1. SEND and Virtual School inclusion support services September 2016
Northumberland’s Special Educational Needs and Disability support is made up of 3 workstreams:
Psychological Service
Communication Service
Behaviour Service
The senior manager overseeing SEND support is the SEND Commissioner – Alan Carrick
Northumberland’s Virtual School comprises of 5 teams:
Education Support for Looked After Children (ESLAC)
Education Welfare
Inclusion
Schools’ Safeguarding and Wellbeing
Education Other than at School (EOTAS)
The senior manager overseeing the Virtual School is the Virtual School Headteacher – Jane Walker
SEND Support Services
Psychological Service
Speech & Language
Literacy
EAL
Sensory Service
Portage
Behaviour
ASD
Virtual School
EOTAS
ESLAC
Safeguarding and Wellbeing
Education Welfare
Inclusion Support

2. How schools request support
Where a school identifies a pupil with a special educational need or disability they are able to seek support from the SEND support team or Virtual School team. Schools are able to access this support from 4 different pathways depending on the needs of the pupil. Parents are encouraged to discuss any needs regarding their child with schools in the first instance. Schools will then make a referral for support, if necessary, as outlined below:
Early Help Assessment (EHA): if the pupil who requires support already has an EHA then schools can make a direct referral to a single agency (e.g school nurse, health visitor or team/service.)
Direct: if the schools has assessed the needs of the pupil and only single agency education support is required, then a direct referral is made to the relevant team/service.
Hub: where there is a need for more than one agency to be involved (eg education and/or health and/or social care) or multiple needs have been identified for a pupil, schools can make a referral to the Early Help Hub in their locality.
Agency referral: if any professional already involved with a pupil feels that another team/service should provide support then that professional can refer the pupil using any of the pathways above.
The 4 referral pathways are shown in the diagram on the next page.
Details of how to refer to each team or service are on pages 5 and 6.22

3. Referral pathways 2. Direct 3. Hub 4. Agency Single agency
School/Referrer
1. EHA
2. Direct
3. Hub
4. Agency
Single agency
Multi agency

4. Requesting support from SEND support services
The SEND Code of Practice offers guidance as to when further support should be sought by schools from SEND support services. Differentiated and personalised high quality teaching will meet the needs of the majority of children and young people.
Where there is a need for,’ additional to and different from,’ schools and colleges, ‘must use their best endeavours to ensure that such provision is made for those who need it.’
SEN support should take the form of Assess-Plan-Do-Review to enable good progress and good outcomes.
When schools make a referral into SEND Services, they are expected to demonstrate what has been offered within school to support the needs of the pupil.

5. Type of support required How to refer Contact number Team manager
VIRTUAL SCHOOL
TEAM
Type of support required
How to refer
Contact number
Team manager
EOTAS Inclusion
Permanent exclusion
Pupil Placement Panel
Quality assurance of alternative provision
Referral passport to exclusions.gov.uk Pupil Placement referral mailbox
Phone call
Senior officer
Jill Varney
EOTAS Wellbeing
Health or medical need – tuition required outside of school
Referral passport and medical assessment to EOTAS.health.gov.uk
Carol Leckie
Inclusion Support
Early intervention - pupil at risk of exclusion, missing education, non-attendance, disengaged
Referral passport to
Inclusion.gov.uk
EHA
Janice Woods
Education Welfare
Failure to attend school regularly, children in entertainment and employment, chaperones
EW referral form to
Angela Cunningham
ESLAC
Education support for looked after children
PEP review, phone or
Toni McGuire
Safeguarding standards
Safeguarding standards, safeguarding advice, link to LSCB, PSHE
or phone any team member

6. ASD Behaviour Literacy Speech and Language Portage Sensory Support
SEND SUPPORT SERVICE
Type of support required – as identified by school
How schools will refer
Contact number
Service/team manager
Psychological Services
Psychological Support for children and young people
Discuss with link Educational Psychologist
Office Manager
Dorothy MacDonald
Service Manager
Paula Hesford
ASD
Behaviour
School Support for pupils with Social Communication, ASD & SEND Behaviour needs that are impacting on learning.
Complete online ‘Request for Support’ form located on service web page
Julie Sinclair
Fiona Tarn
Literacy
Speech and Language
School Support for pupils with literacy and speech and language needs that are impacting on learning.
Helen Robson
Judith Dodds
Portage
Children 0 to 5 with a diagnosed medical condition and significant delay in two areas of development
referral form to
Admin Assistant
Lisa Headington
Team Manager
Carol MacDonald
Sensory Support
Support for children with a hearing, visual or multi sensory impairment and their families.
Referrals are generally made via Health Professionals. Queries can be directed to
Lynne Lowes
Nicola Taylor

