Present:
Wakefield - Lyn Clarke, Katie Curnin, Amy Wilson
York - Sue Perutz, Mary Griffiths
Barnsley - Anne Killick
North Yorks - Caroline Barnes-Tee
Bradford - Julie Williams, Deborah Craig
Hull - Jean Bean
Darlington - Andrea Griffiths
Apologies
Durham - Gurby
Agenda
1. AAC funding and tracking
Discussion of how AAC equipment is funded and tracked and which LAs have specialist equipment budgets. Wakefield have been using Access Initiative funding up until now; York have a budget of £3,000. In most LAs Speech and Language therapists take the lead but most teams have difficulty reporting on outcomes. From Wakefield's experience it is better to catalogue the equipment and loan it to the family, this prevents equipment lost to the LA when it is no longer needed by a particular individual. There have been issues in LAs where the funding stream for provision has not been clear and equipment has either been disposed of or given to another agency to reuse. Darlington currently have 15 trainee SALTs. Wakefield have approached charities for funding individual children but hold a 'stock' of reused AAC aids for loan.
All agreed that statements will need very specific wording and advice in the future. Jean mentioned the recent Cumbrian Statement costed to provide for 2:1 support for a child. We then discussed the different banding systems for provision and the likely changes to statements in the near future.
* Documents circulated - York's form, Wakefield CALL pathway, involvement form and loan form.
* York to provide details of Charity streams.
2. Portable Hoists
Darlington are routinely using portable, folding hoists so that they can be used in a variety of situations and for trips. Caroline mentioned that 'Yorkshire Care' will hire them out at a daily rate for trips.
3. Funding and Statements
* Wakefield Matrix and descriptors to be shared
* York forms 1, 2 and 3 to be shared
* An example of Wakefield's table on the front of an Annual Review report to be shared
* Mary has offered to show the 'Pupil Centred Review DVD' at the next meeting
Statements will need to include progress made over the year and the Coalition Government will be introducing major changes in the near future.
4. Funding issues and the Spending Review
Darlington are facing significant cuts to their early years provision with reductions to 3 out of 11 nursery Nurses/TA's with the rest facing redundancy. These will now be based at Children's Centres. Advisory teacher work will be statutory only and Moving and Handling work will continue. Several people mentioned the good work coming from the Deaf organisations in lobbying and challenging government on SEN issues ans said it was a shame there was no National lobby group for PD pupils in the same way. The DDA provides some safeguards, the Single Equality Act is on its way and the should be an Accessibility Plan for each school but this did not always mean that some schools considered there disabled pupils properly. Andrea mentioned there is no legal toileting regulations covering children as far as she has been able to find out, they are covered by adult regulations which are not always appropriate.
5. Academies and Service Level Agreements
York, Wakefield and Bradford are providing statutory services only, but have no definitive SLAs in place. Bradford cost out their teachers at £60 per hour, significantly less than they are likely to charge in Wakefield. This lead on to a discussion on across LA service provision and the buying in of services.
6. School Transport issues
York have a three tiered provision, taxi, taxi plus escort and petrol. Susan Coulter is looking at a policy 'Home to School Transport for disabled children with additional needs'. We will be able to look at this at the next meeting.
Wakefield's 'Home to School transport for wheelchairs and buggies 2009' was circulated. Training for drivers and escorts is usually a requirement in the contract.
7. Motor Coordination folders North Yorkshire
'Supporting Children and Young People with Coordination Difficulties' folders have been produced by North Yorks (Jan Chapman has taken a lead)and the work continues that in the RELEAS booklets. The folders were circulated for the group to look at. York will be attending training and may be able to report back at the next meeting.
* Sue Perutz to contact Jan Chapman re costs for other LAs and training available.
8. 'Clever Fingers' Hull early coordination resources
'Clever Fingers' links in with the North York folders in the sense that it was designed to tackle the early problems of coordination before they became an issue leading a greater need for fine motor and handwriting assessments. Each Primary school in the Hull area has been provided with a kit at a cost of approximately £300. The Kit was funded by the LA. The activities in the kit tell schools what to do and what to look for with the idea that schools improve their skills on assessment and interventions. A similar kit was supplied to the North East Lincolnshire primary school a few years ago.
9. 'A-Z of catching'
Now complete and ready to use. This entails 26 activities for early gross motor activities designed by advisory teachers and Paediatric Therapists. The activities are grouped in to areas to improve such problems as Visual Motor Integration, Proprioception, Motor planning, Spatial Awareness etc. The new Head of SENSS is keen for this to be marketed.
