WORCESTERSHIRE schools and early year providers have a revised guide, setting out how they can best support young people and children with special educational needs and disability.

It’s been put together through a collaboration with professionals, parent/carers and young people. The new revised guide is designed to help schools and early years providers across Tenbury and the Teme Valley tailor their support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

The SEND Graduated Response has been designed to help ensure children and young people across the County with Special Educational Needs and disabilities reach their full potential. It sets out Local Authority expectations for the ways in which all schools and early years providers should meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.

It is also intended to be an information source for parents, carers and young people to inform and guide them when making key decisions and accessing SEND support.

Councillor Marcus Hart, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education and Skills said: “I’m grateful for the time and insight that our education providers, parents, carers and young people have given us to Graduated Response that represents SEND in Worcestershire.

“This will help ensure children and families with SEND get the right type of support for them at the right time. This guide is an important tool in helping us to continue the improvements for children and families.”

“The guidance helps when a pupil has identified Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, as education settings should act to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This is called SEN support.”

Support should take the form of a four-part cycle involving parent/carers and the child/young person. Through taking this approach earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what support will help to secure good progress and good outcomes.

To make the SEND Graduated Response guidance available and easy to use for everyone, the County Council will now start work with parent/carers through Families in Partnership to co-produce a user-friendly version.

To find out more information or to download the document, please visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/graduatedresponse