Medway Early Years SENCo Briefing Monday 2 nd

Medway Early Years SENCo Briefing Monday 2 nd July Wednesday 4 th July Tina Arterton Early Years SEND Lead Teacher Early Years SEND Team Integrated 0 -25 Disability Services eyhighneeds@medway. gov. uk (not secure) 01634 332496

Registering for Egress • Egress is no longer a free service. • We will need to discuss the implications of this and how we will share information securely. • More information to follow – please check on elearning.

Funding requests • Additional funding for children - this is for children over 3 yrs who are in receipt of their nursery funding. • Look at their primary level of need – if they are functioning at 16 -26 mths or below then they may be eligible for additional funding. • The forms for this are on e-learning with an example to help you. • The forms are sent directly to the SEN Team to process. • There is a monthly panel meeting where the funding is agreed. • You will receive confirmation of the funding and any review dates then you will need to invoice. • Funding will be SIF (SEN Inclusion Funding) or High Needs Funding

Invoicing • • SIF funding will come from the Early Years SEND Team. An invoice number and date must be on the invoice otherwise we are unable to pay it. Please avoid just using 1, 2, 3 etc. An example for Joe Bloggs could be JB/07/2018 – thus his initials, the month you are invoicing in and then the year. Then include the name of the child and the months you are invoicing for and the amount (see Note 1 on invoice template), eg Joe Bloggs, July 2018, £ 150. You can’t invoice in advance, only in arrears and the current month we are in (e. g. Jan 2018 – July 2018). You would not be able to invoice for anything past July as this is the current month we are in. Don’t forget to include August’s monthly amount if that has been agreed as the funding is pro-rata – (again can’t be paid in advance) SIF queries please contact Julia Hanks on 01634 331194 julia. hanks@medway. gov. uk. For High Needs Funding queries please contact Tim Macklin on 01634 331185 tim. macklin@medway. gov. uk Invoices can be emailed to Julia via Egress as this is secure email.

EHC Process • Parents can make a parental request for an EHC at any time – (you will have 10 days to complete the report) • However it is much better if you can work with your parents to make a joint request when appropriate and you have all the evidence. Please let the EY Team know via Egress if you are making a request for an EHC. • Contact the Early Years Lead Teacher to discuss a possible request and a School Based Plan report will be sent to you. • Evidence submitted to the SEN Team via Egress. • Request logged and then a date will be set for 1 st discussion at SEN panel. • If yes to assess EP and SEN Officer will be allocated. • You may be asked to arrange a SAM • 2 nd discussion decides if an EHC plan will be issued. • If it is no to assess parents have the right to a mediation meeting. • Draft EHC issued and then a Final EHC is issued. • This will then be reviewed annually.

Early Years SEND Service Delivery • Little Builders and Big Builders will continue – joint intervention with Health • From Big Builders if not yet at pre-school they will be offered a targeted stay and play. • The EY Team will liaise with settings and MAY offer a transition visit following BB or the stay and play. • Physical Movement Group ~ children who are 2 yr 3 mth – 3 yr 6 mth. These children will require intensive physical input prior to a short focused activity. ~ The programme runs for up to 5 weeks. ~ Up to 4 children and 2 members of staff – 45 mins ~ If they are at pre-school or due to start then the Team will provide feedback on the sessions. ~ referrals will come from Big Builders or CTT

• Social Skills group ~ For children who are between 2 yrs 6 mths – 3 yrs 6 mths who may have found the Meet and Greet for Big Builders challenging – very active, managing transitions is difficult and this is impacting on their ability to follow short adult led tasks. ~ The programme runs for 6 weeks. ~ up to 4 children with 2 members of staff – 1 hr session (includes having a snack) ~ If the children are at pre-school or due to start then the Team will provide feedback on the sessions. ~ referrals will come from Meet and Greet Big Builders / physical movement group or Targeted Activity Group

