SC21032 Therapies - SEN, Adoption Support Service and VSK

SEN Therapies Lot 1

The Council recognises that SEN therapy service providers have an important role in improving a CYP’s participation in learning experiences and access to curriculum opportunities and outcomes for our children who have an EHC plan. We therefore want to establish a relational contracting approach with providers on the QPL that will:

• recognise the interdependencies between local authorities, service providers, Ofsted, and other stakeholders;
• facilitate co-operation, shared learning, and improvement;
• enable us to anticipate and respond quickly to the changing needs of the Council's CYP with an EHC plan;
• support joint working between the Council’s education and service providers to help improve outcomes for Council's CYP with an EHC plan;
• help to ensure sufficiency and suitability of the therapy provision that is tailored to the current and anticipated needs of Council's CYP with an EHC plan; and
• ensure fairness in the commercial arrangements between commissioners and providers and transparency of prices.

Adoption Support Service Lot 2

The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) has been established to help adoptive families access the services they need more easily. The ASF provides funds to local authorities (LAs) and Regional Adoption Agency’s (RAA) to pay for essential therapeutic services for eligible adoptive and special guardianship order (SGO) families.

The aim of the ASF and the support it funds is to:

• Improve outcomes for young people and families
• Improve the core adoption/SGO support offered to families
• Build the evidence base so that interventions demonstrate the effectiveness and value for money

Virtual Schools Kent (Lot 3)

Virtual School Head Teachers (VSHs) are responsible for promoting the educational achievement of all the children looked after by the local authority they work for. With some young people a therapeutic approach or intervention may be needed in order to support access to or engagement with education.

Kent Children in Care (CiC) aged from 3 to 18 years of age are supported by Virtual School Kent (VSK). Pupil Premium Plus funding (PP+), Post 16 Pupil Premium Plus (P16PP+) or Early Years Pupil Premium funding (EYPP) can be used to pay for activities that will: -