Local Offer - Early Years Inclusion

Advice on where to get help and support with childcare and early education.

Support for Children (0-4 years) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Early Years Inclusion Team (EYIT)

The Early Years Inclusion Team (EYIT) has ambitious and high aspirations for early years children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Our comprehensive offer ensures the right support is in place at the right time for every child within Doncaster.

The Early Years Inclusion Team consists of the following roles:

  • 5 Early Years Inclusion Officers (EYIOs)
  • 4 Area Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs)
  • 5 Area Special Educational Needs Development Officers (SENDCOs)
  • 4 Portage Home Visitors
  • 2 Safeguarding Officers
  • 1 Childminder Support Officer

The team work within designated locality areas across the borough.

Early Years Inclusion Team Contact Details - January 2024
Download (1.17MB - DOCX)

We support early years providers (private, maintained nurseries, childminders and playgroups) to raise quality and attainment, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. We want children to thrive and offer advice and support in narrowing the gaps in their learning and development, consequently improving outcomes. We work with early years providers to prepare and support children in their transition within the next step of their education.

Where EYIT support is requested, we will work with settings to ensure that effective special educational provision is in place through the use of the graduated approach.  We will advise and support settings on identifying different types and levels of need within the Continuum of Need for SEN through assessment of the impact on learning and/or barriers to learning. We will develop understanding of adult facilitated learning to ensure that children are able to access a full and varied curriculum, taking into account their individual and specific needs and learning styles.

The Early Years Inclusion Team adhere to the SEND Code of Practice (2015). We support with embedding the graduated approach and everything relating to SEND and inclusive practice within early years. This can be in the form of information, practical support, advice, guidance, requests documentation and links.

The graduated approach aligns the assess, plan, do, review (APDR) process with the expectations from the SEND Code of Practice for children and young people identified as having SEND. Please visit the graduated approach webpage for further information.

The purpose of this guidance is to support practitioners in the process of building on current good practice and to help providers to develop systems, skills and structures for responding to children’s needs across the four areas of need as identified in the SEND Code of Practice (2015).

All childcare providers within Doncaster are required to offer an inclusive environment and to respond to children’s individual needs, having an identified Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) or Inclusion Coordinator is one aspect of this. It is their responsibility to coordinate support for children with SEND in their setting and to liaise with other professionals to ensure that all the needs of the child/children are planned for in advance.

If you wish any further information, please contact the Early Years Inclusion Team on 01302 862103.

Forms

ParentGuardian Consent form
Download (36KB - DOCX)
Sept 2023 Early Years Request form with parental consent (to request EYIT, EIA, continuation of EIA, Portage and a placement at Seedlings).
Download (104KB - DOCX)

Guidance and Information

FS1 Funding Guidance for children with SEND 0-4 years
Download (33KB - DOCX)
23-24 Early Years Support Request Information
Download (66KB - DOCX)
FAQ transition SEND
Download (213KB - PDF)

Resources

Transition Plan template
Download (33KB - DOCX)
Provision Map template
Download (29KB - DOCX)
Reflective Inclusion Audit template
Download (38KB - DOCX)
Personalised Learning Plan template
Download (12KB - DOCX)
September 2023 Person Centred SEN support Plan template
Download (160KB - DOCX)
Personalised Learning Plans (PLP) Progress Descriptors

In light of the EYFS reforms, as an authority we are changing how we measure children's achievements. Where children have been awarded and are in receipt of Early Intervention Allowance (EIA), providers are required to measure the outcomes of the children’s Personalised Learning Plans. Please see the below descriptor for further information. If you have any queries please contact your Area SENCO.

PLP progress descriptors template
Download (15KB - DOCX)
Learning outcomes template
Download (15KB - XLSX) 
Continuation of the Early Intervention Allowance into Reception (FS2)
FS2 Funding Guidance for children with SEND
Download (29KB - DOCX)
Continuation of EIA into FS2 Reception - Autumn term
Download (60KB - DOCX)
Continuation of EIA FS2 - Spring and Summer terms
Download (50KB - DOCX)
Inclusion Conversations
Inclusion Conversation Frequently Asked Questions
Download (315KB - PDF)
Inclusion Conversation template
Download (56KB - XLSX)
Early Years Request for an EHCP Assessment
Early Years request for an Education Health and Care Plan Assessment template
Download (94KB - DOCX)

Once completed, please send to sen@doncaster.gov.uk

Wellbeing Plan

Since the pandemic there has been increasing awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing. We know young children have been particularly impacted by the pandemic and associated social distancing measures. At any one time a child may be anywhere on a spectrum between thriving, emotionally healthy, coping, struggling and unwell.  They can move along the spectrum, and it is important that they access the right support and advice at the right time. 

We know that providers are working hard to ensure the wellbeing of children, supporting them within their settings and school and where necessary seeking advice and support. While most children are thriving and achieving and able to access the wide range of experiences settings, school and services offer, we are aware of the increasing concerns you hold about some of the most vulnerable children you are supporting.

