Recently I was delivering training on the new Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) Legislation Changes and Code of Practice.
The Education Health and Care Plans (EHC Plans) are designed to capture the aspirations of children, families & young people, identify Special Educational Needs, through robust assessment and work towards aspirational outcomes, (the benefit or the difference for the child, family or young person), specifying and quantifying what provision will be needed and capturing whose responsibility it is to make that happen.
But it must start with the aspirations of that Child, Family or Young person. Section A.
A valid and understandable question during the training was along the lines of,’ what if the child or young person says wants to be a pop star?’
Well what if?
Put it in! What young person at some time does not want to be a pop star? A leading actor? Prime Minister? Emperor of the Known Galaxy? (Our son Tom was permanently ventilated, I always told him that never held Darth Vader back from his long list of achievements…)
It’s an aspiration. Something to aim for. I understand that the subtext of question was along the lines of ‘how will education, health and social care colleagues take seriously this plan if the aspiration is pop star?’
Well they should. And they must! Inspire that young person, get that young person engaged in their learning, skills, creativity and own life. Drive forward with that goal. Put in that the young person wants to be an astronaut, if that is what they want. Because the underpinning values, approaches & principles that must be put into place post the latest legislative changes should not be any different in terms of needs to be met or support to be secured. If the direction of travel is pop stardom, well there are plenty of skills to be improved and creative industry opportunities to be grown for all our young people.
What resonated and was so well timed was a news story released during lunch. Finland had announced they had selected their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.
– All over 40
– A punk band
– With Learning Disabilities.
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/feb/27/finnish-punk-band-take-punt-eurovision-title
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEiM6l5meQI
A perfect end of the discussion we had.
I want to be a (punk) pop star.
If you have any more examples of how aspirations for Children & Young People with SEND can as broad as anybody else, leave a comment and I would love to find out more.
To find out more about the SEND reforms you could go to Special Needs Jungle or The Council for Disabled Children.
To find out more about the work I deliver in this sector, do take a look at the website for Gollcher Consultancy.
Or you can use my contact form to say hello.