FISH Special Mailout - Early Years Inclusion

East Riding of Yorkshire Council sent this bulletin at 24-09-2024 03:30 PM BST

24 September 2024

Early Years Inclusion

As another academic year gets underway, we thought it would be helpful to remind you of existing resources and support that the local authority provides to help you meet the needs of all children, to introduce some new ones that you may not have seen before and to share updated templates that you may find useful.

Some of the resources have been developed in collaboration with specialist teams within the local authority and are part of a set of resources that extend across all stages of the education system.

Early Years SENCo Toolkit

A new Early Years SENCo Toolkit has been developed to support those working in Early Years settings with the processes and procedures surrounding the role of the SENCo. The document will provide advice, guidance and information ranging from the first observations, to preparing for an Education, Health and Care Plan. The toolkit will include links and contact details for different services, teams and resources to support your role as an early years SENCo.

Early-Years-SENCo-Toolkit-2024.pdf (eastriding.org.uk)

OAIP

Our East Riding of Yorkshire Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision (OAIP) Guide outlines examples of the provision and approaches that the local area expects to be available for children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), in all educational settings, including early years, schools and colleges.

Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision East Riding of Yorkshire 2024.pdf

Matrix of need

The Matrix of Need provides an overview of how children should be supported through the graduated approach as outlined in the SEND Code of Practice (CoP) 0 to 25 Years (2015) and where increasingly specialist expertise should be sought. It provides clear and consistent guidance on the continuum of SEND. The Matrix of Need covers the CoP stages: Below Age Related Expectations, SEND Support and Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for the four CoP areas of SEND: Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction, Social Emotional and Mental Health and Sensory and / or Physical Needs. It outlines for each CoP stage and each area of SEND: Individual Learner Characteristics; Additional to and Different from interventions and strategies; and Provision - School / Setting and LA.

Matrix of Need Interactive October 2023.pdf (eastriding.org.uk)

Development Grids

The Developmental Grids for Learning provide a clear visual overview of progress made by children during their educational journey.

Specialist_Services_Development_Grids for Learning 2023.pdf (eastriding.org.uk)

Dingley’s Promise

We are delighted to share that East Riding has been selected, as one of a small number of local authorities, to participate in the Dingley’s Promise Early Years Inclusion Project.

The project is funded by Comic Relief and has a simple aim:

To increase the number of young children with SEND accessing early years and childcare places.

Dingley’s Promise offer a free online training programme for the whole of the early year's workforce, across education, health and social care.

The 5 courses currently available are:

An introduction to early years inclusive practice

Early years transitions

Voice of the child

Managing behaviours that challenge

Having difficult conversations with parents

It is anticipated that a further 2 courses will be available later this year/beginning of next year with an additional 3 courses being developed over the next 3 years.

The training aims to empower early years practitioners to deliver fully inclusive practice through sharing ideas, information and learning resources. This will develop confidence in recognising the differing needs of children and supporting the learning and well-being of all children in their setting.

The training will enhance our existing Early Years Inclusion Team training offer. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this excellent opportunity and Area SENCos will refer to the training during visits, training and SENCo Cluster meetings.

The attached poster gives an overview of the Dingley’s Promise Early Years Inclusion project and can be printed off to display in your settings. The training is open to everyone in the early years workforce in East Riding and is a great way to ensure ongoing continued professional development.

Please use the link below to access the training:

https://dingley.org.uk/dingleys-promise-training/early-years-inclusion-programme/

Portage Workshop

This is a certificated training course delivered by National Portage Association Accredited Trainers.

The Portage Workshop is an introduction to the Portage Approach to working with children with additional needs and their families. The workshop is suitable for early years practitioners who work in an early year’s settings (PVI or maintained), Children’s Centres, Childminders and parents/carers of children who are receiving Portage support.

Central to the course are the ‘Portage Principles’ and the ‘Three Circle Model of Portage’. The NPA has set standards for minimum workshop content and length. The Workshop has a core curriculum consisting of seven modules and must last a minimum of 2 full days plus a Follow Up session.

The workshop is designed to support parents who have children that are being supported by Portage, and practitioners working with children, to help support their learning and development and to understand the strategies and principles used by Portage Workers.

County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley, HU17 9BA: 20th January 2025, 10th February 2025 and 17th March 2025.

Workshop will be 9:30am - 4pm on all 3 days and all days need to be attended.

EYIT Training Programme

The Early Years Inclusion Team offer an extensive training programme to support and enhance knowledge for Early Years Practitioners with SEND. Some of the workshops include-

Role of the SENCo - This workshop supports SENCo’s to understand their responsibilities in supporting children with SEND, Early Intervention and delivering quality inclusive provision, to strengthen partnership working with families, to develop practice in working with other professionals and to increase understanding of Early Years Support.

EHCP Workshops – One session that covers the processes and actions necessary from identifying that a child may require an EHCP, and the paperwork required with support to complete this.

One session that covers the Review process to the ongoing requirements once an EHCP has been issued. Some of this is statutory so it is important to know the legal obligations of having a child in your setting with an EHCP.

Early Years SENCo Cluster Meetings - These are your meetings, so we are keen to structure them to meet your needs and facilitate discussion on issues that are relevant and important to you. If you have a subject that you would like to raise or discuss, please contact your Area SENCo and it can be added to the agenda.

Please follow the link below to book onto the above training and all other training/workshops offered by the Early Years Inclusion Team.

Family Services Directory - East Riding

New Support Plan

The support plan template has been updated to include details of inclusion/SEND funding allocated to meet the needs of the child. There is also space to indicate the child’s primary and secondary areas of need.

An updated developmental overview is embedded within the Support Plan template which correlates to the current Early Years Foundation Stage.

Support-plan-2024.pdf (eastriding.org.uk)

Early Years Inclusion Team Developmental Journal

The EYIT DJ document will replace the Early Years Developmental Journal. This reflects the updated and current Early Years Foundation Stage. This document is not statutory and is available to enhance and support evidence for early identification where and when necessary.

EYIT Development Journal (eastriding.org.uk)

Disability Access Fund (DAF)

Just a reminder that DAF is now available for all children accessing any of the early year's entitlements (9month-2years; 2-year-old funding – disadvantage and working parents; 3and 4-year-old funding) that meet the existing criteria.

Follow the link below for more information:

Information for childcare providers who offer funding (eastriding.gov.uk)

Early Years Wellbeing Toolkit

Hot off the press is our ‘Early Years Wellbeing Toolkit’.

This has been developed by our educational psychologists primarily for practitioners working within Early Years settings. The aim is that a wide range of people working with young children can use the toolkit to learn more about worries and anxieties in the early years, access a bank of strategies and resources, and take steps to improve young children’s wellbeing.

Please contact your Area SENCo for an electronic version of this toolkit.

Early Years Sensory Toolkit

This toolkit has been designed primarily for Practitioners within Early Years settings to use when supporting children who have sensory differences which are presenting within the educational setting. The toolkit and strategies should be used in consultation with parents/carers and, if required, other professionals involved (such as, Area SENCO, Portage, Educational Psychologist).

Please contact your Area SENCo for an electronic version of this toolkit.

If you would like to discuss any of these resources further or would like any support in setting regarding inclusion or SEND, please contact your Area SENCo.