What systems and strategies do you have in place to identify children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?
I follow children’s development using the Early Years Foundation. If a child were not following their expected development path, I would discuss with the parent/carer, working together to help the child. I have completed SEND course & also behaviour management so I am aware of spotting early signs of a child who may have additional needs. If additional needs were needed, I would contact the BCP Council SEND team & refer the child for extra support. If a parent/carer had concerns with their child, we would discuss their development/tracker & see if the child may need extra support. If needed I would contact the BCP Council childcare team for advice & contact the Early Years Advisory Team (ELIT).
How will you support my child? How will you communicate effectively with me?
Working with the parent/carer, planning their individual development goals & support needed to help the child with SEND. Working with additional support from ELAT, the first point of contact & advice/support for the child & parents. Physiotherapist to help the physical development of the child & occupational therapist to support the child’s everyday living needs. Specialised roles all working together for the child’s development.
How will the teaching and learning be matched to my child’s needs?
An Individual Education Plan would be put in place (IEP). An IEP will be a good picture of were additional support is needed. It will also have next (achievable) steps so the child can achieve developmental outcomes.
How will you know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
I will have a journal for the child’s development which follows the EYFS. This is recorded observations set up by their planned next steps. Included in the journal is a tracker to show clearly at what stage of development the child is at & also WOW moments. (unexpected achievements the child may do at home or in my setting). The journal is regularly sent home for parents/carer to see & welcome feedback. We will have update chats on the child’s progress & next stage planning for all agencies involved. A daily diary of the child’s activities & anything the parent/carer may need to know will also go home in their bag.
What support will you provide for my child’s overall wellbeing?
All children in my setting are praised & encouraged to achieve each of their individual goals. Helping them to feel proud, happy & have self-belief. Administration of medicine I would follow my policy. If I needed extra training for a medicine I would do so. Children able to communicate would be encouraged to tell me their views, likes & needs. If a child were unable to communicate their needs & needed extra support I would work with the parent & also other agencies i.e. Speech or Occupational therapists maybe using visual guides to enable the child to express their likes/ dislikes/ needs & wishes.
What specialist services and expertise are available?
If a child required additional needs there is a large network of specialist advice & services available, including your local health visitor, children’s centre, Educational Psychologists, physio therapists, Speech & Language therapists, Occupational therapist, & the local Early Years Inclusion Team (ELIT). Parents/carers will always be involved with myself & all agencies involved. The views from the child & also the parents will be listened too.
What training do you have or are you receiving to support children with SEND?
I have completed a level 3 diploma in childcare. I also have completed a 10-week course on SEND. If I require specialised training, I would contact ELIT for relevant specialists to access the training required. I will up to date with the parent/carer on how the relevant training is going.
How will you include my child in activities outside the setting, including trips?
I always try to ensure all children in my setting have the same opportunities & choice of activities by following my Equal Opportunities & Diversity policy. When needed this may mean tweaking my setting/ activity to suit a particular need of a child. Moving the activity onto the floor so the child can access it more comfortably or specialist equipment supplied for the child to make everyday tasks. All trips & activities are risk assessed to ensure safety for myself & the children. These are reviewed & updated as needed.
How accessible and welcoming is your setting?
My setting is a home from home welcoming environment for children to feel happy & secure enabling children to develop through play. I always have time to communicate the progress & needs to the parents/carer at a convenient time for both. If the parent/carer English is not their first language I will try to find another way to communicate this may include picture prompts, home language words, if needed sign language (training required) of a computer translator. If I still needed further support, I will contact the childcare team at the BCP Council for advice. I live in a quite close with easy parking to my setting. My setting is all on the ground floor where physically impaired children could move freely. I do have one step inside & two steps onto garden which would require a ramp for wheelchair access. I do not have disabled changing facilities as I use a changing mat but would work with parents on views on where to change them. I have a bright, naturally playroom with a toilet/washroom & double doors leading out to a lovely large garden. The playroom has plenty of stimulating toys for children to develop and use of my lounge if they need a bit more space or quiet time relaxing on a large bean bag. I also have a very friendly family collie dog who bring lots of fun to the children in my setting.
How will you prepare and support my child to join the setting or to transfer to another setting/school?
With parents/carer, agencies & myself all working together we should have a clear picture of what the SEND child requires in my setting. Any items/equipment needed & communication to the relevant persons require for support. Everyone working together to meet the child’s developmental needs. When a child moves onto another setting or school I will again, keep parents in the picture, contact all involved to ensure up to date information is shared. With consent from parent/carer I will contact the new setting/school & pass over the child’s journal/tracker & individual planning so they are aware of the child’s development stage & can continue their development journey. In my setting we can work on roll play, “going to pre-school, nursery etc) story time I will also choose books associated with their change of situation. With parents to make the transition as smooth as possible. Where possible having time spent in the new pre-school/ nursery.
How much support will my child receive and how are decisions made?
On children development in my setting is based on the EYFS. If a child is falling significantly below the expected progress of development, I will record this & tailor my planning onto the areas causing concern. Parents/carers will have free access to the journal & will work alongside them as to what small steps we will be working on (both in setting & at home) & were my concerns are. If I feel not enough improvements are being achieved from this I will invite parents/carers in a update chat to see what more we can do, seek permission to contact relevant members of the BCP Council childcare team to come and observe the child at play in my setting. If we feel a referral is needed then this will be completed so other agencies will assess what is best for the child in their developmental needs. Everyone working together to have a strong impact in the child’s life opportunities with parents wises paramount.
Who can I contact for further information about my child?
Parents are always the main educator in a child’s life as they know their chid best. If you feel your child may have SEND issues or are concerned about their development, then the child’s key worker is the first person to contact. They will sit down with you & together can look at the journal/tracker to see if there may be some delays. If there are, I will seek permission to contact support. If your child has a known disability, then you will already be working with a range of experts & will have opportunities to discuss things. If at any point you are unsure of who or where you can get help, please come to me & I will put you in touch with the correct persons.
What can I do if I’m not happy with your provision for my child?
I would hope that if you felt you were unhappy with me you would be able to feel you could discuss this with me & I would try working together to resolve the issue. If after consulting with me you are still unhappy & it has not been resolved then you can follow my complaints procedures with is always available to view at any time. Upon signing contracts all parents/carers are emailed my policies & procedures, they then sign to confirm the list of policies which were sent to them. I also have always on display for parents to view a copy of the up to date Ofsted parents/ complaints number should they feel the need to contact them.
How can I arrange a visit to your setting? What is involved?
If you would like to arrange a visit to my setting you can contact me via email or telephone. All information is on the BCP Council Family Information Directory. On there you can also view information about my setting. Times, qualifications, and opening hours. You can also go onto Ofsted & view a copy of my latest inspection. On contact me we can discuss your needs for your child and come to my setting to meet me & my family to see if my childcare setting to suitable for your needs.