The Horizon Intervention team supports children with SEND who are:
- experiencing emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)
- at risk of a school placement breakdown
- at risk of hospitalisation due to their mental health needs.
Our multi-disciplinary team consists of highly skilled professionals from social work, youth work, education and health. We can support both professionals and children and families when they are experiencing issues in accessing education due to their mental and emotional health needs.
Horizon Intervention accepts internal referrals from social workers where children are:
- subject to planning through Child in Need or Child Protection
- cared for by the Local Authority.
It would be expected that education settings working with the child would have already applied the graduated approach (assess, plan, do, and review) overtime and evidenced this as being unsuccessful.
How we work with your social worker
We utilise expertise from advisory teachers within the Autism Communication Team (ACT) and Learning and Behaviour Advisory Team (LBAT) to provide networks and education provisions strategies for children. These are tailored to suit the individual’s needs within what is appropriate and possible within school resources. This provides a holistic approach to children’s education and empowers schools and professional networks to deliver evidence-based interventions.
We can also support networks around the child and their family to identify creative ways to achieve good outcomes and develop positive and child-centred solutions. This includes the identification of alternative support and funding.
How we work with you
We dicuss each referal and decide if direct work with a child is needed. When a horizon intervention worker is allocated to a child they spend time building a positive relationship, understanding the child’s voice and advocating for their needs within the network. Together we create a horizon intervention plan. This identifies achievable actions which match the desired outcomes and aspirations of the child. These plans can focus on several goals:
- building self-esteem
- confidence
- reducing social isolation
- supporting exam progress
- reintegration back into education
We can provide children with one-to-one intensive support utilising child centred interventions which are flexible to what a child needs. The team’s neuro-affirming approach recognises children’s differences and the opportunity for every child to thrive in both their home and school setting. The team utilising several different models and interventions to support children, these can include:
- Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plans
- child advocacy
- PATH – creative person-centred planning tools
- communication passports
- risk management and safety planning
- sensory profiles and recommendations
- home environmental checks and risk assessments
The team cannot support with health diagnoses or the completion of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) but can contribute to these processes and offer guidance to families when communicating with the services that undertake these assessments.