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SEND SENCO Newsletter
January 2025
A newsletter for SENCO’s who support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Telford and Wrekin.
Contents
Welcome
Welcome to our SEND SENCO Newsletter!
In this edition, the SENCO Space has a special focus on early years education and EAL (English as an Additional Language). We will also highlight some exciting early years training opportunities that you won't want to miss.
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SEND Updates: Read about the speech and language support programmes in some of our Telford schools for children in Year 1, Reception and in the pre-school year. Stay informed about the latest developments and initiatives for young people as they prepare for adulthood and leave their secondary schools.
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Spotlight on Health: Focus on our Speech and Language updates on the Healthier Together website, and we introduction you to Carrie, Designated Clinical Officer, who tells you about her role. Plus, information about the Epilepsy nurse specialists.
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Parent Carer Support and where to go: This section offers information about various support services available to parent carers, including local groups and helpful contacts.
We hope you find this newsletter informative and helpful. Thank you for being a part of our community!
We would like to highlight our Telford and Wrekin SEND Local Offer, below, it is an information directory designed to help families of children and young people with SEND.
It provides clear, detailed, and up-to-date information about the support and services available in the local area. This includes education, health, and social care services, as well as other relevant resources. It may be useful for SENCO's to use a team meeting to share the Local Offer with your TA's/LSA's and let them know there is a wealth of information to support parents.
We are looking forwards to seeing you at the SENCO Network meeting on Thursday 16th January at The Telford Langley School, 4-5.30pm.
Warm regards,
Laura Goodfellow Interim Service Delivery Manager for SEND
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SEND Local Offer
The Local Offer aims to bring together useful information across education, health and social care within one website. You can find information, advice and guidance and a range of local service providers who support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Find clear and accessible advice, information and support on…
- Leisure, fun and short break activities
- Specialist services including education health and care plans
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- How schools support special educational needs
- FAQ's for Parents, carers and families
- Preparing for Adulthood
- Health services
- Care services and so much more..
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SEND NEWS
Post 16 update
Key dates for young people, their families and settings between now and 31st March 2025.
If your child or young person is in yr11 and considering placement for September 25, please read more on the Key Dates button below.
If you have a Year 12 or 13 student who is planning changing provision for September 2025, please make the PFA team aware so they are included in this process.
What about employment options?
Not every student wants to remain in education Post 16, but they may not be ready for full time employment or an apprenticeship. These young people and their Parent Carers might want to consider a supported internship.
For young people currently in Year 12+ there are some supported internship opportunities available for a January 2025 start.
If you want more information about Supported Internships, watch the video below.
Contact details Tel: 01952 388682
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The Value of Board Games
Playing board games is not only fun, but it supports the development of many skills that children need in school.
This article describes those benefits and provides examples of games that could be played at home or in school.
Angela Denton. (LSAT Team Lead)
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SENCO Space
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ELSEC Update
Early Language Support for Every Child.
The ELSEC project is now approaching the end of its first term and has achieved so much in such a short amount of time.
ELSEC is a pilot project set up by the Department for Education (DfE), to explore ways in which professionals and parents can support children with their speech and language development, building capacity to meet the needs of all children and their families. It is a joint project between Education and Health across T&W and Shropshire, one of 9 Pathfinder sites in the country and sits within the SEND and AP Change Programme.
Read more below on what we have achieved so far, and a taste of what's still to come.
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Early Years SEND training opportunities
There are a range of training opportunities for practitioners who work with children in a range of early years settings.
All bookings via talkingchildcare@telford.gov.uk
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Improving School Readiness for EAL Learners in EYFS Project
The Multicultural Development Team (MDT) and The Early Years Team are offering FREE, funded support for staff working in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This project is funded by the Telford & Wrekin Early Years Team. The support is available to staff in EYFS settings, including school nurseries and childminding services in Telford & Wrekin.
SENCOs and Headteachers may wish to ensure, if their school has EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provision, they are taking advantage of the FREE support available to promote equality, diversity, and cultural understanding.
Read more below.
For further information, contact
multicultural.development@telford.gov.uk Tel: 01952 380828
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Healthier Together website
Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
The Healthier Together website provides consistent, accurate and trustworthy healthcare advice for parent carers, young people and professionals. All the information on the site is checked by clinicians, and local organisations and involves parent carers in its content development.
Information about the support offer for Speech Language and Communication Needs is now on the Healthier Together website. The support webpage has been developed by the SLCN team, which includes a wide range of professionals delivering services. It has been coproduced with parent carers.
The new section accompanies other webpages which set out the Neurodiversity support offer.
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Who am I?
Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) for SEND, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB
Carrie James Integrated Care Board (ICB) SEND Team.
I am delighted to introduce myself as the interim Designated Clinical Officer for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), my colleague Jen is currently enjoying maternity leave.
What do I do?
The role as DCO is varied and includes working with commissioners and senior leadership teams with regards to meeting and assuring SEND health requirements, I work with colleagues to improve the Quality of Education, Health and Care Plans and to help ensure the health needs of Children and Young People are met.
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Health
Spotlight on
Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse Specialists
We like to spotlight specific roles of colleagues that you or your children and young people might meet, in this edition we focus on the Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse Specialists.
If you would like to see a Spotlight on a particular role, then please let us know via the Local Offer inbox, localoffer@telfor.gov.uk and we will endeavour to include that in a future edition of this newsletter.
Parent Carer
Support
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Tourette's Action – local group for Telford & Wrekin
We offer peer support session for families living with Tourette's and/or Tics in Telford.
We are a friendly and welcoming group for families of children and young people living with Tourette’s, offering mutual support, understanding and friendship.
Group Co-ordinator: Lisa Wilson
Please contact Lisa for details of next local group/meet up date.
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Challenges at Home sessions
Challenges at Home sessions are support sessions for families with a child/young person awaiting neurodiverse diagnosis (waiting well)
We offer "Challenges at home" sessions for families who have a child on a Neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD, etc) assessment pathway or are undergoing diagnosis.
Open to 0-18 years from mainstream and special schools. For families to discuss home/life concerns and seek information and advice from Principal Educational Psychologist team around emotional, behaviour, social, anxieties, routines, etc. We use these sessions to support families to find solutions together and share experiences and offer mutual support in a safe and supportive place
When? 16 January, 13 February, 13 March
9.30-11.30am Thursday mornings
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SENDIASS Update
Who are we and what do we do?
We're here for you . . .
If you're a parent/carer of a child or young person with special educational needs or a disability.
If you're a young person with special educational needs or a disability 16-25.
If you have an issue or concern in the areas of education, health or social care.
If you live in Telford and Wrekin.
If you think your child has or may have a special educational need.
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Telford Children’s Autism Hub
Our Children's Autism Hub is open to all children and young people aged 0-18 years and their families, who have a diagnosis of Autism.
To access our Children’s Autism Hub you must be a resident of Telford & Wrekin.
For our latest Newsletter and updates, where we showcase what we do and highlight exciting upcoming events and activities, please go to our website.
Email - childrensautism@tandwcvs.org.uk
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