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Information about our service and keeping healthy.

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NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Children’s Health, NHS help, advice and information for local families

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Supporting Your Neurodiverse Child online book.

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Supporting Your Neurodiverse Child online book.

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Please note that you do not need to download Adobe software to access the Neurodiverse Booklet. PDF files are viewable on any device with built-in browsers, including Mac, PC, tablets, and phones. The QR code provided may direct users to use Adobe software, but it is unnecessary for accessing the booklet.

We apologise for any confusion caused by the QR code instructions. Rest assured; you can view the Neurodiverse Booklet directly on your device without the need for additional software.

[Date of last update: April 26, 2024]

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Supporting Your Neurodiverse Child/Young Person - SNAP PCF - Central Bedfordshire

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Please note that you do not need to download Adobe software to access the Neurodiverse Booklet. PDF files are viewable on any device with built-in browsers, including Mac, PC, tablets, and phones. The QR code provided may direct users to

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Speech and Language Therapy:

There are a host of workshops for both parents/carers and professionals. To have a look at the brochure please view their training page.

Or contact the speech and language therapy team on

Email: ccs.beds.childrens.slt.training@nhs.net

Sleep, Continence and Behaviour support from the specialist nursing team

Our Specialist Nursing team can provide advice to help with any sleep, behaviour or continence concerns. You can contact this team for more information, by calling 0300 555 0606.

Autism

Our partners at Autism Bedfordshire deliver an extensive programme of workshops and training for both parents and professionals. To view what they have on offer please visit their website or contact them using the details below:

Telephone: 01234 350704 - we are open from 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays (excluding bank holidays).

Email: enquiries@autismbeds.org

The Local Offer, hosted by your local authority also contains information on events, workshops and local support services. They can be found below:

For families in Bedford Borough this can be found here: https://localoffer.bedford.gov.uk/

For families in Central Bedfordshire this can be found here: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer

For Families in Luton this can be found here: https://directory.luton.gov.uk/kb5/luton/directory/localoffer.page

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Speech and Language Therapy: There are a host of workshops for both parents/carers and professionals. To have a look at the brochure please view their training page. Or contact the speech and language therapy team on Email: ccs.beds.childrens.slt.training@nhs.net Sleep, Continence and Behaviour support from the specialist nursing team Our Specialist Nursing team can provide advice to help with any sleep, behaviour or continence concerns.

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Speech and Language Therapy:

There are a host of workshops for both parents/carers and professionals. To have a look at the brochure please view their training page.

Or contact the speech and language therapy team on

Email: ccs.beds.childrens.slt.training@nhs.net

Sleep, Continence and Behaviour support from the specialist nursing team

Our Specialist Nursing team can provide advice to help with any sleep, behaviour or continence concerns. You can contact this team for more information, by calling 0300 555 0606.

Autism

Our partners at Autism Bedfordshire deliver an extensive programme of workshops and training for both parents and professionals. To view what they have on offer please visit their website or contact them using the details below:

Telephone: 01234 350704 - we are open from 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays (excluding bank holidays).

Email: enquiries@autismbeds.org

The Local Offer, hosted by your local authority also contains information on events, workshops and local support services. They can be found below:

For families in Bedford Borough this can be found here: https://localoffer.bedford.gov.uk/

For families in Central Bedfordshire this can be found here: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer

For Families in Luton this can be found here: https://directory.luton.gov.uk/kb5/luton/directory/localoffer.page

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Speech and Language Therapy: There are a host of workshops for both parents/carers and professionals. To have a look at the brochure please view their training page. Or contact the speech and language therapy team on Email: ccs.beds.childrens.slt.training@nhs.net Sleep, Continence and Behaviour support from the specialist nursing team Our Specialist Nursing team can provide advice to help with any sleep, behaviour or continence concerns.

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Bedford Borough- Register for Children and Young People with Disabilities

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Bedford Borough- Register for Children and Young People with Disabilities

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Registering your child on the Bedford Borough Children's and Young People Disability Register helps Bedford Borough Council to identify and plan for the needs of children with disabilities and their families. The register is used to help Bedford Borough Council plan and monitor services
How do I register my child on the register?
If you are the parent of, or have parental responsibility for, a child or young person with a disability or additional need, you can get their details added to the register by completing a registration form, which is available from the download section on the right hand side of this page.
There are two options to apply for the card
1. You can print the form, complete it and scan it over to Local.Offer@bedford.gov.uk, and attach a recent photo.

2. Print the form, complete and attach a head and shoulder passport sized photo of your child, and post to

Sorcha O'loughlin Children's Services, 5 th Floor, Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AP

Any questions please email Local.Offer@bedford.gov.uk.
Does my child need to be on the register to receive support?
No. Registration is voluntary and is not linked to or a requirement of receiving social care services, which are assessed separately. Children do not need to be on the register to receive support for their special educational needs or disabilities.
Does my child need to have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, for me to place them on the register?
No, your child does not need an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan to be on the register.

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register for children and young people with disabilities

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Bedford Borough Register for Children and Young People with Disabilities

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Central Bedfordshire- Children with Disabilities Register

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Central Bedfordshire- Children with Disabilities Register

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The Children with Disabilities Register is an information database that is designed to hold the contact details of disabled children and young people under the age of 18 in Central Bedfordshire.

By registering, families can be kept regularly up to date on all the services and support in Central Bedfordshire. The Register is used for statistical information and also helps to keep families involved in the development of new services and the consultation process.

What information will be recorded?

Information held on the register will include the child or young person's:

name

date of birth

gender

ethnicity

religion

home address

telephone number

family's first language

information in relation to the child's disability

parent or guardian's name

Where will the information be kept, and can I see it?

The information you provide is held confidentially and securely on a computer with us. To see the information held about your child, please make a request to us at the address below.

Is it compulsory that my child's details be recorded on the register?

No, the register is voluntary and details of your child can not be added without your permission.

Will my child's information be shared with other agencies?

No. We will not share any information.

Can I opt out of the Register at any time?

You can remove your child's details from the register at any time by making a request to the contact below.

If you choose to opt out this will not affect in any way the services or support you currently receive but it will be difficult for us to keep you informed on national and local services that are available to you. Not being part of the register may mean that you could possibly miss out on the opportunity to provide feedback on services and receive information and updates regarding valuable support and advice services available.

How can I change my child's details on the Register?

Please contact us via post or email to notify us of any changes to your child's details (see 'contact us' below)

How do I register my child's details so that I can stay up to date?

There are 4 easy steps to submitting your information. They are:

download the form

fill in your details

sign it and provide a photo of your child

post it back to us (contact details are below)

Contact us

Email: cwd.register@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Central Bedfordshire's Children with Disabilities Register
The Hub
Ivel Valley Primary Site
The Baulk
Biggleswade
SG18 0PT

Download our leaflets for more information
Register of Children with Disabilities Registration Form

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what is the children with disabilities register?

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What is the children with disabilities register?

