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Children and Young People

Children and Young People

We can support you to understand your rights for education, health and social care.

Do you need extra help with learning or do you have a disability? Are you aged 0-25? We help you to share your own ideas about your life now and what you want in the future. We can help you ask for the right support with learning in school or college and help to make sure any health and social care support is in place.  This is important so you have the best chance to do well in life in a way that is right for you.

We are impartial – this means that we don’t take sides but will help you understand everything so you can make your own decisions. Any information we share is based on law which means you have all the facts to make the best decision for you.

The rest of the page includes some information you might find useful but if you need any further information you can use the chat facility, call or email and one of the team will get back to you within two working days. You can also join our Facebook page.

 

Further Information

If you have Special Educational Needs (SEN) you may:


• Find it harder to learn than other people your age

• Face challenges that make it hard to go to school or college

• Need extra or different support to learn

 

If you have disabilities you:


• May need support around your health

• May find some things harder to do than other people

 

There is a law that tells people how  children with SEND should be supported. This law is called the Children and Families Act. 

 

If you would like to read more about the Children and Families Act you can click the link below:

 

- The young person's guide to the children and families act

 

Special Educational Needs (SEN) support is the support that Children and Young People who have Special Educational Needs (SEN) can get in school or college.

 

If you are aged between 5 and 16 years old, you will probably go to school. If you are aged between 16 and 25 years old, then you may go to a college.

 

A Special Educational Needs coordinator (SENco) is a teacher at a school who is in charge of making sure you get the support you need. If you go to college, there should also be someone who supports you. There may even be more than one person. 

 

You and your parents/carer should have opportunity to meet with the SENco at least 3 times in each year.  This means you can all  look at what is working well and what needs to change.  

 

Settings must use their ‘best endeavors’ to support you.  This means they should do everything they can to help. 

A suspension is where a child or young person has been removed from school and are not allowed to return for a certain amount of days or hours. Sometimes a fixed term exclusion is called a suspension.

 

An permanent exclusion is child or young person has been removed from school and is not allowed to return at all.

 

Only a head teacher can decide to suspend/exclude a child or young person.

 

If you are suspended or excluded, your parents/carers should receive a letter explaining why. The school should record the exclusion too.

 

A suspension/exclusion cannot be given just because you have Special Educational Needs (SEN). It can only be given for a reason relating to your behaviour.

 

If a school send you home and do not record it this is called an informal exclusion. Informal exclusions are not allowed. Schools should not send you home to cool off or if are having a bad day.

If you don’t attend school full time (you only go for some of the day), then you are on a part time timetable.

 

Section 19 (3AA) of the Education Act 1996 says that a part-time timetable should only happen if it is in your best interests. If going to school full time would affect you in a bad way then this is when a part-time timetable may be in your best interests.

 

Part-time timetables should not be used for a long time. If you are on a part-time timetable, school should work with you and your parents/carers to plan support so that you are able to return full time, as soon as possible.

 

If you are on a part-time timetable, you should still be educated full time. This means that school should provide you with work for the time you are not there.

 

You and your parents/carers can refuse a part time timetable.

 

If school are not supporting you to attend full time, you and your parents /carers have the right to make a complaint.

 

If you feel that you can’t attend school full time because it would not be in your best interests, you can request an EHCP needs assessment.

 

More information can be found by clicking the link below:

Part Time Timetables (known as informal exclusions)

Under section 508B and Schedule 35B of the Education Act 1996 Local Authorities are under a duty to provide free school transport to “eligible children” aged 5 – 16.

 

If you cannot walk to school because of your mobility problems or other issues related to your SEN or disability, then you are eligible.

 

If you are eligible for a service, this means you have the right to receive that service because of your circumstances

 

The local authority can provide transport in a number of different ways:

  • Giving your parents the money what it has cost them to take you to school
  • Fund public transport e.g. pay for a bus pass
  • Provide school buses
  • Provide taxis or minibuses
  • Provide escorts to walk you to school

 

The law says that Local Authorities do not have to provide transport you if you are over the age of 16. However, if you cannot get to college without support, because of your needs, then transport should be provided.

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a document that says what support you should have if you have Special Educational Needs (SEN).