10 Independent Working
Mary Griffiths is working on this over the next few months
Amy Wilson has advice to teaching assistants which she is able to share.
* Mary to report on Progress at the next meeting
* Amy to provide information to circulate via email.
Date of the next meeting March 18 2011
Agenda
HemiHelp presentation
Report on North Yorks Motor Coordination training
York - Home School Transport document
York - Report on Independent Working
York - Pupil Centred Review video/DVD
York - Reading with symbols
Hull - Feedback from Inclusive Sports training
Wakefield - Accessible material for textiles
Monday, 8 November 2010
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
NNATPIP Regional meeting 18.06.10 Wakefield MDC
1. Present:
Wakefield - Lyn Clarke, Sue Cammidge, Katie Curnin
Bradford – Julie Williams, Deborah Craig
Darlington - Andrea Griffiths
Hull - Jean Bean
York - Sue Perutz
Nth Yorks - Caroline Barnes-Tee
Barnsley - Sue Eyres
Durham - Gurby Sandhu
Apologies:
Bury - Margaret Graham, Ann Morris
2. Next Years meeting dates:
Venue - Heath View Centre
Dates - 05.11.10 18.03.11 17.06.11
Apologies for it always being a Friday but unfortunately that is when the room is available
3. Suggestions for next year’s guest speakers include
Ability World
AAC day
Epilepsy Action
HemiHelp
CBit
Down Right Special – Lisa Bentley
WESAIL
Bernadoes
4. Presentation by Roger Dakin (Smile Rehab) and Rob Gregory (My Tobii)
roger@smilerehab.com
rob.gregory@tobii.com
Roger welcomed an introduction to a wider audience and explained that his solutions were based on user perspectives and had evolved from his work with a range of people and their disabilities. Roger has previously worked with the CALL Centre and QED. He has developed the SMART chair (described as a ‘flight simulator for wheelchairs’) over the last 20 years and has worked towards integrated, holistic solutions. 75% of his clients have CP. Roger’s mounting systems use lightweight but very strong frames that can be used on static chairs as well as wheelchairs.
Equipment + mounting + child - should be equivalent to – the recommended limit for static chairs.
Smile Rehab mounting systems use German engineering ‘that works’. It is a universal mounting system which should grow with the child and can accommodate integrated wireless devices to allow the wheelchair and computer or AAC aid to work from the same controls. Wheelchair Services reach statutory requirements but are trying to move in to education.
Rob Gregory demonstrated the C12 eye gaze system and the hot swappable battery system. My Tobii devices use Smile Rehab mounts and both Roger and Rob are happy to come out to clients. They are happy to be contacted by email (details above). We will try and organize a NNATPIP communication day for 17.06.11 which Rob is happy to support.
5. Afternoon session
MOVE – not able to discuss as this has not gone ahead
ICT assessments - Wakefield have a simple Initial information form and Levels 1-3 skills sheets to be circulated by email. Please adapt, improve and share!
‘Fit to Learn’ - won a national award with Medipex who are now taking over the marketing. Medipex would like to provide the initial programme followed by a DVD and on line assessment before the rest of the programme is provided. Tracy Locking will be clearer about the programme for training at the next meeting and this can go on the agenda.
‘Clever Fingers’- this is a fine motor activity pack which has gone out to 70 local primary schools. The kit contains an extensive number of practical activities and background information which should allow teachers to assess whether or not children need referring on for formal assessment. The kits are expensive to provide and Jean will demonstrate one at the next meeting. Hull use ‘Leaps and Bounds’ for gross motor.
Ceiling hoists - a discussion took place on the maintenance arrangements for hoists between the LAs. Hull has developed a testing and maintenance pack for schools to remind them of their legal obligations. Jean is happy for this to be circulated and will check with her line manager if other LAs can use and adapt it.
Involvement criteria
- Wakefield shared the Matrix table and descriptors and the Access team described how this was incorporated in to Annual review and assessment reports.
Parental M&H training
- Darlington are successfully targeting their parents, Wakefield have failed to raise enough interest.
‘Detach’ - supporting the costs of after school clubs, Sue Eyres to circulate details. This led on to a discussion on funding from Aim Higher, Bernadoes and the Family Fund and how it was accessed by different LAs.