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Our vision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is the same as for all children and young people - that they achieve well, fulfil their potential, and lead happy and enriched lives. A child's education is pivotal to this.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice plays a vital role in facilitating every child 's right to an accessible education. It sets out the duties of local authorities, health bodies and educational settings to provide for children and young people with special educational needs under the Children and Families Act (2014).

Children and young people, and their families, are at the heart of the SEND Code of Practice (2014). We aim to work collaboratively with children and young people, and their parents, taking into account their views, wishes and feelings and encouraging participation in decision-making, to ensure they can achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood.

SEN Support

Every child with special educational needs should have SEN support. This means help that is additional to or different from the support generally given to other children of the same age.

The purpose of SEN support is to help children achieve the outcomes or learning objectives set for them by the school. Schools should involve parents in this process.

Every school must publish a SEN information report about the SEN provision the school makes on their own website. You can also ask your child's teacher or the school's Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) for information on the SEN provision made by the school.

Who decides what SEN support my child has?

The school should decide if your child needs SEN support and should talk to you and your child about this. If a young person is 16 or older the school should involve them directly. Sometimes you may be the first to be aware that your child has some special educational needs. If you think your child may need SEN support you should talk to your child's teacher or to the SENCo. If you are not happy about the support your child has you can ask to talk to the SENCo or headteacher.

When your child is identified with SEN, the school should use a graduated approach based on four steps. These are Assess, Plan, Do and Review.

Assess

Teaching staff should work with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator to assess your child's needs, so that they give the right support. They should involve you in this and, where possible, seek your child's views. Sometimes schools will seek advice from a specialist teacher or a health professional. They should talk to you about this first.

Plan

If the school decides that your child needs SEN support it must tell you. The school should talk with you about the outcomes that will be set, what help will be provided and agree a date for progress to be reviewed.

Do

Your child's class or subject teacher is usually responsible for the work that is done with your child, and should work closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff involved. The school should tell you who is responsible for the support your child receives. All those who work with your child should be made aware of their needs and support agreed.

Review

The school should review your child's progress, and the difference that the help your child has been given has made, on the date agreed in the plan. You and your child should be involved in the review and in planning the next step. Sometimes it helps to involve other professionals in further assessment or to support planning the next steps.

If your child has not made reasonable progress it will be important to agree with the school what should happen next. You and the school can look at the Local Offer to see what support is available that could help achieve your child's outcomes.

More information on the Graduated Approach can be found under Downloads on this page.

What is the right setting for my child?

Details of local schools, including special schools and specialist provision can be found in the Directory of Schools.

Most children with a special educational need can be taught in their local mainstream school. However, if your child has more complex needs then they may need to go to a special school or an alternative resource provision (ARP) within a mainstream school.

Deciding which school you would prefer your child or young person to go to is an important decision for any parent/carer. If your child or young person has special educational needs, there are extra things you will want to think about.

Arranging a visit to the school

If your child is due to start a new school, you should contact the school to arrange a visit.

Schools are busy places, and it is a good idea to ask who you will meet at the school and how much time they will be able to spend with you. It would be a good idea to ask to see the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).

Think carefully about whether you want to take your child with you on the visit (you could discuss this first)

Decide if you want to take someone along with you, such as a friend or relative. This can be helpful, to talk through your view of the school after the visit

You may find it useful to have a guided tour of the school. You will get a better feel for the school if you can do this in school hours when the children are there.

What you can do before visiting the school

All schools have to produce a school prospectus or brochure. It might help you to ask for a copy and to read through this before you visit the school. You could also ask for:

The school's Special Educational Needs Policy

other policies, such as the Behaviour or Anti-Bullying Policy

The OFSTED Inspectors' report on the school. This is also available from the OFSTED website.

Reading through this information will give you an idea of what the school is like and help you think of things you want to find out more about.

Things to ask on your visit

The organisation of classes - whether they put the children in sets according to their ability (particularly in English, Science and Maths). What IT facilities there are - how many computer rooms there are and whether there are enough computers for every child in the class?

How many pupils will be in your child's class

What the school do to make sure that all staff know about your child's individual needs

How the school arranges extra support for children who need it

How the school involves parents in planning for their child's needs

How the school helps the other children to understand a child's needs

How can I apply for a specialist setting or Alternative Resource Provision?

In exceptional cases a parent can request a special school or a place in an Alternative Resource Provision (ARP). Children who attend special schools or alternative resource provisions usually have an EHCP.

Special school places are for those pupils with the most severe and/or complex special educational needs and where the parents or young person decide they want non-mainstream education (i.e. a place in a special school), or the parents prefer a placement in a mainstream school, but evidence exists that no reasonable steps could be taken by the Local Authority or school to overcome the incompatibility with "the provision of efficient education for others" (Section 33 of the Children and Families Act 2014).

Individual cases will be considered according to the particular needs and circumstances of the child, and local special schools will be consulted. All special schools have an admissions policy which can be found on their website.

More details can be found on our Special Schools and Alternative Resource Provisions page.

Who is responsible for supporting your child in school?

Within a school setting there are many roles that contribute to the education of SEND pupils. Below is a description from the DfE's, S pecial Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice: 0-25 (2015) of the SEND support that is provided by each role in a school setting:

Class Teacher

6.12 All pupils should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. The National Curriculum Inclusion Statement states that teachers should set high expectations for every pupil, whatever their prior attainment. Teachers should use appropriate assessment to set targets which are deliberately ambitious. Potential areas of difficulty should be identified and addressed at the outset. Lessons should be planned to address potential areas of difficulty and to remove barriers to pupil achievement. In many cases, such planning will mean that pupils with SEN and disabilities will be able to study the full national curriculum.

6.15 A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age. Making higher quality teaching normally available to the whole class is likely to mean that fewer pupils will require such support.

6.36 Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.

SENCO

6.88 The SENCO has day-to-day responsibility for the operation of SEN policy and co- ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEN, including those who have EHC plans.

6.89 The SENCO provides professional guidance to colleagues and will work closely with staff, parents and other agencies. The SENCO should be aware of the provision in the Local Offer and be able to work with professionals providing a support role to families to ensure that pupils with SEN receive appropriate support and high quality teaching.

6.90 The key responsibilities of the SENCO may include:

overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school's SEN policy

co-ordinating provision for children with SEN

liaising with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEN

advising on the graduated approach to providing SEN support

advising on the deployment of the school's delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils' needs effectively

liaising with parents of pupils with SEN

liaising with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals, and independent or voluntary bodies

being a key point of contact with external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services

liaising with potential next providers of education to ensure a pupil and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned

working with the headteacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements

ensuring that the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEN up to date

Headteacher

6.37 Schools should regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement. This includes reviewing and, where necessary, improving, teachers' understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered.

6.4 The quality of teaching for pupils with SEN, and the progress made by pupils, should be a core part of the school's performance management arrangements and its approach to professional development for all teaching and support staff. School leaders and teaching staff, including the SENCO, should identify any patterns in the identification of SEN, both within the school and in comparison with national data, and use these to reflect on and reinforce the quality of teaching.

