We provide advice, guidance and support to families and early years settings. The support helps them meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from birth to the end of school reception year.
The Early Years SEND team is a dedicated group of professionals focused on supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in early years settings. With expertise in teaching, special education, and speech and language, we work collaboratively with health professionals to provide individualised support, ensuring early identification and intervention tailored to each child's needs.
Our mission is to break down barriers to learning and promote inclusive, high-quality SEND provision across early years settings. We offer training, advice, and practical support to families and settings, alongside specialised services such as our Play and Development Group, which provides sensory and play experiences for children with SEND. Our commitment is to help every child with SEND transition successfully into early years settings or school, fostering positive outcomes for all.
The team
Angela Hera - Early Years SEND and Advisory Services Manager
Early Years Advisors:
- Helen Smith - Vicary
- Tracy Bakonyvari
- Lynsey Weston
Early Years SEND Support Workers:
- Rachel Cooper
- Sarah Fuller
- Katie Reeve
- Debbie Taylor
Our service
We provide specific support, on a case-by-case basis, to meet the needs of:
- the child
- the family
- the early years setting
We work wtih early years settings, schools, parent carers and other professionals to:
- ensure early identification and appropriate intervention to best support children's needs
- support successful transition into early years settings and then into school
- monitor the support and outcomes for children with SEND
- support early years settings to develop high quality SEND provision
- provide training, advice and support for parents and early years settings
Referrals to our service
Early years settings and health professionals can refer to our service. If a setting requires support for a child they complete a referral form to the service.
If a health professional wants to notify us that there is a child in the community that may have special educational needs, they complete a Section 23 notification. This is a legal requirement of the Children and Families Act 2014. It requires health professionals to tell the Local Authority Education Department if they believe a child under school age has, or is likely to have, special educational needs or a disability (SEND).
This will include sharing information about the named child on a Section 23 form with parents' permission. The Local Authority, through the Early Years SEND Support Service responds to all Section 23 referrals to ensure that advice, guidance and support is offered.
If an early years setting identifies that a child has additional needs they will discuss these concerns with parents. View the information for early years practitioner page for more information.
Following this they may identify that they need further advice and recommendations from the Early Years SEND Support Service. They will complete a SEND Advisor referral form and send it directly to the Early Years SEND Support Service for review.
Our support
We work closely with service providers (early years settings, schools and health and social care teams) to support the child and family in a holistic way.
In response to referrals, our Advisors assess a child's strengths and needs and any support that may be required to meet those needs.
If a package of support is needed, our Support Workers will work with the setting and parents to support the development of the child.
This package may include:
- a block of support sessions
and/or
- Inclusion Funding depending on level of support required.
Support offered to parents and settings can take many forms, including:
- observations in the setting or home. This allows assessment reports and advice to setting/parents to be provided
- blocks of support in the home or setting (frequency agreed with parent and/or setting) as a result of the visit
- working alongside nursery staff where support in the setting is needed
- participation at regular Team around the Family reviews to help discussion around a child's progress and needs
- providing transition support from home to setting and setting to school. This can include attending transition meetings, and a block of transition support from a Support Worker in the setting if needed
- supporting settings to write, implement and review Individual Support Plans (ISPs)
- providing bespoke training for settings to meet a childs individual needs.
- recommending other external training
- advising settings about funding that is available to children and how to apply. This includes the Disability Access Fund (DAF), and Inclusion Funding
- providing guidance and support to settings and parents with the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment process. This may include support with completing paperwork and explaining the process.
- providing guidance and training for settings on conducting annual reviews of Education Health and Care Plans
- supported visits for parents to view settings where appropriate
Blocks of support are regularly reviewed. Further blocks of support can be considered if needed.
Videos
We have created videos for you to watch and learn with your children.