4th December 2017

• Sheffield City Council has asked parents to comment on a range of draft templates. These templates are intended to be used by nurseries, schools and colleges as part of their approach to supporting learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

  The templates are designed to fit one inside another – a bit like Russian dolls! In this analogy, the Learner Profile would be the smallest doll, which fits into the Support Plan. Both documents form part of the My Plan, which in turn feeds into the Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan. This  means that information gathered at the previous stage can be included at the next stage, if a learner’s needs become more complex.

  Please note:

  • None of these documents are completely NEW – they are revised versions of documents that are already in use. The revisions are intended to make them more user-friendly and more joined up.
  • The Council intends to publish guidance notes and exemplars for each document, and offer training sessions on their use. There will be a range of “tools” available that staff can use to gather the views of learners and parents in a person-centred way.
  • The documents will be available in Word format, so that suggested amendments can be inserted as tracked changes or comments.
  • Settings who have developed their own versions of the Learner Profile and Support Plan will not be required to adopt the Council’s templates.
  • The Council wants to publish final versions of these documents in January 2018 and roll them out through the spring term.

  Please click on the blue document titles below to download the draft templates. These contain annotations added by the Council.

  The Council has asked parent support groups in the city for feedback on the templates. Our Education subgroup met on 1st December to discuss the templates, and you can read their comments here.

  We would love to hear YOUR comments on the templates and on how they are used, and add them to our feedback before we submit it to the Council. You can tell us your views by email (enquiries@sheffieldparentcarerforum.org.uk), or by calling our office (0300 3214721). Please make sure your feedback reaches us by 1pm on 15th December 2017. 

  Learner Profile
  This is an information-sharing tool. Every learner with SEND should have one. It gives key information about the learner, and is meant to be shared widely, e.g. with lunchtime supervisors, supply teachers etc. Many settings already use something like this – it’s often referred to as a “one-page profile”.

  Support Plan
  This is a planning and review tool for learners on SEN Support. It sets out the learner’s targets for the academic year and should be reviewed on a termly basis. It is similar to an IEP (Individual Education Plan).

  My Plan
  This is a step up from the Support Plan. It is intended for learners with more complex needs and for those who require provision to be made by several people or services. It is issued by the setting and can cover education, health and social care needs and provision. If an EHC plan is requested, the My Plan is the main evidence-gathering tool.

  EHC Plan
  EHC plans are for a small minority of learners who need more support for their educational needs than a mainstream setting can normally provide. They are formal legal documents, issued by local authorities, and much of their content is prescribed by legislation.

  Annual Review Record for EHC Plan
  This is a form to be completed at each annual review of an EHC plan.