To support and guide the ongoing work settings and schools undertake with these young people. The Early Years Inclusion Team have created a child’s wellbeing plan template.

It is hoped undertaking the wellbeing plans with the child and their parent/carer will further promote their wellbeing, increase feelings of self-efficacy in the child and emphasise balanced thinking, strength-building, active coping and resilience while maintaining their safety.

The child’s wellbeing plan template is supplementary to services and support already in place and are not designed to replace an assessment, statutory guidance, or your setting, schools own safeguarding policies and procedures.

Template wellbeing plan
Download (55KB - DOCX)

Portage Team

What is Portage?

Portage is a home-visiting educational service for children 0-4 with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and their families.

Portage aims to:

  • Work with families to help them develop a quality of life and experience, for themselves and their young children, in which they can learn together, play together, participate and be included in their community in their own right.
  • Play a part in minimising the disabling barriers that confront young children and their families.
  • Support the national and local development of inclusive services for children.

Who can refer to the Portage service?

Requests for Portage Service can only be made through submitting to the Early Years Request Panel. Requests can be made by:

  • Parents and carers
  • Paediatrician
  • Health visitor
  • Speech, physiotherapy or occupational therapy
  • Social care
  • Specialist services such as Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment and Early Skills Group

Find out more about the Portage Service

Contact

For further information, support or advice, please contact:

Suzanne Walton or Mandy Haddock on:

Alternatively, contact the office on:

Seedlings Nursery

The Early Years Inclusion and Portage Team run an OFSTED registered group for pre-school children who have a diagnosis of autism or who have been referred to a Paediatrician for General Developmental Assessment (GDA) or are on the waiting list for the Autism Spectrum Assessment Pathway.

Children can be referred to the Early Years Support Panel by Consultant and Community Paediatricians, Speech & Language Therapists and by members of the multi-disciplinary Autism Spectrum Assessment Pathway (ASAP) team. Where other colleagues wish to make a referral for a place at Seedlings they should seek supporting advice from a member of the ASAP team.
Sept 2023 Early Years Request form with parental consent
Download (104KB - DOCX)

2 Year Integrated Progress Check (IPC)

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) Progress Check at age 2 and the Healthy Child Programme review offer 2 opportunities to:

  • identify additional needs for children aged 2 to 3
  • work in partnership with parents, carers, guardians and any relevant professionals to put the right support in place for the children who need it

Since 2015, the government has encouraged early years providers, local authorities, and health visiting services to work together to combine the Healthy Child Programme review and the EYFS Progress Check at age 2. This is known as an ‘integrated review’.

Integrated progress check - all providers - old
Download (109KB - DOCX)
Integrated progress check format- childminders - old
Download (109KB - DOCX)
REQUEST FORM INTRODUCTION TO THE FAMILY HUB FL
Download (153KB - DOCX)

Revised Documents

Meeting proforma for Integrated Progress Check for Group providers-1
Download (14KB - DOCX)

IPC Form

Integrated Progress Check New Form 2022
Download (320KB - DOCX)

Process and Consent Forms

Integrated check - process and consent for childminders
Download (95KB - DOCX)
Integrated Progress check Procedure Group providers
Download (135KB - DOCX)
Integrated check - process and consent for schools
Download (95KB - DOCX)
Integrated check - process and consent for Family hubs
Download (133KB - DOCX)
Integrated progress check consent form for parents and SPOC
Download (65KB - DOCX)

Parents Guide

Parents guide to the integrated progress check - 2021
Download (124KB - DOCX)

IPC Video and Guidance

IPC training video 2022
Download (21.8MB - PPTX)
Integrated Progress Checks and The Inclusion Conversation for Group Providers
Download (37.2MB - PPTX)

Integrated reviews - Help for early years providers

Department for Education early years vodcast: Progress check at age two

Progress check at age two – Non-statutory guidance for the early years foundation stage

Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and Summary Sheets

ASQ-3 - 27 month questionnaire
Download (438KB - PDF)
ASQ-3 - 27 month summary sheet
Download (178KB - PDF)
ASQSE-2 - 30 month questionnaire
Download (1.27MB - PDF)
ASQSE-2 - 30 month summary sheet
Download (232KB - PDF)

Childminder/School IPC Statement for Ofsted

Are you due for your inspection? Are you clear about the process we use in Doncaster to complete the Integrated Progress Check?

City of Doncaster’s Integrated Progress Check Process

As you are aware, at present, there are two checks of children’s development between the ages of two and three:

  • the EYFS progress check at age two
  • the health and development two-year-old review

Since 2015, the government has encouraged local authorities, health visiting services and early years providers to work together on an integrated education and health two-year-old review process. This can give a more complete and accurate picture of the child by drawing together:

  • parents’ views and concerns about their child’s progress
  • the early years practitioner’s detailed knowledge of how the child is learning and developing
  • the health professional’s expertise in the health and development of young children

Integrated reviews take a variety of formats, and the DfE does not prescribe a particular process. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and different areas will need to adapt their own approaches to meet local needs and address local challenges. The separate parties may share information in a co-ordinated review. Or there may be a joint meeting between parents, health and education practitioners, and with the child present, in an integrated review. Whatever their format, they should support health and education professionals to identify:

  • strengths
  • any developmental delay
  • any particular support or service from which they think the child/family might benefit

To be successful, there must be:

  • clarity about how each child is reviewed, by whom and the follow-up support that is available
  • understanding about how and when the impact of any support is evaluated, so that no children ‘fall through the net’

In Doncaster we see the Integrated review as a partnership approach and feel that this meets DfE’s brief shown above in the following ways:

  • As a childminder, you should complete the progress check when the child is between 2 and 3 years at a time when is appropriate for the child. Typically, if a child has been settled in the setting for a period of time (roughly a term), the check will then be completed. This may be before or after the Health review.
  • Typically, our Health colleagues complete the Healthy Child 2 year old checks at 27 months and give parents a copy of the summary sheet including ASQ scores , comments and any follow up. This can be shared by parents directly to you as a childminder. If you do not receive the information from parents, you MUST request it through Doncaster SPOC using the Parental consent form on the Local Offer. This information should be used as part of the Progress check (as detailed by the DfE above) to identify strengths, developmental delay and support or services from which the child may benefit.
  • If you as a childminder complete the Progress check BEFORE the Health check, you MUST provide parents with a copy of the Progress check to share with Health. Where there are concerns about a child, you should contact SPOC directly (with parental consent).
  • All information about the Doncaster process, consent forms, a Progress Check pro-forma and guidance materials are on the Early Years Inclusion page of the Local Offer.

Please keep this information to share with your Ofsted Inspector.

Helpful Resources/Links for Early Years Providers

Disability Access Funding (DAF)
If you provide places for any 3- or 4-year-olds who receive disability living allowance (DLA), your setting is eligible to receive disability access funding, which is £828 per child per year. If so, speak to your local authority. Information for Disability Access Funding (DAF)

The Early Years Developmental Journal
The Early Years Developmental Journal is designed for families, practitioners and others to use as a way of recording, celebrating and supporting children’s progress.

This Journal is particularly useful if you know or suspect that your child or a child who you are helping is unlikely to progress in the same way or at the same rate as other children - whether or not a particular factor or learning difficulty has been identified and given a name. It is also for people who would like to find out more about children's development in the early years.

Early Years Developmental Journal
Download (1.97MB - PDF)
Generic Early Support Developmental Journal - Practitioners copy
Download (548KB - DOC)

Council for Disabled Children
Council for Disabled Children are the umbrella body for the disabled children's sector bringing together professionals, practitioners and policy-makers.

The Early Years SEN Toolkit
This toolkit supports early years providers in implementing the SEN and disability reforms: SEN and disability in the early years toolkit

The Communication Trust
The Communication Trust is a coalition of over 50 not-for-profit organisations. Working together they support everyone who works with children and young people in England to support their speech, language and communication.

NASEN
NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) is a membership charity organisation that supports all education practitioners.

The Early Years SEND Partnership
The Early Years SEND Partnership brings together a significant amount of training, resources, support and an approach to sharing learning that was tried and tested in an earlier DfE-funded CDC project.

The Autism Education Trust (AET)
Autism Education Trust (AET) helps children and young people with autism to receive an education, enabling them to reach their potential.

ERIC
Potty training children with additional needs can be done in much the same way as teaching a child without additional needs. Look at tips for potty training or the guides below for more information. Visit the ERIC website for more information. 

ERIC's Guide to Potty Training
Download (3.76MB - PDF)
ERIC's Guide for Children with Additional Needs (Potty training)
Download (3.15MB - PDF)

Reflection Toolkit
Welcome to the Reflection Toolkit – a resource which encourages practitioners to consider areas where provision may need adjustment, in order to support children with learning differences. The Toolkit aims to ensure all children have the best possible chance of making progress and to provide a holistic picture of a child’s learning.

Reflection Toolkit
Download (504KB - PDF)

Sensory Processing
Sensory processing difficulties - Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

Interactive Child Development Questionnaires
These questionnaires help you to find activities and strategies to support your child. Interactive Child Development Questionnaires

NASEN Mini Guide - Identifying and Supporting Children with SEND in the Early Years: Childminders

Please see link below for a really useful mini guide from NASEN about Identifying and Supporting children with SEND in a childminder setting, a helpful document giving a brief overview of your obligations as outlined in the SEND Code of Practice 2015.

Identifying and Supporting Children with SEND in the Early Years: Childminders

If this is an area you feel you need further support with you can access the ‘Role of Senco for Childminders’ training through Buy Doncaster which is delivered in an evening by the Early Years Inclusion Team. As always if you need any advice/support for a child with SEND in your setting, please do not hesitate to contact the Early Years Inclusion Team on 01302 862104.

Early Years Inclusion Team - Questionnaire for Providers

The Early Years Inclusion Team have created a questionnaire for providers. Please take a moment to complete the questionnaire on the link below.

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PROVIDERS

Further Support and Information

 

Back to Early Years

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Last updated: 15 March 2024 13:51:56

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