SEND Governor

6.3 There should be a member of the governing body or a sub-committee with specific oversight of the school's arrangements for SEN and disability. School leaders should regularly review how expertise and resources used to address SEN can be used to build the quality of whole-school provision as part of their approach to school improvement.

6.84 Governing bodies of maintained mainstream schools and the proprietors of mainstream academy schools (including free schools) must ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as SENCO for the school.

Part-time timetables

The government's guidance makes it clear that 'all pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education' and that part-time timetables should only be used 'in very exceptional circumstances'.

Schools should be able to demonstrate that there is a time limited plan in place to enable the student to be reintegrated quickly to full-time education, and evidence the plan's success.

If a pupil needs to be removed from the school for a period of time for disciplinary purposes, the correct exclusion procedures must be followed. If a pupil is sent home in these circumstances it must be recorded as fixed-term exclusion.

The Access and Inclusion Service are responsible for supporting schools and parents in relation to children who have either been excluded from school or are at risk of exclusion.

In addition, Central Bedfordshire Special Educational Needs & Disability Information, Advice & Support Service (SENDIASS) is able to offer independent advice and support to parents whose children have, or may have, special educational needs.
Guidance for Schools

Elective Home Education

Parents may choose to educate their child at home rather than at school. The reasons for deciding on this approach are many, as are the styles of education undertaken. Whatever the circumstances, we aim to support parents in their choice.

By law, parents and carers must ensure their children receive an education. The local authority are responsible for ensuring education given to children at home is suitable.

The first step to home education

To begin to home school your child you must first deregister them by sending a letter/email to your child's school requesting them to take your child off roll, from a specific date, stating that you intend to home educate them from now on. The school will then inform Access and Inclusion who will make contact with you.

After deregistering, it is your responsibility to organise the education of your child. The local authority cannot send anyone to your house to teach your child.

The National Curriculum

The education you provide has to be full time, efficient and suitable.

You do not have to follow the National Curriculum, but you may find it helpful to use it as a framework, both for subjects to include and to get an idea of levels of achievement. The government website includes guidance and tools for both Primary and Secondary.

You might follow a timetable that you have devised; most home educators have a "flexible" timetable. You may choose to follow a form of 'discovery' education, in which the interests of your child are the focus. Or you might use mixture of these methods. It's entirely up to you. Oak National Academy has lots of resources to support home learning. If you intend to send your child to school in the future, then it would be wise to be aware of what is taught in school so they are not disadvantaged. There are many textbooks and workbooks based on the National Curriculum and these may be useful.

Exams

It is up to parents to investigate and pay for your child's exams. There are some schools in the local area that will agree for home educated children to sit exams at their school. The schools which offer this are subject to change, as it depends on how many of their own students are sitting exams as to whether they can accommodate any more.

You can contact Access and Inclusion or other professionals to find out if they are aware of any currently taking students, or please let us know if you have found a school that will.

Sending my child back into school

If you decide to send your child back into school please contact the school admissions team by completing an online form. There is no guarantee that a place will still be available at their previous school.

Support for parents or carers

Here are some of the ways the local authority can support parents or carers if they are considering home education as an option:

how to deregister your child from school

advice on different approaches and ensuring that your child receives an education suitable for their age, aptitude and ability

particular advice on contacts around issues of special educational needs. For example, SEND Advice contacts, information on requesting an assessment of needs, careers and counselling contacts

reports may be provided to support parental appeals, for example, admissions or college entry

personal or telephone contact to discuss issues at any time

general advice about the different ways families home educate in Central Bedfordshire

Home education resources

Post 16 Education

Most young people who have learning difficulties or disabilities will be able to take up a course at school or college as these providers will be able to provide additional support needed to learn. Most colleges also offer specialist entry level supported learning courses that focus on developing basic skills and life skills.

Other options that may be available to those with Education Health and Care Plans, dependent on need, are bespoke mixed packages of education and care, more specialist independent provision and supported internships.

Your school Careers Adviser or our Youth Support Service can give information on post 16 options if you have an Education, Health and Care plan.

More information can be found on our Post 16 Education and Learning page.

Browse by category

Related Advice

Most children will have their special educational needs met in their mainstream schools. However, some children's needs will require more support than a mainstream school can provide, and so we have also developed a range of specialist education provision in Central Bedfordshire, including special schools,...

All young people need to stay in learning until they are at least 18. This could be school, 6th Form college, Further Education college, a Training provider or an Apprenticeship or traineeship. There are lots of options available and it is important to get some help...

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Our vision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is the same as for all children and young people - that they achieve well, fulfil their potential, and lead happy and enriched lives. A child's education is pivotal to this. The...

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An Early Help Assessment (EHA) is designed to help a child receive the right support at an early stage.

If you are a parent or child and would like an Early Help Assessment please use this EHA form (Word).

If you are a healthcare or school professional, please submit all Early Help Assessments and TAF paperwork to EarlyHelpHub@Bedford.gov.uk

Supporting Team Around the Family (TAF) paperwork can be downloaded here:

An EHA should be only used for children and families who require Early Help services or support.

If your concern is of an immediate safeguarding nature please contact us here.

Early Help service

The service has a team of six Early Help Professionals who support schools to co-ordinate early help support for pupils and their families.

The Early Help professionals also provide a range of services and workforce development to schools and other professionals.

The Early Help service has the following teams:

Adolescent Response Team

Early Help Hub

Early Years Hub

Education Welfare Team

Family Information Service

Family Support Hub

Inclusion Support

Parenting Team

Strengthening Families Team

Get involved

Our service is built and developed on useful feedback from our partners and service users. If you have any comments or queries please contact us.

Tel: 01234 718700
Email: EarlyHelpHub@Bedford.gov.uk

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An Early Help Assessment (EHA) is designed to help a child receive the right support at an early stage. If you are a parent or child and would like an Early Help Assessment please use this EHA form (Word).

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Bedfordshire and Luton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Update

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Bedfordshire and Luton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Update

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Bedfordshire and Luton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Update

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Bedfordshire and Luton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Update

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Bedfordshire and Luton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Update

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Bedfordshire and Luton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Update

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Contact for families with Disabled Children

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Contact for families with Disabled Children

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Contact - for families with disabled children | Contact

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We are Contact, the charity for families with disabled children. We support families, bring families together and help families take action for others.

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The Children Act 1989 requires all local authorities to keep a register of children with disabilities to help with planning and monitoring services.

In Luton and Bedfordshire, the following organisations are working together to build an effective register and the information gathered will be shared by all agencies:

health authorities

children and learning department for Luton

social services department for Bedfordshire

The register of children with disabilities has nothing to do with child protection.

Which children do we need to know about?

For the purposes of the register a child or young person is defined as disabled if he ot she is aged up to 18 years and can't do the everyday things that his or her peers can do.

We would like to know about your child if he or she has any of the following:

physical disability

hearing impairment

chronic ill health

learning disability

visual impairment

mental ill health

communication disorder

developmental disorder

We would also like to know about your child if he or she has a Blue Badge, or is in receipt of middle or high rate disability living allowance. Registering your child does not mean automatic entitlement to any services.

