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Professionals

Professionals

This page provides accurate information and advice about a range of topics in relation to SEND. All information provided is based on the law and on statutory guidance. The information may be useful for a range of professionals working with children, young people and their families. If you have any further questions please contact us via the chat facility, phone or email and one of our trained practitioners will get back to you within two working days. We are also able to offer workshops and information for team meetings, inset days etc.

Further Information

Special Educational Needs (“SEN”) can affect a child or young person’s ability to learn.

 

For example, someone’s SEN might affect their:

  • Reading and writing, for example because they have dyslexia

  • Ability to understand things

  • Behaviour or ability to socialise, for example they struggle to make friends

  • Concentration levels, for example because they have ADHD

  • Physical ability to do things such as writing.

 

There are two questions to ask when thinking about whether a child or young person has SEN.

 

1. Does the child/young person have a learning difficulty or disability?

A child or young person has a learning difficulty or disability if:

  • They have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age,

    or

  • They have a disability which makes it difficult for them to use the facilities normally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or post-16 institutions

Someone has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

 

2. Does that learning difficulty or disability call for special educational provision to be made?

Special educational provision is any educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age. This is a wide definition, and could cover a wide range of things, for example:

  • Having materials provided in a larger font

  • Needing one-to-one support

  • Communicating through sign language

  • Needing small class sizes


Some children or young people may need additional support which is not special educational provision; for example they might need certain treatments or medicines administered at school because of a medical condition they have. In order to be classed as having SEN, they must require support with education or training which is different from that given to other children or young people of the same age.

 

If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then the child or young person has SEN.

 

It is important to note that the SEND Code of Practice 2015 defines 4 broad areas of need;

  • Communication and Interaction

  • Sensory and/or Physical

  • Cognition and Learning

  • Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs

 

When supporting children and young people, it is important to consider all 4 areas of need. Children and young people with medical conditions and those with mental health difficulties, should be supported by the school SENco. 


For more information please click here to view our resource pack

 

Further information can be found by clicking the following links:

- Contact for Families with Disabled Children - Introduction to Special Educational Needs

 

- The Special Educational Needs Process - Rochdale 

 

- Child Law Advice - Mental Health in Schools

 

- Statutory Guidance - Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions in School

 

Nurseries, schools and colleges have clear duties under the SEND Code of Practice 2014. This contains guidance on what they should be doing to identify and support children and young people with SEN.

 

The code applies to all settings except wholly independent schools.

 

Nurseries, schools and colleges must “have regard” to the code. This means that they should do what it says or be able to explain why they have not done so, and what alternative has been put in place instead.

 

The SEND Code of Practice 2014 specifies how each type of setting should support children and young people on SEN support;

 

Part 5 - is specific to early Years settings (Nurseries)

Part 6 - is specific to schools

Part 7 - is specific to further education settings (colleges).

 

Where a pupil is identified as having SEN, settings should implement support to prevent them from struggling. 

 

Settings should follow the graduated approach by :

  • Assessing the child's needs

  • Making plans to meet a child's needs

  • Carrying out the plans

  • Reviewing the progress


Settings must use their ‘best endeavours’ to support children and young people with SEN.  This means doing everything that could reasonably be expected of them.

 

Funding SEN Support

Information about settings that are funded to provide SEN support can be found by clicking the links below:

Early Years Settings

 

Funding in Schools

- Post 16 Settings 

 

Parents/carers of children whose needs are being met through SEN support should be invited to regularly meet with the school SENCO. 

 

Point 6.65 of The SEND Code of Practice 2014 states that "Where a pupil is receiving SEN support, schools should talk to parents regularly to set clear outcomes and review progress towards them, discuss the activities and support that will help achieve them, and identify the responsibilities of the parent, the pupil and the school. Schools should meet parents at least three times each year"

 

Meetings should help parents/carers understand what support is in place and how school are using their SEN budget to support their child. Schools should provide parents with a costed provision map.

 

All mainstream schools have money for special educational needs support and resources. Schools can decide how to spend this money. This is called delegated funding. This part of the school’s income is sometimes called the notional SEN budget.

Funding for SEN provision is from three elements:

Element 1

All schools get money for each pupil at the school. This is called the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) and it is part of schools’ delegated funding. Some of this money is to make general SEN provision. This might, for example, include the cost of providing the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and some other resources.  

The local authority provides Element 1 funding for the schools it is responsible for. The local Schools Forum agrees the formula that determines how much money the school gets for each pupil. The Education Funding Agency provides Element 1 funding for academies and free schools.

For more information please click here to view our resource pack

Schools which are maintained by the LA, Academies and Pupil referral Units, should utilise the School suspensions and permanent exclusions statutory guidance below:

School suspensions and permanent exclusions - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Pupils can only be suspended/excluded for disciplinary reasons: they cannot be excluded because a school cannot meet their needs.

 

‘Informal’ or ‘unofficial’ suspensions, such as sending a pupil home to cool off or the school putting a pupil on a ‘part-time timetable’, are all unlawful regardless of whether they occur with the agreement of parents or carers. 

