 Welcome to the Children,Young People and Learning (CYPL) SEND & Inclusion newsletter. This is a dedicated publication for professionals and parent carers who are champions of SEND in West Sussex.
Please share this newsletter with colleagues and parent carers. If you know of anyone who would like to be added to the distribution list, you can subscribe here.
Updates
- SENCO Conference 2025: Inclusive Solutions
- Delivering Better Value (DBV) Programme
Working with our partners
- Ministerial SEND National Engagement Event – Report from Rowan Westwood, Chair of the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum
- Independent Lives 2024 Impact Report
- Stay Alive app
Spotlight on emotional health and wellbeing
- Relational approaches to inclusion, guidance and toolkit
- WOWSI - Working on Worries Support and Interventions project
- Thought-Full
- Whole school approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing
Events
- Professional Development Opportunity for SENCOs and Inclusion Leaders
- Quality First training for Teaching Assistants
- Senior Mental Health Lead Training
- Senior Mental Health Lead Locality Network meetings
- Self-harm guidance, policy, and toolkit training
- West Sussex Mind - Self-harm Learning Network
- Aspens - new neuro-affirming online training
Newsletters
- Therapeutic Thinking Summer 25 Newsletter
It was wonderful to welcome so many of you to the 2025 SENCO Conference at Butlins. We enjoyed reading the evaluation forms and are delighted that Kit Messenger proved again to be an entertaining and inspirational speaker, providing you with food for thought and lots of ideas to take back to school.
Here are a few images to remind you of the day!
We're already starting to plan next year's conference. If you would like to be part of the planning group, please contact Kathryn Kellagher.
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The DBV programme, launched almost a year ago with 15 pilot projects across the County, will soon come to a close at the end of this academic year. We are now moving to the evaluation phase of the programme.
You can read more about this here.
Earlier this month, I joined over 90 passionate parent carers from across the country at the Ministerial SEND National Engagement event, hosted by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) and the Council for Disabled Children (CDC).
We met with Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, and Catherine McKinnell, Minister for School Standards.
You can read more about issues discussed here.
If you are interested in becoming a West Sussex Parent Carer Forum (WSPCF) Professional Member, please click on the poster below.
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Independent Lives is a user-led charity working to change the lives of disabled people, people with support needs and carers.
Their vision is for a fair society where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
Read more in their 2024 impact report.
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Grassroots Suicide Prevention have created an app which can be useful for anyone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviours, and those who are supporting them. It has come recommended by a West Sussex parent who has lived experience of supporting their child through a mental health crisis.
Information about the app can be found here: The Stay Alive app by Grassroots Suicide Prevention - Grassroots Suicide Prevention
Please do share with parents and carers.
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Relational Approaches to Inclusion Guidance and Toolkit has been produced by West Sussex Education and Skills, Parent Carer Forum and WellBeing Services and is due for publication in July 2025.
School climate and culture provide the conditions for emotional wellbeing and mental health for young people in education. Relational practice promotes and supports mental health and emotional well-being (MHEW).
There is a huge evidence base showing the impact of better MHEW on attendance and attainment. The Relational Approaches to Inclusion Guidance and Toolkit is organised into the 8 principles of the whole school approach to wellbeing and includes a whole school relational approaches audit and a relational individual support plan.
You can read more about relational approaches in this article by Dr Frances Parker, Educational Psychologist.
WOWSI is our Working on Worries Support and Intervention project. The project gives schools access to an evidence-based online intervention to address child fears, worries, and anxiety. The intervention is delivered to parents and carers and follows a cognitive behaviour therapy model, as developed by Prof Cathy Cresswell at Oxford University.
Currently 79 primary schools are involved in the project and have a member of staff who has received training to facilitate the intervention.
Early indicators of success are very positive and both the quantitative and qualitative data are showing that the intervention is making a positive difference to children and families.
You can read more about WOWSI here.
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Information about the Thought-full programme is held on the Thriving in Education website, including links to upcoming training events. Online training events can be accessed by any West Sussex School, not just those currently included in the Thought-Full programme.
You can read more about Thought-Full here.
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To support pupils to thrive, a whole school approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing should be embedded according to the unique needs of the school community. It is also important that the outcomes of any initiatives and interventions are measured, and their impact monitored.
In order to understand the needs of your school community it is important to use a tool such as the West Sussex Reflective Tool which looks at the eight principles of the whole school approach to identify areas of need and areas of strength. For schools who have limited time, the Implementation Self-Assessment Tool (ISAT) may be used as an alternative.
Find out more in this article.
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We are excited to continue to offer a comprehensive training package designed specifically to build and enhance the professional skills of SENCos and Inclusion Leaders.
This programme features seven live training sessions, complemented by e-learning modules, curated professional reading, and reflection activities.