What use is the register?

In Luton and Bedfordshire we will use the register to:

provide useful information via a newsletter which will be sent to families of children who are registered

contact you and keep you informed of developments which may affect you

record the details of children with disabilities and their families so that their needs can be effectively planned for

provide health, education, social services and voluntary organisations with information to enable them to work together to provide quality services to children with disabilities

How will our family benefit from the register?

We aim to produce a twice-yearly newsletter for parents and carers whose children are registered. This will inform families about events and developments locally and nationally and will keep people in touch with each other.

We'll use mailing lists that the register provides us with to consult with parents and carers about new developments and proposed changes.

Who will have access to the register?

The information will be kept confidentially on an individual system. Under the Data Protection Act you can make a request in writing if you wish to see the information held about your child.

The information will be used for research and to assist the planning of resources in health, education and social services. No information on individuals will be available.

The information will tell us whether or not we are providing the best and most useful services for every child in the county and help us to identify gaps in services and make improvements in the future.

We propose to review the register every two years to keep it up to date.

Do I have to register my child?

No, but unless we have a complete picture of children with special needs across the county it will be very difficult to plan existing services and develop new ones. It will also be difficult to let you know about new developments and services available.

We are committed to providing the best possible services for children with disabilities and to do this we need your help to identify the children in need.

How can I register my child?

If you are interested in obtaining a disability register card, click the button below to complete a registration form online. Alternatively you can contact the team on 01582 548888 or email [email protected] to request a paper version.

By registering, you will:

receive the Luton SEND parents bi-monthly e-newsletter full of useful local information

receive a photo ID card for your child giving you access to discounts and concessions in some local and national venues

be informed of new developments and consultations

be providing health, education, social services and voluntary organisations with information to enable them to work together to provide quality services to children with disabilities

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Luton children with disabilities register

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Luton children with disabilities register

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What can I do whilst I wait for my Child's Speech and Language appointment?

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What can I do whilst I wait for my Child's Speech and Language appointment?

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What is Co-Production?

Co-Production is when the voices of people with lived experience are included in decision-making, from commissioning to co-design and co-delivery. People with lived experience (or service users) work with services to design, deliver and build projects or service developments. It's better for professionals to design services with communities.

An example of Co-Production is the Neurodiversity Diagnosis Support pack. We had families, parents, carers and young people working together with us every step of the way in the creation of the support pack. All meetings were attended together, all information and resources were created together, and the project was planned and reviewed together. Everyone took equal shared responsibility in promoting and driving the project and making sure it was a success.

This ensured the diagnosis support pack was fit for purpose and suited to the needs of the people using it. After all, it was designed by service users, for service users.

Click to read more about the Diagnosis Support Pack Project.

Click to watch a video explaining Co-Production

What are the benefits of Co-Production?

Co-Production creates better outcomes...

We get to the right solutions quicker, systems and services will work better and faster.

It is better for patients to be actively involved in their care, they understand more, join in more, are more invested in the service and care plan and are therefore healthier and happier.

Services will be fit for purpose and tailored to the needs of the end user.

People feel valued and heard, building confidence, self esteem and experiences.

How can you get involved?

We are always looking for members of our community to join in with us on exciting projects and co-production initiatives. Some of the things you may be interested in taking part are:

Attending and participating in a meeting to share your ideas for service improvements and developments

Co-design and co-deliver training for our team members

Joining an interview panel to interview our new recruits

Sharing your service user story for our colleagues to learn from

Attending a focus group

Completing surveys

Providing feedback on new initiatives or written materials

Speaking at a conference or event

You do not need to have any prior knowledge or specialist expertise/experience, you will be offered payment for your time as per our trust rewards and recognition policy.

Would you like to hear about future co-production opportunities or be a part of them? Click here.

Meet the team

Contact us

Please feel free to email us with any questions or to get involved:

Email: ccs.co-production@nhs.net

When you sign up to get involved and work together with us your data will always be kept confidential, stored securely and will never be shared with anyone else. For more information on how we use and store your data please see our trust privacy notice on co-production here:
https://www.cambscommunityservices.nhs.uk/about-us/priorities-and-how-we-are-doing/performance/information-governance/privacy-notice/privacy-notices

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Co-Production is when the voices of people with lived experience are included in decision-making, from commissioning to co-design and co-delivery. People with lived experience (or service users) work with services to design, deliver and build projects or service developments. It's better for professionals to design services with communities.

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Request for an Education, Health and Care plan from your Child's education setting to support them

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Request for an Education, Health and Care plan from your Child's education setting to support them

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An EHCP can be requested by your child's education setting from the Local Authority

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Section A can be useful in providing a quick summary of your child. It should be based on information given by you and your child or young person. Section A is not legally binding, so the main detail of the plan should not be in here.

Section B describes your child's special educational needs i.e. what your child has difficulty with. The SEND code of practice defines four broad areas of SEN. Many Local Authorities structure the educational sections of the EHC plan in this way, but there is no obligation to do so. These areas are:

Cognition and learning.

Communication and interaction.

Social emotional and mental health.

Sensory and physical.

Section C contains any health care needs relating to your child's condition or SEN. This can be physical or mental health difficulties, for example difficulties with eating, severe anxiety, or a medical condition such as Epilepsy.

Section D contains any social care needs relating to your child's special educational needs or disability. For example, support to join in with activities outside home and school.

Section E contains the outcomes anticipated for your child. The outcomes describe what your child will be able to do as a result of getting the extra help in the EHC plan. Outcomes can be about reaching a particular educational level, or they can be things that are important to your child, such as being able to take part in an out of school activity.

Section F contains details of the help your child will get in school. This section must be specific and quantified. It should be very clear how much help, how often, and who will give it. Therapies such as speech and language must normally be in section F.

Section G is the healthcare provision required. For example, medication, equipment (such as a wheelchair), nursing support, monitoring seizures etc.

Section H is social care provision. This might be short breaks, out of school activities or support for the family at home.

Section I names the school or other institutions your child attends. In a draft EHC plan, this must always be left blank, because this is when you can tell your Local Authority what school you want your child to go to.

Section J If you have requested a personal budget, Section J will contain information about this. A personal budget is not extra money, but a more flexible way of using the funding allocated to your child. See our separate information on personal budgets.

Section K contains all the reports gathered as part of the assessment process.

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What is an EHC plan? An EHC plan is a legal document that describes a child or young person's special educational, health and social care needs. It explains the extra help that will be given to meet those needs, and...

