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Consultations
About
On this page you can find consultations about Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities (SEND).
A consultation is where you will be asked questions and you can give your ideas.
These ideas will then be considered when decisions are being made.
Current Consultations
*WESAIL and Local Offer Facebook Pages Survey - September 2022 Update*
The contract for the WESAIL service and Local Offer changed to Family Action on 1st April 2022. There was less money available for this contract. This meant that the service had to reduce the amount of staff it had. We are now looking at how we can best use the time our staff have.
As part of this, we are reviewing our Facebook pages. Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey. The results are below.
Question: Do you have any concerns about the two pages being joined?
Answer: Majority (over 65%) said no.
For those who selected ‘Yes’, not everyone chose to comment. The comments that were received about the concern of joining the pages were about the different feel to each of the pages, saying that the Local Offer one feels more formal. There was also a query about why they are the same. This was explained in the Facebook posts linking to the survey, the Consultation page on the Local Offer and also on the first page of the survey itself.
Question: Do you have any questions about this proposal?
Answer: Majority (over 90%) said no.
Although some people responded ‘Yes’, no questions were received via the given email.
Question: Which pages do you currently follow?
Answer: Most (60%) said both the Local Offer and WESAIL Facebook pages. 40% said just the WESAIL page. None said just the Local Offer page.
Question: Do you think that having information in one place will help / save time?
Answer: Majority (80%) said yes.
Question: What would you like the new Facebook page to be called?
Answer: Majority (over 50%) said WESAIL and Wakefield Local Offer.
Question: What would you like to see more of on our Facebook page?
Answers: Each category was voted for, with Education (50%) and Social Care (50%) being the most popular. Health was next, with 35% of the vote. Other responses included fun posts, carers groups, training for parents, SENDIASS information, signposting to services and other charities and information about the local area.
Therefore, we will be joining the WESAIL and Local Offer pages to create a new Facebook page. This new page will be called WESAIL and Wakefield Local Offer. It will be launched on Tuesday 27th September 2022.
Our Privacy Policy will not change and is available by visiting https://www.family-action.org.uk/services-privacy-notice/
The SENDIASS part of our service remains impartial and the new Facebook page will not be managed by the Local Authority.
The contract for the WESAIL service and Local Offer changed to Family Action on 1st April 2022. There was less money available for this contract. This meant that the service had to reduce the amount of staff it had. We are now looking at how we can best use the time our staff have.
As part of this, we are reviewing our Facebook pages. Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey. The results are below.
Question: Do you have any concerns about the two pages being joined?
Answer: Majority (over 65%) said no.
For those who selected ‘Yes’, not everyone chose to comment. The comments that were received about the concern of joining the pages were about the different feel to each of the pages, saying that the Local Offer one feels more formal. There was also a query about why they are the same. This was explained in the Facebook posts linking to the survey, the Consultation page on the Local Offer and also on the first page of the survey itself.
Question: Do you have any questions about this proposal?
Answer: Majority (over 90%) said no.
Although some people responded ‘Yes’, no questions were received via the given email.
Question: Which pages do you currently follow?
Answer: Most (60%) said both the Local Offer and WESAIL Facebook pages. 40% said just the WESAIL page. None said just the Local Offer page.
Question: Do you think that having information in one place will help / save time?
Answer: Majority (80%) said yes.
Question: What would you like the new Facebook page to be called?
Answer: Majority (over 50%) said WESAIL and Wakefield Local Offer.
Question: What would you like to see more of on our Facebook page?
Answers: Each category was voted for, with Education (50%) and Social Care (50%) being the most popular. Health was next, with 35% of the vote. Other responses included fun posts, carers groups, training for parents, SENDIASS information, signposting to services and other charities and information about the local area.
Therefore, we will be joining the WESAIL and Local Offer pages to create a new Facebook page. This new page will be called WESAIL and Wakefield Local Offer. It will be launched on Tuesday 27th September 2022.
Our Privacy Policy will not change and is available by visiting https://www.family-action.org.uk/services-privacy-notice/
The SENDIASS part of our service remains impartial and the new Facebook page will not be managed by the Local Authority.
*Local Offer Website - August 2022 update*
The Wakefield SEND Local Offer website is being redesigned.
Wakefield Council, WESAIL, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Wakefield Parent Carer Forum are working together to make the Local Offer website better.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to give their views on how you want the new Local Offer website to look.
The results are now in, and the preferred design was mock-up two with 76% choosing this option – sighting they felt it looked more appealing, clear, smart, professional, and therefore trustworthy.
The preferred colours chosen at 75% were purple and green, with respondents sharing that these appeared brighter and more eye-catching.
Most respondents (95%) also felt the ability to search for information was useful. Therefore, we will be ensuring there is a search function on the new site.
Wakefield Council, WESAIL, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, and Wakefield Parent Carer Forum are committed to working together to ensure the new Local Offer website is the best it can be.
Previous Consultations
SEND and AP green paper: responding to the consultation
The Department of Education has published a short summary of the SEND and AP green paper. This is for parents and carers, children and young people to explain what the SEND review means for them.
You can also have your say. You can complete the online survey on the SEND and AP green paper to give your views.
Please note that SEND means Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities. AP means Alternate Provision.
Read Wakefield Council’s response to the SEND and Alternative Green Paper consultation. This was done with SEND partners across the Wakefield district.
COVID Survey
Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Wakefield Council asked KIDS to conduct a survey.
This is to get your views on how young people and families have experienced the Covid pandemic.
