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NatSpec Annual Conference 2010

Working with

technology to

improve employer

engagement

Sal Cooke: Shirley Evans:

News & Updates for the Sector

• Bercow Implementation plans

• 2011 – to be the Year of…………???

• Next Generation Learning Awards

• In-folio and Capital Spending updates

• SME Engagement and BCE Agenda 2

Using technology to support speech, language and communication (SLCN)

• The Bercow Review of services for children and young

people (0- 19) with speech, language and

communication needs.

• Requested by the Secretaries of State for Health and

Education.

• Involved consultations, visits and academic research.

• Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)

was included in the initial remit for the Review.

• Conducted over a year and final report published in

July 2008.

JISC TechDis Involved from Start

• From the outset JISC TechDis was involved in

many meetings and was able to bring a different

angle to the debate – due to the Service’s remit

for Further and Higher Education Sectors.

• As a result the very lengthy report – known in

early days as State of the Nation was produced .

SLCN at the heart of the early findings

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• Toby is the CEO and founder of

Just Different, which provides

talks by disabled people in

schools to challenge children’s

views about disability. He was

also the interim Chair of

Communication Matters and

ran last year’s Symposium. He

has cerebral palsy and uses a

communication aid, which he

accesses with his elbow

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www.justdifferent.org.uk

Another pragmatic voice; Toby Hewson

The Bercow Review findings

• Communication is crucial, a key life skill at the heart of every

social interaction and vital to children’s successful development;

• Early identification and intervention is essential to maximise

each child’s chance of overcoming their communication need

and succeeding;

• A continuum of services designed around the family is needed

for children with SLCN;

• Joint working is critical to deliver services that provide effective

support;

• The current system is characterised by high variability and a

lack of equity.

• NB Although SLCN related – same issues for AAC -early introduction

the better the chances for the child. 6

• Alan is a qualified dance instructor

and appeared as one of the main

characters in the recent BBC3

comedy series. He lives

independently and is currently

having a short film made about his

life. Alan also has cerebral palsy

and uses a communication aid in

all aspects of his life, including

teaching dance.

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wwww.mouseonthemove.co.uk

Alan Martin

The Government response to the

Bercow Review

• Better Communication, the SLCN Action Plan

published in December 2008

• Establishment of the Communication Council

• Appointment of the Communication Champion

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Initiatives include:

• 16 local area pathfinders to develop good

practice guidance and a supplemental joint

commissioning framework on SLCN;

• Up to £1.5 million invested in grants to the

alternative and augmentative communication

sector;

• Up to £1.5 million invested in a research

programme looking at SLCN over the next three

years.

Communication Champion

The Communication Council provides Government with

ongoing advice and support on how best to develop

effective services for children with SLCN, and is co-

chaired by senior civil servants from DCSF and DH.

Jean Gross has been appointed in this position and has

been in post since 1st January 2010. One of her early

tasks is to review the effectiveness of Augmentative and

Alternative Communication (AAC) provision in different

areas of the country, to identify effective practices and

inform on the development of future initiatives to

improve services

AAC recommendations within the‘Better Communication Action Plan’

• AAC within the commissioning pathfinders.

• Commissioning models for children’s community

equipment.

• AAC grants programme.

• Becta appointment of AAC Coordinator,

( Anna Reeve).

• There is only one SLCN commissioning

pathfinder considering AAC

• Note: Links needed; DH involved with Strategic Health Authorities

re disabled children's’ services and communication aid provision

d11dd

AAC Grants programme

• Better Communication, the SLCN action plan,

included a commitment that Becta would provide

grants totalling £1.5 million over three years to

organisations in the alternative and augmentative

communication (AAC) sector.

• A total £500,000 is available in each three financial

years: 2009- 10, 2010- 11, 2011- 12, making a

commitment of £1.5million

• This fund is divided into two streams.

Two Funding Streams – AAC Grants

1.Building Sustainable Services• Existing Centres providing services for children and young

people with AAC needs

2 Innovative Projects• Supporting specific projects to improve the knowledge base

for high quality AAC provision

For more information: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/slcnaction/aacgrants.shtml

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The range of technology available

• Wide range of voice output communication aids

• www.communicationmatters.org.uk/Resources/AAC_Suppl

iers/aac_suppliers.html

• Software to create and use picture and symbol- based

resources for communication www.widgit.com/

• Software to assess and teach speech and language

development www.speechlink.info/

• Increasingly technology is now more than high tech

communication aids – it includes software to develop

resources

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JISC TechDis Leading on Inclusive Practice

Pragmatic advice and

guidance on accessibility

and inclusion.

