NHS Lincolnshire ICB Statement: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

The statutory functions currently exercised by NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) will be conferred on – along with the transfer of all ICB staff, assets and liabilities (including commissioning responsibilities and contracts) – to NHS Lincolnshire ICB. This also includes the relevant duties including those regarding health inequalities, quality, safeguarding, children in care.

The Children and Families Act (2014) incorporates reforms for Children and Young People with Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND). The SEND Code of Practice (2015) means that professionals from Education, Health and Social Care services work more closely together to give children and young people from 0-25 with special educational needs or a disability, the support they need. Children and young people will have more say over what support and services are offered in their local area, and more help will be available for young people as they prepare for adulthood.

The aim of the Children and Families Act (2014) and the ICB is to bring services together, and to organise and integrate the delivery of these services at a strategic level. The Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) plays a key part in implementing the SEND reforms and in supporting collaborative system working.

Leadership, Governance and Management arrangements

Lincolnshire has robust governance, leadership and management arrangements in place for SEND. Leaders are fully committed to the SEND agenda and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families in Lincolnshire as was noted in the Care Quality Commission (CQC)/Ofsted inspection in 2018 which led to the Lincolnshire system supporting CQC Ofsted in developing a new inspection framework in 2021. Whilst the most recent inspection was intended to test the methodology – the inspection team fed back very positively around the system working and SEND provision in the county.

The SEND service forms an integral part of Children’s Services and the NHS and supports the vision in Lincolnshire to improve the lives and outcomes for all children and young people and their families in Lincolnshire. Senior Managers and Elected Members receive regular reports on the progress made with the implementation of the SEND reforms. The work of the SEND service is delivered through an established locality model, with four teams spread across the county, which comprises Children with Disabilities team, Educational Psychology, Specialist Teachers, Sensory Education Support, Occupational Therapy, Early Support Care Coordination team, Home Tuition, and the Young People’s Learning Provision.

The SEND Steering Group was established from the outset of the reforms and more recently the focus for the steering group has been to support the work arising from the SEND strategy, this reports directly into the Children and Young People Transformation Board. The SEND Steering Group has undergone a review and is now reconfigured as the SEND and Alternative Provision Strategic Partnership. The DCO chairs the SEND Health Committee which reports into the Children and Young People Transformation Board chaired jointly by the Local authority Director Children’s Services and Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board Chief Nurse. The DCO provides an Annual Report. The jointly commissioned Children’s Integrated Commissioning Team report directly into the Children and Young People Transformation Board who support major programmes of work such as the Special Schools Project and the Sensory Processing Difficulties Programme. Finally, the Children and Young People Transformation Board is attended by the Chair of the Lincolnshire Parent Carer forum with whom we work collaboratively in the development of major programmes.

Designated Clinical and Associate Designated Clinical Officers (DCO)

The positions of the Designated Clinical and Associate Designated Clinical Officers for SEND within the ICB are viewed as fundamental to the SEND system in Lincolnshire, and there are no plans to change the structure or operational activity and, therefore, the risk management processes in relation to meeting the legal responsibilities and duties that will pass from ICB to the Integrated Care System will not be subject to change. At this point in time we have no plans to recruit a Designated Medical Officer (DMO).

Widening participation

The DCO and SEND Team Manager in Lincolnshire have worked together in co-production with young people to develop a young people’s forum ‘Lincolnshire Young Voices’ (LYV). LYV are engaged and fully integrated in strategic and operational developments and decision making. Lincolnshire is fully committed to LYV and has two co-Chairs in post and a volunteer committee of 15 young people with SEND who are all experts by experience.