Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System
- Universal health services are available in the local area for everyone and they do not require a referral.
- Targeted and specialist health services are available only for specific needs.
- These services often have an eligibility criterion and require a referral that is usually made by GPs, health professionals or another agency.
The wide range of health services for children and young people in Birmingham are provided by a number of NHS Trusts and some third sector organisations.
You can find more information about the health services available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities here.
www.birminghamsolihull.icb.nhs.uk/
On 1st July 2022, Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group became the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB). This legal change means that the ICB will work as a key partner within the wider Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (ICS).
The move to Integrated Care System (ICS) will not change the way that you or your child are able to access your local health services but will enable integration across agencies, improved sharing of good practice/common solutions across Birmingham and Solihull, by having more joined up work and shared responsibility for outcomes for children, young people and families.
The Integrated Care System will set out how the system will meet children’s health and care needs and support them to achieve positive health and wellbeing outcomes.
SEND is a priority within the ICB in Birmingham and Solihull as recognised in the following ways.
- ICBs must consider how they will meet the needs of children and young people aged 0-25 and set this out in their Forward Plans.
- ICBs must consider how to ensure a diverse skill mix of leadership, which should include a consideration of whether there is knowledge and expertise related to children and to SEND
- Each ICB must have an Executive Lead responsible for SEND and accountable for how well SEND support by partners is delivered.
- ICBs have to work with children’s system leaders, children and young people and families when forming their strategies and have to show how they have met their statutory responsibilities relating to SEND in their annual report.
Below is a detailed summary of what the ICS means for children and families with SEND: https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/attachments/ICS%20Briefing.pdf
If you would like further information please visit Caring about healthier lives :: Birmingham and Solihull ICS (birminghamsolihullics.org.uk)
Designated Medical Officers and a team of Designated Clinical Officers for SEND are funded by NHS Birmingham and Solihull to support all health partners and link with Birmingham City Council in order to implement the NHS requirements of the SEND Code of Practice (under the Children’s and Families Act 2014). These officers act on behalf of the Integrated Commissioning Board and have a key role as clinical leads in ensuring that there is understanding of and adherence to legal SEND processes with local health providers of services as well as support improvements in SEND transformation from a health point of view.
Some families live on the border between Solihull and Birmingham and can experience difficulties accessing health services because they can be slightly different depending on the area. The CCG has worked with parent-carers and health partners across Birmingham and Solihull to develop principles to apply in these situations as a move towards a more borderless system.