South West News
Please note that this website will stay online until the beginning of September 2008 but will not be updated after 31st March 2008.
Click on the headline to find out more!
May 2008
Closure of the South West Regional Partnership
Following the decision by the Department for Children, School and Families to discontinue funding after the end of March 2008, the South West Regional Partnership has now ceased. We would like to thank all those who have contributed to the Partnership over the years and who have helped to make a difference for children, young people and their families across the region.
You can read the South West Regional Partnership's final report, which includes reports on the 7 Innovations Projects successfully completed in 2007 - 2008, here.
In addition, you can download the final report on our Participation Standards project, the evaluation of the Strategic Development Teams project and the latest Outreach from Special Schools Case Studies.
Please note that this website will remain on line until the beginning of September 2008, but is no longer being updated.
March 2008
ASD Newsletter - March 2008
The Latest ASD newsletter can be downloaded here.
West Midlands Regional Partnership ASD Training Policy and Framework
This Training Framework and Policy document is the culmination of three years of work begun in 2003 through a West Midlands Regional Partnership working group - the West Midlands Autism Training Group (now known as FREDA, WM - Forum for Regional Educational Development, Autism, West Midlands). A copy of the report can be downloaded here.
February 2008
Regional Partnership Briefing Note
The Regional Partnership Briefing note for February 2008 is available here.
Online SW Newsletter February 2008
The Online SW newsletter for February 2008 is available to download here.
Regional Standards for the participation of children and young people with additional special needs and their parents in the planning and review of services
These standards are designed to support the participation of children and young people with additional or special educational needs and their parents in the planning and review of all services which they need, use or could make use of. In this context, participation is defined as a set of interactions that influence the outcomes of service planning, delivery and review.
The document sets out four principles for participation against which a number of standards have been set. It also includes an evaluation tool that local authorities, services and others can use to review their current practice.
The document is available as an interactive PDF (i.e. text can be inserted into the tables by the user0. A WORD version of the evaluation tool is also available. Both can be downloaded here.
Copies of PowerPoint presentations from the Setting The Standards Conference that took place on 6th February 2008 are available here.
November 2007
Regional Partnership Briefing Note
The Regional Partnership Briefing note for December 2007 is available here.
Benchmarking Report - South West Region 2007
The latest benchmarking report for the South West Region (September 2007) can be downloaded here.
Pupil Participation: Beyond Tokenism booklet
This booklet describes the projects of a group of practitioners in the south west who worked together to reflect on their understanding of the issues around pupil participation and to develop their practice in this area. The work described in this booklet was developed through a University of Plymouth Integrated Masters Programme (Education) course, part funded through SWIfT, and offered in collaboration with the South West Regional Partnership. The work draws upon and develops the R U Listening? self-evaluation framework published by the South West Regional Partnership in 2006. A copy can be downloaded here.
SWALSS 2008 Conferences:
The SW Regional Partnership has strong links with the South and West Association of Leaders in Special Schools. Details of 2008 conferences and booking forms available here.
SW Regional Benchmarking Reports
Setting the Standards - progressing participation in the south west
This conference is for all those interested in developing the participation of parents and young people in decision making about policy and planning for children with additional or special needs. The conference will see the launch of regional standards on participation, which have been developed in conjunction with stakeholders across the south west. To find out more and to book your place click here.
Launch of the Learning Development Community
From December 2007 you will be able to join a lively and growing online community, which is being set up to improve outcomes for children and young people with ASD and BESD and their families throughout the West Midlands and South West. To find out more come to one of our launch events, which are free of charge for colleagues from the South West and West Midlands. Book your place now at www.onlinebooking.org.uk.
I want to choose too
This pack has been developed by the Norah Fry Research Centre at the University of Bristol as a resource for teachers and others for including primary school age children with little or no speech in decision-making. You can download the main booklet and key messages from the research [link to key messages doc]. Schools in the south west region who provide for children with little or no speech can request a hard copy of the resource by contacting lucy_donnelly@learning-southwest.org.uk.
