|
SEND News
This newsletter is about changes and developments to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Sheffield. It is for professionals, parents, carers and anyone with an interest in SEND.
|
|
SEND support: Remote and in school/ settings
Council SEND services continue to work hard to make sure schools and settings are supported to meet the needs of children with SEND.
The services (Educational Psychology, Autism Team, Deaf and Hearing Impaired service, Vision Support Service and 0-5 SEND) are able to come into schools and settings where needed. But they will provide support remotely where possible. This is to minimise the number of staff, that visit multiple locations, coming into school buildings.
Where remote work is not possible, the services will come into schools and settings to provide support face-to-face.
Services will discuss the best way to work with individual schools and settings. Please contact them to discuss the support you need and for any advice.
Health
Health services continue to accept new referrals and provide ongoing support and intervention for children already known to them.
To ensure everyone’s safety and minimise the risk of infection as much as possible, virtual appointments are being offered in the first instance, often with carers or school/setting staff.
Where virtual appointments are not possible or appropriate, face-to-face appointments and visits to school are still being offered.
|
|
Book SEND Training
The SEND core training programme for 2020/21 has been changed to help SENCOs and other professionals attend.
All courses are online. Many have been condensed to help fit into busy schedules and the extra pressures caused by Covid-19.
New training this year includes an introduction to SCERTS which is an approach designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
|
|
Developmental Language Disorders
Videos and information have been produced by DLD specialists to help raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorders (DLD).
The resources show how to support children who have DLD or show signs of possibly having it. They were collated and shared on 16 October as part of this year's DLD awareness day.
Please look and share with others to help raise awareness of DLD which affects 7.6% of children at school entry.
|
|
SEND information translated into different languages
We have translated our SEND process flowcharts into Urdu, Slovak and Arabic. Please use them with your families. The flowcharts cover:
- The graduated approach
- Sheffield Support Grid (SSG)
- MyPlans
- EHC Plans
- EHC Annual Reviews
- Preparation for Adulthood
- Early Years Partnership Process
The information is available on the:
|
|
Autism telephone advice line
Parents and professionals continue to use our autism telephone advice line:
- 0114 250 6800
- Monday to Thursday, 1pm – 4pm, during term time
The service is run by specialist teachers in our autism education team.
They give practical tips and advice relating to children and young people aged 0-25 with autism or significant social communication differences.
The team want parents and carers to know that they understand how hard it can be to make the first call for help. But they welcome all callers and are here to give support, advice and reassurance.
|
|
Parent carer survey: SEND support in schools
We are running a survey about support in education for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Please take part if your child attends a mainstream or specialist school, college or early years provider (pre-school, nursery or childminder) in Sheffield.
The survey was launched just before the first Covid-19 lockdown. It is now running again until the end of term (18 December 2020).
The survey is anonymous but feedback will be shared with your child’s school, early years provider or college. It will also be used alongside other data to offer school improvement support around SEND, and identify and share good practice.
The questionnaire takes around 5-10 minutes to complete.
SENCOs and other school staff: Please encourage your families to complete the survey. Paper copies are available upon request.
|
|
Specialist support at school
This term saw the opening of new Integrated Resources at Beck, Hucklow and Whiteways Primary Schools. Options are now being reviewed for more Integrated Resource growth in the city.
Talbot Specialist School and Seven Hills are using their extra building next to Talbot school. Bents Green School’s Gleadless site also opened on Hollinsend Road last half term.
Work to increase our provision across all settings continues. Thank you to all the secondary schools that have provided information about their SEND provision.
|
|
New SSENDIAS website
Sheffield’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support (SSENDIAS) has a new website: www.sheffieldsendias.org.uk.
The website explains the support SSENDIAS offers, how to get in touch and answers the most common SEND questions it receives.
Although the team is working remotely, SSENDIAS is still open and provides free, impartial and confidential, information advice and support. It supports children and young people (0-25 years old) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and their parent carers on education and related health and social care matters.
You can also follow SSENDIAS on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sheffieldsendias or Instagram: @sheffield_ias
|
|
|
|
