Coproduction: If NOT now? When?
- By Brian Leveson
- •
- 15 Jun, 2021
- •
Another meeting at short notice with parent carers - arranged with 2 full working day's notice - by the Haringey SEND department begs the question: if they aren't listening to directions from the Leader of the Council, the Cabinet Member for Children and the needs of parent carers in the Amaze report - who are they listening to?
Another meeting with short notice
So, guess what! With only 2 full working days notice, we got invited to another meeting with the Haringey SEND department - this one was about the Haringey SEND strategy and ensuring that lessons are learned. But how are the SEND department going to learn from the Amaze report and complaints and members enquiries if they do not start implementing the recommendations of the Amaze report and the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel about how to go about engagement with parent carers.
For example
We understand that there will be further meetings in early July - details to follow.
For example
- An ideal minimum of three weeks' notice for meetings (The Amaze Report 2020)
- The demands of looking after children with SEND are considerable which can make it very difficult for many to be actively involved. Flexible and imaginative ways of engaging parents and carers therefore need to be found. Co-production with parents and carers and a collaborative approach should now be being followed in the design, planning and development of services. (Children and Young People's Scrutiny Panel Report 2020)
We understand that there will be further meetings in early July - details to follow.
Please do go, if you don't mind having your time wasted...
Who knows if and when 'lessons will be learned' and things will get better...
Sendiass Markfield is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Conversation about SEND Strategy in Haringey
Time: Jun 16, 2021 6pm to 7pm London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98784954757?pwd=Q0tWNnYxek5RdkZNV0krbDg0KzRZZz09
Meeting ID: 987 8495 4757
Passcode: 961999
Topic: Conversation about SEND Strategy in Haringey
Time: Jun 16, 2021 6pm to 7pm London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98784954757?pwd=Q0tWNnYxek5RdkZNV0krbDg0KzRZZz09
Meeting ID: 987 8495 4757
Passcode: 961999
Promises of coproduction from the Leader of the council - 27th May 2021
You may like to reflect that our new Leader of the Council made promises upon appointment on 27th May 2021 (about 2 and a bit weeks ago) had some very strong words to say about coproduction:
“I want the lynchpin of my administration to be about co-production and co-design and being a more collaborative council.
“I am a working-class woman from an ethnic minority background, so I am used to people who want to talk on my behalf.
“My own background has shown me that the way we engage and talk to our residents is a crucial component moving forward. I will be using all my insight and experience of living in Haringey to help make a difference.”
Promises of better communication from the Haringey SEND department - 24th September 2019
You may recall the letter send to all SEND parents in 2019 regarding better communication from the Haringey SEND department
Dear Parents and carers, and all families advocating for children with SEN and disabilities,
RE: Children with Special Needs
Firstly, I would like to thank you for the work you are doing in advocating for families with children who have special needs in Haringey. I understand that families have recently submitted information to the Fairness Commission regarding issues related to SEND which you would like us to address, and rest assured that we will be looking at all the feedback you have shared and working with the service to explore the issues and make any improvements needed.
I am writing now to underline the commitment that all of us within the Local Authority have made, to a model of co-design and participation with our SEND parents, carers, partners, and stakeholders. This commitment starts with the Leader, myself as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Families and the Director of Children’s Services, Ann Graham. It signals an important milestone in how we work with families in ensuring, as best we can, that provision meets children’s needs.
I know from my own professional and personal experience, that joint working with families through a co-design approach is essential for children’s outcomes. We are committed to developing a co-design model that works and meets the ambition that we share for the services supporting all our children, young people and families. Developing this approach is now underway, and must be underpinned by trusting relationships between all parties. That is vital, and something we know needs to be built in order to secure the very best outcomes for all.
I know that officers have already begun the first steps in engaging with you as parents and carers, and I am taking a close interest in this which will give you the confidence that will grow as we work together and shape our services for all.
As part of our future programme of work, I can assure you that the Council will commit to the principles of timely information sharing, robust and thorough participation, inclusive participation and co-production based on mutual trust and respect. I understand a document is being drafted which sets this out clearly. Our aim, at all times, will be for respectful and productive dialogue.
We are aware that aspects of our ways of working, engaging and shaping services can be improved. We do need to effect considerable change if we are to move forward positively and co-design is critical to that.
You will appreciate I am new to this role, but it is clear to me that the service is now committed to working in a more open and inclusive manner. I support them unequivocally in this and indeed, think it is vital to delivering for SEND. This is a whole area issue, and Assistant Directors from across the Children and Young People’s Service including Schools and Learning, Commissioning and Social Care teams are working together with the Head of Integrated Service for SEN and Disabilities in achieving this.
While accepting the issues regarding our past communication, it is clear that our new approach can only succeed by working with parents and carers. Joint working, collaboration, participation, your knowledge, insights and challenge are all needed for coproduction to thrive. I urge you to continue to engage with the new approach, work with SEND team, so that we can begin to move forward with a service that seeks to provide the very best outcomes for all our children.
I am very happy to meet you and your groups to discuss this further.
Yours sincerely,
Zena Brabazon
Deputy Leader of Haringey Council
Cabinet Member for Children and Families
RE: Children with Special Needs
Firstly, I would like to thank you for the work you are doing in advocating for families with children who have special needs in Haringey. I understand that families have recently submitted information to the Fairness Commission regarding issues related to SEND which you would like us to address, and rest assured that we will be looking at all the feedback you have shared and working with the service to explore the issues and make any improvements needed.
I am writing now to underline the commitment that all of us within the Local Authority have made, to a model of co-design and participation with our SEND parents, carers, partners, and stakeholders. This commitment starts with the Leader, myself as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Families and the Director of Children’s Services, Ann Graham. It signals an important milestone in how we work with families in ensuring, as best we can, that provision meets children’s needs.
