Practitioners' guide to SEND
Designated Social Care Officer's Practitioners’ Guide to SEND
The key focus of the DSCO is to support and develop the social care elements of the SEND strategy, in compliance with legislative requirements of the SEND Code of Practice (2015), and ensure they are embedded within our working practice for children and young people aged 0 to 25 across all services.
A key aspect to this role is to work collaboratively and strategically across health, education and social care to act as an enabler for system change.
The DSCO for West Sussex County Council is Natalie Mcneill who you can contact at natalie.mcneill@westsussex.gov.uk.
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To share with families if they have a child or young person with SEND or think they may have a child with SEND (they don’t have to have an EHCP). It can help parents find services and information relevant to SEND in West Sussex and parts of the neighbouring counties.
Resources and information for schools and education settings to support the inclusion of all West Sussex children and young people in early years, schools, post 16 and other education settings.
The additional needs of most children and young people can be met by inclusive quality first teaching and reasonable adjustments through the funding and resources that are already or ‘ordinarily’ available in their mainstream school or setting. The SEND Code of Practice calls this ‘ordinarily available’ provision.
The SEND and Inclusion Strategy is hosted by the Tools for Schools website. SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy and Partnership Board notes can also be found on this page.
The register is maintained by the West Sussex Library Service and collects information about children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Families and young people are invited to register and share information with the County Council to help plan and deliver their services.
The Compass Card is no longer available. The MAX Card is available and is being expanded and is available at local libraries. People registered with the Disability Register receive the Disability Register newsletter, with details of activities and services of interest around West Sussex.
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Portage is an Early Years home visiting educational service for children with additional support needs. They work alongside parents and other professionals, offering practical strategies and ideas to encourage and develop a child’s emerging skills. These include communication, moving, learning, playing, being with people, sensory and emotional regulation, and sharing the routine activities of everyday life.
The Portage service accepts referrals for children up to the age of 3 years 6 months at the date of referral. Parents or practitioners may make a Portage referral. Children who attend an Early Years setting for more than 30 hours a week, attend a specialist Local Authority Early Years setting or have received Portage from another service will not meet the eligibility criteria.
If you have any questions about the short breaks offer in West Sussex, you could contact SENDCommissioningTeam@westsussex.gov.uk.
This team is responsible for children with Special Educational Needs who have an Education Health and Care Plan, are requesting one, or who are going through the process of an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment.
If you have concerns about a child’s emotional and mental well-being, the West Sussex Single Point of Access (SPoA) is a dedicated service which provides a simplified single route to access specialist emotional wellbeing and mental health support. The SPoA helps direct you to the right service, eliminating the need to refer to multiple services.
The e-wellbeing service offers general wellbeing support and advice from the SPoA team.
The SENDIAS Service provides information, advice and support to children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and to their parent carers. They also have a range of webinars and other resources available to watch on their website.
Young Voices is about young people with diverse additional needs, disability, neurodiversity and inclusion. Not everyone wants a 'label', and this is something we respect. Young Voices helps children and young people have a say and work with services as the experts on their own lives. There are lots of different ways to take part, from online surveys to the Youth Ambassadors Forum.
Please share this information with your young people to enable them to share views and impact service development. We want to hear their voice! Please contact the Voice and Participation Team Manager if you would like further information - details on the link above.
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An independent charity run by parents. They represent parent/carer views to various organisations and professional bodies to improve county, health and social care services for disabled children, young people, and their families. They also provide a range of training for parent carers and resources on their website.
Reaching Families was first established in 2008 by parent-carers to ‘empower, inform and support parents and families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in West Sussex’. They provide a range of services which you can find out more about on the Local Offer.
A national charity that offers support, information, and advice to parent carers. They have a wealth of online resources and a helpline.
More specific external services can be found on the Local Offer Directory.
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These are services for education settings to use directly to support children. Please note that that they do not take parent carer referrals, unless indicated. Please advise parent carers to speak with their SENCO to request a referral to the teams to discuss their child.
The Specialist Advisory Teaching Service (SATS) incorporates ASCT, EMTAS, FA, LBAT and SST.
Promotes the educational, social and emotional development of autistic children and young people as well as those with Social Communication Needs. The team support schools to make reasonable adjustments and adapt practice to meet the needs of individual pupil. The team takes referrals from schools and includes parents in conversations alongside the school, where possible, organised by the school.
Works with schools to improve inclusion for Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showmen and Boaters (GTRSB) and other pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including those for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL). It supports full access to education and aims to raise the attainment of all pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. The team takes referrals from schools and includes parents in conversations alongside the school, where possible, organised by the school.
Manages the admissions under the Fair Access Protocol, the Exclusion Process, Medical Provision and alternative provision at the Alternative Provision College (APC) Parent carers can directly contact the Fair Access Team.
Supports schools with learning and/or behaviour that is affecting a child’s progress in school to improve children’s educational outcomes and emotional well-being. The team takes referrals from schools and includes parents in conversations alongside the school, where possible, organised by the school.
Works with children and their families, pre-schools and schools. The team supports and promotes the inclusion of children with sensory needs in a range of settings: Visual Impairment, Deafness, Multi-Sensory Impairment, Habilitation and Mobility and Physical Disability.
Referrals come from health colleagues, schools and parent carers, who can contact the Sensory Support Team directly: Information about the Sensory Support Team for families on Local Offer.
Every local authority has a Virtual School to champion, support and raise awareness of the educational needs of children who are known to social care. The offer depends on level of social care involvement currently being offered or experienced in the past.
The West Sussex Virtual School (WSVS) coordinates strategic and operational educational services for children we care for in West Sussex. This includes providing advice, guidance, and direct intervention with educational processes where necessary.
For queries relating to children we care for - children and young people who are in the care of West Sussex County Council.
The Virtual School Advisory Service provides information, advice and guidance around the educational needs of children who have previously been in the care of a local authority and are now supported through adoption, SGO or kinship arrangements. This service is available to parents/carers.
For those children who are currently known to social care on a CIN/CP, the Virtual School can provide information and advice to the professional network through a consultation service.
For queries, information and advice relating to all other children with a Social Worker.