7. Children’s services contact details Office Address Manager
Opening Hours
Contacts
Early Help
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF OR
MacDonald House
Berwick Upon Tweed
TD15 1EB
Vanessa Easton
Early Help Coordinator
(Central and North)
8.30am – 5pm (Mon to Fri)
(mobile)
Christine Wilson
(South East and West)
South View
Ashington
NE63 0SF
Pauline Lazenby
Early Help Manager
LADO
(Local Authority Designated Officer)
Karen MacDonald
8.30am – 5pm (Mon to Thurs)
8.30am – 4.30pm (Fri)
CYPS
(Children and Young People’s Services, formerly CAMHS)
Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Administration Building
Northgate Hospital
Northumberland
NE61 3BP 
Mark Knowles
Directorate Manager
Jonathan CardwellConsultant Paediatrician
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
8.00 am pm (Monday to Friday)

8. Children’s Social Care Locality Team Offices Office Address Manager
Opening Hours
Contacts
Alnwick
10 Bailiffgate
NE66 1LU
Marie Johnson
8.30am – 5pm (Mon to Thurs)
8.30am – 4.30pm (Fri)
(out of hours)
Ashington
Foundry House
Bedlington
NE22 5HS
Caley Banks – LT1
Janice Rainey – LT2
Dawn Reed – LT3
Berwick
MacDonald House
Berwick Upon Tweed
TD15 1EB
Kelly Holmes
Blyth
Eddie Ferguson House
Ridley Street
NE24 3AG
Laura Meredith
Katie Scovell
Cramlington
Civic Precinct
Forum Way
NE23 6SH
Cheryl Arries
Sue Thornton
Hexham
Dene Park House
NE46 1HN
Cheryl Austin

9. Northumberland Virtual School
Education other than at school (EOTAS)
The core purpose of EOTAS is to provide services for children of statutory school age who are at risk of missing out on full time education, including the management of processes to safeguard children who go missing from education.
If schools have a learner who is at risk of permanent exclusion, or who has been permanently excluded, then they will contact EOTAS Inclusion who are responsible for finding alternative educational placements for the pupil. Inclusion are also responsible for the Pupil Placement Panel which ensures fair access to a school place for vulnerable learners, particularly those seeking admission once the school term has started. If a school has a learner who is at risk of missing out on full time education due to health or medical needs, including mental health challenges, then school can contact EOTAS Wellbeing to arrange and deliver tuition. The programme of learning is developed according to a professional medical assessment of each learner’s needs.

10. Northumberland Virtual School
Inclusion support
The core purpose of the Inclusion team is to work with pupils, families and professionals to ensure that the social, emotional and health development of learners are fully supported and to integrate inclusion support services with Early Help, children’s social care and other partner agencies so that education outcomes improve.
Inclusion Support Workers can:
provide information, advice and guidance to enable individuals to access a full and varied curriculum and to make appropriate choices regarding their own learning,  behaviour and attendance;
support individual learners through coaching and mentoring;
support  schools and settings to identify and assess individual needs;
facilitate positive relationships between families/home and school;
identify training needs within schools/settings, deliver training, set up support groups, work with parent groups;
provide in-school and/or family support for learners at risk of exclusion;
provide early help for learners missing from education to re-engage pupils in their learning and therefore improve attendance.

11. Northumberland Virtual School
Education Welfare
The Education Welfare team works within a legal framework and enforces parental responsibility in respect of regular school attendance and ensuring that children are receiving suitable education. This includes elective home education and alternative provision. The team also enforces other bylaws relating to children in employment and entertainment, and chaperones.
Attendance support is delivered to all schools above the statutory minimum, including support in the reduction of persistent school absence.
Every school partnership in Northumberland has a dedicated Education Welfare Officer (EWO). Referrals can be made in to the service at any time, including regular meetings at school with the EWO.
Work is undertaken on behalf of children in partnership with their parents, schools and other professionals to enable each pupil the maximum opportunity to benefit from their educational entitlement. Work is also undertaken at a whole school level to support schools in their policy and practice towards improving attendance.

