SEND Information

Email dated   1.04.20

Dear Early Years Provider,

Please find attached a Covid-19 Bulletin from Alison Hurley with a focus on SEND. Also attached are the relevant spreadsheets referred to in the bulletin and the EHCP Risk Assessment which you may find useful.

Update from Early Years Inclusion Team…

Our Early Years Portage and Inclusion Specialists are working from home and they will be:

• Continuing to provide support to both our families who receive portage and our childminders supporting children with additional needs through regular telephone contact:- recommending and advising on activities; working in partnership to complete and review plans; and assisting with other applications and sources of support.
• Keeping in contact with all our Early Years SENDCos via email and phone:- providing advice on strategies to support children who are still attending and links to activities and resources to share with families; advising on processes and completion of individual plans and other documents; and acting as a point of contact for queries.
• Developing an accessible CPD offer to help develop the knowledge and skills of practitioners in relation to SEND.
• Continuing to support Panels though remote participation.

New Referrals: We understand that parents may not be able to provide a signature on the portage referral form at this time, and so confirmation of their consent and acknowledgement of our Privacy Notice can be provided by email.

The team are also in the process of developing resources for early years practitioners including powerpoint presentations, handouts and templates in the following areas:

• Communication & Interaction
• Visual Timetables
• Developing Motor Skills
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health / Behaviour / Attachment
• Use of Workstations
• The aim is for these resources to be made accessible to Reception Classes in Primary Schools.

The team are also working in partnership with SENDCos and other colleagues, including school SENDCos, on revised resources to support ‘Transition’ for children with SEND. This was the focus for this term’s Early Years SENCO Cluster Meetings which could not take place.

Inclusion Support for Childminders

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) for the Childminding Network, Rachael Clelland continues to be available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays via email or phone, to provide advice on supporting children with SEND. Please contact on Tel: 07827979623 or rachael.clelland@bristol.gov.uk

Support from the Early Years Bristol Autism Team

Carmen Bayandor and Rachel Ferrand continue to provide support to families and settings via telephone and email.

Once the school allocations have been confirmed to parents they will contact receiving primary schools to start transition planning.

New referrals: Should you wish to make a referral to the Early Years Bristol Autism Team, please complete a referral form and send with a copy of the diagnosis in writing. We understand that parents may not be able to provide a signature on the referral form at this time, and so confirmation of their consent and acknowledgement of our Privacy Notice can be provided by email.

Best Wishes

The Early Years Team

Attachments

EHCP Risk Asssessment
Copy of EHCP Pandemic Pupil Risk Assessment Whole School Overview
Copy of Pandemic Staff Risk Assessment Whole School Overview