We are a team of Child Development Advisors, SEND Childcare Co-ordinators and Specialist Teachers who offer a county wide service to families, childcare and all Warwickshire Early Years settings in receipt of Early Education Funding (EEF).
We provide:
- assessment, advice and support for individual children
- SEND advice to settings
- SEND training (for both families and settings)
- support at transition, from home to nursery, and nursery to school
- either Early Bird or All About Autism training course, for families of pre-school children who have recently had a diagnosis of autism
Home and Family Support for children under 3, not in nursery or childcare
Specialist Teachers or Portage trained Child Development Advisors with qualifications in Early Years and SEND
We are registered with the National Portage Association (NPA).
We visit children in their home, helping them to learn new skills through play. We work with children who have a significant delay in two or more areas of development or with a diagnosed need.
We:
- work alongside the family and other professionals to set individual targets to support the child’s development and review on a regular basis
- offer advice and guidance about Stay & Play groups, pre-school settings local and national support groups
- provide information for multidisciplinary assessments etc.
- support the child’s transition into pre-school
- provide opportunities for families to come together
- act as the co-ordinator (sometimes referred to as the Lead Professional) for children with very complex needs in Early Support meetings as part of a ‘Team Around the Child’ approach.
Support for Children Entering Childcare
SEND childcare supports children requiring or using a childcare provider. Support is offered all year round to children who are of pre-school age with a focus on under three-year olds.
Two-year olds who have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) or are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) are entitled to a funded place from the term following their second birthday.
Find out more about childcare costs
Support for individual children
- advising parents searching for childcare to meet their child’s specific needs; for example: helping parents identify local options for childcare which have flat access for children with mobility needs
- supporting the child’s transition into a new childcare setting
- advising the childcare setting in creating the right environment so that the child feels safe and included, including offering training
- support the childcare setting to liaise with all professionals involved with the child
Support for childcare settings
- Supporting childcare settings to improve their capacity to meet the childcare needs of children with SEND
- Provide training to childcare settings on inclusive practice
- Advise on activities, resources and practice
Support for children in receipt of Early Education Funding
Support for individual children
Specialist teachers working in partnership with families, Early Years staff and Health colleagues to support children with SEND and develop inclusive practice in Warwickshire settings and schools
- we provide specialist teacher support as part of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle, often as part of a multidisciplinary team in a Team Around the Child approach
- specialist training will be essential if a child has physical needs and requires an individual manual handling plan
- we help parents/carers make contact with relevant support groups, voluntary organisations and SENDIAS, as appropriate
- we support the transition process into school
Support for Settings
- training programme for individual staff, including SENDCO Surgeries, to develop Universal, Targeted and Specialist practice
- whole setting training on a range of SEND needs
- advice on inclusive environments including the use of symbols
- modelling inclusive practice
- supporting and advising on the inclusion for children with specialist needs
Disability Access Fund
A family with a child who is receiving the universal funding entitlement for 3 and 4 year-olds and who also receives disability living allowance (DLA) can claim the disability access fund (DAF). This is extra funding for early years providers to support children with disabilities or special educational needs. For more information, see our Childcare costs page.
Contacts and Referrals
Families
Families can ring for advice, or to make a referral for their child prior to starting nursery on 01926 413737 option 6, or 01926 413777
Professionals
For general advice professionals can ring 01926 413 777 or 01926 413737 option 6 or email idsteachingandlearning@warwickshire,gov.uk.
‘On Call’ advice is always available on a Monday during term time.
For individual children please complete the referral form (PDF, 153 KB). Please have the child’s information ready as the form cannot be saved during completion and will ‘time out’ if left too long.
Where the child is attending childcare or nursery this referral should be completed by them, showing their work which is additional to or different from their usual provision.
Or, where there is secure email, to: idsteachingandlearning@warwickshire.gov.uk.
When the child is attending nursery, the referral needs to be completed by the nursery, showing their work which is additional to or different from their usual provision.