Lyn Clarke 22.06.10
Wakefield - Lyn Clarke, Sue Cammidge, Katie Curnin
Bradford – Julie Williams, Deborah Craig
Darlington - Andrea Griffiths
Hull - Jean Bean
York - Sue Perutz
Nth Yorks - Caroline Barnes-Tee
Barnsley - Sue Eyres
Durham - Gurby Sandhu
Apologies:
Bury - Margaret Graham, Ann Morris
2. Next Years meeting dates:
Venue - Heath View Centre
Dates - 05.11.10 18.03.11 17.06.11
Apologies for it always being a Friday but unfortunately that is when the room is available
3. Suggestions for next year’s guest speakers include
Ability World
AAC day
Epilepsy Action
HemiHelp
CBit
Down Right Special – Lisa Bentley
WESAIL
Bernadoes
4. Presentation by Roger Dakin (Smile Rehab) and Rob Gregory (My Tobii)
roger@smilerehab.com
rob.gregory@tobii.com
Roger welcomed an introduction to a wider audience and explained that his solutions were based on user perspectives and had evolved from his work with a range of people and their disabilities. Roger has previously worked with the CALL Centre and QED. He has developed the SMART chair (described as a ‘flight simulator for wheelchairs’) over the last 20 years and has worked towards integrated, holistic solutions. 75% of his clients have CP. Roger’s mounting systems use lightweight but very strong frames that can be used on static chairs as well as wheelchairs.
Equipment + mounting + child - should be equivalent to – the recommended limit for static chairs.
Smile Rehab mounting systems use German engineering ‘that works’. It is a universal mounting system which should grow with the child and can accommodate integrated wireless devices to allow the wheelchair and computer or AAC aid to work from the same controls. Wheelchair Services reach statutory requirements but are trying to move in to education.
Rob Gregory demonstrated the C12 eye gaze system and the hot swappable battery system. My Tobii devices use Smile Rehab mounts and both Roger and Rob are happy to come out to clients. They are happy to be contacted by email (details above). We will try and organize a NNATPIP communication day for 17.06.11 which Rob is happy to support.
5. Afternoon session
MOVE – not able to discuss as this has not gone ahead
ICT assessments - Wakefield have a simple Initial information form and Levels 1-3 skills sheets to be circulated by email. Please adapt, improve and share!
‘Fit to Learn’ - won a national award with Medipex who are now taking over the marketing. Medipex would like to provide the initial programme followed by a DVD and on line assessment before the rest of the programme is provided. Tracy Locking will be clearer about the programme for training at the next meeting and this can go on the agenda.
‘Clever Fingers’- this is a fine motor activity pack which has gone out to 70 local primary schools. The kit contains an extensive number of practical activities and background information which should allow teachers to assess whether or not children need referring on for formal assessment. The kits are expensive to provide and Jean will demonstrate one at the next meeting. Hull use ‘Leaps and Bounds’ for gross motor.
Ceiling hoists - a discussion took place on the maintenance arrangements for hoists between the LAs. Hull has developed a testing and maintenance pack for schools to remind them of their legal obligations. Jean is happy for this to be circulated and will check with her line manager if other LAs can use and adapt it.
Involvement criteria
- Wakefield shared the Matrix table and descriptors and the Access team described how this was incorporated in to Annual review and assessment reports.
Parental M&H training
- Darlington are successfully targeting their parents, Wakefield have failed to raise enough interest.
‘Detach’ - supporting the costs of after school clubs, Sue Eyres to circulate details. This led on to a discussion on funding from Aim Higher, Bernadoes and the Family Fund and how it was accessed by different LAs.
Lyn Clarke 22.06.10
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Confirmed agenda for 18.06.10
Morning session
Welcome, lunch list
10:30 - 12:00 Roger Dakin, Smile REHAB
Afternoon session
MOVE - North Yorkshire
ICT Assessments - North Yorkshire, Bradford, Wakefield
CALL Project a year on - Wakefield
Involvement Criteria - York and the Wakefield Matrix
Welcome, lunch list
10:30 - 12:00 Roger Dakin, Smile REHAB
Afternoon session
MOVE - North Yorkshire
ICT Assessments - North Yorkshire, Bradford, Wakefield
CALL Project a year on - Wakefield
Involvement Criteria - York and the Wakefield Matrix
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Summer Meeting June 18 2010
Just to confirm that Roger Dakin from Smile Rehab will be attending the meeting.
Friday, 12 March 2010
Spring Meeting 2010
1) Inclusive PE a talk by Steve Greatorex Able2 Club Wakefield
Steve gave us an overview of how disability sports are funded and the politics behind it, from Sports Ability to 'Playground to Podium'. He discussed regional centre status (Wakefield has this for wheelchair Basketball) and the work of the Disability Officer across the regions. Steve circulated information on BEAM, The Federation of Disability Sports and a flyer detailing sports activities available in the Wakefield area. He pointed out that young people from Middlesborough and Bedale travel down to the club on a weekly basis as the opportunities for disability sports are not equal across the country.