 

If you have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), it will say:

  • What things you need support with in your life
  • What education support you will get to help you to learn
  • What health support you will get in your life
  • What social care support you might need in your life
  • What things you want to do in the future.

 

Not every child or young person will need an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Education, Health and Care Plans are only for children and young people who need a lot more support than their school or college can usually give them. If you are managing and making progress with the support you are already receiving, then you will not need an EHCP. 

 

Before you can get an Education, Health and Care Plan, you must have an EHC needs assessment to see what things you need support with.

 

You and/or your parents/carers can request an EHC Needs Assessment yourself, or school or college can do this for you.

 

During the EHC needs assessment, you will have the chance to say what things you might need support with.

 

If you are aged 16 or over, you will be the main person making these decisions unless you lack capacity to do so. Lacking capacity is when a person is not able to make a decision for themselves. Just because someone finds it hard to make one decision, it does not mean they are not able to make other decisions.

 

The link below takes you to an Easy read Guide to EHCP:

easy read guide to EHCP's

 

If you have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), it is unlikely to remain the same over time. As you grow up, it may become out of date, and you may move to a different school or go to college. This is why your EHCP needs to be reviewed by the Local Authority at least once every year. This is called an Annual Review.

 

The annual review is in four parts:

  • Collecting information.
  • Holding an annual review meeting.
  • The school/colleges report of the review meeting to the local authority.
  • The local authority’s review of the EHC plan

 

You and your parents/carers should be involved in the process.  The annual review is a chance to look at:

  • What is working well?
  • What needs to change?
  • Changes in SEN
  • Preparing for Adulthood (Year 9 onwards)
  • Aspirations

 

Preparing for adulthood is when you start to think about what you might want to do when you are older and the ways which you might be able to achieve your wishes and goals.

 

You have a choice about what you want to do in the future. You can do a lot of different things, including:

  • Staying in education, like college or university
  • Doing some training to help you learn new skills
  • Getting a job
  • Finding a place to live
  • Getting involved in things that are happening in the area you live in.

 

There are a number of services who can support you to think about the future. If you click the links below, you will find further information:

Positive Steps

Preparing For Adulthood Resources

 

Our service action plan tells you, how we (SENDiass) are going to make changes to to service. It gives you information about what changes we would like to make, how the changes will be made and how you can be involved. 

 

Please click here to view our service action plan

 

There are three people who work on the SENDiass team:

When you contact SENDiass, you will usually speak with one of the workers below. We always try, where possible, to ensure you speak with the same person each time you contact us. 

 

Hayley Chianca

“My name is Hayley. I have been a SENDiass practitioner for almost 6 years. I work part time (Monday – Thursday). I like to have a routine and enjoy going to the gym”

 

Keelie Rigby

“My name is Keelie. I have been a SENDiass practitioner for a number of years. I work four days a week (Monday – Thursday). I like to be organised and at weekends I love going for walks"

 

Charlotte Crossley

"Hi I am charlotte I have worked for SENDiass for 10 months

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my young family and walking my 1year old Sproker spaniel. I am also a member of my local cricket team and my local rugby team and when I get chance I enjoy performing on stage and singing with my local amateur dramatic society"

 

Afia Jabeen

 

SENDiass is delivered by Barnardo's. When you ring, you will ring the Barnardo's Office. This means you may speak with one of the people below as well:

 

Diane Sproston

"My name is Diane, I work in admin and I have worked for Barnardo's for 3 years.  I love walking and at the weekends I can usually be found up on a hill behind where I live on the border of the pennines".

 

Kim Kelly

“Hi I’m Kim. I’m the Children's Services Manager at Barnardo's. I previously worked on the Short Breaks Groups and on SENDiass. I like going for long walks with my family and my dog."

SENDiass can give you advocacy support.

 

Advocacy is when a person called an advocate helps someone else to talk about what the want and need.

 

An advocate can:

  • Listen to your views and concerns

  • Help you explore your options and rights (without pressuring you)

  • Provide information to help you make informed decisions

  • Help you contact relevant people, or contact them on your behalf

  • Accompany you and support you in a meeting

 

An advocate will not:

  • Give you their personal opinion (tell you what they think)

  • Solve problems and make decisions for you

  • Make a judgement about you

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