Regional Partnership Briefing Note
The Regional Partnership Briefing note for November 2007 is available here.
October 2007
Have you been caught on camera?
We have recently added a photo of the SW Regional Parent Partnership Network and some snaps from the latest meeting of the Statement Writers' Network to the website.
September 2007
SW Regional CAMHS Learning Disability Conference
SW Regional CAMHS Learning Disability Conference - June 07 Copies of the presentations from this conference can be downloaded here.
Care Co-ordination Network UK Seminar
Care Co-ordination Network UK recently held a seminar in Bristol to promote the key worker standards that have been endorsed by Westminster, the Welsh Assembly and the Early Support Programme. A Briefing Note and copies of the powerpoints used at the seminar are available here. For more information contact Cath Walder, England Development Worker at england@ccnuk.org.uk.
Interim Reports
Interim Reports on the Regional Partnership's 7 Innovation Projects are available here.
Regional Partnership Briefing Note
The Regional Partnership Briefing note for September 2007 is available here.
August 2007
Making Use of Data (Revised August 2007)
The Making Use of Data matrix has been updated to reflect the changes in the datasets being introduced as part of the APA and JAR processes. The full list of indicators that will be used for inspections from block 16 onwards have been incorporated. The revised versions are available here.
The Government's Strategy for SEN - annual progress report for the SW
The Department for Children, Schools and Families SEN Adviser Team have published an overview of progress in implementing 'Removing Barriers to Achievement'. You can download a copy available here.
July 2007
SWRP July Briefing note
The SWRP July 2007 Briefing note is now available and can be found here.
Regional Standards for Parent Partnership Services - Revised 2007
The new version of the SW Regional Standards for PPS is now available. For more information click here.
June 2007
Beyond Tokenism SW News item
Following a successful pilot in 2006-07 the University of Plymouth will once again offer a module on the participation of young people in 2007-08. Pupil Participation: Beyond Tokenism will enable teachers and other professionals to reflect on their understanding of the issues, develop their practice and undertake a project with colleagues in their own school or service. Those who make a commitment to make use of the R U Listening framework may be eligible for a grant from the South West Regional Partnership to cover some costs. For details of the grant criteria and application process click here.
May 2007
Regional Partnership Briefing Note May 2007
The South West Regional Partnership briefing note for May 2007 can be downloaded here.
Project report - Regional standards for the involvement of parents and carers
and young people
The initial work on developing proposed regional standards for the involvement of parents and carers and young people in the planning and review of services for young people with additional/special needs consultation information has been completed. The full project report and a summary version can be viewed here. The next phase of this project will be to pilot the use of the standards in some local authorities in the region. This will be an important part of our innovation project on Participation that will be taken forward in our Action Plan for 2007-2008.
Innovation bid for OnlineInset now approved
The Department for Children, Schools and Families [formerly known as the DfES] has given the go ahead for the final
element of the South West Regional Partnership’s Innovation Bids for
2007-2008. This gives us an additional £50,000 to support local authorities
across the region who are using OnlineInset.
We will be working closely with the South
East Regional Partnership to develop a network of Lead Tutors and launch
new training materials.
The South West Local Authorities that are using OnlineInset include Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Poole, Swindon and Wiltshire. Confirmation of this funding means that all the South West Regional Partnership’s bids for Innovation Funding have now been agreed in full!
Details of the bids and the Partnership’s Action Plan are available here.
March 2007
South West Regional Partnership Plan approved
The Department for Children, Schools and Families [formerly known as the DfES] has approved the plans submitted by the South West Regional Partnership for 2007-2008. In addition to a core grant, the Partnership has been awarded £195,000 to implement its Innovation Bids, with the possibility of some further funding being available to work with other Regional Partnerships on the development of OnlineInset. You can read the plans here. In addition to its work in the region, the South West Partnership will take a national lead, on behalf of all the Regional Partnerships, in supporting the development of partnership with parents and outreach from special schools.
