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Earlier this month Kellie Knott, our SEND Improvement Director, reported to the Children's Scrutiny Committee to update members on the progress of the SEND Transformation Programme.
Councillors heard how we are improving the way we support children and young people with SEND and their families by co-designing and co-developing a new and refreshed vision, priorities and strategy for the SEND service.
You can read the report and watch the webcast of the meeting on our website.
 Local Offer website improvement surveys
We are running a series of simple surveys, each focussing on different areas of the Devon Local Offer website and how we improve the way you find information on there.
The most recent survey was on the information about the support that is available to parents, carers and young people. Thank you to everyone who took part, your feedback has provided some really useful insights into what information is most useful and highlights where there may be gaps.
You can see the full results of the survey on the news page of our SEND Local Offer website.
Our next survey looks at information about ‘Learning and Education’. Use the button below to take part and share your views.
We all want every child and young person to be able to go to school or other setting, to do well and to enjoy their time there. Sometimes that’s difficult. In Devon, we know that different schools have different approaches to the way that they support pupils, including those who may have additional needs. That can lead to inconsistency, and it can be hard for young people and parents and carers to know what they can expect from their local school or setting.
We want a good level of support to be consistent across Devon, so that pupils and
their parents and carers know what they can expect from their school,
to help them be included and engaged. Working with schools and groups of parents and young people, we have created an Ordinarily Available Inclusive Education Framework which describes the sort of support that all Devon schools, early years, and post 16 settings should be able to provide all children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
We’re not telling schools that they have to comply with the framework, but we are
asking them to review and reflect on their own practices, to see where they might be
able to improve the way they support pupils. You can read more about the Ordinarily Available Inclusive Education Framework in the story on our news page, and on our website.
 Contacting the SEND Statutory Team
Earlier this year we told you about a new system that brings all communication related to an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) request together in one place, and displays it alongside other case information, so that it is accessible in one place, including to any colleagues providing cover.
It means that colleagues in our SEND Statutory Team now don't use their individual email mailboxes for sending emails to parents and carers. You'll receive emails sent via the new system, appearing as from “Special Education Communications – Mailbox”. We want to ensure the new system is the place for recording all messages, and no communication is locked away in individual inboxes.
Please send your emails to the new mailbox: educate.specialeducationcommunications-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
If you reply to an email from this mailbox or include your relevant EHC Hub reference number in the subject line, we can automatically add your reply to the case file, notify the case officer and respond more quickly. More than 60 per cent of emails are already being automatically added to the new system because of this, so thank you. The SEND Statutory Team are continuing to monitor the new mailbox and are manually adding emails that aren't being moved automatically, but this does take extra time and resources.
If you need to call, the dedicated phone line (01392 380434) is open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. Calls are answered by our Customer Service Centre team, who now assist with information and pass messages quickly to the right people in the SEND Statutory Team and can book you a call back with a named case officer. Feedback has been good, with parents and carers finding it easier to communicate with the service, and we are continuing to make improvements, such as arranging convenient call back times.
 Update from our Participation Team
Our SEND Network for Change aims to create opportunities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to get involved and have their voice heard! There are lots of different groups and projects going on, run by our SEND Participation Team. If you are a young person with SEND in Devon, whatever you want to say, we want to hear it! You can contact the team by emailing amy.bickford@devon.gov.uk or visit our website to find out more.
Annual report
Every year our participation team produce a report about the work they do to engage with children and young people in Devon.
Some key achievement for the SEND Network For Change during 2023 included working with decision makers on preparation for adulthood and transitions into adult services; collaborating with local cinemas to address accessibility issues and sharing their thoughts and experiences at a co-production training event.
You can read more detail about the some of the activities, and the difference they made, in the full report here.
New group for neurodivergent young people
If you are a neurodivergent young person aged between 11 and 19 years old (or up to 25 years old with an EHCP) and live in Devon we would love to hear from you!
Experienced youth workers from our SEND participation team hold informal, friendly supportive sessions online or in person on a regular basis to work on projects together that help improve neurodiversity services. Here is what some young people and parents have said about it:
"It is great that the team could work with me to set up my idea, as it was something I wanted to do but didn’t feel able to by myself."
"My child speaks of your sessions, and support, with high regard, thank you for giving them a voice."
If you would like to know more and have a chat with one of the team, please email
Youth Voice quilt
The participation team have been working with young people to make a quilt all about youth voice, what it means to them and the importance of being heard. Those taking part have created images on fabric, sharing some of the things that matter to them in a relaxed and creative way.
The project is on-going and when completed the quilt will be displayed at County Hall and also go ‘on the road’ to various events. If you would like to be involved in creating this fabulous piece of art, please get in touch by emailing . No sewing or art skills required!
 Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage
Children and Family Health Devon offers free access to Lumi Nova, a therapeutic online game to help children aged seven to 12 years old learn to manage their fears and worries. It provides a fun, safe and engaging way for children and young people to understand and talk about their emotions and tackle their worries head on so they can build resilience, gain confidence and thrive.
Children using the app learn, through a playful experience, how to break down big worries into smaller, manageable challenges - such as a fear of spiders or the dark, feeling worried about making new friends, unable to sleep alone or struggling to go to school.
It works by using two of the most effective parts of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that are proven to help treat fears, worries and anxiety. These two parts are psychoeducation - learning about worry, and exposure therapy - facing your fears. You start by setting some goals for your child to work towards, and then they take on small steps, breaking down their worries and learning that they can face their fears and build their confidence.
