Our playgroup will have regard to the DfES Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years (2014) to provide a welcome, and appropriate learning opportunities so that all children can reach their full potential.
Agreed Practice
The playgroup will appoint a member of staff as Special Educational Needs Co-coordinator (SENCO). Louise Hawthorn is currently the SENCO.
Children with identified special needs are admitted to the playgroup following consultation between the parents, SENCO, playgroup leader and other agencies, as necessary, to ensure that the child’s needs will be met. If it is felt that a child's needs cannot be met in the playgroup without specialist equipment and/or the support of a one-to-one worker, funding (eg FEET; Discretionary Funding; Inclusion Grant) will be sought to supply these. We aim to be an inclusive setting and have regard to the Equality Act 2010.
We recognise that the participation of parents, and where appropriate, the child, in decision making is essential. We work in partnership with parents and outside agencies, including Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Health Visitors, Educational Psychologists, social workers, Children’s Centres and Portage workers, to meet the children’s specific needs and signpost parents to sources of information and support.
Our staff are able to access training on special needs arranged by the Surrey Supporting Children team, Pre-school Learning Alliance and other professional bodies.
The setting is equipped with ramps, extra wide doors and a toilet cubicle adapted for use by the disabled.
Early identification of children’s needs and early intervention to support them is imperative for good outcomes for the child. Special educational needs will be identified in partnership with the child’s parents, by recording observations, use of the Surrey Early Years Foundation Stage Learning Journey documents (and if appropriate Ann Locke Profile), including the 2 Year Progress Check, as assessment tools, and by consulting with outside agencies e.g. Surrey Supporting Children SEND Team, Early Support Team . Parents will have to give signed consent for this to happen.
Children with SEND will have an Inclusion Support Plan (ISP), written by the SENCO and the child’s keyperson in consultation with the parents. This will outline the child’s needs, the desired long term outcomes and short term goals, and the activities and strategies to use, both in the setting and at home, to support the child in reaching those targets. The ISP will be shared with all staff working with the child and can be used to apply for additional funding to support provision for the child (Inclusion Grant and Discretionary Funding). The progress of the child and the effectiveness of the ISP will be assessed in partnership with the parents by observation, and the use of the Surrey EYFS Learning Journey documents (and Ann Locke Profile if appropriate) and then evaluated and reviewed with parents at half termly intervals. This cycle of assess, plan, do, review, is embedded in our practice and forms the basis for the graduated response to SEND.
If it is decided during a review that there are unmet needs/outcomes which cannot be met through current arrangements within the setting, then we will support the parents in completing and submitting an Early Help Assessment to identify needs so that specialised assessments from external agencies/professionals can be requested. If following this enhanced support the child still makes inadequate progress given their age, starting point and particular circumstances, it may be appropriate to consider whether an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is needed.
As part of the graduated response it may be necessary to call multi-agency meetings to evaluate and review the child’s progress, these will be attended by the child’s parents, keyperson and/or our SENCO.
We will consult with the parent of each child who has an Individual Support Plan and inform them that the following information will be collected and stored electronically by Surrey County Council: child’s name; date of birth; gender; start (and finish) date of ISP; outside agencies involved and area of concern (if known).
It is our aim to make the child’s transfer to their next pre-school or school as smooth as possible for both the child and parents. We will liaise with the new provider, passing on child profiles, ISPs and facilitating meetings with the SENCO and staff at the new setting where possible.
We understand that at times there may be differing expectations of how a child’s needs are best met. Sometimes these discussions may be challenging but it is in the child’s best interests for a positive dialogue between parents, staff and others to be maintained, to work through points of difference and establish what action is to be taken. If you have a complaint about the implementation of this policy please see our complaints policy.
Further advice for parents can be obtained from “Surrey SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SSIASS)” and “Surrey Family Information Service”– details on following page.
Laleham Church Playgroup adopted the policy at a meeting on.......5th September 2019
Signed on behalf of Laleham Church Playgroup...........................................
Definitions (taken from SEND code of practice 2014)
Special Educational Needs – A child over 2 years old and under compulsory school age has SEN if they are likely to fall within the following definition when they start school, or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them – “ …..has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age” or “has a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age” The code of practice identifies 4 main areas of SEND: communication and interaction; cognition and learning; social, emotional and mental health development; sensory and/or physical.
Disability – “a physical or mental impairment which has long term and substantial adverse effects on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”. Long term is defined as “a year or more”, and substantial as “more than minor or trivial”. It includes sensory impairments and long term medical conditions eg asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer.
Special Education Provision – is education or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children of the same age which is designed to help children and young people with SEN or disabilities to access the National Curriculum at school
Early Help Assessment: A social care assessment of a child and his or her family, designed to identify needs at an early stage and enable suitable interventions to be put in place to support the family.
Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP): An EHCP details the education, health and social care support that is to be provided to a child or young person who has SEN or a disability. It is drawn up by the local authority after an EHC needs assessment of the child or young person has determined that an EHC plan is necessary, and after consultation with relevant partner agencies.
Graduated response: A model of action and intervention in early education settings, schools and colleges to help children and young people who have special educational needs. The approach recognises that there is a continuum of special educational needs and that, where necessary, increasing specialist expertise should be brought to bear on the difficulties that a child or young person
may be experiencing
Parent: Under section 576 of the Education Act 1996, the term ‘parent’ includes any person who is not a parent of the child, but has parental responsibility or who cares for him or her.
Surrey Supporting Children Team
The following web address has links to relevant documents eg ISP; transition documents; training; grants and funding; best practice and practical ideas for SEND
www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk/kb5/surrey/localoffer/site.page?id=NpVDtph7brU
SEND Team advisors for the North East sector are: Michelle Blake (Senior SEND Advisor) and Rhea Stephenson (SEND advisor). Contact by email:
Early Support Team (works directly with families of children aged 0-5 with complex needs or multiple disabilities, to offer support and ensure that everyone involved in the child’s life is working together.)
Early Support Coordinator for Spelthorne – Dolly Walker. Early Support worker for NE – Victoria Walsh
Contact at : SectorNE@surreycc.gov.uk
One Stop Referral Portal-
for Speech and Language therapy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Paediatrician appointments is now: https://sabpsecure.simplifyhealth.co.uk/
Offers support and guidance on all aspects of the Early Help assessment, Family Action Plans and Lead Professional. It can offer practical advice such as support in completing a EHA and signposting local services to support the identified need. This service does NOT work directly with families.
North East Early Help Coordination Hub – 01372 833133
Email: earlyhelp@surreycc.gov.uk
Website: www.surreycc.gov.uk/earlyhelp
SSIASS provide advice and information to children with SEND, their parents, and young people with SEN or disabilities. They provide impartial, confidential and free support on the special educational needs system to help the children, their parents and young people to play an active and informed role in their education and care.
Third Floor, Consort House,
5 - 7 Queensway
Redhill
Surrey
RH1 1BY
ssiass@surreycc.gov.uk web site: http://www.sendadvicesurrey.org.uk
01737 737 300
We are a free, impartial information service for families with children aged 0 to 19 (up to 25 for young people with a disability or special educational need).
Telephone: 0300 200 1004 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, 24 hour answerphone)
Email: surrey.fis@surreycc.gov.uk
Website: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/family-information-service
Family Information Directory: www.surreycc.gov.uk/directory