SEND Workforce Development Update September 2022
School Inclusion Charter:
SEND change agents and champions in schools are working together with parent carers and Warwickshire County Council to make a difference on defining inclusion, by coproducing an inclusion charter for schools.
Free SEND training for schools:
As part of the review of SEND training for schools, the Council is pleased to announce the following free training to all Warwickshire schools:
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1/2-day Youth Mental Health Awareness: accredited through Mental Health First Aid England. Available for two staff members per school. Please register interest here.
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Restorative Practice: 2-hour introductory training. Dates available between Sept 2022 – Jan 2023, all sessions run 3.30pm - 5.30pm. You can book your place on Eventbrite here.
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Autism Education Trust: Tier 1 training is free to all schools and can be delivered to whole schools/teams in one session virtually or face to face. Email melindatwells@warwickshire.gov.uk for more information.
For more details of the above training please see the attached flyer.
The ‘Lost at School’ pilot is well underway in Warwickshire to support children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in mainstream schools. The pilot was created following the Ofsted and Care Quality Commission local area SEND inspection last year which found that too many children and young people with SEND had been placed in specialist settings when their needs could have been better met in mainstream schools.
The overall aim is for all children and young people in Warwickshire to lead a fulfilling life and be part of their communities. This includes promoting inclusion in mainstream schools, providing the skills and resources to support children and young people with SEND.
A total of 33 Warwickshire schools have signed up to be part of the pilot. A third are over 25% through the programme so far, and it is anticipated that all 33 schools will have started or completed the programme by Christmas. It uses a model for understanding challenging behaviours called Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) developed by psychologist Dr Ross Greene, the author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School. Based on over 30 years of research, the model works with children and young people to identify and solve the problems that are causing the behaviour. Beyond every challenging behaviour there is a need or expectation a young person is struggling with. The young person is then supported to develop the skills they need to overcome the challenges they face. The model has been used successfully across the world including in USA, Canada, Australia and Sweden.
The schools taking part are being trained in the CPS approach with the support of dedicated trainers, to gain skills and experience in the problem-solving approach working with a group of children and young people. The first group of schools will then support further schools to adopt the approach. The initial pilot is being funded by Warwickshire County Council.
We will be following up with schools on progress and to help embed the approach. Schools in the first phase include: Hartshill Academy, Nuneaton Academy, The George Eliot Academy, Quinton Primary School and Studley St Mary’s Primary School. Feedback to date includes:
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‘It has had a profound impact on the children’.
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‘The trainer was excellent in explaining the philosophy. Each time I hear about how it works and the results the more excited I get’.
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‘We are finding the work that we are doing absolutely fascinating. It has opened our eyes about developing children's skills and we are learning more every session’.
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‘The trainer is highly skilled; clearly very knowledgeable; clarity of delivery is superb; genuine empathy and communication skills with our core group means that all the teachers involved feel motivated and know that she listens and responds to their specific questions rather than just churning out generic responses’.
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‘No question is too trivial, and rather than feeling belittled (sadly all too common with some trainers), staff feel empowered to say exactly what they feel and follow her detailed advice. We can all learn a lot from her. She is making sure this is a high quality and enjoyable learning experience’.
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‘The trainer is really supportive.’
At the Children and Families conference on 15 July the approach was launched to social care teams.