Our Early Years & Childcare SEND team support settings to fulfil their duties under statutory legislation such as the Early Years Statutory Framework 2020, the Equalities Act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice 0-19, as well as working strategically with partner service to ensure best outcomes for early years children with SEND.
SENCO-designated person training includes the following topics:
- Understanding duties and responsibilities regarding legislation such as the Equalities Act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice 0-19
- Working in partnership with parents
- Identifying and responding to Special Educational Needs (Assess, plan, do, review)
- Strategies to support specific needs
- When and how to seek additional support
- Processes and procedures for the local area.
Book on BookingBug at Booking and Reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.
These one-hour sessions run half-termly for SENCos to network and discuss ideas. Each session will also feature a topic of discussion and may include guest speakers from other services such as speech and language therapists or Specialist teachers.
Book on BookingBug at Booking and Reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.
Our SENCo Knowledge Hub provides SENCos with a comprehensive library of documents and resources to support them in their role. There is advice and support available which enables SENCos to ask non-urgent questions of our SEND team.
SEND Surgeries provide an opportunity to get advice on what to do when you think a child may benefit from additional support. We can help you understand the Early Support Pathway and wider SEND offer. Please outline the areas you wish to cover when making your booking via BookingBug. Please note it is a requirement, unless parental permission is in place, that children remain anonymous.
Book on BookingBug at Booking and Reservations for Early Years Workforce Development.
Our SEND EY Toolkit provides high-quality advice and ideas about what settings may be able to provide as part of their ordinarily available provision.
The Early Support Pathway aims to improve the delivery of services for children with a disability or significant and complex additional needs and their families. The Early Support Pathway follows a child and family-centred approach which aims to get the best possible outcomes for both children and families in Cambridgeshire.
Our Early Support Adviser, Charlie Motyl, and Early Support Co-ordinator, Lucy Wright, can support settings in understanding the Early Support Pathway, how to apply and the next steps for children. Please contact them via ey.send@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
For more information on Early Support, please visit Early Support - Cambridgeshire County Council.
Where a child is unable to, or at risk of being unable to, access their fully funded hours in a setting we can provide a range of support to the setting to ensure they are meeting their duties under the Equalities Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to meet the child’s needs.
This may take the form of:
- Telephone and email support from a specialist SEND adviser, and/or
- A visit from a Senior EY SEND adviser to support the setting with effective strategies, and/or
- Access to funded places on courses delivered by the Early Years Service to upskill practitioners, and/or
- Exceptional needs funding to support enhanced staffing ratios.
If you feel that you need urgent support with a child’s needs, please email ey.send@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and mark your email as urgent support required.