February 2007
Draft Regional Standards Consultation
Regional standards for the involvement of parents and carers and young people in the planning and review of services for young people with additional/special needs consultation information can be found here.
South West Regional Partnership Plans for 2007- 8
The South West Regional Partnership has submitted its updated Strategic Plan and a new Action Plan for 2007-08 to the Department for Children, Schools and Families [formerly known as the DfES]. From April 2007, the funding arrangements for all the Regional Partnerships will change and a significant element of the grant is subject to a bidding process. The Partnership's bids for 'Innovation Funding' are included in the Action Plan. Further information on the outcome of the bidding process will be posted on this website during the second half of March.
December 2006
Benchmarking Report - SW Region
The final benchmarking report for the South West Region (September 2006) can be downloaded here.
November 2006
The SWRP briefing Note for November 2006 is now available for download here.
The Regional Centres of Expertise November 2006 Interim Report is now available for download by clicking here.
Bristol Healthy School Toolkit
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Support for Children and Young People in Schools (the Bristol Healthy School Toolkit) is the outcome of a joint project between schools., Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and other partners in Bristol. You can read more about it here and download the toolkit here. Please note that both documents are in excess of 2mb.
Report on Publications Survey - Parent Partnership
The survey of use regional standards and publications can be downloaded by clicking here.
Participation Beyond Tokenism is a new module being run by the University of Plymouth that focuses on the participation of young people. Those who make a commitment to make use of the R U Listening framework may be eligible for a grant to cover some costs. For details of the grant criteria and application process click here.
September 2006
22nd September - The Department for Children, Schools and Families [formerly known as the DfES] has approved the bid submitted by the South West Regional Partnership to develop Regional Centres of Expertise. You can read the full details of the proposals submitted by the Regional Partnership here. Further information on progress will be placed on this website.
Summary
Progress Update - September 2006
The Summary Progress Update for September 2006 is available here.
July 2006
Summary Progress Update - June 2006
The summary progress update produced June 2006, 'Empowering participation of parents and young people', can be downloaded here.
June 2006
South West Regional Commissioning Forum for Children's Services
The Regional Partnership is represented on the SW Centre of Excellence Children's Services Project, which is focussing on the use of out of authority placements. You can read more about the project here and find the regular Briefing Sheets here.
Children's Services and the development of Parent Partnership Services :
A position statement
In May 2006 the SWRPPN agreed a position statement on Children's Services and the development of Parent Partnership Services. You can read it by clicking here.
The Government's Strategy for SEN
An overview of the South West Region can be downloaded by clicking here.
The South West Regional Partnership briefing note for June 2006 is now available for download by clicking here.
The Regional Partnership Annual Report 2005-2006 is now available for download by clicking here.
May 2006
Future
Positive: a resource guide for people working with disabled care leavers
- Edition 2
A revised version of Future Positive is now available. First published in
2004, it has been brought up to date to reflect the latest changes in legislation
and guidance. The Guide is designed for use as a self-audit tool for service
planners, managers, service providers and practitioners across a range of
agencies, and for application at both strategic and practice based levels.
It is also intended as a useful resource pack providing information about
the legislative and public policy framework of services to this group, signposting
sources of further information and providing examples of good practice on
which service providers can draw.
You can download
a copy here or from the Every
Child Matters site. Future Positive is also available as a CD-Rom from
Marion.Jennings@dfes.gsi.gov.uk.
The Autism newsletter for May 2006 is now available. Click here to download the document.
Participation in Education Project [2005-7]
This project, funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation is being carried out by academics from two departments at the University of Bristol. The aim of the project is to address the exclusion of disabled children with little or no verbal communication from the education decision making processes.
Download the Project Summary Here
Download the Project Report Here
From 1st June the arrangements for Disagreement Resolution are changing; Wessex will cover the whole region.
RU Listening Conference
– materials now available
The materials from the RU Listening conference, including PDF and Powerpoint, are now available to download. Click here for more information.