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Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) 

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Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) 

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IPSEA offers free and independent legally based information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) - helping children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the education they are entitled to by law

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The duties of the local authority and statutory requirements that childcare providers, education settings and beyond have to adhere too

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Skip to main content

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Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This statutory code contains:

details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception

statutory guidance that you must follow by law unless there's a good reason not to

It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

The code, which applies to England, is for:

headteachers and principals

governing bodies

school and college staff

special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators

early years providers

other education settings

local authorities

health and social services staff

Other SEND guides are also available.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

# data[].attributes.body
The duties of the local authority and statutory requirements that childcare providers, education settings and beyond have to adhere to

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This statutory code contains:

details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception

statutory guidance that you must follow by law unless there's a good reason not to

It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

The code, which applies to England, is for:

headteachers and principals

governing bodies

school and college staff

special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators

early years providers

other education settings

local authorities

health and social services staff

Other SEND guides are also available.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

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What is the Birth to 5 curriculum and how does it support my child's development?

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What is the Birth to 5 curriculum and how does it support my child's development?

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What is the Birth to 5 curriculum and how does it support my child's development?

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What is the Birth to 5 curriculum and how does it support my child's development?

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Charity to help unpaid carers of all ages, right across Bedfordshire, with information, support and advice

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

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A Parent Carer Forum is a group of parents and carers of children with special educational needs or disabilities who work with local authorities, education settings, health providers and other providers to make sure that the services they commission, plan and deliver meet the needs of disabled children and families.

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#TEAM
#Together Everyone Achieves More

Please watch our video to find out more about us and what we do.

Summer of SEND Activities 2023

WHAT WE DO

Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum (BBPCF) works alongside Bedford Borough Council (BBC) and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) as a strategic partner and critical friend.

​

The Forum has built strong working relationships and have a trusted role as parent carers of children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 in Bedford Borough..

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We are experts by experience and as such, have a unique understanding of how challenging life can be raising a child or young person with SEND.

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We do this by giving parent carers the opportunity to participate in a number of ways such as coffee events, conferences, social media, surveys and focus groups. This feedback can then be used to co-produce and work at a strategic level with the Local Authorities and the ICB.

​

We also offer training to empower our members.

WHAT IS A PARENT CARER FORUM?

A Parent Carer Forum is a group of parents and carers of children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who work with local authorities, education settings, health providers and other providers to make sure that the services they commission, plan and deliver meet the needs of disabled children and families.

BBPCF was formed in October 2012 and we have had a Steering Committee since May 2013. To meet the members of our Steering Committee please click here

​

Parent Carer participation is when parent carers and professionals work together, recognising each others expert knowledge, to make informed decisions about children's services that make the best use of people's time and money.

Membership is open to any family members or carers of any child or young adult with special educational needs or a disability, up to the age of 25 years and who live in or access services in Bedford Borough. You do not have to have a diagnosis to become a member, please complete our membership form here.

Practitioners from the voluntary and statutory sectors can become associate members. Associate members will be kept up to date with BBPCF's latest events and will be able to attend some events, where it is appropriate. To become an Associate Member please click here .

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Home | Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum

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Parent Carer feedback on SEND Services in Bedford Borough for children age 0-25.

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Empowering Parents, Influencing Change (EPIC)

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The government has published a green paper on the future of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision system. A green paper is a discussion document. It is usually published as a first step towards making changes to the law. You can read the proposals here The Council for Disabled Children and the Department for Education are running a virtual consultation event on 23 May, 10am-3.30pm . Register here

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The government has published a green paper on the future of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision system. A green paper is a discussion document. It is usually published as a first step towards making changes to the law.

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Special Needs Action Panel Parent Carer Forum

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SNAP (Special Needs Action Panel) is a pro-active, independent forum of parent carers who all have children or young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). As members of the National Network of Parent Carer Forum's we support the development of parent carer participation, a process in which parents work together with professionals to make improvements to local services. We act as a conduit for a wide variety of local professionals in their work with children and young people with SEND.
SNAP's purpose is to improve the services provided for our young people, aged between 0 and 25 years.
We are a Parent Participation Forum enabling parent carers to participate in developing and influencing local services. We work with service providers, individuals and organisations to bring a real-life perspective and experience to the planning and development of the services that our families use. We focus on helping to raise the standard of Social Care, Education and Health Services within Central Bedfordshire, to ensure that these services are provided in a way that meets the needs of all disabled children and their families locally.
To become a member of SNAP you must be a parent of a child or young person with SEND aged 0-25 and live in Central Bedfordshire. Fill out a SNAP Membership Form
'Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.'
Find out more about SNAP >>

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Who is SNAP? - SNAP PCF - Central Bedfordshire

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Who is SNAP? SNAP (Special Needs Action Panel) is a pro-active, independent forum of parent carers who all have children or young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). As members of the National Network of Parent Carer Forum's

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Autism Bedfordshire- Steps to independence 

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Autism Bedfordshire- Steps to independence 

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Autism Bedfordshire are an independent charity dedicated to improving the lives of autistic people and their families across Bedfordshire.

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Steps to Independence " Autism Bedfordshire

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Autism Hertfordshire's steps to independence program will be offering a variety of workshops, skills development courses online aimed at taking the first steps to independence, helping young autistic adults prepare for adulthood. Sessions will include:

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Safe at Home team- home assessments and equipment

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Safe at Home team- home assessments and equipment

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Safe at Home offer free of charge home safety assessment for Luton families
Low income families can apply for free equipment  (terms and conditions apply)

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Safe at Home are still offering FREE Home Safety checks to all COVID-19 UPDATE
Luton households.

We encourage familiesto APPLY ONLINE via the tab - a member of the Safe at Home team will contact the parent/guardian to book an appointment with our service. *Applications from families living outside of Luton will be declined and advised to contact their own health visitor for guidance.
OUR SERVICE INCLUDES:
'Telephone' Home Safety Assessment for families with 0-5's who live in LUTON
A booking slot will be offered with a qualified safety advisor who will talk through a room-by-room safety questionnaire over the phone with parent/guardian on an agreed date/time covering each room within the home. The advisor will provide the relevant safety advice to help reduce the risk of accidental injury to under 5's and a copy of the completed questionnaire is then emailed to the parent/guardian, enabling them to make the recommended changes to improve child safety in-and-around the home.
Child Safety Equipment Installation (Face to Face)
If the household is entitled to Please free equipment fitting, once the Telephone Home Safety Assessment is completed, an installation slot will be arranged with our approved installer (Bedfordshire Fire Service). *All household members must be clear of any COVID symptoms on the day of installation, otherwise the fitting slot will need to be rescheduled. Households who are NOT eligible for free equipment will have an 'option to purchase' should they wish to do so. VIEW EQUIPMENT on the What We Offer tab

For families living in Luton we are offering a FREE Stage 1 session. Expectant or new parents can gain awareness of the Tubes of Life programme and what this means to them and their baby and importance of choosing safe and compliant nursery products. It offers an ideal opportunity for parent/guardian to ask our baby safety expert their questions and discuss any nursery product queries prior to purchasing retail goods, plus each family will receive a free complimentary gift bag which is dropped off to their doorway. Stage 1 - (Online) Keeping Baby Safe Workshop - Virtual Zoom session for families who are expecting a baby or have a new-born under 3 months TO BOOK, click apply online via tab and ADD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FORM in the 'Any Other Information Box' a Request to book onto KBS Workshop (a choice of dates and times will be forwarded - followed by a link to join the chosen online session)

Please contact us on 07553348485 or email: ANY QUERIES: safeathome@eyalliance.org.uk Please stay safe - we look forward to hearing from you!

