Hertfordshire is ahead of other local authorities in having made changes to work in a multi-agency way from 2001. Children Schools and Families was set up joining together Social Services and Education and is now being developed even further in the light of Every Child Matters and Children’s Trusts.
Within this organisation Hospital and Home Education has been supporting pupils with medical conditions, working closely with other organisations to ensure that all their needs are supported and where possible pupils are reintegrated into their home school. The way in which the service has been working has been captured on a ten minute DVD in which 2 young service users talk about where they started, what support was offered and their aspirations for the future. One pupil started with the service 5 years ago, the other 3. It covers the 5 outcomes in Every Child Matters – be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and economic wellbeing.
I would be very interested in presenting a paper on this work of the last 5 years and feel it would fit into the topic of Every Child Matters very well.
I believe the work we have been doing in Hertfordshire is innovative and unique and would be thought provoking for others to see and discuss.