Participation, co-production and person-centred planning
Participation, co-production and person-centred planning
Participation, co-production and person-centred planning
Participation is about more than simply taking part or being consulted, it is about being fully included and actively involved in all planning and decision-making, in a way that is accessible and meaningful. Working together in partnership with parents/carers, children and young people benefits everyone and helps to ensure that support meets individual needs and is appropriate for individual circumstances.
Co-production refers to the process through which parents/carers and children and young people share an equal role and responsibility in planning, shaping and reviewing support on an ongoing basis. Co-production can exist at different levels: for example, co-producing a whole school behaviour policy together with parents/carers and children and young people or jointly agreeing on outcomes and recommendations during person-centred planning meetings.
At the heart of meaningful participation and co-production is mutual respect, trust, honesty, transparency and open communication.
SENCOs and senior leadership teams encourage participation and co-production with their wider school community in different ways, such as:
1.
Regularly and authentically gathering the views of children, young people and parents/carers to inform development work and practice across the school/college (e.g. through questionnaires, parent/carer groups, activities or coffee mornings).
2.
Embedding person-centred planning across the school or college setting.
3.
Identifying and supporting children and young people ambassadors, representatives and pupil/student councils.
4.
Running projects or activities to encourage parent/carer and children and young people participation (e.g. charity events or wellbeing events).
5.
Holding drop-ins for parents/carers and children and young people with SEND.
Further information around person-centred planning, and a person-centred planning toolkit can be accessed here.
This also includes feedback received from Bury SENCOs and teachers following their use of these materials.