Designated Clinical Officer (DCO)
The Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) in Hartlepool supports the NHS response to statutory assessments and planning for children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 years.
The Designated Clinical Officer role is introduced under the Section 3.48 of the Code of Practice with the following statement: “there is local flexibility for the role to be undertaken by a suitably competent qualified and experienced nurse or other health professional, in which case the role would be the Designated Clinical Officer”.
The DCO plays a crucial role in ensuring that commissioned health services provide relevant health information for education, health, and care needs assessments. This supports the principle that: “children, young people, and families should experience well-coordinated assessment and planning, leading to timely and well-informed decisions (SEND Code of Practice 2015, p.147)”. The Local Authority will seek individual health advice from NHS health professionals involved in the care of children and young people, in order to inform an EHC needs assessment.
The DCO:
- Will work closely with the local authority to ensure that requests for health advice are actioned and incorporated into an EHCP appropriately.
- Point of Contact: Serve as a point of contact for parents, carers, partner agencies, and professionals to address queries related to NHS health services and SEND when local solutions have been exhausted.
- System-wide Engagement: Highlight themes and gaps in provision to the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and SEND Partnership Board.
- The DCO will attend the Multi-Agency Panels to support decision making and to support Clinicians Clinical Judgement.
- Provide an expert resource for CYP health information, guidance, reassurance and support for families and professionals.
- Maximise outcomes for CYP with SEND by working to improve quality of life, school absences, secondary mental and physical health conditions, personal autonomy and engagement in further education and employment
- Interagency Collaboration: Ensuring effective communication and collaboration across education, health, and social care sectors.
The DCO collaborates with parent carers in various ways, including:
- Responding to individual enquiries.
- Attending engagement events.
- Coordinating health responses for SEND extended appeals and supporting health colleagues in health-related SEND appeals and mediation.
- Enhanced Communication: Establishing clear communication channels between families, schools, and healthcare providers.
- Family Engagement: Collaborating with families to understand their perspectives and involve them in decision-making.
- Advocacy: Advocating for the rights of children with complex needs to ensure they receive appropriate care.
Quality Assurance:
- The DCO is committed to improving standards and consistency of practice to ensure high-quality education, health, and care plans for children and young people.
- The DCO will attend the ICB Send Assurance Sub Committee Meeting.
- Regularly meet with the regional DCO network and NHS England officers to share learning and standards of practice at regional and national levels.
- Policy Implementation: Adapting national policies to meet the unique needs of the local community.
SEND Partnerships:
- Actively participate in local authority SEND Boards, supporting decision-making, providing checks and challenges to members and partners, and aiding continuous improvement for children and young people with SEND.
- Play a strategic role in relation to the SEND agenda, developing, improving and influencing service design and delivery.
- Supporting the Local Area to prepare for Local Area inspection with CQC and Ofsted.
- Liaison with professions from health providers both internally and externally to ensure that all relevant health information is available to support EHC decision making at panel and provide longer term specialised and strategic oversight.
- Training and Development: Staying current with SEND developments and ensuring staff have the necessary training.
- Improved Access to Services: Helping children with complex needs access required services, leading to better health and well-being.
- Enhanced Educational Outcomes: Coordinating between health services and educational settings to support academic success for children with SEND.
- Empowered Families: Providing support and guidance to families, enabling them to advocate for their children and navigate the healthcare system effectively.
- Streamlined Care: Reducing the burden on families by streamlining care and improving service delivery efficiency.
- Training and Support: Training healthcare professionals and educators to meet the complex needs of children with SEND.
Contact the DCO:
Name: Ruth Kimmins
Email: nencicb-tv.dco-teesvalley@nhs.net
North East and North Cumbria Key Worker Service
A Key worker service is available across the Tees Valley for children and young people that have autism and/or learning disabilities. The workforce will support children, young people and families to help avoid unnecessary admissions into mental health hospitals within the integrated care system.
In line with new policy, children and young people are referred to the Key Working service when they are included on the dynamic support register.
Key workers work with children, young people and their families with the most complex needs to make sure families feel listened to and included in decisions, are fully involved in their care plans, care plans are personalised, and they have the right support at the right time, in a co-ordinated way.
For further information on this service please visit the following links:
Regional information; North East and North Cumbria (NE and NC) Keyworker Service – Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (cntw.nhs.uk)
National information; https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/care/children-young-people/keyworkers/
Hartlepool LA SEND Team
The role of the SEND Team is to carry out the Local Authority’s duties as set out in the Children and Families Act 20214 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015. Each officer has a case load of new assessments and annual reviews. They will be your point of contact though the EHC Needs Assessment and Annual Review processes. The service works closely with colleagues across education, health and social care. The team can be contacted via SEN@Hartlepool.gov.uk or 01429 523553.
SEND Decision Making Panel
The SEND Panel is a multi-agency decision making panel. The role of the panel is to work collaboratively and share relevant information to enable appropriate decisions (based on the legal threshold) are made in relation to requests for EHC Needs Assessments, the issuing of EHCPs following an assessment and ceasing EHCPs. Where a decision is taken not to assess, or an issue and EHCP, the panel will provide recommended actions which the school or setting should take.
SENDIASS
For information click here