 

Unlawful suspension/expulsion of a pupil with a disability may amount to disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

 

 

The following links provide additional further information:

 

 Exclusion from school | (IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

 

 School attendance: guidance for schools - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

School suspensions and permanent exclusions - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

- Child Law Advice

 

A part time timetable is anything other than a child or young person attending school full-time.

 

All pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education.

 

In very exceptional circumstances there may be a need for a temporary part-time time table to meet a pupil’s needs. This does not mean the child or young person should receive less than a full time education. It means that they will receive some of their education out of school.

 

When a child or young person is on a part time timetable, schools still have a responsibility to educate them full time, by providing an online learning platform or by sending home work and marking work for every lesson they miss. 

 

Younger children who are not of compulsory school age (usually children who are 4 and in reception class) should have the same opportunities as their peers, to attend full-time. If parents/carers feel their child is being treated unfairly because of their needs, they have the right to make a claim to the SEND tribunal about disability discrimination. 



A part-time timetable must not be treated as a long-term solution. It should constantly be reviewed and a plan for reintegration should be arranged and adhered to. 

 


For more information please click here to view our resource pack

Local authorities are required to arrange free, suitable, home to school transport for children of compulsory school age who are ‘eligible’, to their nearest suitable qualifying school.

 

Eligible children fall within four categories, set out in Schedule 35 EA 1996:

 

  • Children with SEN, a disability or a mobility difficulty

  • Children whose route to school is unsafe

  • Children who live beyond the statutory walking distance

  • Children from low income families

 

If a child or young person meets the criteria for any one of these categories, they could be entitled to home to school transport. 

 

For more information please click here to view our resource pack 

 

Additional information can be found by clicking the links below:

 

- Travel assistance policy for children and young people with SEND - Rochdale

 

- Apply for school transport

 

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document which describes a child or young person’s special educational needs, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve.

 

An EHCP can only be issued after a child or young person has gone through the process of an EHC Needs Assessment.

 

The majority of children and young people with SEN or disabilities will have their needs met within local mainstream early years settings, school or colleges; however, some children and young people may require an EHC needs assessment in order for the local authority to decide whether it is necessary to make additional provision. 

 

If an EHC Needs Assessment takes place, the local authority will make a decision as to whether an EHCP is needed for the child or whether the child's needs can be met in school without it. 

 

Parents/carers or school can complete an EHCP request. The EHCP request form for Rochdale schools can be found by clicking the link below:

 

- Request a Statutory Assessment for an Education Health and Care Plan

 

Parents/carers and settings may not always agree about whether an EHCP request should be submitted. It is important to note that parents/carers have the legal right to submit an EHCP request themselves. SENDiass can support parents to do this. 

 

For more information please click here to view our resource pack

 

For additional information about the EHCP process in Rochdale please click the link below:

 

- Education Health , Care Plans and Assessments 

Once an EHC plan is in place for a child or young person, it is unlikely to remain the same over time.

 

As they grow up, it may become out of date, and they may move to a different school or college. This is why there is a requirement for all EHCP's to be reviewed by the local authority at least annually.

 

This is usually referred to as the annual review.

 

It is common for schools to facilitate annual review meetings on behalf of the local authority.  Schools have the right to request that the local authority is present if they feel this is required. 

 

Parents/carers, children and young people should be involved in the annual review process. There should be a meeting to attend and other ways for views, wishes and feelings to be heard; such as paperwork to fill out. 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

 

For more information please click here to view our resource pack

 

For additional further information about Annual Reviews and how to support children and young people during the process, please click the link below:

 

- IPSEA Annual Review

 

- Council for Disabled Children Top Tips for Professionals

 

 

For specific information about the annual review process in Rochdale, and for access to paperwork which should be completed and part of a review in the Rochdale area, please click the link below:

 

- EHC Assessment and Review Team

SENDiass can provide advocacy for parents/carers and for young people in their own right. 

 

SENDiass do not fulfill the role of statutory advocates. A statutory advocate is a different type of advocate than SENDiass. Statutory advocates are advocates who are specially trained to support people under the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act and the Care Act. 

 

Further information about statutory advocates can be found by clicking the link below:

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/advocacy/legal-rights-to-advocacy/

 

SENDiass can:

  • Listen to views and concerns
     
  • Help people explore their options and rights (without pressuring them)

  • Provide information to help people make informed decisions

  • Help with communicating with school/college

  • Accompany and  support people in a school/college meeting

 

SENDiass will not:

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

  • Solve problems and make decisions for people

  • Make a judgement 

SHINE + is a 6 week parenting group for parents/carers of school aged aged children who have social and communication needs.

 

The workshops are offered face to face in schools. 

 

A different topic is covered each week, to support parents to understand their child's needs and to think about strategies to support them. 

 

For each topic we have therapist input from services such as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy.

 

SHINE + provides  opportunity to learn from other parents and increase your social network.

 

For more information, or to book a group at your school, please contact us on 01706 769634 or by emailing rochdale.services@barnardos.org.uk. 

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