*Awaiting results*
Emotional Wellbeing Support for Young People
The local NHS wanted to find out what young people want and need when it comes to support with mental wellbeing. They wanted to hear from children, young people, parents, carers and adults about how they want this support to be provided.
*Awaiting results*
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Health Needs App
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership is funding a project to create a prototype of an app that aims to reduce barriers children and young people may face when accessing health and other services. Watch our short video to see a demo of the app prototype.
*Awaiting results*
0-19 Health Services Survey from Wakefield Families Together
Wakefield Council are reviewing their health visiting and school nursing services. They surveyed children, young people, parents and carers to get their views.
*Awaiting results*
Autism Strategy
Wakefield's Autism Strategy is going to be updated when new national guidance comes out.
*Awaiting results*
Previous Consultation Outcomes
SEND Strategy
Wakefield Council is working on their SEND Strategy for 2020-2024. The strategy is focused on improving services and outcomes for children, young people and adults with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) aged 0-25 in Wakefield.
There are 7 priorities in the strategy and Wakefield Council wanted to know which ones are important to your child/young person, or if they had any other concerns.
This strategy has now been published. You can download a copy by visiting the Wakefield Local Area Management of SEND page.
Short Breaks
During 2018 the Council wanted to look at what short breaks will look like across the Wakefield District in 2020/21.
What is a Short Break?
To clarify, a definition of a Short Break could be:-
- Fun activities Children and Young People do in the community
- Someone who comes to help Children and Young People access fun activities
- Someone who helps Children and Young People in their home in the day time or during the night
- Children and Young People sleeping over night away from home
- Other help the family has in their home to give a break to parents / carers
As you recall a series of engagement events occurred between November 2018 and July 2019 to find out what children and young people, their parents and carers and the people who work with them thought about the Short Breaks Services.
We have designed the Short Breaks Offer based on feedback received throughout the engagement events, as well as the budget available.
What did people feedback?
Summaries of the feedback previously received from consultation about short breaks can be found below.
Children and Young People's feedback about their short breaks - December 2018
Parent and Carer's feedback about short breaks - February 2019
You can also read a copy of the Final Short Breaks Enagagment Report by clicking on the link below.
Full Short Breaks Engagement Report
What are the plans going forward?
We would like to invite you to look at the Short Breaks Offer we are proposing to make available to children and young people across the Wakefield District from September 2020.
You can read about details of the proposed Short Breaks Offer in the document to download below. It also includes some frequently asked questions. This will be updated if we are asked more questions during the consultation process.
Short Breaks 2020/21 Final Consultation - Frequently Asked Questions - October 2019
For more information, you can contact the SEND Development Team by email at SEND@wakefield.gov.uk or telephone 01924 302410.
High Needs Review
In March 2017, the Government wrote to the Directors of Children’s Services at all local authorities to ask them to complete a review of High Needs provision in their area.
What does High Needs mean?
High Needs includes children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans, children and young people attending Pupil Referral Units and those being educated out of the Wakefield District.
Did people have the chance to share their view?
Yes, in January and February 2018, Wakefield Council asked for the views of people who make use of High Needs provision. This included children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), their families, and the organisations that support SEND. Links to copies of the engagement letters and questionnaires are at the bottom of this page. We sent out almost 2000 letters and asked schools, academies and other partners to share the questionnaires and details about events.
What did people feedback?
Almost 370 responses were received as well as feedback from the parents, carers and practitioners who attended face to face events. A summary of the feedback received is available here
Every single comment received was read and collated. Feedback was collated in two stages. Stage 1 looked at all responses that related to buildings, what types of education provisions might be needed in the future and how many places might be needed. This is called Capital work.
Stage 2 looked at all responses that related to how services are delivered, what was good and what might need to change in the future.
What are the plans going forward?
The Department for Education (DfE) provided the Council with a standard template for Capital Work to complete as part of their review. You can see the updated completed version of this document here.
This plan shows that the building work the Council would like to explore will cost more than the funding the DfE is planning to provide. Because of this, the Council will have to do more detailed work with schools, parents, carers, children, young people, practitioners and the DfE in order to explore options and work to see what other funding for building (capital) work can be put aside.
After considering the feedback, and a wide range of other information, a second plan has also been produced. This plan outlines what the Wakefield Local Area wants to do differently in the future to help improve outcomes for all children and young people with SEND (not just those with High Needs). You can see a summary of this plan here.
Letter and Key Messages Shared
Key Messages and Engagement Dates
Questionnaires Used
For children and young people with SEND. Particularly those with EHC Plans.
Easy Read Version (with PECS) Other version
For children and young people who have been permanently excluded and are attending a PRU.
For parent carers of children and young people with SEND. Particularly those with EHC Plans.
For practitioners working with children and young people with SEND and/or their families.
Parent/Carer Survey 2019
To help us to plan activities, engagement events and to assist us in representing the voice of SEND parents and carers, KIDS, on behalf of TEAM, conducted a survey.
This survey was for parents / carers in Wakefield who have children and young people aged 0 to 25 years with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our aim was to see how well Wakefield Council and Health Services identify children and young people with SEND, how well they meet those needs and how effectively they improve outcomes for those children and young people.
What are the plans going forward?
The results of the survey are currently being reviewed and summarised in a short report. They will be used in our discussions with Wakefield Council to help improve services. The survey findings will also be made available to parent / carers on the local offer.
Last reviewed: 24/10/2019