What are we doing in Devon?

As a Pathfinder, Devon has been asked to test the integration of education, health and social care, including:

  • a co-ordinated approach to single assessment;
  • a single plan for age 0-25;
  • Personal budgets;
  • Support to parent carers and young people;
  • Support to vulnerable children, including children in care and children with complex health needs up to age 25.

We have been working with parent carers and young people, voluntary and community services, health education and social care service providers, with representatives from all groups supporting the design of new ways of working.

We have developed a new suite of documentation with many of the core components from previous assessments.  We are also developing a new service delivery model bringing together teams from education, health and social care to enable a more efficient and joined up process.

The design stage  started in October 2011 and is now complete.  We are currently testing the approach with a number of pilot families and implementation of the first phase of service delivery will start towards the end of 2013.

Transitions

We have undertaken an options appraisal, looked at organisational structure and detailed work for delivery of a 0-25 service for young people with Physical, Sensory and Learning Disabilities.  We will continue to look at how an Education Health and Social Care (EHC) plan can support young people post 18 to stay in education or move into work.

What’s gone well?

Along the Pathfinder journey there a number of positive points which have really worked well in Devon, these include

  • Co-production with parents and carers (Listen to me and my family)
  • Engagement with over 1500 multi agency staff
  • Engagement with over 400 parents and carers
  • Principles for a single assessment framework and single plan agreed across all areas of work including health visitors, replacing Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and SEND specialist planning.
  • Principles for organisational change

What are the challenges?

Some of the biggest challenges we face in the Pathfinder Programme are

  • Cultural change for both professionals and parents
  • Huge time of change for organisations, including transfer of Devon Integrated Children’s Services and organisational restructure for both the NHS and local authority.