All children have the right to access an education that supports their needs and helps them to meet their potential. Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can affect a child or young person’s ability to learn, so it is important that they get the support they need to feel confident, happy and able to learn in education.

If you think your child may have an additional need, there are a range of ways to get support for your child.

• If you're child attends a nursery or pre school, you should talk to their SENCO or Inclusion lead.
• If you're child is of school age then you should speak to the school SENCO.
• If you're child is in further education, for example college, contact the college before your child starts to make sure that they can meet your child’s needs.
• You can speak to your GP or paediatrician.
• You can call, or email our SEND Support Line for advice, support and signposting. 

More information about the support available for your child at different ages can be read at 'Children with SEND' on the Gov website.

Find out about the different services available and how to access them in our guide to routes into SEND services. More information about each service can be found on the relevant pages of our website, under What the SEND team does.

Your child may be eligible for a SEN Support plan or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

SENDIAS Service

You can also access impartial advice and support for parents, young people and children in the Milton Keynes and the surrounding area for any SEND related issue through SENDIAS.  

You can contact the service if you:

• have a concern about your child and are worried they may have an additional need
• have a child with a diagnosis of a SEN, disability or medical need
• need help at any stage of the statutory SEND process - such as SEN support, needs assessments or the EHCP process
• need clarity about the support for your child is receiving at school
• are considering a SEND tribunal appeal
• are a young person aged 16-25 wanting help with SEND issues
• want to discuss any issue about a child or young person relating to SEND

Our guide for parents and carers is co-produced with other services and is designed to help you understand how children and young people with SEND are supported in settings and schools through the Graduated Approach which involves four stages:

• assess

• plan

• do

• review

Assess

Your child’s difficulties must be assessed so that the right support can be provided. This will include:

• asking for your views

• talking to professionals who work with your child, such as their teacher

• looking at records and other information

In order to make sure that any support provided continues to meet your child’s needs, we will review the situation regularly -  that might mean getting advice and further assessment from someone like an educational psychologist, a specialist teacher or a health professional.

Plan

Your school or other setting needs to agree - with your involvement - how your child will benefit from any support they get through a SEND support plan. A date to review any support should also be agreed so that they can check to see how well things are going and whether the outcomes are being achieved. A 

Do

The setting will put the planned support into place. The teacher remains responsible for working with your child on a daily basis, but the SENDCO and any support staff or specialist teaching staff involved in providing support should work closely to track your child’s progress and check that the support is being effective.

Review

The support your child receives should be reviewed at the time agreed in the plan. Together, you can decide if the support is having a positive impact, what outcomes have been, or are being, achieved and if any changes should be made. 

If the child has not made expected progress after two 4 to 6 week cycles then you may want further advice. Phone the SEND team on 01908 657825 or email.

The Bell Foundation and NALDIC has produced relevant and timely guidance, including:

• making home accessible for learners with English as an Additional Language  

• guidance for schools working with families 

• Learning for Justice 
  In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, the American organisation Learning for Justice has released a raft of materials including guidance and lessons
   
• British Red Cross
  During the pandemic, the British Red Cross (BRC) produced some kindness teaching resources and is interested in receiving feedback from schools to inform the development of further resources and case studies - they would particularly like to hear about any “acts of kindness” stories
   
• IEDP
  The Institute of Equality and Diversity Professionals (IEDP) produces a monthly newsletter. This particular edition has a range of items addressing issues of equality and diversity during covid-19, and includes an article by Sonia Soyei: Left Behind? The Equality Impact of the Current Coronavirus Crisis on Young People and schools, which includes links to research and the Sutton Trust investigation of good practice (case study included on 1-2-1 support)
   
• The Race Equality Foundation
  Exploring issues of equality across the workplace and communities, including posts and articles relating to the current context which have implications for MK communities
   
• The British Council
  The British Council has produced a Race Equality guide

• Anti-Bullying Alliance 
  The All Together Programme offers training, support and resources to schools to help them combat bullying. An All Together School is one that has proven its activity to reduce bullying of all children and schools can sign up to take part in the programme today. The All Together programme has been developed over the last three years and builds upon the work of the Anti-Bullying Alliance’s previous SEND anti-bullying champion programme which saw significant positive results.