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Advice and Safety Equipment for Families with Children Aged 0-5 Luton 'Safe at Home' is a child accident prevention service delivered through a local multi-agency partnership led by Flying Start & Early Years Alliance in association with Public Health and Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service.

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Keeping your child safe at home
A charity working to reduce the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents.

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Free educational resources

Looking for free educational resources to help keep children safe? Download and share our free safety fact sheets, use our eye-catching materials to create a colourful display or run a safety workshop for parents with our session plans.

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Child Accident Prevention Trust | A safer world for all our children

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Safety advice Many accidents are a part of growing up. Children need to explore and experiment. But some children suffer the pain of serious accidents that can alter the course of their lives forever. Most of these serious accidents are completely preventable by making simple solutions or changes to routines.

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Serving the borough of Bedford, our Early Childhood Partnership is responsible for the delivery of Children's Centre services.

Commissioned by Bedford Borough Council, we offer support from our Children's Centres and community venues, as well as providing an outreach service that allows us to meet with families in their homes.

We work across three key areas: Perinatal Services, Children's Activities and Parenting Support. Our service is used by expectant parents, carers and families with children up to five years old.

You may also have heard of us as Early Childhood Partnership (ECP) Bedford, or Bedford Borough Children's Centres.

What does the Early Childhood Partnership do?

Our Children's Centres focus on improving outcomes for young children and their families, with a particular focus on reducing inequalities for the most disadvantaged families. Our core areas of work are:

Child development and school readiness

Improved parenting aspirations

Self-esteem and parenting skills.

Our Children's Centres offer a space where families can:

See your midwife

See your health visitor

Meet other families in your community and make friends

Bring your child/children along to play and learn

Join us in other fun activities

Receive support and advice

Learn a new skill

Get information on a range of other local services

The list goes on and you will find more information about specific groups currently on offer through this website and our termly timetables available at your local children's centre.

There are centres across Bedford where you will find all manner of support and activities, whatever your situation.

We would love to see you are one of the centres.

Apply for 2 year old funding Bump, birth and baby stuff booking

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Serving the borough of Bedford, our Early Childhood Partnership is responsible for the delivery of Children's Centre services. Commissioned by Bedford Borough Council, we offer support from our Children's Centres and community venues, as well as providing an outreach service that allows us to meet with families in their homes.

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Community Paediatrics - What can they do?

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Community Paediatrics - What can they do?

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If you are unable to get through to our Children's Health Hub team, please contact us via email at ccs.bedsandlutonchildrenshealthhub@nhs.net
The Bedfordshire and Luton Community Paediatric Service is provided by teams led by Consultant Community Paediatricians who work in partnership with Community Children's Nurses, Therapists and other agencies.

The Service has sites in Redgrave Gardens, Children's & Young People's Centre (aka Edwin Lobo Centre), the Child Development Centre, Kempston and Union Street, Bedford.

The service provides assessment, advice, signposting, diagnosis and medical support for children ﻿registered with a Bedfordshire or Luton GP﻿.

The team includes Clinical Nurse Specialists, an Early Intervention Team, CAMHS linkworkers and Support Workers. We provide a variety of workshops for parents/carers that are held on line.

The service works to an initial appointment response time (RRT) of 18 weeks for accepted referrals.

The service is also involved in medical education and community paediatric trainees are part of the team on both sites. These trainees may be observing the clinics or holding their own registrar clinics alongside the consultants. We may also have medical and nursing students observing in clinics.
To find out more about booking your appointment using our Choose & Book system, please watch the video below:

Our Choose & Book System
We also provide the following services:
We provide paediatric medical assessments for children and young people registered with a Luton or Bedfordshire GP with the following conditions:
We do not accept referrals for:

Complex developmental difficulties (affecting more than one area of development) or known developmental disorder (including genetic disorders with associated developmental problems)

Neuro-disability such as cerebral palsy or other motor disorders

Social communication difficulties and suspected autism spectrum disorder (children up to 13 years only)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Significant Learning Difficulties identified by educational services, requiring medical investigation

Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (following assessment by a physiotherapist and/or Occupational Therapist)

Education, Health and Care Plan medicals

Children with special needs at Special Schools

Safeguarding concerns, alleged neglect, physical, emotional

Adoption, Children in Care (CIC) medicals

Enuresis - Central Bedfordshire and Bedfordshire Borough
- Nocturnal Enuresis (over 5 years of age and not improving with advice from 0-19 team)
- Diurnal Enuresis (over age of 5 years)
- Constipation and soiling

Enuresis - Luton, South Bedfordshire
- Nocturnal Enuresis (over 7 years of age and not improving with advice from 0-19 team)
- Encopresis and soiling

Continence for children with special educational needs (SEND) - aged 4-18 years.

Difficulties with sleep problems (associated with neurodevelopmental difficulties/disorder)

Referrals to other professionals/agencies made where appropriate

In addition, we provide specific role related functions, ie:

Medical advice in relation to children with Special Educational Needs (SEND) (for Education Health and Care plans)

Children in Care CIC (formally Looked After Children) Initial Health Assessments - for further information click on the links below:

Selective mutism

Mental health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, mood disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, suicidal tendency or self-harming

Eating disorders

Dyslexia

Tic disorders (unless associated with neurodevelopmental difficulties requiring assessment)

Growth problems (unless associated with neurodevelopmental difficulties/disorders)

Named Doctor for safeguarding children

Lead Doctor for CIC

Lead Paediatrician to CDOP (Child Death Overview Panel)

Lead Paediatricians for SEN, Autism, Neurodisability, Encopresis

To find out more about our assessment process for children with Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) - click here for our Diagnosis Resource Pack.

Where can I get further information from?
If you would like further information about the service, contact us via the emails above or call us on: 0300 555 0606 (Health HUB). Our hours of operation are Monday - Friday, 09.00 - 17.00

How do I access this service/make a referral?

Referrals to Community Paediatrics are now online. If you're a professional who works with a child you'd like to refer and you don't use SystmOne, you can use our new Referral Portal.

You can be referred to the service by health, education and social care professionals, please note that self-referrals are not accepted to this service. GPs are encouraged to continue to use the SystmOne referral pathway.

Latest Waiting Time information
Click on the link to view information regarding our latest waiting times across Luton and Bedfordshire

Click on this link for translatable information on waiting times.

Local Support Services

For information about local support services - click here

If you have any concerns about a child's safety, contact the following services:

Local Offer and NDD Pathway

Further information for Children with SEND, and information about the Neurodevelopmental Assessment Pathway (NDD) can be found on the Local Offer pages:

Diagnosis Support Pack
Professionals, parents and young people across Bedfordshire and Luton have joined forces to utilise their expertise and collaborate in the development of a co-produced ' Diagnosis Support Pack' - a one stop place for information, support, guidance in multi media format in the lead up to, or following a diagnosis of a neurodiversity. Click on the link above or the image to access the pack.

