A Graduated Approach to supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs
Post 16 intervention guidance
April 2017
Overview
About the guidance documents
· The Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs (2015) indicates that Local Authorities should set out, as part of its Local Offer, the special education provision it expects early years, schools and education settings and post 16 providers to provide from within its own budgets.
· Section 4.1 of the Code of Practice states that:
‘Local Authorities must publish a Local Offer, setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have SEN or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care Plans’.
· The ‘Graduated Approach’ supports the Local Offer and help education settings in Buckinghamshire meet the needs of children and young people with special education needs.
· Intervention guidance should be read in conjunction with the supporting document ‘Principles and Processes’ document.
What is this guidance for?
· The Code of Practice for SEND (2015) is clear in stating that special education provision is underpinned by high quality teaching. The relevant intervention guidance documents should be used by early years, school age and post 16 education settings as a reference document to guide their practice.
· Personalised and differentiated approaches should be available to all children and young people and those with special educational needs and disabilities will also benefit from these approaches. These are referred to as ‘Universal’ approaches throughout this document.
· For some children and young people these approaches will not be sufficient to meet their special educational needs and disabilities and they will require more focused and targeted support and intervention. These are referred to as ‘Early Support for SEND’ approaches.
· Relatively few children and young people will need a much higher level of support and intervention. These are referred to as ‘Continuing Support for SEND’ approaches
· Provision at Early Support for SEND and Continuing Support for SEND targeted at children and young people who have special education needs and disabilities should not be seen as a substitute for high quality teaching.
· There is a recognition, however, that some children and young people will require long term specialist interventions through the support of an Education, Health and Care Plan. Details of the process regarding this can be found in the ‘Principles and Processes’ guidance document that accompanies this intervention guidance.
Aims of the Intervention guidance documents
· The intervention guidance documents aim to:
o be accessible to parents and carers, children and young people
o promote the involvement of children and young people, their parents and carers in all aspects of provision planning and decision making
o be clear and easy to use for professionals
o reflect the national guidance set out in the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs.
o be focused on outcomes and preparing children and young people for employment and adulthood
o support children and young people, their parents and carers and other professionals implement the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle. Further details of this can be found in the ‘Principles and Processes’ guidance that accompanies this intervention guidance.
POST 16 / EARLY / HELP / EARLY HELP TO TARGETED SERVICESUNIVERSAL
(ALL) / EARLY SUPPORT FOR SEND
(SOME) / CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR SEND
(FEW)
COGNITION & LEARNING / ALL Young People require:
· High quality Information, Advice & Guidance to ensure placement on correct vocational programme and level, taking into consideration their long term learning and work goals.
· Whole college awareness that sometimes rate of progress may fluctuate in some areas of learning for short periods of time and may require additional support, however it should not be assumed that the young person has SEND
· Effective differentiation of tasks
· Access to grouping that enables pupils to work with peers who will provide good role models for language and communication skills and for co-operative and independent application to task ;
· Opportunities for over learning;
· Breaking down of tasks into even smaller steps
· Support to access reading materials, e.g. reading buddy, adult help or use of ICT;
· Effective strategies and provision of subject specific equipment and materials
· Alternative methods of recording, including the use of ICT;
· Modelling, explaining and questioning;
· Links to prior learning made explicit to student;
· Opportunities for students to verbalise their learning;
· Reasonable adjustments will be made to enable pupils to participate in appropriate college assessments/ statutory assessment and tasks.
· Appropriate learning resources available through all the phases and teaching in how to use these effectively.
· Opportunities for frequent game based activities to reinforce learning and develop skills, e.g. games for memory, numeracy, reading, spelling and motor skills
· Specific praise and feedback. / In addition to Universal assessment and planning approaches, SOME young people may require:
· SEN Support Planning to address continuing difficulties with literacy, numeracy and co-ordination which affect progress in other areas of the curriculum.
· Adapted use of multi-sensory teaching targeted for their areas of needs
· Opportunities to use interventions that support explicit transfer of knowledge from one context to another, eg: ‘generalisation’
· Planned interventions aimed at teaching self-help skills for ordering and assimilating information
· Work systematically set at the pupils’ pace and regularly reviewed until mastery level is attained.
· Individual diagnostic assessment of CYP’s fundamental skills and knowledge to identify specific gaps
that are preventing progress.
· Staff to be trained in the characteristics of cognition and learning difficulties
· Development of self-help strategies to overcome difficulties and promote independence
· Consideration of Exams Access Arrangements
· Appropriate Information, Advice and Guidance as to next steps in education or work and support with applications, eg UCAS / In addition to Universal and Early Support for SEND a FEW young people may require:
· Increasingly targeted and specific intervention and support that may include, where consent given, contribution to SEN Support Planning from suitably qualified external professionals.
· Formal and informal assessments of areas of need, including standardised / diagnostic tests where relevant and appropriate.
· Regular liaison between external professionals and college staff in relation to specific programmes and targets.
· In some cases, Statutory Assessment of their Special Educational Needs which may lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
POST 16 / EARLY HELP / EARLY HELP TO TARGETED SERVICES
UNIVERSAL
(ALL) / EARLY SUPPORT FOR SEND
(SOME) / CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR SEND
(FEW)
COMMUNICATION & INTERACTION / ALL Young People require:
· High quality Information, Advice & Guidance to ensure placement on correct vocational programme and level, taking into consideration their long term learning and work goals.
· Awareness and support for difficulties in using language for learning and/or social interactions.
· Others to be aware that expressive language may appear to be age appropriate, although the students responses to verbal and non-verbal communication are often inappropriate.
· Others to be aware that speech may be understood by others but may have some immaturities, which at times interfere with the acquisition of literacy and/or create mild social difficulties.