  As part of the programme, the Anti Bullying Alliance and the Council for Disabled Children have made a short film in which young people discuss some of the positive things that they use the internet for. The internet has huge benefits to all young people and we recognise that young people with SEN are no exception to this and that they shouldn’t be deterred by any threat of bullying or personal safety. You can watch the film here.

The resources below are all aimed at helping parents and professionals to better understand and help children and young people with dyslexia:

• information for parents
• what pupils with dyslexia ask their teachers 
• reading tips
• tips for comprehension
• tips for expression
• tips for improving spelling
• reading accuracy
• reading comprehension
• reading fluency

You can also read our Dyslexia Policy and assessment guidance.

Further information and advice can be found on the NHS website.

The Definition of an outcome

An outcome can be defined as the benefit or difference made to an individual as a result of an intervention”. (SEN code of practice 9.64)

Outcomes must be 

• Clearly worded, shared, agreed and reviewed
• SMART: S - Specific M - Measurable A - Attainable R - Realistic T - Timed
• A description of what a child of young person could be doing at a specific point of time in the future
• Focus on the child or young person in the context of the family
• Involve the child or young person and family as much as possible
• Be personalised
• Are not about the intentions / needs of the professional
• Use action verbs to that they are performance orientated
• Typically written in the future tense

Writing framework

Consider what the child or young person needs to achieve? What are the needs?

A useful starting point to review previous objectives, from these outcomes can be derived if still appropriate. 

1. Create a 'stem' - for example by the end of key stage 1 'X'  will be able to 

2. Add the action to describe the desired achievement - for example 'read a non picture book' or 'indicate when needing to use the toilet'.

3. Include any further details/variables - for example 'independently' 'using visual supports' or 'when prompted' 

4. Consider what special educational provisions are required - for example any programmes or interventions that are recommended

5. Include any input or support to be put in place - for example adult assistance or specific resources.

Please visit our page for further information about starting or changing school and transitions.

Please visit our page for further information about Good Practice Guidance for all learners through The Graduated Response - minimum standards

The Promoting Reintegration and Reducing Exclusions (PRRE) project has been devised to offer Speech, Language and Communication (SLCN) assessments to students who have been assessed by their educational provision as being at the greatest risk of fixed term suspensions, managed moves to a different school or a move to an alternative provision, in order to support school provisions to work differently with students to reduce the risk of suspensions /  moves to other settings. The project aims to help school staff to identify underlying and unrecognised needs and help professionals working with children to engage with them more effectively as well as offering support to the school setting to ensure that they are able to adapt their approach to prevent the child being suspended or moved to another school. The service is be delivered by Milton Keynes Youth Justice and Support Service (YJSS) Speech and Language Therapists and is located under our Prevention offer.

What we offer: The Speech and Language Therapists will provide verbal and written feedback to the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) at the school. Written feedback will be submitted via a report, and will include a summary of the student’s needs, and recommendations to manage any identified Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). The Speech and Language Therapists may recommend additional resources that can be used by the school to meet the needs of the student. This will include providing strategies that can be used within a learning environment.  Free training will be offered to all schools taking part in the project. The training will be tailored to meet the needs of the school, and both basic and specialist training can be provided.  The Speech and Language Therapists comply with all safeguarding, child protection and health and safety procedures.

We do not offer ongoing SLCN interventions post-assessment.

Referral pathway: only those provisions that have signed a Service Level Agreement are able to access the service. The Pre-Assessment Information and Privacy Notice (referral form) is completed by school staff for each child referred to the project.  If you are a school that would like to discuss the project in more detail, please email. The project is offered to primary and secondary school provisions and we are able to offer an assessment to children in year 5 and above. Parental consent is required for all referrals.

Contact details for more information: Jenna Palmer, Service Lead for Out of Court Disposals, Youth Diversion and Prevention (Early Support Project), PRRE@milton-keynes.gov.uk.