I know from my own professional and personal experience, that joint working with families through a co-design approach is essential for children’s outcomes. We are committed to developing a co-design model that works and meets the ambition that we share for the services supporting all our children, young people and families. Developing this approach is now underway, and must be underpinned by trusting relationships between all parties. That is vital, and something we know needs to be built in order to secure the very best outcomes for all.
I know that officers have already begun the first steps in engaging with you as parents and carers, and I am taking a close interest in this which will give you the confidence that will grow as we work together and shape our services for all.
As part of our future programme of work, I can assure you that the Council will commit to the principles of timely information sharing, robust and thorough participation, inclusive participation and co-production based on mutual trust and respect. I understand a document is being drafted which sets this out clearly. Our aim, at all times, will be for respectful and productive dialogue.
We are aware that aspects of our ways of working, engaging and shaping services can be improved. We do need to effect considerable change if we are to move forward positively and co-design is critical to that.
You will appreciate I am new to this role, but it is clear to me that the service is now committed to working in a more open and inclusive manner. I support them unequivocally in this and indeed, think it is vital to delivering for SEND. This is a whole area issue, and Assistant Directors from across the Children and Young People’s Service including Schools and Learning, Commissioning and Social Care teams are working together with the Head of Integrated Service for SEN and Disabilities in achieving this.
While accepting the issues regarding our past communication, it is clear that our new approach can only succeed by working with parents and carers. Joint working, collaboration, participation, your knowledge, insights and challenge are all needed for coproduction to thrive. I urge you to continue to engage with the new approach, work with SEND team, so that we can begin to move forward with a service that seeks to provide the very best outcomes for all our children.
I am very happy to meet you and your groups to discuss this further.
Yours sincerely,
Zena Brabazon
Deputy Leader of Haringey Council
Cabinet Member for Children and Families
The recommendations in the Amaze report, July 2020
From "Participation and communication"
Professionals to plan ahead for consultations and engagement opportunities, with an ideal minimum of three weeks' notice for meetings and six for consultations.
Parents should be involved from the outset to help determine what type of engagement activity would be most effective. As part of this planning, have discussions around the needs of families who do not have English as a first language and whether translated materials or interpreters to access the opportunities can be provided.
Utilise social media, websites, text and WhatsApp to communicate upcoming sought and used in performance reviews. engagement opportunities, plus emails and flyers via schools and Markfield.
Provide flexible participation methods, such as face to face meetings, focus groups, online participation via Zoom, surveys, meetings at existing support groups and voluntary organisations, and via email.
AMAZE report recommendations for Haringey professionals (difficultparent.com)
Parents should be involved from the outset to help determine what type of engagement activity would be most effective. As part of this planning, have discussions around the needs of families who do not have English as a first language and whether translated materials or interpreters to access the opportunities can be provided.
Utilise social media, websites, text and WhatsApp to communicate upcoming sought and used in performance reviews. engagement opportunities, plus emails and flyers via schools and Markfield.
Provide flexible participation methods, such as face to face meetings, focus groups, online participation via Zoom, surveys, meetings at existing support groups and voluntary organisations, and via email.
AMAZE report recommendations for Haringey professionals (difficultparent.com)
Oh! The bare faced cheek!
So, when it pointed out that this was a meeting with parents held at very short notice (2 full working days) the reply was...
"That this is an informal conversation prior to drafting a SEND strategy with a focus on lessons learnt by the authority and agreeing priorities and actions".
"That this is an informal conversation prior to drafting a SEND strategy with a focus on lessons learnt by the authority and agreeing priorities and actions".
So, are the lessons learned by the local authority to ignore wishes of the Leader of the Council, the Member for Children and parent carers ... ... if so, whose left to listen to then?
If you thought SEND was bad - the NHS is seemingly prepared to throw away money to private companies
About 3 or 4 times a year we get the euphemistic message 'Parents please note we have put a letter in your child's bag' - its a world away from how a child's death was handled in my child's first school
More of a trial by ordeal than a well organised clearly set out administrative process for moving the care of vulnerable young adults from Haringey's Children's Services to Adult Services. We have been failed at every stage of the process.
Never EVER get on the bus without a camera running if you need the priority wheelchair space
The reality of using a London Bus in the teeming rain on a Sunday afternoon is no joke when the parents of a paraplegic person in a wheelchair clash with the self-entitled buggy-pushing parents of toddlers.
At 3pm today I received some barefaced lies from Haringey Council Adult Social Care in response to a photograph I published online yesterday and the media interest it generated
Haringey SEND Transport are insisting that a 17 year old minibus with no air conditioning is a suitable vehicle to transport my paraplegic son in this heatwave. The appalling conditions inside the minibus inside the bus is something they knew about last summer, yet they have to date done nothing whatsoever provide a suitable minibus this year nor appropriately mitigate the temperatures inside the minibus.The conditions inside the minibus are so bad that they triggered multiple seizures during the heatwave as my son has epilepsy, which they SEND transport department know about and they also know that they are triggered by heat.It is not just son who is impacted: last year we know of one child who died on Haringey SEND Transport in the summer heatwave and another who had seizures.
I am simply asking a question - are we all absolutely certain that the road closure / travel restrictions (commonly know as LTNs) placed on some of the most severely disabled people who are wholly reliant on cars are absolutely necessary
Haringey's road closures exemptions policy for disabled people is not fit for purpose, unduly burdensome and intrusive - it's time to stand up against the pro-LTN lycra-clad cycling bullies
Is the argument for and against exemptions for disabled people in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods really a case of GOOD versus EVIL?