12. Northumberland Virtual School
Education support for looked after children (ESLAC)
The ESLAC team is the operational arm of the Virtual School for Looked After Children, providing support to individual learners and to schools/settings to maximise the achievement of our children in care. ESLAC co-ordinates the Personal Education Plan (PEP) and the dispersal of the Pupil Premium Plus grant, and provides support to ensure that education placements are stable.
Support to meet the identified needs of individual learners can include:
negotiating alternative provision, facilitating managed moves, supporting re-integration into school;
one to one classroom support and additional teacher time;
extra help after school with some Key Stage 2 SATS or GCSE revision;
access to computers and loan of educational software;
information and guidance (IAG) from Year 9 onwards:
co-ordinating multi-agency support, including social workers and foster carers;
training and awareness raising for other professionals who work with looked-after children.

13. Northumberland Virtual School
Safeguarding standards
The Schools’ Safeguarding and Wellbeing team supports schools to create environments where vulnerable pupils are safe to learn and to effectively monitor safeguarding standards. This team is responsible for implementing and monitoring the section 175 safeguarding standards audit.
The team is commissioned by Public Health to support their objectives to reduce health inequalities and improve achievement, and works in partnership with Northumberland’s local safeguarding children board, LSCB, to deliver on key priorities relating to schools and safeguarding standards, child sexual exploitation, domestic violence, drug education, Prevent, anti-bullying, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and equalities.

14. Northumberland SEND Support Services
Speech, Language & Communication Team
The Speech, Language and Communication Team offer bespoke support to schools where there are children whose spoken language difficulties are affecting their progress. The team includes four dually qualified Specialist Teachers/ Speech and Language Therapists. In addition, the team benefits from a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and eight Specialist Teaching Assistants.
Support from the Team may include: a speech and language assessment, individual targeted work relating to spoken language (usually delivered by a Specialist Teaching Assistant), group interventions, provision of advice and strategies explicitly linked to the curriculum, resource sharing, support for parents and carers, as well as a comprehensive range of bespoke and accredited training for school staff.
Support is offered for children with delayed or disordered speech and language, children with a diagnosis of autism as well as children whose phonological awareness difficulties are impacting upon their literacy acquisition.  
In relation to an individual child, responses will typically include a comprehensive report containing assessment information, contributions from school, parent and the young person, recommendations for interventions and resources as appropriate, as well as advice and strategies to support teaching staff in their classroom practice. A wide range of bespoke, accredited and published training is available for professionals, supporting school and professional development.
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators in schools are able to contact the Team directly or contact the NHS Speech and Language Team who will provide information relating to the priority categories of that service. For individual children already known to the NHS Speech and Language Service, schools are able to liaise with that service to seek additional advice and support. School may choose to follow up with a request for support from the Northumberland County Council’s Speech Language and Communication Team, whose involvement is focused upon developing a child's language and communication skills, as well as supporting teachers to help achieve better outcomes for their children.

15. Northumberland SEND Support Services
Literacy Team
The Literacy Team supports the teaching of literacy skills for designated pupils, individually or in small groups and facilitates the inclusion of pupils with specific learning difficulties (Dyslexia).
The team aims to develop and enhance the skills and practices of staff in school through training as well as to assist them in supporting pupils with literacy difficulties. This may comprise observation, assessment and intervention advice including ICT/digital resources where appropriate.
Team members liaise closely with parents/carers, school staff and the young person to promote successful inclusion in the classroom. Written reports are provided offering recommendations of ways to support literacy development through quality first teaching and targeted/ individual interventions.

16. Northumberland SEND Support Services
Psychological Services
The purpose of Psychological Services is to promote the emotional, cognitive and personal development of children and young people through the application of psychology. Our aim is to develop the capacity of schools and settings to achieve better outcomes for all children.
We support the adults involved in the lives of children and young people to:
Prevent additional/special educational needs and requirements developing
Intervene early where additional/special educational needs and requirements are identified
Support those with ongoing additional needs and requirements.
We work with schools to identify and remove barriers to learning for children and young people and to jointly problem solve complex situations that have become ‘stuck’ with the aim being to move things forward and achieve positive outcomes. We work directly with individual children and young people to carry out assessments and interventions where this is thought to be helpful and are keen to include the voice of the child in any work we undertake. We offer training to schools on particular themes identified through their development plans.
Each school will have access to a named psychologist with whom they can discuss issues relating to whole school development/training or concerns relating to individual pupils. The psychologist will work with schools to negotiate and prioritise areas of work as part of planning discussions/meetings in the autumn term. Once these are agreed, schools will then be able to complete the necessary request for support forms electronically and send them to the Psychological Services inbox where they will be processed and the work can begin.
From September, the Bereavement and Loss Counsellor will also be based within the Psychological Services work stream.

