The services we offer are:

• trained staff and volunteers offering confidential and impartial information, advice and support
• information about education, health and social care, voluntary organisations and support groups
• a range of information leaflets on special educational needs and disability related topics
• access to special educational needs and disability information such as books, CDs and video
• training for parents and practitioners.

EHC plans are drawn up by the Local Authority after an EHC needs assessment. You, your child’s education provider or your child if they are aged over 16, can ask your local authority to carry out an assessment.

If the special educational provision being made for a child or young person by an early years setting, school or college is not enabling the child or young person to make adequate progress then it may be necessary to request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Assessment.

All involved, parent/carers, settings and support services and (if appropriate) young people should work together to make the request to the Local Authority.

Rotherham’s educational psychologists provide a service to children, young people and their families aimed at helping to remove barriers to achievement, inclusion and emotional wellbeing.

We work closely with staff in early years settings, schools and colleges. All Rotherham schools can access an educational psychologist who provides a statutory service funded by the Council. Most educational settings also purchase additional educational psychology time for consultation, casework and training.

We are committed to working in partnership with parents and support the development of the Rotherham Charter.

• Peripatetic team working across Rotherham and within the two Specialist Provisions based at Bramley Grange Primary School and Wickersley School and Sports College.
• Remit is to address the impact of deafness/hearing loss on learning, development and self-esteem; promote and enable the inclusion of deaf children and young people within their school and community; develop effective communication.
• Open referral policy for children and young people with an identified or suspected hearing loss. All children referred will be assessed and the graduated response approach to need is followed in line with Rotherham Graduated Response.
• Close working with Rotherham Audiology Services and regional services.
• Co-work with local and national agencies including Rotherham Sight and Sound, NDCS.
• Training for settings and families and social and emotional opportunities are offered.
• Rotherham is a Centre for British Sign Language (BSL) and nationally recognised Signature courses and qualifications are run at the Kimberworth Centre (Levels 1 and 2). Family sign classes are run by arrangement as part of the service we offer.
• Child centred and needs-led.
• Offer support for children and young people using the National Eligibility Framework (NATSIP) which identifies the level of need and support package which is offered to families and schools/settings/education providers.
• Work to National Standards and Guidelines for the delivery of support to Sensory Impaired Children and Young People.

The service promotes inclusive practice through consultancy and CPD to deliver its key priorities:

• Early identification and intervention
• Targeted support for pupils with severe and persistent difficulties (e.g. Downs, dyslexia, dyscalculia, autism)
• Advice for pupils with difficulties in cognition and learning, communication and interaction, social, emotional and mental health and sensory needs.
• Continuing professional development for schools, parents/carers and volunteers, including the delivery of accredited dyslexia training by Skills and Education Group (SEG) and the accredited training programmes from the Autism Education Trust (AET).
• Development of multi-agency working to best meet the needs of children and their families within the Borough and wider
• Development of suitable environments and settings
• Targeted support for pupils in transition between schools and across Key Stages
• Targeted support for schools in challenging circumstances

We are a traded service and packages of support can be purchased by schools through Trade Rotherham.

The service is available to students in years 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9:

• in maintained schools or academies as part of a graduated response
• who have an education, health and care plan as part of their offer
• in a pupil referral unit or special school.

The provision is a short-term intervention aimed at boosting the students basic reading and spelling skills, self-esteem and confidence and motivation for learning.

Students will be accepted and offered a place through a referral process whereby evidence will need to be provided to meet the following criteria:

• Student’s literacy difficulties are specific and persistent with strengths in other areas.
• There has been a lack of progress despite appropriate targets and support.
• Advice has been sought and followed to support the student.
• Student’s difficulties are evident in writing.
• Student’s lack of access to learning is impacting on self-esteem.

Children may have differing types of vision loss which may affect visual acuity (close and distance vision), visual field (peripheral vision), visual processing or eye movement disorders. A significant visual difficulty, which cannot be corrected by wearing glasses can affect a child’s learning, development and access to the school curriculum.

The Visual Impairment Team provides support to visually impaired children, their families and their schools, working in a range of settings including nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools and colleges. The team also support very young children and their families in the home setting.

The Visual Impairment Team can provide assessment, advice, equipment, modified curriculum materials, training and direct teaching to enable children to fulfil their potential. The team can also offer habilitation sessions for students which helps them to develop their independence, living and mobility skills. Support from the team is based on the individual needs of the child or young person.

