The Imbalance of Power

From the minutes of the November 2018 SEND Reforms Meeting
2. Governance and Reporting
2.1 There are new corporate boards being set up in order to deliver on the new corporate plan. The intention is that all activity is to be escalated and will flow into the system. It has been accepted that the Boards will need to hear “the right things” if they are to be useful. The Health & Well-being Board will be at CEO level and will cover both children and adult services.
2.2 Members asked for an indication as to who will be included on each board and how they will report back to schools. It was unclear as to why Schools Forum (and the High Needs Block) are not included in the structure. Vikki to add into the structure and bring back Action VMM
2.3 Parents groups were asked how information will be given to parents. Haringey Involve have a new support organisation who will request on information to their members and seek feedback through the consultations. Action HI
2.4 There is an annual consultation with users in special and mainstream schools for the Local Offer, including respite services.

In communications with the local authority it feels like there is a perpetual imbalance of power.  Our internal and external lobbying for better lines of reporting and governance seems to have coincided with a review and reflection of the current structures within the local authority, as reported in the November 2018 SEND meeting minutes.

But what about external communications with parents and carers? Does the local authority have the genuine intent to really get around to doing some proper codesign and working with parents, not just cursory tick box exercises to meet their legal obligations?

Is the local authority creating the right conditions to ensure successful codesign with parent carers?

In order to rebalance the power the local authority need to answer the following questions.

How will the local authority ensure that they are working with parent carers? As nice as it is to hear that they are also recognising our concerns (now that we received the meeting minutes for SEND Reforms) nobody has sat down with us and discussed what the depth of the problems are, what the nature of the problems are and what it is we would like to see regarding reporting, governance, record keeping etc.  It feels like the local authority are trying to cover up their mistakes and making decisions 'elsewhere'.  This seems to go against their own Principles of Codesign. We have offered to meet with the appropriate Assistant Director - but this was declined.

How will the local authority ensure that they are treating all parent carers as equal partners, experts by experience and fellow professionals? Are the local authority ensuring that all parents have available to them copies of papers, meeting minutes, agendas well in advance of meetings (at least 5 working days); that the purpose of the meetings or a piece of work is clearly set out at the beginning of a meeting or a piece of work commencing?

Are the local authority keeping an open mind to all codesign ideas and suggestions from parents? Rather than looking for parents to agree to the local authorities proposals that meet the local authorities needs or asking parents to choose from a limited choice of options that do not meet fully needs?

How will the local authority ensure that their publicly funded partners, who like the local authority have duties set out by Parliament and written in English Law,  also have appropriate open and transparent governance structures with clear lines of report that are adhered to; clear duties, roles and responsibilities?   Organisations such as HealthWatch and the Official Parent Carer Forum - both of whom receive public funding - need to have and adhere to similarly robust, open, transparent governance and reporting structures as the local authority in order for codesign to work.  If they do not, the local authority need to look for other partners in codesign.

How will the local authority ensure that they hear  the voice of parents - not the voice of charities speaking on behalf of parents? This is part of the ongoing imbalance of power.   It is somehow worse than being voiceless - having your experiences stolen or invalidated by someone else, who claims to be empowering you. Their role needs to be to facilitate communication, for example hosting weekly events with professionals and parents in attendance - NOT speak for us. 

Will the local authority follow their own Principles of Codesign? 

In order to hear the 'right things' will the local authority look outside the 'official forum', in order to develop services that meet the needs of all?

Will ALL parent carers have the opportunity to be included not just a small self selected group? Parents of children with particularly complex needs, who work full time and their own health conditions are seemingly not the right sort of vulnerable to qualify for public funds or to be equal partners in the codesign of services.  For example, meeting times are agreed upon by the attendees - what about people who cannot attend?  In the case of one recent group, it was agreed NOT to Skype meetings - excluding parents who cannot attend but would like to participate fully.

Here is the code for the SEND Meeting Minutes on Haringey's Local Offer pages.

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/children-and-families/local-offer/about-local-offer/local-offer-news