Session topics include:
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The Role of an Effective SENCO — exploring the core responsibilities and impact of an effective SENCO
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Working in Co-production — focusing on collaborative approaches with families, professionals, and young people
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Graduated Approach and Adaptation — covering strategies to tailor support and meet diverse needs
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SENCO Responsibilities for EHCNAs, EHCPs, and Annual Reviews — an essential overview to ensure compliance and best practice
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Visits to Settings — groups and pairs will be arranged after delegates join, providing practical, in-context learning
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Evaluating the Impact of Provision, Data, Governance, and Action Planning — a presentation designed to strengthen skills in measuring and improving SEND provision
Created with the unique challenges and responsibilities of SENCOs and Inclusion Leaders in mind, this programme aims to equip professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to maximise positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
To register your interest or find out more, please contact Jessica Bubb, SEND and Inclusion Adviser.
Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your professional growth and make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children and young people you support.
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The Standards and Effectiveness Team have developed a training course for teaching assistants to support Quality First Teaching (QFT) for all children, which is free to all West Sussex schools.
This included two pre-recorded presentations in video format, available on the Tools for Schools website
More information can be found here.
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‘Thriving in Schools. Senior Mental Health Lead Training. A West Sussex Approach’
West Sussex County Council was awarded the Department of Education (DfE) approved Senior Mental Health Lead Training in the autumn term 2024. Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) training equips staff with the skills to implement and lead a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This approach involves integrating mental health support throughout the school community, encompassing staff, students, parents, and the wider school environment. SMHLs are trained to develop plans, implement strategies, and monitor the effectiveness of their school's mental health initiatives.
DfE grants have now ceased but the SMHL training with supervision will be offered termly to schools over 2025 - 2026 to support implementation with an Early Years version of the SMHL package.
Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) locality network meetings provide our SMHLs across the county with opportunities to network, share learning, and receive updates. It has been brilliant to see so many of you this year at our networks this year, thank you to all who have been able to join us.
Each network meeting is based on a theme related to one of the eight principles of a whole school approach to mental health, and are selected based on what SMHLs say they would like as their focus. Themes this academic year have been Staff Wellbeing, Identifying Need and Monitoring Impact, and Sharing Practice. In the autumn term we will focus on emotionally-based school avoidance.
Information on next year's meetings can be found here.
Our colleagues in Public Health have been working with their counterparts in East Sussex and Brighton and Hove to update the self-harm guidance, policy and toolkit. To help you to learn about the new resources we are offering a choice of webinar dates in the new academic year.
These free-to-attend sessions will cover how to access, use, and embed all three elements of the package. Please use links below to book.
West Sussex Mind will be delivering a series of free self-harm webinars for professionals and volunteers in East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove, who support children and young people who self-harm. These webinars are continuing from the previous self-harm learning networks.
The introductory webinar is running on a variety of dates over the next year and can be booked here: Self-Harm Learning Webinar (multiple dates)
There are also a series of focused webinars on the following subjects. These webinars are offered as a professional version and parent/carer version. Please do share the booking link with families, as well as colleagues: Self-harm learning networks
Topics include:
- Self-harm and Neurodiversity/ASD
- Self-harm and Disordered Eating
- Self-harm and Online Safety
Further resources for self-harm and other mental health difficulties can be found within the Thriving in Education Targeted Support A-Z: Targeted support - West Sussex County Council.
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Aspens has designed a new neuro-affirming online training series for professionals working in education, social care and health.
You can read more about the training series and how to book here.
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The Therapeutic Thinking Summer 25 Newsletter is available to read here.
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The Local Offer website is our gateway to SEND information for families and young people (0-25). Whether you have a diagnosis or not, visit the Local Offer website for:
- A directory of services, community groups and activities
- The SEND support you can expect from childcare and education settings
- Information about NHS SEND services, including assessments and support while you wait
- Signposting to financial support, including grants and benefits
- Help with navigating Education, Health and Care Assessments, Plans and Reviews
- Support for preparing for adulthood, employment, and transitioning to adult social care
Tools for Schools is where you will find resources and information to support the inclusion of all West Sussex children and young people in early years, schools, post 16 and other education settings.
The Family Information Service (FIS) is provided by West Sussex County Council. We offer free, impartial, up-to-date information to all families on childcare, as well as activities and services for 0-25 year olds.
As a council we are working together with our partners across education, health and social care, and importantly our families, to secure the best possible outcomes for all our children and young people. Here you will find more information about how we plan to improve our SEND services.
West Sussex SENDIAS, provides impartial information, advice and support to children and young people who have SEND (special educational needs and/ or disabilities) for those aged 0-25 and their parent carers.
The Thriving in Education website was launched in September 2024 as a one-stop shop for schools and college staff to find information about embedding a whole school or college approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing.
It has sections on the Thought-Full programme, the new EBSA process, and relational practice as well as a really useful A-Z of advice and support services.
In order to support our children and young people to thrive the information on the website is updated on a regular basis. The next step for the website is to develop an area for sharing examples of practice from local schools. If you feel that you have a piece of work you would like to share and highlight on the website, please do let us know.
 Some of the services listed in this newsletter or on the Local Offer site are provided by private service providers and not by West Sussex County Council. These do not have a recommendation or endorsement from the local authority. If you decide to use a service / provision, you should be aware that you are responsible for doing your own checks to ensure they are suitable and fit for purpose. West Sussex County Council will not be liable for any damages or losses suffered by anyone who relies on the information in this newsletter.
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