Agenda item

That Members promote the use of Person Centred Planning through their links with schools and the portfolio pupil referral units.

The Chief Officer (Education and Youth) introduced the report and advised that the Welsh Government was undergoing a period of transformation with regard to the education of children and young people with additional learning needs.  It was understood that Person Centred Planning (PCP) would form an integral part of the reforms.   He invited the Senior Manager – Inclusion and Progression to provide an overview of the process and an update on the training offered to prepare schools and pupil referral units in Flintshire.

                        The Senior Manager – Inclusion and Progression reported on the main considerations as detailed in the report.   She advised that the information captured through the use of PCP would be used to identify an individual’s needs and support the agencies involved to design effective and bespoke interventions in partnership with the child and family.  The detail from the process would be recorded in an Individual Development Plan which would replace Statements of Special Educational Need. 

            The Senior Manager – Inclusion and Progression introduced Mrs. Rachel Molyneux, Headteacher St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School,and Christine Wineyard, Teacher in Charge of the Learning Centre (Pupil Referral Unit)and invited Mrs Molyneux to give an overview of how PCP was applied in the classroom.  Mrs. Molyneux explained that person-centred planning (PCP) was an holistic approach which provided a way of helping children and young people and their families think about what was important to and for them now and in the future.  It was also a continual process of listening and learning and provided a collection of tools based on shared values that could be used to plan with a child or young person not for them.  She detailed the benefits of the system and circulated examples of pupils work.   

The Senior Manager – Inclusion and Progression advised that to support a national understanding of PCP the Welsh Government had proved funding to each local authority for the last two financial years.  In Flintshire this had had been used to provide access for two staff from each school and Pupil Referral Unit to attend a two-day training programme.  The second phase of the training has been to identify and support Beacon schools who have embraced PCP and are developing and are developing extensive expertise which could be shared with other establishments.

The Chair thanked Mrs. Molyneux for her presentation.  Members expressed their support for the initiative and the work being undertaken in schools.  In response to the question raised by Councillor Nancy Matthews around more able and talented children, Mrs. Molyneux explained that PCP was a whole class approach and no child was excluded. 

Mrs. Rebecca Stark asked how the reforms would be managed in schools.  The Senior Manager – Inclusion and Progression explained that each school would adapt the PCP framework to its pupils own needs.

Councillor David Williams queried whether the personal profile forms were updated as the child progressed through the education system.  Mrs. Molyneux gave an assurance that profile forms were continually updated and reviewed. 

RESOLVED:

That Members promote the use of Person Centred Planning through their links with schools and the portfolio pupil referral units.