Evaluation of the SEND Pathfinder Programme: Early Findings

June 2012

Outline

The findings reported Are based on the first monitoring returns provided by all

Pathfinder sites Are sites own perceptions of progress

Cover the period to the end of March 2012 Are based around the Common Delivery Framework (CDF),

which sets out a series of themes and elements which it was anticipated each Pathfinder would need to address

Will be updated quarterly based on future monitoring submissions

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=Development not yet begun

=Early stage

development=

Partial development

=Full

implementation

=Already in place

prior to the Pathfinder

Movement left to right within the diagrams indicates increasing

progress

Pathfinder progress setting up governance structures by end of March 2012

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Quarter 4

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Quarter 3

A c

lea

r se

t of o

bje

ctiv

es

ha

ve b

ee

n a

gre

ed

0 5 10 15 20 25

Development not yet begun Early stage development Partial development Full implementation Already in place prior to becoming a Pathfinder

Number of Pathfinder areas

Substantial progress setting up governance structures Three quarters of areas (22) had their board or governance

structure fully in place Two thirds (19) had agreed a clear set of Pathfinder objectives

Stakeholder engagement4

There is a group of stakeholders that are common to almost all sites

…but also some less represented than might expect – but may reflect local

focus / circumstances

Good progress on staffing… but more mixed on other developments

Almost all areas had a designated Pathfinder lead in place, and three quarters had a nominated project manager

Wider restructuring had caused issues in some areas

Leads and Project Managers most often from education or a multiagency background

Most areas reported that they had at least partially developed commitment from education (28), social care (25) and health (25) to share resources signalling some collective responsibility

Far fewer had secured resource for the resultant service provision

Most of the Pathfinder areas had started to consider the development of their approaches to change management, market development and the local

… but many still perceived themselves to be in the early stages of developing these elements

5

Parent-carer and VCS involvement in the development of the Pathfinder

6

Pathfinder areas had made good progress in terms of engaging the VCS and parent/carers in the development of the Pathfinder

Although the majority of areas were still in the early stages (or had not yet begun) engaging children and young people in this development

Quarter 4

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Quarter 3

Quarter 4

Quarter 3

Enga

gem

ent

of p

aren

t ca

rers

in t

he d

evel

opm

ent

of t

he P

athfi

nder

0 5 10 15 20 25

Development not yet begun Early stage development Partial development Full implementation Already in place prior to becoming a Pathfinder

Number of Pathfinder areas

Overall it is a mixed picture across the areas7

19 judged at least a third of the 16 progress measures to be fully in place 13 were still in the early stages of developing (or had not yet begun) a third of

their progress measures

Progress engaging and involving families and young people to participate in the Pathfinder

Most had begun to consider raising awareness with families and young people

… but few had done soAs a result the numbers recruited to the end of March

were very smallBy early June the number recruited had risen to 129 –

but heavily dependent on one siteThe vast majority of those recruited were already in

receipt of SEN support… and 80% receiving specialist health support

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Progress setting up the Pathfinder infrastructure

By the end of March 2012 all Pathfinder areas had begun to develop their assessment and single plan pathway

Around half of the areas had reached ‘partial development’ of the assessment pathway and were considering A set of assessments (by different agencies) being brought together – 12 of 14

areas Single assessment episode supplemented by ad hoc specialist assessments – 8

of 14 areas

The most common planning approaches being considered by the 14 areas were Single planning events The use of a planning coordinator to create the plan with the family and liaise

with professionals from relevant agencies to obtain their input

Relatively few had progressed personal budgets, information sharing or risk management

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Key conclusions and implications10

• IMPLICATIONSCONCLUSIONS

•How to engage the stakeholders that have proven to be more difficult to engage or that may not be linked to the immediate target group, but will play a part in the development of a 0-25 yrs approach•How to ensure accountability of the resource that is required for the service packages

All areas had set up a Project Board/Governance structure,

which included engagement from the following stakeholders

•The extent to which operational staff had been actively engaged in the development of the Pathfinders was unclear•Change management of operational staff will be crucial, and needs progressed to fit with family recruitment

The majority of areas had a designated Lead and a Project Manager in post

•How areas can scale up their developing approach for the whole 0-25 yrs and for existing and new cases post the Pathfinder•To date most recruitment has been of families already in receipt of services•There is less progress on personal budgets and information sharing

Around half of the areas reporting they had at least

reached the partial development stage of their assessment and

single plan pathway

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Contact

Graham Thom

Director

SQW

t. 07766 916897

e. gthom@sqw.co.uk

w. www.sqw.co.uk

Meera Prabhakar

Senior Consultant

SQW

t. 07715 071574

e. mprabhakar@sqw.co.uk

w. www.sqw.co.uk