To find out how we use what we know about you ( Privacy Notice) and for information about how to access our buildings: AccessAble

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If you are unable to get through to our Children's Health Hub team, please contact us via email at ccs.bedsandlutonchildrenshealthhub@nhs.net The Bedfordshire and Luton Community Paediatric Service is provided by teams led by Consultant Community Paediatricians who work in partnership with Community Children's Nurses, Therapists and other agencies.

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What is a BOSA?
We understand that you will want to prepare for the assessment and your child or young person may have questions too. Below are some videos we created together with parents and their children who have had a BOSA assessment to help explain what a BOSA is and what to expect at the assessment. You will also find more information in the sections below.
Information for parents and carers
There is also an animation designed for young people about BOSA assessments.

Covid-19 has imposed changes on the way health care is delivered across the country and worldwide with greater use of technology, which has brought both challenges and benefits. As part of adaptations made to our services, we have changed the way we are carrying out assessments for children suspected of showing symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Before Covid, these assessments were carried out using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) delivered by a clinician working one-to-one with the child on a schedule of assessments in order to provide a diagnosis. These assessments are designed to investigate the key indicators of ASD including communication, social interaction and restricted and repetitive behaviours. The pandemic made it difficult to deliver ADOS because it did not allow for social distancing and put the young person and clinician at risk of infection. Crucially, however, the main reason that ADOS was not able to be used was because the wearing of face masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) can impact on how the young person behaves so the results may not be reliable.

Therefore, a new clinical approach was adopted called the Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA). The BOSA is just one component of a multi-disciplinary diagnostic assessment and allows the young person's behaviour to be observed. But unlike ADOS, the BOSA involves the young person interacting with their parent (or an adult they are comfortable with) rather than directly with the clinician. This is not an alternative assessment to the ADOS. It is an assessment we can use during the pandemic to gather more information about your child's needs.
What happens during a BOSA assessment?
During the BOSA assessment the parent will use a set of standardised tasks designed to achieve responses from their child. The activities in the BOSA are designed to give opportunities for you and your child to join in together and have fun, to interact, to communicate, to play and chat. You and your child will be asked to remove your face masks only for the duration of these play activities. This will allow us too observe your child's own facial expressions and reactions to you.

There are four different modules and the clinician will select the one which is most appropriate for your child's age and level of language. During the session the clinician may need to step up or step down the assessment activities depending on your child's strengths and needs.ur facial expressions. In order to run the assessment effectively the clinician will give parents clear instructions so that they can be well prepared for the assessment. If the parent is unsure during the assessment, the clinician is there to provide support and can coach the parent. The BOSA has been designed to be fun and interactive for all ages and the games are quick and fun to make them easy to engage with.

Your appointment letter will explain which of the four assessments has been selected for your child or young person (MV, PSYF, F1 or F2), please find below videos showing you what to expect at each of the assessment. Please select the correct link for the assessment as mentioned in your appointment letter and do not watch this video with your child, there is an information video for young people and an animation for children.

The BOSA will be observed by an experienced clinician (for example, a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Paediatrician or a Clinical Psychologist) in the room, possibly with observers, wearing PPE (face mask, gloves and apron) and socially distanced. The clinicians involved in observing the BOSA are ADOS trained and have experience in administration of the ADOS.

The clinicians will be looking out for interaction and communication behaviours like, the sounds your child makes, their talking, what they talk about and how they use their body language. They will also be looking at how your child engages with the items provided, how they play and pretend and what your child is really interested in. They will be looking to see if there are any repetitive or unusual movements your child makes. They will look for any sensory behaviours they show such as sniffing items, looking very closely at the items or licking them.

How long is the BOSA assessment appointment?
The assessment takes around 45 to 60 minutes and it will be video recorded. We will request your consent to be video recorded and written consent will be requested at the appointment. The video recording will be used only by our clinicians to review the assessment and will be held in secure storage.
What happens after the BOSA assessment?
As the BOSA is only part of your child's assessment, the clinician will be unable to give you any feedback during the BOSA assessment appointment. The clinician observing the BOSA will write a detailed report and share this with your child's paediatrician. A feedback appointment will then be arranged for you, with the paediatrician. They will contact you directly to arrange this.

During the feedback appointment, the paediatrician will go through the BOSA report and all of the information gathered so far. You will have an opportunity to ask questions and share any concerns regarding your child's difficulties. The paediatrician will let you know the outcome of the diagnostic assessment and will explain why they have reached this conclusion. They will also talk about different support services available locally, that might be useful for you and your family. Please be aware there maybe the need for further assessment or ADOS if it is not possible to conclude your child's assessment.

After the feedback appointment, you will receive a report from the paediatrician, containing the findings and the conclusion. A copy of the BOSA report will be attached with the Paediatrician's report.

It's important to remember that the BOSA assessment is just one part of a wider assessment by our highly-trained staff, which will include a detailed case history of your child. Once we have the results of the BOSA, we will send you a full report and we will be able to decide on the right support that your child will need

You can find out more about the BOSA assessment here:
We worked with families to improve the BOSA experience
We spoke to families who had experienced a BOSA assessment to find out what we could do to improve the experience for parents, carers, children and young people.

Below are two story maps for Eva and Rebecca, both parents from two different families, you will see that they both had positive feedback but also shared how they felt the experience could be improved by having a leaflet, video and clearer information. We listened to their feedback and that of other parents and invited Rebecca and Eva to work together with us and parent carer forums to co-produce (create together) a leaflet, a video for parents and carers and one for young people, an animation for younger children and instruction videos for parents and carers.

A Glossary to support the BOSA report
We have included on this page a document giving an explanation of some of the words, terms or abbreviations used. Click on the link to download the glossary

You can also find a quick guide to the glossary online, by clicking here

If you are interested in working with us to help improve the quality of the service that we deliver, then please complete this form and our co-production lead will be in touch.

Here is a video of our journey co-producing (creating together) all the wonderful resources you can see on this page. We worked hard but had fun along the way too.

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What is a BOSA? We understand that you will want to prepare for the assessment and your child or young person may have questions too. Below are some videos we created together with parents and their children who have had a BOSA assessment to help explain what a BOSA is and what to expect at the assessment.

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'Understanding Challenging Behaviour: Part 1' is the first information sheet in this series. It is recommended that it is read alongside 'Finding the Reasons for Challenging Behaviour: Part 2' and 'Positive Behaviour Support Planning: Part 3' (see links at bottom of page) Download: Understanding challenging behaviour - part 1
Quick read summary

Children and adults with learning disabilities may display ''problem'' or ''unusual'' behaviours. These can include:

Aggression (e.g. hitting)

Self-Injury (e.g. head banging)

Destruction (e.g. throwing)

Other (e.g. spitting)

It can be stressful, upsetting and impact on the lives of the whole family.

Why does it happen?