Steve has promised to send information for circulation but said that we should all be aware of CAAD (County Athletic Assessment Days) and local Partnerships. Primary link teachers get 15 days cover a year but many schools are choosing to employ non teachers to cover this time such as sports coaches. He then gave us a wealth of information on the sporting calendar for athletics, football, bocca and swimming. Adapted bikes are available to try from the South Leeds Centre and in Steve's opinion the wheelchair training available from 'Go Kids Go' based in Beverley East Yorkshire is by far the best for encouraging independence. The Northern Go Kids Go team are prepared to travel to train but Steve had secured funding through 'Aim Higher'. An interesting side discussion took place on how easy 'Aim Higher' money was to secure and what it was awarded to in the different local areas.
2) The final version of 'Fit to Learn' has been professionally published and was shared with the group. This is aimed at DCD pupils and training is available through Tracey Locking at Wakefield Learning Support Service. A flyer was circulated, the folders are available for sale at £30 for Wakefield Schools and a slightly higher amount for other LAs to cover costs.
3) 'The A-Z of Catching' was shared. This is a series of 26 activities geared to developing pre catching skills for those children with poor gross motor skills. Each page details the outcomes of the activity and what skill is being targeted. CDs will be available at the next meeting. The activities cost about £70 from new but most schools will be able to assemble a full kit from their PE cupboards. The work was a collaboration between OTs, Physios, Advisory Teachers and Advisory ESAs in Wakefield.
4) Wakefield's school swimming risk assessment was shared and circulated. This was generated as a response to late and inappropriate requests from schools. The aim is to get schools confident to do their own risk assessments and to point them towards professional help when it is needed. It is a tick list; if things are in place and there are no difficulties identified, there will be no need for additional help. If SENSS or OT do become involved the relevant information will already have been documented. Communication skills have been included for the first time. An interesting discussion on including children with epilepsy in swimming lessons then took place.
5) Details of the On-line training courses were distributed for VI, ASD, DCD and Hearing Impairment.
6) The Leeds Physio Service 'LPS' moving and handling training for trainers was shared by North Yorkshire. North Yorks have recently trained 6 trainers at a cost of £650 per delegate. This is for 6 days training over a number of weeks. An annual days training to refresh skills costs £100 but trainers will travel to your venue. North Yorkshire have employed a trainer to work across settings including Social Care on a 52 week basis. The National Pay and Regrading exercise has thrown up some interesting results, trainers employed as ESAs in Wakefield have been awarded Grade 6 considerably higher than those ESAs involved in moving and handling in classrooms.
7) York presented there final document on the symbol project, a piece of work to standardise the use of symbols across the York area. York consulted widely with schools, social services, educationalists and parents to produce the consultation document. The whole system is to encourage progression and has been very successful. Each school that attended training was given a free copy of 'Communicate in Print' and got resources as well as guidance. The whole project has been very successful and has now resulted in commercially made signage (details to follow) and ASD resources available to parents through local libraries.
8) The Pupil Views project was also run through York. Mary will be working on this for the year ahead and it seems to be a much better thought out and manageable system than others locally. York have produced four 'Listen to Me' booklets which comply with the standardised symbol use across their LA. Mary will work on getting pupil views embedded in to broad decision making for children and young people and we will be very interested in following her progress. She has now started sending a feedback letter to pupils following their review and this is going down very well.
9) The 'Epilepsy Policy for School' publication available as a download from Epilepsy Action was shared by Barnsley. They have the services of a specialist epilepsy nurse and had found the Health care Plans in the back of the publication particularly useful.
10) Barnsley also shared the 'Hypermobility Booklet' and the 'Hybermobile Child' publication, both available from www.hypermobility.org. North Yorkshire send some of their more complex health care plans to their insurance department to ensure that schools and staff are covered for insurance purposes.
Next Years dates will be 05.11.10. 18.03.10 and 17.06.10
The next meeting is on 18.06.10 at Heath view. On the agenda will be
MOVE - North Yorks
ICT assessments - North Yorks, Bradford, Wakefield
CALL Project a year on - Wakefield
An ICT focused speaker
Involvement criteria - York and the Wakefield Matrix
Steve gave us an overview of how disability sports are funded and the politics behind it, from Sports Ability to 'Playground to Podium'. He discussed regional centre status (Wakefield has this for wheelchair Basketball) and the work of the Disability Officer across the regions. Steve circulated information on BEAM, The Federation of Disability Sports and a flyer detailing sports activities available in the Wakefield area. He pointed out that young people from Middlesborough and Bedale travel down to the club on a weekly basis as the opportunities for disability sports are not equal across the country.
