The RADAR panel
The RADAR panel sits within Children and Families Services and meets fortnightly. The purpose of the panel is to ensure that the specialist short break resources available to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are effectively and efficiently allocated according to need. The resources offered through agreement at the panel should provide children and young people with positive and achievable outcomes that maximise their opportunities and allow them to live their lives as independently as possible.
Chairing of the panel alternates between a Service Delivery Manager (SDM) in the Child Health and Disability (CHAD) service and an SDM in Early Help. Core membership is listed in the RADAR terms of reference.
RADAR panel works within the Short Break Regulations (2011) and the Children and Families Act (2014). The panel provides advice and support and allocates services according to the Leeds Short Break Guide and Directory.
Specialist short breaks
Short breaks is a national term to describe a break from caring for families within children and young people with SEND. Short breaks and fun activities is the term we use in Leeds to describe activities for children and young people to have fun, spend time with friends and build their confidence and skills in a safe environment. Short breaks and fun activities allow children and young people with SEND to interact with their peers without needing their parents, other family members or care givers to help them participate.
Specialist short breaks are services for disabled children with the most complex needs, supporting children, young people and their families where the child/ young person's disability has a substantial and long-term effect on their ability to have opportunities to be safe, develop skills for life and be part of their local community. Specialist short breaks are provided when the universal and targeted provision available locally cannot meet need. They aim to be a preventative, targeted support that meets the assessed need of the child or young person, rather than a crisis intervention.
Specialist short breaks include:
- day care or overnight short breaks with an approved short breaks foster carer
- Leeds City Council's own residential short breaks facilities
- personal budgets, including direct payments
- support from an Independent Support Worker (ISW), employed through an agency, to address specific assessed needs
Children and young people considered by the panel
Eligibility for the services allocated through RADAR is for children up to the age of 18 with SEND needs who live within the Leeds boundary, or pay their council tax to Leeds City Council. Cases identified as being out of area are examined on an individual basis to check eligibility, and where cases need to transfer to a different local authority this is done in a way that avoids a break in support.
The process for requests to be considered by the RADAR panel
The RADAR panel considers requests under the following three categories:
- New request - to RADAR for specialist short breaks, requested by the social worker or lead professional at panel.
- Change of request - where there is an existing specialist short break in place agreed through RADAR and the request is to change the package, for example an increase or decrease in hours, or a change to the type of provision. These are requested by the social worker or lead professional at panel.
- Review of request - where there is an existing specialist short break in place and no changes are requested, with the number of hours/nights having been used. This is a paper review so the social worker or lead professional does not need to present at panel.
For new requests or changes of request, social workers or lead professionals complete the RADAR request on the Mosaic case management system, including the relevant authorisations and costing sheets. Practitioners without access to Mosaic can complete paper requests and email them to the RADAR inbox RADAR@leeds.gov.uk, for the RADAR Coordinator to upload to Mosaic. Each referral is pre-screened to ensure it is appropriate for panel.
Each request is considered by the panel, with the social worker/lead professional in attendance to present their case and answer any questions or provide additional information about the family and/or the request for support. Panel members discuss the case and make a decision about the support that can be allocated.
The RADAR Panel Coordinator records the decisions made at panel and, following the meeting, the Panel Chair signs off the decisions. The Panel Coordinator then shares the outcomes with the Placement Service payments team, Leeds Direct Payment and PA Support Hub (for direct payments only), and the social worker/lead professional. Parents/carers receive a letter outlining the decision. Decisions are usually agreed for up to a year, unless a change of need is identified through an Early Help review or Child in Need plan, in which case an early review can be requested.
Where a direct payment is authorised, the Placements Service payments team process the request. Where an ISW is authorised, the Short Breaks Coordinator sends requests to the providers within 24 hours of receiving the panel decision, and matches are shared with the social worker or lead professional.
If parents/carers disagree with the decision, they can email RADAR@leeds.gov.uk outlining what they disagree with and providing additional information to support their appeal. The request will then be re-listed for the next available panel, where the social worker/lead professional will be invited to attend and discuss the points of disagreement, providing additional information to support the application.
Key contacts and more information
For further enquiries regarding RADAR, email: RADAR@leeds.gov.uk.
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