SEND local offer - The One Point Referral Process Information for Parents and Carers
Introduction
Many young people and children who do not have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) may require a high level of intervention or additional HNF (High Needs funding).
If a child is not making progress, despite support and interventions from the setting, the child can be referred, by the setting, to the One Point Panel. If deemed appropriate, Panel can offer advice re strategies and support or HNF can then be allocated by the panel. It may also be suggested that children with more complex developmental needs may be signposted to appropriate services at this stage.
Who is on the One Point Panel?
The One Point Panel is made up of professionals from the Enhanced Mainstream Schools (EMS) including:
- Principle SEN Advisor (the chair of the panel)
- SEN advisor
- Education Development Officer
- Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)
- Head teachers or SENCOs of the Enhanced Mainstream Schools
- Specialist Community Public Health Nurse - SEND
Referring into the One Point Panel
The school or setting should arrange to speak with parents or carers to discuss the application, gather any views and gain parental consent before the referral to panel is made.
The panel meets weekly according to the four areas of need:
- communication and interaction
- cognition and learning
- physical and sensory and social
- emotional, mental health
Individual applications will be discussed by panel members and a record of your child and any services they receive will remain within the SEN and Engagement Team. The aim of the panel is to offer support, advice and strategies or HNF according to an individual's needs.
What can the panel do?
The Panel will be able to:
- advise on additional intervention and support for your child
- signpost to other agencies that should be involved
- allocate additional funding based on the evidence provided by the school or setting
- advice and strategies via outreach by EMS professionals or local authority staff
- recommend in-reach to ENS
- recommend schools apply for further assessment for an Education Health and Care Plan if appropriate
Once a decision has been made by the panel, feedback will be sent to the setting or school to share the panel decision with the parents or carers. Applications that have been successful will have a review date on the feedback. This is so panel can monitor the impact of the support, advice, recommendations or HNF and therefore your child may be discussed on more than one occasion.