Steve has promised to send information for circulation but said that we should all be aware of CAAD (County Athletic Assessment Days) and local Partnerships. Primary link teachers get 15 days cover a year but many schools are choosing to employ non teachers to cover this time such as sports coaches. He then gave us a wealth of information on the sporting calendar for athletics, football, bocca and swimming. Adapted bikes are available to try from the South Leeds Centre and in Steve's opinion the wheelchair training available from 'Go Kids Go' based in Beverley East Yorkshire is by far the best for encouraging independence. The Northern Go Kids Go team are prepared to travel to train but Steve had secured funding through 'Aim Higher'. An interesting side discussion took place on how easy 'Aim Higher' money was to secure and what it was awarded to in the different local areas.
2) The final version of 'Fit to Learn' has been professionally published and was shared with the group. This is aimed at DCD pupils and training is available through Tracey Locking at Wakefield Learning Support Service. A flyer was circulated, the folders are available for sale at £30 for Wakefield Schools and a slightly higher amount for other LAs to cover costs.
3) 'The A-Z of Catching' was shared. This is a series of 26 activities geared to developing pre catching skills for those children with poor gross motor skills. Each page details the outcomes of the activity and what skill is being targeted. CDs will be available at the next meeting. The activities cost about £70 from new but most schools will be able to assemble a full kit from their PE cupboards. The work was a collaboration between OTs, Physios, Advisory Teachers and Advisory ESAs in Wakefield.
4) Wakefield's school swimming risk assessment was shared and circulated. This was generated as a response to late and inappropriate requests from schools. The aim is to get schools confident to do their own risk assessments and to point them towards professional help when it is needed. It is a tick list; if things are in place and there are no difficulties identified, there will be no need for additional help. If SENSS or OT do become involved the relevant information will already have been documented. Communication skills have been included for the first time. An interesting discussion on including children with epilepsy in swimming lessons then took place.
5) Details of the On-line training courses were distributed for VI, ASD, DCD and Hearing Impairment.
6) The Leeds Physio Service 'LPS' moving and handling training for trainers was shared by North Yorkshire. North Yorks have recently trained 6 trainers at a cost of £650 per delegate. This is for 6 days training over a number of weeks. An annual days training to refresh skills costs £100 but trainers will travel to your venue. North Yorkshire have employed a trainer to work across settings including Social Care on a 52 week basis. The National Pay and Regrading exercise has thrown up some interesting results, trainers employed as ESAs in Wakefield have been awarded Grade 6 considerably higher than those ESAs involved in moving and handling in classrooms.
7) York presented there final document on the symbol project, a piece of work to standardise the use of symbols across the York area. York consulted widely with schools, social services, educationalists and parents to produce the consultation document. The whole system is to encourage progression and has been very successful. Each school that attended training was given a free copy of 'Communicate in Print' and got resources as well as guidance. The whole project has been very successful and has now resulted in commercially made signage (details to follow) and ASD resources available to parents through local libraries.
8) The Pupil Views project was also run through York. Mary will be working on this for the year ahead and it seems to be a much better thought out and manageable system than others locally. York have produced four 'Listen to Me' booklets which comply with the standardised symbol use across their LA. Mary will work on getting pupil views embedded in to broad decision making for children and young people and we will be very interested in following her progress. She has now started sending a feedback letter to pupils following their review and this is going down very well.
9) The 'Epilepsy Policy for School' publication available as a download from Epilepsy Action was shared by Barnsley. They have the services of a specialist epilepsy nurse and had found the Health care Plans in the back of the publication particularly useful.
10) Barnsley also shared the 'Hypermobility Booklet' and the 'Hybermobile Child' publication, both available from www.hypermobility.org. North Yorkshire send some of their more complex health care plans to their insurance department to ensure that schools and staff are covered for insurance purposes.
Next Years dates will be 05.11.10. 18.03.10 and 17.06.10
The next meeting is on 18.06.10 at Heath view. On the agenda will be
MOVE - North Yorks
ICT assessments - North Yorks, Bradford, Wakefield
CALL Project a year on - Wakefield
An ICT focused speaker
Involvement criteria - York and the Wakefield Matrix
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