Children with a Special Educational Need and/or Disabilities

Early Year’s Education and Services

Research has shown that parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities can sometimes find it difficult to access early years education for their child. This fact sheet aims to give you more details around arrangements made for this group of children and sources of local and national support available to you.

The term Special Educational Needs (SEN) has a legal definition and children with SEN have learning difficulties or disabilities which make it harder for them to learn, or access education, than most children of the same age. The main SEN legislation falls under the Education Act 1996.

Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995  (DDA) applies to all childcare providers and schools

Special Needs and Early Years Providers

All Early Years settings and group childcare providers (pre-schools, day nurseries, children’s centre’s) are registered by Ofsted and are required to have an Equal Opportunities policy and a Special Needs policy.  The Special Needs policy outlines the group’s admission policy and describes how children with special needs will be included and welcomed into the setting.  Each provider must have regard to the SEN Code of Practice which describes how help for children with SEN should be made by a step-by-step or “graduated approach”. 

You will find that Early Years settings who receive Nursery Education Funding for 3 and 4 year old children will have a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).  The SENCO has main responsibility for working in partnership with parents and co-ordinating help for children with SEN.

The SENCO is a good person to talk to about your child’s needs if you are concerned they may need some extra help, or you can contact the Pre-School Support Service or the Pre-School Inclusion Service.

Pre-School Inclusion Project (Area SENCO Team)

The Pre-School Inclusion Project provides support, advice and information to pre-schools (playgroups) and day nurseries on inclusive practice for children with disabilities and special educational needs. Parents/carers are also welcome to contact the project for advice, information and support to find an appropriate pre school setting for their child. Contact the Pre-School Inclusion Project on 020 8373 2666 or 020 8373 2665.

Pre-School Support Service

The Pre-School Support Service offers an early intervention service for pre-school children who have a special educational need. Parents/carers can self refer and a Home Visitor can usually be assigned with in 4 - 6 weeks. For further information please ring (020 8350 5691

Enfield Educational Psychology Team

The Educational Psychology Team offers consultation to parents and early years providers, and carries out assessments on individual children where appropriate. Referrals to the Education Psychology Team are generally made by health professionals, early years providers or the Pre-School Inclusion Team. If you are worried at all about your child’s development, please contact your Health Visitor. 

Code of Practice

The SEN Code of Practice outlines the “graduated approach” each setting should take if they are concerned that a child needs some additional support.  The first step is called Early Years Action (or School Action within schools) and takes place as soon as the provider starts to give extra or different help to your child. The setting or school should seek your views and they must tell you if they take this action.

Help given to your child at this stage is usually written down within an Individual Education Plans (IEP).  IEP’s are a way of formalising how the setting or school is helping your child and will generally include the targets your child needs to work on, how often, and how the targets will be reviewed.

If your child does not make enough progress, the SENCO will talk with you about calling in advice and support from outside experts such as a speech therapist or an educational psychologist. This kind of help is called Early Action Plus (or School Action Plus within schools). If your child needs more help, or extra resources, then the Local Authority may decide to make a statutory assessment.  Sometimes, but not always, an assessment leads to the writing of a Statement of Educational Needs that will clearly state your child’s needs and outline the best way to support your child.  

Enfield Children’s Services works closely with early years providers in the private and voluntary sector and there is a system in place to identify children with SEN, at an early stage, and to offer where possible, a priority place in a nursery class attached to a mainstream school.

If you would like more in depth information about these procedures you can contact:

Enfield Children and Parents Centre

The aim of Enfield Children and Parents Centre is to help and support parents and carers through the procedures involved in identifying, assessing and providing for their children's special educational needs.

Telephone: 020 8373 6209 (Advice Line)

Website: www.enfieldparent.org.uk

Special Educational Needs

An organisation that helps answer common questions and provides information to parents and carers of children with SEN. Helpline:  0870 000 2288

Children with Disabilities

All childcare providers and schools must meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and make “reasonable adjustments” to include disabled children and to not treat a disabled child “less favourably” than someone else for reasons related to their disability.

An example of a “reasonable adjustment” may include training in the use of an epipen for a child with an allergy condition (the settings insurance policy must cover the use of epipens) or providing a portable ramp or arranging for an alternative entrance to the setting for a child in a wheelchair.  A child with a medical condition refused admission to pre-school because there is a policy of not admitting children who are not toilet trained, may be an example of treating a child “less favourably.” The setting is required to explore the management of the condition and look towards adapting the routine they have in place, just in the way they would to deal with toileting accidents that happen to most young children from time to time.

The Disability Rights Commission provides a confidential helpline the offers information and advice to providers, parents and disabled people.  You can contact them on:

0845 762 2633,

Text phone (0845 762 2644

www.drc-gb.org

Other Sources of Support

Early Support

Early support is a programme that offers co-ordinated support to children from 0-3 years with significant disabilities and their families.  The project also offers a series of booklets giving families basic information about particular conditions or disabilities. Ring Sheila Gratten on (020 8350 5691 for further information or log onto www.earlysupport.org.uk

Children and Parents Advisory Group (CAPAG)

CAPAG is a small, Enfield based charity that aims to help children with special needs and their families. It is run by parents who understand the problems other parents face in the same situation. They offer information and advice, support group meetings, holiday playschemes and other activities for special needs children and their siblings.
Telephone 020 8373 6287
Open Mondays only

Working Families

The organisation “Working Families” has a project called “Waving not Drowning” for parents of disabled children.  This is a project for parents who work, or want to work, and have children with disabilities. It provides a network, newsletter and a helpline on
020 7253 7243 on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays from 9.30am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.30pm. Working Families can also advise parents on benefits, tax credits and other financial assistance.

Contact a Family

A UK wide charity that provides support, advice and information to families with disabled children. Contact a Family offers access to over 100 languages through interpreters. For further information please ring the helpline on 0808 808 3555  (Monday to Friday 10.00am to 4.00pm) or log onto www.cafamily.org.uk. Contact a Family can also advise on benefits, tax credits and other financial assistance.

If you would like more information or some support to access an Enfield After School club or Holiday Playscheme please contact:

The Inclusion Outreach Project

The Inclusion Outreach Project promotes and supports the inclusion of children with disabilities and additional needs within Enfield play, leisure and recreational out of school settings. The Inclusion Outreach Worker is available to support families to access out of school services and also support and advise out of school settings on inclusive practices. Please ring (020 8373 2712 for further information or e-mail inclusionoutreach@hotmail.com

Further Reading

Did You Know?

In September 2005, Ofsted published a report called Removing Barriers: a “can-do” attitude which explored examples of good practice in early years private and voluntary settings that achieved good outcomes for children with special needs. The report shows conclusively that –

• The attitude of the provider is fundamental to achieving successful outcomes for children. When the provider is positive, welcoming and shows a “can-do” approach, barriers to inclusion can be overcome.

The report also makes recommendations as to how special needs provision can be improved even further. You can download the full report by logging onto www.ofsted.gov.uk and searching in the publications section for HMI 2449.