Schools within each cluster will collaborate to identify and agree the best ways to support and meet needs as they are identified.
The MIP aims to ensure that children and young people have their needs identified earlier to enable support to be put in place sooner. This provides schools with greater flexibility to design and put in place bespoke packages of support. Schools will also benefit from working with other schools to ensure the sharing of good practice.
Decisions will be made collaboratively by groups of schools during monthly meetings, rather than exclusively by the local authority. Parent Carers will be involved in the process prior to meetings taking place. Their views must be sought and their consent must be provided prior to decisions about support being made.
The MIP will be reviewed on an annual basis with feedback sought from all stakeholders. This will be used to drive child-centred improvement and effectiveness of the model.
While this new model might be unfamiliar to many parent carers, we recognise the importance of providing reassurance and feedback that the model will consistently seek to ensure appropriate support is provided for children and young people and that the views of parents and carers are used to inform the decisions made.
The MIP is not a pathway to an EHCP and should not be viewed or presented as such. It does not seek to replace the statutory process. When it is felt the support of an EHCP is the most effective way to meet the needs of a child, one can and should be explored following the usual process.