SEND audit – We are relaunching our SEND audit process
Please complete and return by 28 September to the secure email eyinclusion@secure.portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Completion of the audit will help you and your SENCo to identify the children at your setting who require additional support. This will enable the Early Years Inclusion Team to prioritise and allocate appropriate support and guidance.
Please complete for all children identified with SEND.
If you have no children with SEND in your setting at this time please write 'NIL' across the audit and submit.
September reminders
As the new term has begun there will be new children joining your settings or beginning their settling in visits. This is the best time of year to start gathering your information to update your SEND registers. You can do this by:
- Organising TAC meetings, where necessary, alongside settling in sessions. This provides an opportunity for everyone to meet together and discuss how best to meet the needs of the child in the setting and what they would need to help them access the provision and activities. You may need to consider how to offer virtual TAC meetings.
- Making time to review the children's starting points and discuss with parents any areas of development or known Special Educational Needs or Disabilities and work in partnership to devise support plans.
- Liaising with any other professionals working with the child to ensure that support plan targets are consistent.
- Taking time to talk to the key person of any new children with SEND or emerging needs and begin to consider support plans to meet their needs.
- Referring to the SEND inclusion pathway for support and guidance as well as the OAP (ordinarily available provision) document for practical ways to support children's needs in your settings.
If you would like to request support and guidance from our team, then please COMPLETE and return the SEND Audit.
COVID support and coping with the 'new normal'
We have produced some support documents to help you and your settings return to the 'new normal' after the recent months of closures and disruptions due to Coronavirus. We hope these will be helpful in planning your support for SEND children returning to the setting.
New roles - Speech and Language Therapy working in partnership with Health and Early Years
We are excited to announce that Health and Early Years have shared use of a new Speech and Language resource for the next two years.
Vic Leonard and Lou Wakefield from the Speech and Language Therapy Service will be working with the Early Years Inclusion Team to support settings and Health Visiting colleagues with a range of strategies, interventions and advice for speech, language and communication development. Come to our virtual SENCO cluster to hear more about this exciting project.
Early Years SENCO Accreditation 2021 Cohort
25 participants were successful in gaining this new qualification last year in Portsmouth and we are now recruiting for the second cohort to run through the spring and summer term 2021.
The programme has been developed to provide the SENCo with the skills to lead and coordinate Special Educational Needs and Disabilities within their Early Years setting. The award will evidence your settings’ commitment to supporting children with SEND and to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills of Early Years SENCos in performing their role effectively.
Applicants should:
- Be currently working in an Early Years PVI setting as a SENCo or be interested in the role
- Hold a level 3 (or above) qualification in early years or childcare
- Have a commitment to continuing professional development and the support of their line manager
The Course:
12 full day sessions including a visit to each other’s settings and a specialist provision, plus a half day celebration awards event. The days are designed to include study time so that participants should not need to complete assignments in their own time.
Participants will gain a qualification and recognition for their role as an Early Years SENCo: NCFE Cache L3 Award for Special Educational Needs Coordinator in Early Years Settings.
They will also be awarded with one Level 4 module: Coordinate Special Educational Needs Provision, this is a further CPD module that encourages qualification progression.
The cost is £850 per delegate including costs of external assessments and accreditation process. Suitable for all SENCos and anyone interested in the role of SENCo. If you haven’t done so already then please apply by contacting eyinclusion@secure.portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Neurodevelopmental pathway
Portsmouth are continuing to develop as a 'Needs Led City' as part of this process we are introducing an integrated referral pathway.
A Whole Setting Approach to SEND in the Early Years - a free programme
We have been successful in our bid to offer this in Portsmouth and will be rolling this out with NASEN this term with exciting possibilities for SENCos to train as SEND Reviewers and SEND training opportunities for all of the Early Years workforce.
There are two aspects:
- Meeting the Needs of every Child – training for all Early Years staff who are interested in SEND and inclusion, 30 places available
- Early Years SEND reviews – Opportunity for SENCos to become qualified SEND reviewers, 23 places available
Apply by contacting eyinclusion@secure.portsmouthcc.gov.uk
You will be sent a link to book on directly with NASEN.
Free online training for parents of children with EAL
Fun practical ideas to support development of SLC and translated resources referring parents to most recent government guidelines for return to setting/school. Email ella.harbut@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to receive the email to share with parents and link to the training.
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SENCO Clusters
SENCo Clusters will be on 20 and 21 October. Come and join us for the latest SEND and inclusion updates and information. Book your virtual place here.
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FREE SEND resources and online training
DfE funded training and resources produced by NASEN and our partner organisations in the Early Years SEND Partnership.
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