17. Northumberland SEND Support Services
Sensory Support Service
The Sensory Support Service offers and provides support to children and young people 0-25 who have diagnosed vision, hearing or multi sensory impairments (deafblindness). The Equalities Act 2010 defines all sensory impairments as disabilities. Work includes close liaison with colleagues in Health to ensure the provision of suitable technology, the maintenance and oversight of specialist equipment, direct teaching interventions over the  long term, assessment of the impact of the sensory impairment on learning in educational settings, support for families, and an extensive range of advice and training for schools and settings.  
Members of staff all hold (or are working towards) the mandatory specialist qualifications for teachers of sensory impaired children and young people, and many hold additional qualifications, ensuring that the team meets the requirements of the Code of Practice 2014 with regard to the assessment and teaching of this vulnerable group.
Team members work closely with parents/carers offering bespoke packages of support for short, medium and long term interventions based on the need of the pupil and setting. Dependent upon need this will extend to visits several times per week, or may be as little as annual oversight. Emotional wellbeing and full access to the curriculum are the aspiration for all, and where appropriate, this is supported by the provision of termly intervention plans prepared in conjunction with class teachers and learning support assistants and/or regular written reports containing advice and guidance. 
Referrals usually come via Health (Audiology and ENT departments at Freeman Hospital, or Ophthalmology at RVI), but the Service welcomes enquiries from schools and other professionals in order to guide through referrals, or provide training into schools and settings.

18. Northumberland SEND Support Services
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Support Team
The ASD Support Team support children and young people who have social communication difficulties or a diagnosis of ASD.
The team aims to develop and enhance the skills and practices of staff and improve outcomes for children and young people with social communication/ASD being taught in educational settings across Northumberland.
The support we offer is generally bespoke to the individual, family or school and may comprise of a combination of: observation, assessment, recommendation of strategies and approaches to enhance access to the curriculum, resource sharing, support for parents and carers, as well as a comprehensive range of training packages for professionals. We offer Cygnet Training for parents of children with a diagnosis of ASD. Team members liaise closely with parents/carers, school staff and the young person to promote successful inclusion in the classroom. Written reports are provided outlining key observations and information and strategies and approaches that should be incorporated into teaching programmes and classroom practice.
Behaviour Support Team
The SEND Behaviour Support Team provide support and advice to schools and learners who may have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties as a result of a special educational need or disability. The team aims to develop and enhance the skills and practices of staff and improve outcomes for children and young people with social, emotional and behaviour needs being taught in educational settings across Northumberland.
The support offered is generally bespoke to the individual, family or school and may comprise of a combination of: observation, assessment, recommendation of strategies and approaches to enhance access to the curriculum, resource sharing, support for parents and carers, as well as a comprehensive range of training packages for professionals.
The Behaviour Support Team are qualified to deliver Management of Actual and Potential Aggression (MAPA) training . This training develops the skills and knowledge of school staff to enable them to effectively manage the needs of pupils displaying challenging behaviour. The team are able to provide examples of de-escalation strategies as well as offering advice on; the creation of positive handling plans, Independent Support Plans and appropriate reward and consequence systems; to be used by the whole school or to meet the needs of individual pupils.

19. Northumberland SEND Support Services
Portage Service
Portage is a home teaching service for pre-school children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  It enables parents and carers to support their child’s learning.
A Portage Home Visitor will visit the family home for approximately one hour each week. Following an initial assessment, long term goals and teaching activities are agreed with parents/carers to encourage and promote their child’s development.  The play based activities are planned and demonstrated by the Home Visitor and carried out during the week by parents/carers. Progress is regularly reviewed and celebrated. 
The Portage Home Visitor will liaise with other involved professionals and the child’s pre-school setting/school to share information and support transition.