 0%

Relative 5.56%

Voluntary Organisation 1.85%

SENCO 7.41%

Early Years Practitioner 3.70%

Not Answered 0.0%

Social Worker 1.85%

Users were asked if they were aware of how to access the SEND Local Offer on the Reading Services Guide, 79% answered YES. When asked if they had used the SEND Local Offer 66% answered YES. When asked what information was accessed on the SEND Local Offer the top five came up as, 37% stated special needs activities, 35% Education & Schools, 27% Special Needs Support, 25% Childcare & Early Years and 24% Education Health & Care Plans – (see report for full details)










When asked if they found the information they were looking for on the SEND Local Offer, 70% stated YES. When asked how did they find out about the SEND Local Offer, 44% - Family Information Service/SEND Local Offer Team, 16% Special Educational Needs Team (SEN), 14% Didn’t know about the SEND Local Offer, 12% School, 5% Voluntary & Community Groups, 3% Children & Young Peoples Disability Team. When asked what they liked about the SEND Local Offer, 33% - Easy to Navigate, 33% - Comprehensive Information, 24% - Search list Filters Options, 22% Advice & Guidance pages, 18% - Accessibility, 12% Look & Feel and 11% - Other. Users were asked if they received the weekly SEND Local Offer information email updates, of which 68% answered YES and 29% answered No (of which 14 have now requested to be added to the mailing list). 25% found the SEND Local Offer Newsletter ‘very useful and informative’, 27% found it ‘Useful’. 24% of those who took part in the survey would like to take part in future reviews of the SEND Local Offer. Full report can be viewed on the Local Offer Feedback Page Feedback Options on the SEND Local Offer Everyone accessing the services listed on the SEND Local Offer can provide feedback through the ‘rate & review’ this option is available on all service records listed within the Local Offer directory. There is also a ‘contact us page’ which provides email and contact details for the Family Information Service/SEND Local Offer. Parent/carers and professionals can contact the Family Information Service/SEND Local Offer Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm; they also have the option to email the service [email protected] alternatively if they need to see someone face to face, they can come in to the Civic Office.

Feedback from parent carers, young people and professionals is very important to ensure the information available on the SEND Local Offer meets the needs of children, young people and their families, therefore we have another option, a ‘Feedback’ button which is accessible on all the pages. It offers a quick and easy option to provide feedback.








Family Information Service (FIS)/SEND Local Offer have a cohort of parents who are members of Reading Families Forum that provides regular feedback on the SEND Local Offer. Sections of the SEND Local Offer are reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Category Reviewed

Transport February 2019

Sensory Impairment May 2019

Policies, Pathways & Documents August 2019

Carers Advice & Support November 2019

Education Health & Care Plans (EHCP) December 2019

All feedback is reviewed, actioned and published on the SEND Local Offer Feedback Page Publications to Support the SEND Local Offer (Newsletters) Since 2009 the Family Information Service have produced a DISC Newsletter which provided information on events, new legislation, SEND support services, SEND activities etc. The DISC newsletter is an established and well used resource by families in Reading. In essence it is a collection of services from the SEND Local Offer, provided in a format that many parents/carers like, especially those who have limited or no access to the internet. Parent carers recognise the DISC branding, however they are still not familiar with the word ‘Local Offer’ therefore we have worked hard during 2018 and 2019 to increase awareness of the ‘Local Offer’. One of the main changes is that we have gradually reduced the use of the word DISC, which has now been totally replaced with ‘SEND Local Offer’, this change has reduced confusion and has increased awareness of the SEND Local Offer. The newsletter continues to be produced three times a year, in spring, summer and winter and remains to be a very popular publication with families. This is supported by regular weekly update emails from the [email protected] inbox. Due to an increased demand in requests from parent carers and young people (Transition) we also produce a SEND Local Offer 16+ Newsletter. There are currently 1,251 families who have a child or young person with SEND, and 313 professionals (these include schools, voluntary and community organisation, and groups supporting families) that have signed up to receive regular updates. 181 (January 2019 – December 2019) information emails were sent to families keeping them informed about activities, events, surveys etc.










during 2019. This list is also widely used by other organisations wanting to cascade information to families. SEND Local Offer Newsletters SEND Local Offer 16+ Newsletter ‘We would thoroughly recommend anyone who has a child with a disability or

special educational needs in Reading joins the Local Offer’s mailing list. So much

useful information about events, activities and services is circulated; much of

which you may not otherwise hear about’. Reading Mencap (December 2019)

The Disabled Children & Young People's Register (DCR) - is a secure database which aims to capture information about all children and young people aged 0-25 years with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) living within Reading Borough area. The information provided is used anonymously to show the use of and demand for services in Reading. The information also helps us to plan, monitor and develop appropriate facilities and services for disabled children, young people and their families. The register was planned and co-produced with representatives from Reading Families Forum, and reviewed by RFF during 2019. Everyone who registers is given the option to take up the offer of a free Max Card. The scheme enables families to visit lots of attractions across the UK at a free or discounted rate. We currently have 469 children and young people registered. (December 2019) Care Passport – Parent carers who have registered on the DCR have the option to complete a care passport for their child or young person. The information is inputted by the family for the child, this information can be used to assist groups the child attends in finding out how to support that young person.

