Been asked to be part of a pilot scheme for LA

[lisad123]

Have been Asked to help with new services in Herts due to changes in brought in with green paper.
It seems to be focusing on education and health plans being together and about personal budgets for families to spend on services they buy in.
I'm a little worried about it, but knowing my LA they will push it though if they want to and feel at least I might get to give them opinions and ideas. Im not shy about telling them they suck!

I was asked to be involved with our regional pathfinder too, but unfortunately I can't make the time to do it due to being so busy home educating and otherwise providing for a child with AS/ADHD because nobody in statutory services gives a monkey's chuff about him and .

So much for Every Child Matters.

Hope you can be more successful with your input lisa. I've sat in our pathfinder meetings and not known whether to laugh or cry. So much of it is lip service and I can't see much changing in practical terms, not for the better anyway .

I had been thinking of starting a thread asking if anyone has actually taken part in a trial. Just out of curiosity, how do you find out about or how have you been invited to take part in these events? I know our LA are involved in this as a pathfinder but can't find anything on the county council website.

I haven't had much luck in the past getting health and education services to work together in a joined up way rather than argue over whose responsibility/budget a child's needs belong to, so had faint glimmer of hope that this green paper might address this. I would be interested to hear about the experiences of anyone who does get involved.

In our area there's a lot of involvement with a parent support group and I think (though not sure) that this is required as part of the pilot. I was approached through the parent group initially though I've later been contacted by the LA now that I'm on the pathfinder contact list.

I can't get my head around the single assessment. A full assessment HAS to involve input from the various disciplines so parents will still have to meet with a range of professionals for diagnosis and afterwards for support. But I admit, I haven't been involved in all the discussions in our area because of time constraints so I may well have misunderstood. Some families and agencies supporting them believe that the amount of time involved is what puts parents off being part of the pilots - we're already run off our feet as it is just from having kids with SN/disabilities.

I don't know of any families personally who are involved in a trial, so can't help there.

Thanks for replying, streaky. I can really see how the time constraints would put off families who are already stretched with other demands. Although often a lot of our time is spent or wasted trying to push through and coordinate appointments and assessments.

The other issue is how are services like CAMHSand OT (which from our experience are vastly overstretched and already have overlong waiting lists) going to find time for extra work?

pinkorkid I've just had a look on our LA's website and I couldn't find any links to the pathfinder either .

The Department of Education has this on its list of pathfinders:
Public Communication Unit: General enquiries
for general enquiries
Telephone: 0370 000 2288

You could maybe phone them and ask who is the coordinator for your area as you'd like to be involved in the consultation meetings.

Either that or your Special Needs department should have some idea of parent groups that are involved.

Our LA are doing the pathfinder thing. Families from the right groups were asked to volunteer through our parent forums. They've had loads of meetings about the various areas like transport etc.

Do you have to sign a confidentiality form of any kind or can you start a running thread/blog of your journey and discoveries?

Just say NO

It's voluntary - they cannot force you.

As they are probably one of the worst LAs in the country you can be damn sure whatever they do will be in their favour - not in your interests.

But Lisad, aren't you employed by them on ocassion?

Won't you be in a difficult position?

streaky, thanks for the contact number above. I will make some enquiries and see what happens.

I did say that I worked for them and wanted to be clear on that. I also said just because I work for them does not mean I will lie for them and they will get my honest opinion.
We had been chosen by caseload. Knowing our LA they will plow forward anything they want so think it might be best to try it and then at least I can give feedback.