The Early Years SEND Service provides advice and guidance to professionals in the Under Fives Sector. This will include practitioners who are working in Early Years Settings as well as those working in children centres.

The team work closely with the Early Years who ensure that settings meeting the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and that there is good quality early years provision for all children in Reading.

Our team supports settings in following the Graduated Approach in line with the SEND Code of Practice.

The team consists of an Early Years SEND Manager; Two SEND Advisors and the Portage Team (BFfC-Portage-Service-Leaflet-V1.pdf (brighterfuturesforchildren.org))

Parent, Carers and Settings can request advice from the Early Years SEND Advisory team Early Years Advisory Service for SEND | Reading Services Guide  by getting permission from the parent/carers using the referral form available. A member of the Early Years team will then be able to visit and offer advice on what support is available as well as strategies the setting can use to support your child.

This may include referrals to Portage; Family Support Sessions; recommending placement at one of our specialist Early Years Centres; supporting inclusion funding applications and providing guidance on an EHCP request.

Parents and Carers can find out more about support for children with under fives with SEND here: Under 5s with SEND - Brighter Futures For Children

We also offer a comprehensive training programme for settings to access. This includes free modules from our Dingley’s promise inclusion programme; SEND qualifications and evidence based interventions. This includes  

• Level 3 Award Early Years SENCO
• Level 2 Award in Supporting Babies and Young Children with SEND
• Attention Autism
• ICAN Speech & Language Early Talk Boost Programme
• Intensive Interaction
• Sensory Processing Workshops
• SEND Practical Strategies
• Termly SENCO Networks
• SLCN Networks

Professionals can find out more about the Early Years SEND CPD programme here: Under 5s and early years services | Brighter Futures for Children

The Early Years Team also work in partnership with the SEND Strategy board which includes working with Children’s Centres, Portage, Family Information Service, Nursery School Headteachers, Specialist & Mainstream Early Years Settings and Schools to support the strategic pathway for children in Early Year with SEND and Early Intervention.

The Early Years SEND Team also support settings in making an application to the Inclusion Funding Panel for children who require additional support within the Early years Setting. Link to the Early Years Inclusion Funding page.

Next review date June 2024