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SECTION 6: PUBLICATIONS

6.1 Introduction

Publications represent a very important aspect of Enquire's information and advice work, since printed material is able to reach a very large number of people. During the financial year 2004-05, Enquire produced the following publications:

• Three issues of the Enquire Within bulletin, covering the new legislation, new resources for young people and service updates.
• Two factsheets on school attendance and early years
• Resources for young people including the Have Your Say video and the Going to Secondary School? Booklet.
• Re-designed service leaflet and poster incorporating new Enquire logo and strapline.

As recommended by the Commission for Racial Equality, service leaflets and posters were translated into five community languages (Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Cantonese and Hindi) and were sent out to 400 black and minority ethnic groups in January 2006. The following table indicates publications sent out by the helpline, the office and downloaded from Enquire websites.

Table 6.1 Publications sent out by the helpline, the office and downloaded from Enquire websites 2004-05

6.2 Legal subscription service

Legislation updates and legal briefings were prepared for subscribers (about 11 in total). In 2005-06, Enquire planned to update the key contacts and solicitors lists and to re-launch the service in order to make it commercially viable.

6.3 Training materials

Training materials had been updated by Enquire and, as a result of evaluations of the Parent-Professional Partnership workshop, the content had also been updated. As a result of these actions, the workshop ratings had improved.

6.4 Views of Enquire staff

The importance of the publications produced by Enquire was underlined, since they were a vital way of extending information. In the future, there were plans to have more web-based publications. Enquire took a lot of advice on accessible design and publications were reasonably priced. The production of publications in a range of community languages was part of Enquire's outreach work to minority ethnic groups and was part of its Race Relations Amendment Act compliance strategy.

6.5 Views of SEED staff

According to SEED staff, the publications produced by Enquire should be seen as 'the jewel in the crown'. They were consistently very accessible and of very high quality.

6.6 Views of service users

As noted in Table 3.4, service users were asked about the frequency with which they used different services provided by Enquire and it was evident that publications were used most frequently, far more often then the telephone helpline. Amongst service users, professionals were more likely to use publications than parents.

This is not a surprising finding, since it is likely that printed material will be referred to many times, and, if sufficiently clear, will obviate the need to seek further advice from a telephone helpline or a local authority. However, it underlines the importance of this part of Enquire's services. Comments appended to the questionnaire included the following:

• Every school should be sent Enquire's publications and should have at least one staff member required to know the education laws.
• Need for bite-sized chunks of info and not all current knowledge on a specific area.
• I think a monthly newsletter sent to parents/carers would be a good idea so that we are kept up to date with everything.
• Distribute info/leaflets to parents through schools to be sent home as I don't know how Enquire could help us, what services do they offer
• Mailing information and advice to parents/carers on what outreach events for children/young people there are taking place.
• Information to be written as simply as possible.
• Publications must reach those who need them at the earliest possible stage.
• I think this guide (support for learning act) should be distributed to all parents of school age children along with school handbook and re-issued when it is reviewed.
• Prior to my child starting school I could not convince doctors/health visitors of a problem. When speaking with her head teacher later I was left with nowhere to turn - a simple leaflet or card in these offices would be beneficial.
• Bigger print, one factsheet.
• Basic leaflet/fact sheet on what the parents guide to additional support for learning publication can help you with.
• Publications should be made more available (libraries), events and training should be made more for parents.
• Publications should be made more readily available, events could be advertised perhaps in schools/nurseries.
• It would be very helpful if every child in this category was automatically sent Enquire's publications. They should be identified by their school, GP or relevant professional. The child's parents would then have access to very important information which every family with SEN should have.
• It would be helpful besides the pamphlets to read feedback from parents in similar situations. In our case, we needed information on how to appeal a decision stopping our child from attending a speech and language unit. Enquire advised that it could be difficult and time-consuming to prove an education department was wrong in their decision. In the end we did not need to go this route as the school helped us to win our appeal without the need to go before a committee. What I am saying is what we read in the pamphlet is probably fine, but it was very daunting for parents thinking they have to prove in law a committee has made the wrong decision. Sometimes there is another path parents can take which is easier.

6.7 Views of local authority staff

Ninety six per cent of local authority staff who responded to the questionnaire had read some of Enquire's publications and around 90% described them as clear, informative, practical, relevant and up to date. Comments included the following:

• Information on the ASL Act will be required for teachers, parents and young people. Would Enquire support local authorities in the developments of their own information?
• Leaflets/newsletters for pupils/students especially to help them deal with transition stages.
• I would like help and advice in how to involve children and young people in changes for ASL Act.

6.8 External key informants

Generally, comments from external interviewees on Enquire's publications were very positive. One respondent described the factsheets as:

Very useful - a touchstone of how things should be.

As with the helpline, it was suggested that there was a need for written information about schools in particular areas and the services they offered:

There is a need for more detailed information about local provision. Enquire should have a list of special schools, both private and independent, with information about what each does. When a parent is looking for a school, they feel lost and there is no coherent source of information. Some ed psychs simply say, 'This is what we have on offer' and do not attempt to think laterally. Parents also need information about the criteria for admission to particular schools, for example, being able to sit in a group and listen.

Another respondent felt that Enquire's publications needed to include more specific details about how to interact with a local authority:

Parents often don't have the faintest idea of how to approach an LA - they should be given sample letters they can use.

Some of this information, another interviewee suggested, might be delivered through the inclusion of frequently asked questions.

It was felt by one respondent that there was a need for publications aimed at adults and children with different types and levels of communication:

There needs to be different levels of publication aimed at people with different language skills - some people need publications which are basically bullet points.

Two respondents noted that Enquire's publications were deliberately general and did not provide information aimed at specific impairment groups. Sometimes, it was felt, this was good, for example, with regard to records of needs, the information was relevant to everybody. However, on occasion specific information was needed in relation to, for example, visual impairment or complex needs. Other organisations were providing specialist publications in these areas, but were not always funded to do so.

Educational psychologists who participated in interviews were generally positive about Enquire's publications, and said they were routinely given to parents whose children's needs were being assessed. Sometimes, parents were more willing to accept information from an independent external agency rather than the local authority. One local authority was keen to explore the possibility of jointly badging publications, to show parents that the information had both the local authority's and Enquire's seal of approval.

6.9 Summary

Publications were seen as a very important part of Enquire's work, and were used extensively by parents and professionals. Some local authority staff were distributing them routinely to all parents whose children's needs were being assessed, and were keen to explore joint publication with Enquire in the future. Other support organisations were also positive about Enquire's publications, but suggested there was a need for more information on (a) local provision and alternatives, (b) how to manage interaction with professionals successfully and (c) specific impairments. It was also suggested that the publications were often pitched at quite a high level of literacy, and easy-read publications were needed for some parents and children.

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