Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator Perceptions of Practice and Potential: Investigating Education and Health Care Plan Implementation in Early Years and Primary Education

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice (DfE and DoH, 2015) aimed to reform provision for children and young people with additional and complex learning needs. Its intention was to place such children and their families at the centre of practice and introduce Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs) to bring together support from different disciplines. Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos) are the key implementers of the Code of Practice within their settings. This requires them to recognise complex needs, to interface with setting staff, families and expert professionals, and to apply for and implement EHCPs. However, differences in leadership, training and educational phase have created a confusing situation in which knowledge, status and priorities vary. This mixed-methods, close-to-practice research sought to identify, describe and explain key features of the role, implementation and SENCo identity, as perceived and experienced by SENCo practitioners working in either the early years or primary phase of education. A conceptual framework that encompassed micro-level influences (identity theory) and external ecological influences (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 1982) was utilised to do this. Following a pilot study, eight SENCos working in the early years phase and seven SENCos working in the primary phase from a variety of settings in one local authority area in the Midlands region of England participated in two stages of data collection. Each completed a work-line, a critical event narrative interview, and a repertory grid interview, then ranked a group repertory grid. Descriptive and numerical analysis of the data sets was conducted, with findings and results being integrated to discover the salient external and internal influences on EHCP implementation. This process revealed seven themes, with accompanying sub-themes. Detail about SENCo identity (including their perceptions of collective and professional identity and of positive and negative impacts on their personal identity) emerged, including that the experience and outcomes for individual children were central to SENCo purpose. Key relationships became apparent, as did institutional issues (availability of consistent information and communication and liaison), and organisational issues (setting ethos, impact on SENCo status, teamwork and evidence collation). Knowledge and skills (of processes, developmental norms, SEND and of individual children) were also important, and all of these themes influenced the quality of evidence provided for EHCPs and so outcomes. A model was developed to illustrate these, then recommendations relating to purpose, support resources, communities of learning, and relationships were made. Finally, potential impact and dissemination platforms were detailed

An exploration of specialist nurses in Malta: a qualitative case study.

The concept of specialist nursing and advanced nursing practice has been extensively debated in the literature internationally but to date no consensus exists on the preparation, titling and regulation of these nurses worldwide. The introduction of specialist nurses in Malta in 2003, now titled ‘practice nurses’, was seen as an evolution in nursing practice and launched in response to gaps in services and developments in health policy. This was perceived as a much needed career advancement option for nurses; an alternative to traditional administrative/educational roles; and a drive towards improving patient access and quality care. However there was still a paucity of information and evaluation of the nurses’ role in Malta. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of the roles, development and preparation of specialist nurses in Malta, an island with its own historical, political and social context. Using a qualitative case study design, a deep understanding of the complex issues surrounding specialist nurses was gained from multiple data sets using purposive sampling techniques. Data included a survey of the total specialist nurse population (N=27), in-depth interviews with a group of specialist nurses (N=9) and four focus groups with key professionals and policy stakeholders (total N=28). Data were collected between 2013 and 2015 and analysed using thematic analysis. The main themes that emerged from the findings including concepts of advanced nursing practice, role boundaries, preparation, regulation and autonomy to practice. In spite of the very positive views on the roles and practice of these specialist nurses, a number of barriers to their future development were exposed. Barriers comprised the lack of understanding and support for their role and the paucity of evaluation research on their role. Additional areas affecting their advancement included the organisational and political systems that were seen to affect leadership, and power in nursing to achieve the ultimate aim of consistent provision of good quality nursing care. The study provides the first research- based insights into the role and development of specialist nurses in Malta, and concludes by highlighting the need for a legally accepted set of definitions, preparation and evaluation of the specialist nurse role from a national policy perspective