• An exclusion helpline (01709 334077) that is available 5 days per week for exclusion queries from schools, parents and carers and practitioners
• Legal advice to head teachers, principals and school SLT on the exclusion process and good practice
• Advice to parents and carers on the exclusion process
• Attendance at Governor Review meetings for exclusions over 15 days in one term, permanent exclusions and Independent Review hearings
• Training to school SLT and staff that have a role in the exclusion process
• Training for clerks to governors regarding the Governor’s Disciplinary Meeting
• Governor training around the legality of exclusions and updated guidance – offered on differing levels of expertise (legal requirement every 2 years)
• Ensuring head teachers and principals follow the legal process for exclusion and the likelihood of challenge is reduced
• Parents and carers receive relevant information and impartial advice on exclusion
• Guidance, model letters and reporting forms provided through the Rotherham Exclusions Toolkit
• Tracking and monitoring of pupils at risk of permanent exclusion
• Contribution to preventative strategies to avoid exclusion
• Signposting parents, carers, school staff and practitioners to other agencies/sources of support if appropriate
• Where requested, facilitation of Managed Moves
• Ensuring that pupils receive their statutory entitlements to statutory education, if they are subject to permanent exclusion/FX over 15 days per term/45 days per year
• Attend and support Rotherham Social Emotional Mental Health Partnership’s Primary and Secondary Pupil Management groups

The Autism Information and Advice Service includes:

• Advice sessions – one hour bookable advice sessions with an autism family practitioner. These sessions offer opportunities to explore family, home and community based difficulties that are related to their autism diagnosis.
• Training for families in a range of areas that is designed to increase knowledge, build confidence and increase resilience through practical strategies, guided learning and shared experiences.
• Literature – booklets aim to provide simple straightforward information to support children and young people with a social communication difficulty including Autism.

Referrals for advice sessions and training can be made by the Child Development Centre and CAMHS. Referrals for training can be made by social workers, Early Help workers and families themselves.

We can help you:

• if you are worried about a child’s health, development or behaviour
• if you are a child carer or young person looking to find training or further education
• if you are a child carer or young person looking for advice on employment or benefits+C8

Maybe your child or your family is, or has been, affected by domestic abuse, drugs, alcohol or crime. Or maybe you’ve had a bereavement which has made things harder.

We can provide help in a child’s early years. We also support children who are missing from school or home and give support when children or young people are involved in risky behaviour.

The Disability Family Support Team provides an ‘Early Help’ service for families of disabled children. They will create a package of support for a family based on an Early Help assessment and multi-agency plan.

The Children’s Disability Social Work Team are the preferred service where families, in addition to requiring support for their disabled child or young person, require additional support because of issues in relation to family functioning, risk of family breakdown or other complex needs.

Referrals are to be made directly by the school headteacher or SENDCo (with the headteacher copied into the email) to the Outreach Team email. These are reviewed weekly -receipt prior to Tuesday 12pm for Primary and Wednesday 12pm for Secondary each week to enable timely response, on a case by case basis. The aim is to then contact before the end of week for further information or to arrange a discussion.

Around 2/3 of the service is delivered in school or specialist provision settings in order to allow joined up work with their nursery, school or college. Speech and language therapists regularly contribute to EHCP assessments and review meetings. Most school aged children who are seen by our service with have a programme of intervention that can be delivered by schools.

Speech and Language Therapy also provide a regularly run training package (SLICE training) which covers the full range of SLNC and also on request more bespoke training for schools. There is a small charge for these courses. Therapists also regularly attend Senco network meetings, new Senco groups and other MDT meetings to discuss their services or to talk about an area of SLCN.

Speech and Language Therapy also has a bought in service for both mainstream and specialist provisions. Schools buying in this service often use it for whole school communication approaches e.g. looking at the communication environment across the whole school, setting up language groups, training staff, foundation stage screening, targeting particular year groups vocabulary learning, parent workshops as well as some individual assessment and intervention sessions.

Our Speech and Language Therapy service has an open referral system so anyone including parents who has concerns about a child or young person’s communication or feeding skills can refer into the service. Referrals are triaged by a specialist therapist in order to decide whether the referral meets our criteria and if so to decide which part of the service the child/young person should be seen in. Any referrals that do not contain enough information to triage will be sent back to referrers with a request for further information. Parent consent is needed for all referrals.

Getting advice team
If you are concerned about a child/young person’s mental health please contact the Getting Advice team:
01709 304808
rdash.camhs-gettingadvice@nhs.net

With me in mind
There is also a new team of mental health support workers who are based in some schools in Rotherham (as a trailblazer project) to help children and young people with their mental health. The team help enhance support already in place from school counsellors, nurses, educational psychologists and the voluntary sector to treat those with mild to moderate mental health issues in school. The team can also help children and young people with more severe needs to access the right support and provide a link to specialist NHS services.

