Inclusion
The Inclusion Team
The Inclusion Team consists of the Access and Inclusion Strategy Manager, who can be contacted on 0191 372 5425, the Area SENCO's and an officer for ASC.
The team are able to provide training on a wide range of issues.
Area SENCO Team
Every nursery and childcare setting will have a member of staff who is appointed to be the Special Educational Needs Support Co-ordinator (SENCO) for that particular nursery or childcare setting. The SENCO will be responsible for implementing the SEN Code of Practice and ensuring any children with special or additional needs are identified and have their needs met.
There are four Area Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (Area SENCos) employed by Sure Start County Durham.
We are all qualified teachers will extensive experience in early years teaching and special educational needs.
The Area SENCos are part of the Sure Start County Durham's Inclusion Team.
As a team we:
- Value individual differences and recognise the contribution all people make.
- Aim to promote children's development and start from their strengths.
- Work to promote confident practitioners and well organised, inclusive settings that welcome parents and recognise that they know their children best.
- Work in partnership with parents and other professionals in the spirit of mutual trust.
What do we do?
We support SENCos and the staff in their settings to develop inclusive practice by:
- Helping them to implement the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs (2001), the disability Discrimination Act (1995) and the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
- Advising settings on the role of their SENCo.
- Offering a wide range of on-site training, in all aspects of SEN, to individual SENCos and whole staff teams.
- The provision of central training courses.
- Working with colleagues from other agencies to deliver training on both local and national programmes.
- The provision of an accredited course for SENCos leading to a Level 3 CACHE qualification.
- Providing Opportunities for parents to participate in training.
We support SENCos and the staff in their setting to develop inclusive practice by:
- Giving information and advice on what to include in Equal Opportunity and Behaviour Management Policies.
- The provision of leaflets and materials to complement training.
- Offering advice to settings on all aspects of inclusion.
- Helping settings to promote a smooth transition for children with additional needs from nursery to school.
- Running an annual Inclusion Conference.
- Providing a library of up to date books and DVDs for staff to borrow.
- Publishing a SENCo newsletter
- Running SENCo Business meetings twice a term - which form a valuable part of ensuring SENCos are up to date in all issues surrounding inclusion.
- Support Settings to address issues specific to their needs.
Supporting Inclusive Practice
As Area SENCos we are committed to promoting the inclusion of all young children within early years' settings. A primary focus of our work is supporting settings in the identification of and planning for, any additional needs a child may have.
This may take the form of general advice to a setting of more specific advice tailored to the needs of an individual child. Setting must obtain parental consent before requesting specific advice for a child.
When advice is sought from the team they may support the nursery in any of the following ways or in any other that may be appropriate to the situation:
Advising staff on consulting with children
Helping staff to make focussed observations of the child
Supporting staff and mum/dads/ carers to plan for their child's needs including signposting to other agencies where appropriate
Advising on appropriate targets and resources for the child
Supporting settings to write reports for review meetings and assessments.
Delivering appropriate training or advising staff and parents on relevant conferences and courses.
Supplying or advising staff and parents on where to find relevant information - this may include support groups/networks.
They also host an annual Inclusion Conference where there is an opportunity to listen to keynote speakers and take part in a variety of workshops.
The Team have a number of resources available for loan to settings including books, videos and dvds on a variety of issues. They also have various toys including multi-cultural dolls and puzzles.
They hold twice termly SENCo Business Meetings at County Hall to which all sencos are invited to listen and discuss about current topical issues around SEN and Government guidance.
How to get in touch with us
By Post:
Area SENCos
Sure Start County Durham
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UJ
Telephone:
Support Worker for Children and Families with Complex Communication Difficulties
Offering support, advice and guidance to children, families and settings around issues regarding complex communication difficulties. tel: 0191 3725452
Inclusion Initiatives
‘Moving On’ – A child and family held record. ‘Moving On’ is a child and parent/carer owned file, which is designed to give the child and parent/carer greater ownership and input into the sharing of information with the many professionals they may meet. The file is designed for ALL children and families to contribute to and adapt to their own individual needs. For further information contact, Ros Collinson from the ‘Moving On’ group - tel: 0191 3725444.
Motor Skills Programme A project aimed at helping settings to promote and develop gross and fine motor skills in the Early Years. Packed full of ideas and activities designed to improve the physical development of young children. For further information contact (01388) 424901.
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