It is recommended for children with mild to moderate anxiety, where they may not meet thresholds for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), are on the waiting list, or alongside other therapeutic support, to use at least two to three times per week for a minimum of six weeks. It should not be used with children who have severe anxiety, are in crisis, have suicidal thoughts or at risk of self harm.
To find out more or request access to Lumi Nova, please visit the Children and Family Health Devon website or contact their Single Point of Access Team by calling 0330 0245 321 or emailing CFHD.DevonSPA@nhs.net.
 Autism waiting list recovery project
NHS organisations in Devon are working together to reduce the time that children and young people wait for an autism assessment. A rise in demand for services over the past few years has led to waiting times increasing, which has a significant impact on the lives of children and young people and their families. This can include their ability to attend school, gain an education and fulfil their life potential.
A key part of the work undertaken so far has seen an approach, co-designed with parents and carers, that aims to support schools and settings in continuing to improve their ability to recognise and meet need. This will include providing a wellbeing offer to all families that features an information hub, a helpline, neurodiversity navigators, and a comprehensive network of parent, carer and peer mentoring. Alongside this, there will be a single assessment process for those who require a diagnosis of ADHD, autism and other conditions.
While this work is developing, a focused project will tackle autism assessment waiting lists for children and young people who have been waiting the longest. Additional resources have been identified, alongside streamlining of processes, which together will increase capacity to assess children and young people over the next six months and reduce waiting times.
Regular updates will be provided to partners, stakeholders, parents and carers as the autism waiting list recovery project progresses.
 Autism Central: New Podcast and Webinar Series
Autism Central, funded by NHS England, has launched two new educational series designed to support parents and carers of autistic children, young people and adults.
The podcast series, Sensory Processing Focus, will be hosted by Holly Sprake-Hill, a neurodivergent occupational therapist, and will bring together autistic people, parents, carers, and professionals to explore sensory processing.
Key episodes include:
- sensory processing
- supporting sensory needs of non-speaking children
- experiencing sensory differences as an autistic person
- sensory differences as a non-speaking autistic person
- being a sensory supporter for your child
There is also a new webinar series from Autism Central called Finding the Balance, which will include six insightful episodes.
For more information, visit the Autism Central website.
 Free SENDtastic after school group
Exeter Library has teamed up with Action for Children, who run Devon Family Hubs on our behalf, to bring you SENDtastic after school groups!
These fun and inclusive play sessions are designed for children aged five to nine years old to attend with parents and carers as an opportunity for families who have children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to connect, play, and make new friends.
They take place from 4pm until 5pm each Monday from 9th September until 16th December.
Spaces are limited though, so book your free spot using Devon Family Hub's Eventbrite page.
 Let’s Talk, Read and Play
Are you concerned about your child's speech and language development? Is your child on the speech and language waiting list? Then come along to one of our Family Hubs and join the Let’s Talk, Read and Play group for tips and ideas to encourage your child’s communication.
Each week there is a focus strategy, which is role modelled by the staff in the group, as well as discussed with the parent carer. There will also be core strategies that run throughout the 5 weeks, these include: comment rather than question and use of simple repetitive language. There will be focussed play activities on offer, to encourage conversations and speech between children and their parents. We celebrate any ‘wow’ moments that parents share from the week, this could be using more speech, or more facial interactions, but are development achievements for the child.
At the end of the 5 weeks, parents are provided with some additional resources, websites, Facebook pages, etc to access for ideas and support. If no change has been observed, a referral to Speech and Language services is made, if not already completed.
Please complete our request for contact form if this is a service you are interested or call the family hub nearest you.
 Does your child struggle with school uniform?
Parents and carers of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often report that they struggle with school uniform, particularly if their child has sensory processing difficulties.
Collars and blazers may be too stiff, buttons and zips too tricky, laces too fiddly, ties too restrictive, labels too tickly or itchy and certain socks and shoes overwhelmingly uncomfortable. It is an important issue because the irritation and distraction they feel impacts their comfort and therefore their ability to concentrate, learn and fulfil their potential.
Although most schools like their pupils to wear the same thing, reasonable adjustments can be made in order to support children and young people to wear their school uniform.
It may be that the uniform includes a white shirt, grey trousers and a jumper or cardigan but the school don't mind what the material or style is. Your child could therefore choose something that they will be most comfortable in, for example they may prefer a lightweight button up cardigan to a tight fitting v-neck sweater. Having a choice also means they have some control over what their body experiences, which can help them feel calmer.
There's also lots of little things you can do to adapt the school uniform to help make it more comfortable. For example, turning socks or tights inside out can lessen the impact of seams or adding a discreet base layer under school uniform can provide additional comfort.
The Devon Information Advice and Support (DiAS) website has information about reasonable adjustments that can be made at school or college to help your child get the best out of their time there, with a specific section about uniform. We also recommend discussing any concerns you have with your school.
 Supporting your child with SEND with SEMH
Action For Children is running a free online webinar about supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) with their Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).
During the session, which takes places online on Monday 14 October from 1pm until 2pm, will share information and strategies to help you to support children with SEND with their SEMH as well as some useful tips and advice to support each other.
Places are limited, so sign up using the Action For Children Eventbrite page as soon as possible.
 Coming up next month...
We’re getting ready to launch our new SEND strategy next month, which sets out a clear vision and public commitment to the changes we need to make to improve the experiences of children and young people with SEND, and their families, in Devon.
There will be a special edition of this newsletter, so keep an eye on your inbox and encourage others to sign up if they don’t already receive it.
We will also be sharing lots of information about the new strategy on our Facebook page, so make sure you’re following us!
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