If you are a trailblazer school please book a consultation with the senior mental health practitioner in your school when you have any level of concern about a young person’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Speak to the mental health lead in school.
Email: rdash.with-me-in-mind@nhs.net
www.withmeinmind.co.uk

Neurodevelopmental team
This team provides a specialist assessment for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The assessment will look at the child’s strengths and weaknesses to provide a full developmental profile. We may also assess their cognition and learning ability and their functional skills. Referral forms and questionnaires can be found on our website.

Intellectual disabilities team
Additionally, our Intellectual Disabilities team provides a service to children who have a significant intellectual disability and additional complex behavioural or mental health needs (typically this is a child or young person in a special school with an IQ of 55 and below). See the website for more details.

Referrals can be made by the GP or 0–19 service (School nursing – Single Point Access 01709 423333)

Children can be referred for physiotherapy by any professional including their SENDCO, their GP, health visitor, therapist or a medical consultant. A referral should only be made if a graduated response has already been offered but is not proving sufficient. If you have accessed the materials and suggestions on this website but more help is needed, then your SENDCO can make a referral to the Physiotherapy team. We ask you to provide information about the support that you have already put in place as part of plan, do, review. We can only accept a referral if the child’s most recent support plan is attached. Children accepted for assessment might be seen in a clinic setting. A report will be written and activity advice provided for home and school to take forwards.

We work in an integrated way with the Occupational therapy team. There is a single referral form which covers both services. When we receive a new referral, we will make sure that the child sees the therapist who is best placed to help them.

Our service to children attending mainstream school extends up to the age of 16 years. We see:

• Children with neurological and physical conditions significantly affecting their functional motor abilities. They might be seen in school on a regular basis for certain equipment (seating, toilet aids) or occasionally for an environmental assessment at transitions (only available for children we already know).
• Children with coordination difficulties which significantly impact on their motor function (gross and fine) within school and where a graduated response has already been offered by their school. If you have accessed the materials and suggestions on this website but these are not proving sufficient, then your SENDCO can make a referral to the Occupational therapy team. We ask you to provide information about the support that you have already put in place as part of plan, do, review. We can only accept a referral if the child’s most recent support plan is attached. Children accepted for assessment might be seen in a clinic setting. A report will be written and activity advice provided for home and school to take forwards.
• Children requiring visual perceptual assessment, an assessment that looks at how the brain interprets what the eyes are seeing, it is not an assessment of eyesight. A report will be written and activity advice provided.

We work in an integrated way with the Physiotherapy team. There is a single referral form which covers both services. When we receive a new referral, we will make sure that the child sees the therapist who is best placed to help them.

Our offer to schools includes:

• School nurse drop ins at secondary schools
• Advice and signposting to help children and young people stay healthy mentally and physically. We offer this through our 9 to 5 phone service (with follow up as necessary)
• Height and weight checks in Reception class and Year 6. Parents will get a letter letting them know their child’s results. Where there are concerns about a child’s growth or weight, we will offer support
• Opportunities for children to learn about how to look after their own health and get into good habits for life – for example, taking part in teeth brushing clubs
• Vaccinations and booster injections to protect children from common diseases.

Special Education Nurses are qualified nurses who provide specialist nursing care to a variety of children and young people with complex health needs to ensure that they can successfully access education.

The Special Education Nurses aim to make sure that children and young people with health needs can get the most out of life and their time in school. They will provide help to plan care, assess and review children’s needs, provide information for education staff and work with parents. They work closely with schools, special schools in particular, providing care plans when needed and training for school staff.

We see children from the age of 4 to 19 years within local clinics. We will:

• Offer follow up for children who are discharged from Child Development Centre with multiple complex health needs
• Assess health needs if a child is being considered for an EHCP
• Monitor children with long-term or acquired disabilities or health conditions e.g. Cerebral palsy, head injury, Down’s syndrome
• Investigate causes of coordination difficulties to exclude a medical cause (as part of Education led DCD/Dyspraxia pathways)
• Investigate possible underlying reasons for other sorts of developmental difficulties, including learning needs, hearing or visual problems
• See children who are ‘looked after’ who are having developmental delay and behaviour problems.

Children are referred to this service by their GP or other health professionals.

We work closely with families to:

• Assess how children are doing in different areas of development
• Try to find the underlying cause of any difficulties that a child is having
• Provide support and therapy (if needed) to help children make progress

We make sure families are supported and know about other services that may be helpful.

We also work closely with the Early Years Inclusion team and educational psychology services to ensure that children with known needs make a successful transition into school.

The Child Development Service accepts referrals from all health professionals, nurseries, schools and portage workers.