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=lcc_7CWKv_8

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=lcc_7CWKv_8

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=w2dtpLKv968

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=w2dtpLKv968

http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/dcr.page

http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/dcr.page




Special United – Young People Forum

Special United is a youth forum/youth group run by Reading Families Forum (RFF), which is a small, local charity working with children and families with SEND (Special Needs & Disabilities). The youth group, Special United is for children/young people/young adults with SEND, between the ages 8-25, living in the Reading Borough area and their siblings. The purpose of the group is to provide a platform for young people to have their say on services provided for them locally. Speakers are invited in to talk to the young people about the service they provide. So that they are aware of the service, what it offers how to access it and whether it would suit their needs? The young people then feedback their thoughts, opinions & experience of the service directly to the provider, influencing services and future provision so that it hopefully becomes more suited to them and their needs. Family Information Service/SEND Local Offer works closely with the co-ordinator to help promote the group and attend all the sessions held. During 2019 we attended the following session organised by Special United.

• Chicken & Chip Supper – January 2019 – Sports & Leisure

• Pizza Evening – February 2019 – Health - Associate Director of Nursing

• Chinese Takeaway Evening – April 2019 – Youth Clubs

• McDonalds Evening – June 2019 – Mental Health Support

• Mr Cod Evening – September 2019 – SEN Team

• Pizza Evening – November 2019 – Special Needs Activities/Short Breaks/SEND Local Offer

Special United have a dedicated area on the Local Offer – CLICK to find out more. A blog is provided by the Chair of RFF after each session. We also have a ‘You Said, We Did’ section on the Special United page, evidencing the feedback the young people have provided about the Local Offer

http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/reading/directory/family.action?familychannel=3-16


http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=PZvYS96zEyE

http://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/service.page?id=PZvYS96zEyE

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_jan_19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_jan_19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_feb_19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_feb_19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_apr_19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_apr_19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_jun_19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_jun_19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_sep19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_sep19.pdf

https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/reading/enterprise/files/special_united_event_nov_19_1.pdf









and other services. During 2019 young people from Special United also took part in the SEND Local Offer peer review, providing feedback on Windsor & Maidenhead LA Local Offer. Below are the feedback forms that young people complete, to provide feedback about the SEND Local Offer.

What is next for the Local Offer – 2020 - 2021? We have made good progress with the Reading’s SEND Local Offer over the last year, however to ensure we continue to improve and develop it further, we need to: Ensure continued promotion to families, children & young people, health, voluntary and community services and statutory services. Encourage our partners to raise awareness of the SEND Local Offer with families they are supporting Monitor, and identify gaps in the provision of information, and further improve the SEND Local Offer, meeting the needs of Reading families, children and young people Respond to ongoing feedback and aim to make changes where possible Continue to work with Reading Families Forum as part of our co-production and participation, to ensure the information meets the needs of Reading families




Better engage with young people in the production and review of the SEND Local Offer Feedback from Parent Carers and Practitioners Below is a ‘snap shot’ of some of the feedback we have received during 2019.

Feedback from staff at a

special needs school - Thank

you so much for coming

along today and supporting

our futures fair. We really

appreciate you taking the

time to provide our students

with information about the

service you offer. (February

2019)

Feedback from a

parent carer - Many

thanks for the

information you

sent me about

support for children

with dyslexia, it was

really helpful and

much appreciated.

(February 2019)

Parent Carer Feedback about a gymnastic club, for children

& young people with additional needs, listed on the SEND

Local Offer - I can personally recommend Virtue I as a

special needs parent named this class after the very amazing

manager came to me to ask for advice to make a better

suited class for our daughters. I really hope the club can

benefit many more children with special needs and make

them realise that what they can achieve is truly "limitless".

(April 2019)

Feedback from a health visitor - Wow, that’s

thank you for all this, really helpful. I have

just spoken with parents who have agreed for

a Portage referral in the first

instance.Thanks again (January 2019)

Feedback from a school SENCo -

This is so helpful, thank you so

much. I’ll forward it to parents now

and let you know if they manage to

access care successfully. Thanks

again (January 2019)




More feedback comments can be viewed on the SEND Local Offer Feedback Page

Parent Carer Feedback, after an

outreach session attended by

FIS/SEND Local Offer held by

Reading Families Forum (Krazy

Play Day Coffee Evening) - It was

lovely meeting you last night at

Krazy Play Days. My wife and me

would like to thank both of you

for your time and your precious

advises. (July 2019)

Parent Carer Feedback,

reviewing the Sensory

section of the Local Offer

- I've had a good look

through and it all seems

very thorough, detailed and

lots of information. (May

2019)

Feedback from a Social Worker from

Oxfordshire Council - they were transferring

a child from Oxford to a Reading family

under special guardianship, and therefore

contacted FIS/SEND Local Offer to find out

if there were any organisation that offered

courses or workshops for special guardians.

We were able to sign post them to Parenting

Special Children, in Reading who offered a

tailored courses and support, they also offer

special events. The social worker commented

'thank you so much, it's lovely to speak to

another local authority that has such fantastic

information' the social worker was using the

Reading Local Offer to access the

information. (September 2019)

Feedback from Professionals - 'I had

a meeting this morning with the

Housing team. During our meeting,

colleague mentioned that his team

have been able to provide information

to tenants regarding the funding

entitlements due to the FIS SEND

Local Offer pages.

They did say that the FIS page was

really informative and useful in

comparison to other RBC pages and

was also able to advise tenants they

can look for childcare by filtering to

those closest to their postcode. (August

2019)



http://www.reading.gov.uk/fis

http://www.reading.gov.uk/fis



