Teaching children with SEN and disability

Pre-school Senco

What to do if you think a child may have additional needs

Where a child appears to be behind expected levels, or where a child's progress gives cause for concern, practitioners should consider all the information about the child's learning and development from within and beyond the setting, from formal checks, from practitioner observations and from any more detailed assessment of the child's needs. From within the setting, practitioners should particularly consider information on a child's progress in communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development
All the information should be brought together with the observations of parents and considered with them
Setting practitioners should follow the graduated response for Herefordshire and plan appropriate support and intervention using the graduated approach to SEN support - assess, plan, do, review (see SEND Code of Practice 2014 and Herefordshire Early Years SEND graduated response)
With parental permission, practitioners can refer the child for inclusion support from your Early Years Improvement Advisor. Child referral for Early Years inclusion support This is a downloadable form for completion offline.
With parental permission, it may be appropriate to contact the child's Health Visitor to share your concerns
Consider initiating an Early Help Assessment if the child's needs require a multi-agency response
Request support for your setting

If a child has a severe developmental delay or complex needs you may find it useful to use the Early Support Developmental Journal (Cambridgeshire version) to help plan and track progress.

Early years team and early years SEND manager contact details

Email: earlyyears@herefordshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01432 383166

The Department for Education has also produced a document outlining advice on the admission of summer-born children.

While You Wait group for pre-school age children awaiting neurodevelopmental assessment

As part of Herefordshire's 'Waiting Well' initiative, we run a monthly multi-agency information and advice session for families of pre-school age children only who are already on the waiting list to see a paediatrician for a neurodevelopmental assessment. Professionals and settings can signpost parents to the group once a referral has been made for assessment.

The While You Wait group is held every month at Widemarsh Children's Centre with a range of professionals in attendance including Portage Workers, Speech and Language Therapists, Early Years Family Support Workers, Children with Disabilities Family Support Workers, Community Nursery Nurses and Health Visitors.

Sessions also include specific themes and include visiting professionals such as dental specialists, the bladder and bowel service and therapists who can support with feeding, chewing and food aversion.

If you are a professional who would like to support the group, please contact:

Gail Rogers, Assistant Specialist Practitioner on 01432 356438, email cdcclinical@wvt.nhs.uk or
Della Pascoe, EY SEND Manager, email della.pascoe@herefordshire.gov.uk

EY SEND training for practitioners 2024-25

Each year we run trainings and meetings to upskill and support you, because you tell us that this is one of the best ways we can make your job easier and have the most impact on the children that you support.

If you are new to being a SENCO, please contact Della Pascoe at della.pascoe@herefordshire.gov.uk or Samantha Price at samantha.price@herefordshire.gov.uk

Our training offer is called our UNIVERSAL offer and helps you to make the most of your ordinarily available provision.

The training is funded for Herefordshire settings and parents because Herefordshire is a Dingley's Promise Local Authority.

Early bird for parents of children with a diagnosis of autism is available between 12 September and 5 December.

Level 3 SENCO commences in September 2024, however, you can still join until 8 September by contacting della.pascoe@herefordshire.gov.uk