What is the Local offer and how does it affect my child?
Local Offer is for Children with Special Education Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND)
It provides information in one place for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their parents/carers and professionals.
The Local Offer includes information on local services to help children, young people, parents and carers make choices about the support they receive.
The Children and Families Act 2014 requires each Local Authority to produce and publish a Local Offer which sets out in one place information about provision available across education, health and social care for children and young people in the area who have special educational needs or are disabled.
This Local offer was created with parents, carers, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and professionals to help ensure it meets your needs. Information and advice about services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is in one place, so it is quick and easy to find.
Below is a link that you can follow to access the council's local offer. Alternatively if you require any
further information about the Local Offer please email localoffer@staffordshire.gov.uk
How do we know if your child needs extra support?
We operate a key person system in the nursery where each child has a key person. The key person observes their key child regularly and completes assessments, which helps to identify any support that the child may need. We try to identify children with SEN as early as possible. We know when children need help if:
• Concerns are raised by parents
• Concerns are raised by the key person
• Limited progress is being made
• There is a change in the child’s behavior or progress
When a child starts with us we advice settling in sessions where parents and the child’s key person have an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the child’s individual needs, interests and abilities.
Parents are asked to complete a settling in sheet. The information will include the child’s specific routines, likes and interest and any support they may need. Parents are encouraged to spend a little time in their child’s room to get to know their child’s key person and other staff.
The key person is responsible for observing, assessing and planning the child’s learning to meet his/hers individual needs. They will also make a judgment about whether a child is showing a typical progress for their age, may be at risk of delay or is ahead for their age.
Where a child appears to be behind expected levels or where a child’s progress gives cause for concern, the key person will discuss this with the parent and together they can plan how best to support the child. The child’s views are acknowledged as part of this process. The nursery SENCO will be asked for advice in order to support the key person and the child.
Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) are Claire Robinson and Lidi Wall
They work closely with all staff to make sure there are systems in place to plan, implement, monitor, review and evaluate the special educational needs practice and policy of the nursery, always making sure plans and records are shared with parents.
How will we support you and your child?
At Caterpillars Day nursery we treat every child as an individual. We have high expectations of children regardless of special needs or disability. We have a highly qualified and experienced staff team who are confident in monitoring and assessing the ability of all children. We will adapt practice where we feel it is necessary and where we feel it will benefit the child, for example working in smaller groups or 1 to 1 ratio. We have policies and procedures in place which are reviewed regularly to ensure that our resources and environment are suitable and accessible for all. Our SENCO will work closely with the key person to provide personal plans for each child based on their ability and interest and also ensure that child has access to adequate resources and activities.
Our SENCOs liaise with other professionals, with parent’s permission, such as the Inclusion Officers, Speech and Language Therapists and Health Visitors to gain further advice in supporting children with SEND. This advice might involve meetings and reports in order to enable the key person to plan for the individual needs of the child. Our SENCOs and key persons work collaboratively to ensure that targets and strategies are implemented.
Stage 1
Where a practitioner or SENCO identifies a child with special educational needs, the nursery will assess and record those needs and provide a number of key actions to help the child. As part of this process the nursery will consult with parents and seek any additional information from external professionals. The targets for the child, any teaching strategies or changes to provision are set out in an Individual Education Plan (IEP). The plan will be continually under review in consultation with the child and his/her parent(s). This stage will involve a cycle of assessment, planning and review in increasing detail, with increasing frequency, to identify the best ways of securing and maintaining progress.
Stage 2
This is where a practitioner or SENCO, in consultation with the child’s parents, decide external support services are required usually following a review of the IEP. The nursery will share its records on the child with those services so that they can advise on any IEP targets and appropriate strategies to help the child.
Statutory Assessment
If the help given through an IEP is not sufficient to enable the child to progress satisfactorily, it may be necessary for the nursery, in consultation with the parents and any external agencies already involved, to request a statutory assessment by the local authority. This may lead to the child receiving an education, health and care plan.
