Service Standard 2010
Mission Statement
By effective, impartial and confidential partnership working we aim to promote a culture of communication and cooperation between parents/carers, the LA and voluntary and statutory organisations for the benefit of all children and young people with special educational needs. Through reconciliation we serve to lower or remove barriers of misunderstandings. We actively work with parent/carers and value parental contributions. We seek to empower parents/carers to play an active and informed role in their child/young person's education
The role of the Stoke-on-Trent Parent Partnership Service is to ensure parents/carers of children with SEN, including the very young, have access to accurate information, advice and guidance in relation to the additional educational needs of their children so that they can make informed decisions. The service recognises the unique strengths, knowledge and experience of parents/carers and encourages equal partnership between them and the people who are involved in special educational needs. It provides a range of flexible services which include facilitating parent support groups, workshops, training, access to Independent Parental Supporters on request, referral to other statutory and voluntary agencies, a directory of local/national support groups, a telephone help line service and face to face meetings.
Service Delivery
The service provides support to parents/carers through direct contact. This contact may include face to face meetings or telephone /email contact. Service involvement with parents is dependent on parent/carer need and what the parent/carer considers is relevant to them. Independent, impartial and accurate information and support is available to parents/carers at any point of the SEN process.
The Service will use its best endeavours to provide service users with access to an Independent Parental Supporter (volunteer) on request.
To meet the needs of local parent/carers we will:
- Offer parents/carers a timely access to a 'menu of support' enabling them to participate effectively as partners in their child's education. Empowering them to make informed decisions and to understand their roles and responsibilities in the process
- Provide a service that respects individual needs and rights and fully takes into account factors arising from culture, disability, age, gender, religion, language and ethnicity
- Ensure parents/carers have equal access to, support groups, drop-in centres, a telephone help line service, office and home visits, an Independent Parental Supporter, workshops and training opportunities
- Signpost to other agencies /organisations that provide information/services specific to needs of your child/young person's special educational needs
- Respond to all telephone/contact calls within two working days
- Respond to all referrals by parents/carers and other agencies within two working days
- Dispatch information packages to all new referrals within one week
- Provide a programme of training initiatives to attract potential volunteers (IPS's)
- Enter all referrals onto The Parent Partnership Database, protected by The City Council's Data Protection Policy
- Respond to requests by schools and other organisations for information within one working week
Referrals
An open referral system is in operation, referrals can be accepted from schools, other agencies and other individuals where there has been direct contact with and permission from service users who have parental responsibilities.
Self-referral is always preferred. The Service accepts letters sent to parents from other caseworkers at various stages of the assessment process.
The service is confidential and will only contact people or other agencies with permission. We will not take any action on the behalf or the parent/carer or share information given to us with schools and other agencies unless we have permission. The only exception to this is where there are child protection and safeguarding issues.
Service development
The Service aims to provide a quality service to local families, school settings and other agencies that:
- meet the minimum standards as identified in the SEN Code of Practice
- is subject to best value principles
- shares and uses best practice
To ensure that the Service:
- is impartial and at 'arm's length'
- continues to increase parental confidence in the advice and information given
- is compliant in all areas of its delivery
- continually improves
- responds to local needs
The Parent Partnership Staff, the Parent Partnership Steering Group and the Local Authority will undertake regular reviews of its functions.
Annual Development Plan
The Parent Partnership Service Manger will prepare an annual development plan to be agreed with the LA and Steering Group which sets out clear targets.
Performance Targets
To meet the minimum standards set out in the SEN Code of Practice 2001 and the Exemplification of Standards 2007 and to supplement these by also conforming to the Stoke-on-Trent County Council Parent Partnership Services Action plan.
Service Operation
The Service is currently funded by the LA and line managed by the Strategic Manager for Youth Inclusion.
The Service sets out clear accountability arrangements for staff and volunteers working with parents/carers of children with additional educational needs to deliver a safe and effective service. All staff are CRB cleared.
- Effective supervisory arrangements are in place for staff, volunteers and IPS's.
- The Service ensures that all staff working with parents/carers of children with special educational needs are suitably skilled and qualified and attend ongoing training.
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Recruitment policies and procedures conform to legislation and guidance found in the City's corporate policies. There are comprehensive and safe recruitment practices relating to all staff and volunteers who have access to parents/carers of children with special educational needs
Cross border referrals
If the issue is related to the statutory assessment process, the child/young person has a statement and the issue is around provision or it is an Annual Review the Parent Partnership Service in the home LA should support the parent/carer liaising if appropriate with the PP in the cross border LA.
If the child /young person is at School Action or School Action Plus and it is a school based issue, the PPS in the cross border LA should support the parent/carer. This LA will have all the local knowledge of schools, personnel and support services for the child/young person.
Parent/carers of children/young people who have been permanently excluded from school should be supported by the home LA/PPS.
If the child/young person has received a fixed term exclusion, the cross border LA/PPS should offer support.
It is important that there is communication between PP Services when passing on a case. If a file has been started by one PP that file will be retained by them and a new file started.
Agreed by all PPS in the West Midlands 12/02/07
Staff Structure
Lyn Fryer - Service Manager FT
Emma Walton - Parent Partnership Officer PT
Julie Massey - Casework Officer PT
Christine Goodfellow - Clerical assistant PT
Heather Weston - Choice Adviser FT
Points of Contact
The Stoke-on-Trent Parent Partnership Service is available Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm
The PPS Base is located at:
Mount Education Support Centre
Mount Avenue
Penkhull
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 7JU
Internal monitoring and evaluation
- The Parent Partnership Steering Group
- LA line management
- Parent/carer and Professional Questionnaires
- Database records
- Monthly activity and casework audits
- Self-review against minimum standards
- Monthly team meetings
- Termly reviews received by Steering Group and LA
- Annual review against PPS Service Development Plan
- Number of complaints
- Staff Personal Development Reviews
- Staff development days
- Supervision meetings
External monitoring and evaluation
Regional Bench marking
The service participates in the West Midlands regional benchmarking data collection on an annual basis. This enables the service to compare and contrast various service data within the same region.
National Benchmarking
National Benchmarking is an annual exercise providing a national overview of Parent Partnership Services.
National Evaluation
A national evaluation of Parent Partnership Services took place in 2005. One of the outcomes of this evaluation was to create a working party to consider the exemplification of the Minimum Standards for Parent Partnership Services in order to strengthen their role nationally and to ensure services operate impartially. They revised exemplified standards 2010.