High quality resources,

tools and training.

Versatile and Responsive.

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History of Achievements

Meeting demands for

training and guidance and deliver of

sector wide solutions.

Partnership – supporting cultural change and

delivering

real “value add”

Embedding inclusive practice

and tools

Expertise in Free and Low Cost Solutions

• Looking at what is already available, • Staff Packs Accessibility Essentials

• Working with key partners and intermediaries to

expose this thinking to their audiences: (TDA, IT Directors’ Associations CPD providers, Funders and

Membership organisations etc)

www.techdis.ac.uk/getfreesoftware

www.techdis.ac.uk/getAccessapps

Sustainable Approaches:

• Building capacity within the institutions, vendors

and partner agencies.

• Creating resilience at meeting new technical,

compliance or legal issues:

useful resource www.web2access.org.uk

• Identifying and promoting appropriate skill sets

• Identifying and promoting appropriate policies

Useful resource www.techdis.ac.uk/getevaluated

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• As NASS and Natspec and the schools now

have a track record in students going into HE.

• Invited staff in HE to bid for technology to carry

out innovative projects.

• Open to staff in student services, careers

services, libraries as well as teaching staff.

• The most exciting response was to Free text to

speech – they had no idea www.robobraille.org

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HEAT Technology and Innovation

E-Book Readers

• Various e-book readers were loaned to staff

members with assignments loaded.

• Some issues with the hardware.

• However, staff liked the e-ink displays and the

portability of the devices.

• Working with industry two way process

• See work on e- books at:

www.techdis.ac.uk/getebooks

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HE version of MoleNet

• Labelled objects with QR codes.

• Students used QR code readers on

their mobile phones to access the

information.

• QR codes can be generated at

http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ (free).

• QR code readers are available for

most phones with cameras.

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• Anthony is the registered Manager

of Chatting Independently – a

residential rehab provision for

adults who use AAC and

encourages them to develop

independent living skills. Anthony

has two children and uses a

communication aid, which he

accesses with an infra-red head

pointer.

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Anthony Robertson

• www.chattingindependently.co.uk

Creation of Resources

• JISC TechDis and Becta must now work

together with DoH, TDA, NASS and Natspec to

assist the thinking of the Toolkits for

Commissioners and how to obtain best Value for

Money and not re-invent the wheel.

• Looking at other sectors for funded solutions

• E portfolio System for complex needs

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Innovation Funding

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Link to the Rollout tour

Capital programme

• 43 Colleges seeking a server, support and training.

• Overwhelming success of programme

• Strategically important in current climate

• Each College will have Moodle, Xerte, In- Folio and

Access Apps

• Fantastic opportunity for technical training –• ALT potential offer

• Potential for teaching and learning or support staff

to engage with ITQ as a result.

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Using In-folio in the Workplace

• Example pages from a learners portfolio at

Henshaws.

• How is this working for you?

• What else do you need to be in place?

• What is stopping the development of such tools?

• How would you encourage employers?

• Would this help?

• What else do you need ?

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BCE within JISC and ISCs

• BCE agenda is inclusive• Not just HE or GFE

• Examples from Colleges limited so far • Why?• What else can we/you do?

• JISC TechDis needs to have good representation

from ISCs in the toolkit.

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Awards and Schemes

• Announcements this week

• But advance notice of

• Regional Awards for all providers

• National Awards – NGfL awards• Large presence from ISCs

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Award winning Resource maker:

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•allows non-technical staff to create rich, interactive engaging resources with high levels of accessibility including:•• all content is keyboard accessible using the tab, space, arrow and enter keys (Switch compatible)

• a range of media types, activities and self-assessments cater for different learning preferences•• ‘Text-to-speech’ has been implemented for all textual content in the learning object.

www.techdis.ac.uk/getxerte

Supporting Accessible Learning

Thank you for listening

Any Questions?

helpdesk@techdis.ac.uk

www.techdis.ac.uk

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