• Pathway 4 – Targeted Activity Group ~ These children would previously have received Portage Home Visiting service. Thus they are the most complex children with a significant delay in 2 or more areas of their development. ~ For children aged 18 mths – 3 and a half years (we may have some children until they start school) – some younger children ~ Weekly ongoing session for up to 6 children with 2 members of staff. ~ These children may be at pre-school / Nursery and they can also access this group. ~ Each child / family will have a lead SEND Practitioner as their point of contact who will also liaise with the nursery / pre-school if appropriate. ~ EHC request may then be a joint application with the EY team and the setting. ~ Some families may receive a short block of home visits and then will be invited into groups. ~ Referrals from CTT / Paediatricians / Health Visitor or Little Builders and Big Builders

Support for settings • Each setting will have a named contact from the Early Years SEND Team. • This will provide email and telephone contact for the setting. • At least once a term each setting will receive a call and maybe a visit to discuss individual children and educational planning / programmes of support / referrals etc. (this will replace the model of SENCo Surgeries that existed previously) • I am looking at moving to Cluster groups to meet 3 times a year rather than the big SENCo Briefings and possibly an annual SENCo Conference. Further information to come next Academic year.

Contacting the Early Years SEND Team • Please use the following email address to contact the Early Years SEND Lead Teacher – eyhighneeds@medway. gov. uk • This email inbox is monitored by the Senior Admin Assistant Julia Hanks and she may be able to help with queries. • If you have not heard from us within 5 working days (term time) please contact Tina Newman 334016. • If you are unable to contact your SEND Practitioner then call Tina who will email the relevant member of the team. • Funding application queries to Jackie Andrew SEN Team on 337177. • EHC application queries to Dawn Knight SEN Team on 337175.

Using elearningatlast • The platform remains in use: ~ All the most up to date referral forms are available – on the home page – left hand side click on Early Years Information and Guidance – then click on Referral forms for Practitioners and this will open all the referral forms you will need. ~ Please dispose of any old forms you have and work from these so you know you are using the correct form. ~ The second Monday of each month the Early Years SEND Team will post updates (if no dates needed we will mark this) - on the home page – left hand side click on Early Years Information and Guidance – click on Updates from Medway Early Years SEND Team – then click on Monthly updates. THIS WILL BE OUR MAIN METHOD OF COMMUNICATION WITH YOU – PLEASE CHECK EVERY MONTH. WE WILL ONLY DO AN EMAIL RUN IN AN EMERGENCY

Training for 2018 -2019 • Role of SENCo Training – plan is to deliver in Term 2 and Term 5 by the Early Years Lead SEND Teacher. Date is set for 1 st November 9. 30 – 2. 30 at GW. Those on the reserve list please let us know if you can’t attend. Email confirmation of your place will follow from the Admin Team. • Using resources workshops – shoebox! Dates to follow. • Small Steps programme workshops to include target setting for children with complex SEND. Dates to follow. • Cluster meetings 3 x a year – venues and dates to be decided. • Hoping to run an annual conference Term 6 2019.

Additional support • Disability Access Fund – over 3 yrs in receipt of DLA – Managers should know how to apply – the DAF forms are available on elearningatlast. • the link below has the form – some parents may need support to complete this https: //www. gov. uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attac hment_data/file/530331/dla 1 a-child-print. pdf • Don’t forget to ask parents if their circumstances have changed because if they become eligible you can then access the Disability Access Fund which will give you an extra £ 615 per year. This funding is for children over 3 yrs remember but if you know a 2 yr old is in receipt then you can get ready to put in the application when appropriate. • If you are making a DAF application – please could you inform the EY Team - email us we numbers – we don’t need child’s details.

Information from outside agencies • The Children’s Therapy Team (CTT) and the Paediatricians are all based now at Snapdragons Centre, Cliffe Road, Strood, Rochester ME 2 3 FF contact number: 01634 333366 • Duty desk manned 9. 00 – 12. 00 daily by SALT, OT, Physio and Health Visitor. Queries about support programmes reports or whether to make a referral can be directed to this duty desk. • Info from Jane Elworthy Lead Professional for Physical and Sensory Service: ~ They are supporting children with permanent HI/VI/MSI ~ They usually take referrals from audiology and ophthalmology but if you have concerns about a child contact them to discuss further. ~ If a child has a Physical Impairment (PI) then refer to the CTT and the child’s OT/Physio therapist – if unsure speak with Jane on 01634 334144 or 07795 236284

• Thank you for your continued support and commitment to support children with SEND – have a lovely summer