· Others to be aware that comments and questions often indicate an initial difficulty in understanding the main points of discussions, explanations, information given, in a whole class situation.
· Groupings in class organised to provide opportunities for peer support, the development of social understanding and inference, together with structured opportunities for conversation.
· Time and support to explain ideas clearly.
· Verbal instructions, explanations require simplification and visual or experiential support.
• Support to take responsibility for own learning and to collaborate with peers in curriculum activities.
• Support to listen and respond to longer explanations, stories, sequences of information.
· Some differentiation of speaking, understanding, listening tasks to allow access to the curriculum.
· Activities differentiated by level, outcome, pitch, pace and grouping.
· Appropriate home/college communication depending on the age and level of the student
· Regular opportunities to evaluate performance in learning activities, including students’ self-assessment.
· Encourage to engage in extra-curricular activities.
· Speech and Language Therapy Services (SLT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) training for staff / In addition to Universal assessment and planning approaches, SOME young people may require:
· CYP / Parent/carer to be involved in the formulation monitoring and implementation of SEN Support Planning
· Assessment and support from a qualified Speech and Language Therapist.
· Teaching methods including the use of visual aids, signalling and signing to support understanding in lessons.
· Specific teaching of vocabulary, comprehension and inference, use of language, sentence structures, the speech sound system, sequencing and active listening skills.
· Strategic use of equipment to sustain learning, e.g. I.T. and audio-visual equipment.
· Staff to be trained regarding the characteristics of students with SLCN and the impact on curriculum access.
· The physical environment to be methodically organised, well defined and conducive to good listening and attention.
· Individual support for specifically identified skill development eg a specific skill within vocational subject, or with English or maths teaching.
· Consolidation of classroom learning via access to individual and small group tuition within classroom and/or periods of withdrawal.
· Consideration of Exams Access Arrangements
· Appropriate Information, Advice and Guidance as to next steps in education or work and support with applications, eg UCAS
· Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) / Occupational Therapy (OT) Service Advice within group settings and environment
· SLT / OT Signposting / In addition to Universal and Early Support for SEND a FEW young people may require:
· Multi-agency advice may be required to further inform and coordinate SEN Support Planning.
· Progress to be monitored and assessed for consideration of access to special exam arrangements (UNI?).
· Highly individualised learning programme developed with support from parents / carers and external professionals informing Interventions and impact on progress.
· Wide multidisciplinary team involvement may be required.
· In some cases, Statutory Assessment of their Special Educational Needs which may lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
· Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) / Occupational Therapy (OT) Service Advice within group settings and environment
· SLT / OT Signposting
·
POST 16 / EARLY HELP / EARLY HELP TO TARGETED SERVICES
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL & MENTAL HEALTH / UNIVERSAL
(ALL) / EARLY SUPPORT FOR SEND
(SOME) / CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR SEND
(FEW)
ALL Young People require:
· High quality Information, Advice & Guidance to ensure placement on correct vocational programme and level, taking into consideration their long term learning and work goals.
· An understanding that a young person may periodically display emotional and behavioural difficulties. Some young people may experience short-term mental health difficulties. This may result from underlying difficulties and circumstances such as loss and bereavement.
· Awareness of occasional withdrawal and isolation from activities.
· Explicit teaching & reminding of rules / values and expectations and a clear system of incentives and sanctions with consistent and fair application.
· Positive behaviour management strategies ;appropriate behaviour to be noticed, praised and rewarded.
· Modelling, by adults, of behaviour that shows patience, respect, good humour and calmness.
· Clear communication between all college staff, reinforcing clear boundaries and routines.
· Opportunities for positive social interactions, eg peer review.
· Support with interpersonal skills, concentration (low level) and frustration at times.
· Visual timetable clearly displayed – appropriate for the age/level of students.
· Changes of routine explained and discussed with young person with time to prepare.
· Strategies to focus on emotional needs. These may include strategies such as discussion groups, mentoring/buddying.
· Parent/carer engagement and involvement are positively and actively promoted from the earliest opportunity. / In addition to Universal assessment and planning approaches, SOME young people may require:
· Home / college persistent support for emotional or behavioural difficulties that have not been reduced by differentiated learning opportunities or by the whole class / group behaviour management techniques usually employed by the college;
· More individualised support for poor concentration despite structured and time limited tasks – eg: a support plan for poor personal organisation skills.
· Awareness and support should they continue to present as withdrawn and isolated, generally seeking too little adult attention with limited or selective communication.
· Support to communicate thoughts and / or feelings; Counselling for individuals may be needed.
· Individual support with interpersonal communication or relationships, reluctance to share; reluctance to participate in social groups; strategies to avoid distraction by other students.
· Others to intervene to pre-empt failure in tasks;
· Support to regularly attend college.
· Support to acknowledge or accept responsibility for his/her own actions.
· Individual support through regular mentoring.
· Peer support strategies at key times / points of need / difficulty
· Anger management and support to increase awareness of and manage emotions.
· Consideration of personalised timetable, as appropriate for level of student.
· Alternative curriculum delivery approaches including consideration of IT, audio visual support, ‘time out’ to support a differentiated curriculum for a student who has difficulties in engaging in traditional methods of curriculum delivery.
· Parent /carer engagement and involvement in support programmes.
· Robust systems for recording and analysing serious behavioural incidents, and;
· Use of SEN Support Planning to develop baseline recording of particularly difficult or significant behaviours in order to carry out an ‘ABC analysis’ to inform interventions and evaluations (Antecedents, Behaviour and Consequences).
· A carefully planned approach to establishing rapport where behaviour suggests a lack of trust in adults.
· An individual risk assessment.