CRISP provides a framework that allows parents, teachers and others working with children to agree a summary of a child’s level of functioning and to plot that on an assessment record. This record does not do away with the use of reports and views that not only give history and context to a child’s current difficulties but also a basis for detailed planning and programming. The record simply indicates the level of difficulty (referred to as bands 1 to 6) that best describes a child on 18 special educational themes (referred to as threads).

Assessment Record

As part of statutory assessment, the assessment team including the parent / carer of course, use the CRISP Assessment Record to summarise the child’s difficulties and send this to the Education Service.

Provision Record

Birmingham schools, that are provided with additional resources by the Education Service to make specified provision for children with SEN, are asked to complete the provision record. This summarises the level of arrangements they make (bands 1 to 6) in curricular terms across the 18 threads and the numbers of children for whom they make each arrangement.

Planning

The information from schools is stored electronically and allows the Education Service to map, monitor, plan and review its provision over time. In this way, unnecessary duplication can be avoided, gaps filled and new developments commissioned in a co-ordinated way.

Matching process

The child’s assessment record is matched electronically to the Education Service’s SEN provision map to identify the best fit and other options. The matching process and its results form part of the discussion with the parent / carer before the Statement is issued.

Commissioning changes

The accumulation of individual assessment records feeds into the Education Service’s planning cycle for special provision. Use of the CRISP provision grid as a basis for funding within the LMSS formula helps the Education Service to commission changes in provision.

Decision-making

By putting the materials on the Internet and by explaining their purpose and use, Birmingham Education Service is seeking to ensure that decision-making about special education is as clear and accessible as possible. The materials permit a unique profile of each child’s difficulties to be constructed- the potential permutations of 6 bands and 18 threads yield 618 possibilities. The Education Service cannot make special arrangements that will provide for a perfect match for each child. It can only seek the best fit. There will still need to be negotiation between the Education Service and parent / carer about how well the arrangements offered actually meet the child’s profile.

Budgeting

It is inevitable in the administration of public finance that a balance has to be achieved between the special educational needs budget and other educational expenditure (and, of course, between educational expenditure and other Council services). CRISP is aimed at:

• optimising the special educational needs budget,
• making transparent the way decisions are reached about special educational arrangements offered to children,
• achieving equity in the use of scarce resources.