There is always a reason for challenging behaviour. In many cases, it's a way for a person to control what is going on around them and to get their needs met. They also might be ill or in pain, or want to get something. It's important to understand the reasons behind challenging behaviour for change to happen!

What can be done?

There is no quick fix. Having said that, there is a lot that can be done to prevent or reduce challenging behaviour:

Work out if the person is in pain or bored

Is there a way of teaching the person to show you what they want in another way? Develop their communication skills

Keep a record of the behaviour

When safe to do so, ignore it and distract the person

Ask your GP/social worker if the person can get a referral for a ''functional assessment'' to better understand the reasons behind their behaviour

Download: Understanding challenging behaviour - part 1

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'Understanding Challenging Behaviour: Part 1' is the first information sheet in this series. It is recommended that it is read alongside 'Finding the Reasons for Challenging Behaviour: Part 2' and 'Positive Behaviour Support Planning: Part 3' (see links at bottom of page) Download: Understanding challenging behaviour - part 1 Children and adults with learning disabilities may display ''problem'' or ''unusual'' behaviours.

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The Neurodiversity Support pack has been coproduced by families for families following a diagnosis of a neurodiversity, and contains information, resources and signposting

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Beds & Luton Post Diagnosis Support Pack (DSP)

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The Diagnosis Support Pack (DSP) is for families following a diagnosis of a neurodiversity, and contains information, resources and signposting in a variety of media (video’s, infographics, animations), split into 14 different chapters - from sleep to medication and lots more.

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The neurodiversity support pack has been coproduced by families for families following a diagnosis of a neurodiversity, and contains information, resources and signposting

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Beds & Luton Post Diagnosis Support Pack (DSP)

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The Diagnosis Support Pack (DSP) is for families following a diagnosis of a neurodiversity, and contains information, resources and signposting in a variety of media (video’s, infographics, animations), split into 14 different chapters - from sleep to medication and lots more.

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The neurodiversity support pack has been coproduced by families for families following a diagnosis of a neurodiversity, and contains information, resources and signposting

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Beds & Luton Post Diagnosis Support Pack (DSP)

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The Diagnosis Support Pack (DSP) is for families following a diagnosis of a neurodiversity, and contains information, resources and signposting in a variety of media (video’s, infographics, animations), split into 14 different chapters - from sleep to medication and lots more.

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Flying Start Childrens Centres offer a range of groups and services for families in Luton

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Flying Start is a partnership approach to the delivery of services for families in Luton, with a focus on the antenatal period and the early years. The Early Years Alliance and partners, working alongside local communities and parents, are committed to delivering the Flying Start vision and strategy and supporting children to have a flying start in life.

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WELCOME TO FLYING START "Flying Start will make a positive and systematic change to the lives and life chances of babies and young children from pregnancy to five years of age in Luton for future generations." ABOUT US Flying Start is a partnership approach to the delivery

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Sleep Scotland

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Support for Parents from Action For Children

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My child won’t eat properly and has additional needs - Support for Parents from Action For Children

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Any child can be a fussy eater. But refusing foods is common if your child has special educational needs or additional learning needs.

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If you are autistic, you may have difficulty with communication and social interactions with others. This Fact Sheet looks at the most common dietary problems affecting autistic people and how dietitians can help.

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The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.
You do not need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get the balance right over a day or even a week.

Most of us still are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. They should make up just over a third of the food we eat each day.

Aim to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg each day. Choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced.

Remember that fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to no more than a combined total of 150ml a day.

Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Find out more about how to get your 5 A Day

Starchy food should make up just over a third of the food we eat. Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as wholewheat pasta and brown rice, or simply leave the skins on potatoes.

There are also higher fibre versions of white bread and pasta.

Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.
Find out more about starchy foods

These foods are good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Pulses, such as beans, peas and lentils, are good alternatives to meat because they're low in fat and they're a good source of fibre and protein, too.

Choose lean cuts of meat and mince, and eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.

Aim for at least 2 portions (2 x 140g) of fish every week, 1 of which should be oily, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.

Find out about fish and meat.

Milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are good sources of protein and some vitamins, and they're also an important source of calcium, which helps keep our bones healthy.

Try to go for lower-fat and lower-sugar products where possible, like semi-skimmed, skimmed or 1% fat milk, reduced-fat cheese or plain low-fat yoghurt.
Find out more about milk and dairy foods

Unsaturated fats are healthier fats and include vegetable, rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils.

Remember all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.
Find out more about the different types of fat in our diet

These foods include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sugary soft drinks, butter, ghee and ice cream.

They're not needed in our diet, so should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts.
Get tips on cutting down on sugar

Water, lower-fat milks, lower-sugar or sugar-free drinks and tea and coffee all count.

Fruit juice and smoothies also count towards your fluid consumption, but they contain free sugars that can damage teeth, so limit these drinks to a combined total of 150ml a day.
Find out more about water, drinks and your health

How does the Eatwell Guide work?

The Eatwell Guide divides the foods and drinks we consume into 5 main food groups.

Try to choose a variety of different foods from each of the groups to help you get the wide range of nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

It's important to get some fat in your diet, but foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar have been placed outside of the main Eatwell Guide as they're not necessary as part of a healthy, balanced diet and most of us need to cut down on these.

Unsaturated fats from plant sources (for example, vegetable oil or olive oil) are healthier types of fat.

But all types of fat are high in energy (calories), so they should only be eaten in small amounts.

On average, women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules) and men should have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). We all need different amounts of energy (or calories) from food to be a healthy weight. How much you need depends on lots of things, including how active you are.

Find out how food labels can help you choose between foods and pick those lower in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.

Combination foods

Many foods, such as pizzas, casseroles, pasta dishes and sandwiches, are combinations of the food groups in the Eatwell Guide.

With these meals, check the ingredients and think about how these fit with the sections on the guide to help you achieve a balanced diet.

Does the Eatwell Guide apply to everyone?

The Eatwell Guide applies to most of us, whether we're a healthy weight or overweight, whether we eat meat or are vegetarian, and no matter what our ethnic origin.

Anyone with special dietary requirements or medical needs might want to check with a registered dietitian on how to adapt the Eatwell Guide to meet their individual needs.

Children under the age of 2

The Eatwell Guide does not apply to children under the age of 2 because they have different nutritional needs.

Between the ages of 2 and 5, children should gradually move to eating the same foods as the rest of the family in the proportions shown in the Eatwell Guide.

Read more about babies, toddlers and young children's nutritional needs in Your baby's first solid foods.

Download the Eatwell Guide booklet

For more information, including details of which foods are included in the food groups, download GOV.UK's The Eatwell Guide.

Healthy eating support

Food and diet advice on the NHS website includes:

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Read about the interactive Eatwell Guide, which shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.

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As children grow and learn, they depend on you to keep them safe and teach them what is and is not good behaviour.

As your child becomes more independent, they may start to push your boundaries. This can be really challenging as a parent!

It helps to know that this is how children begin to understand the world around them and how their actions affect others. Young children's brains are still developing and they don't yet have the ability to control their emotions. Young children need support from an understanding adult to help them make sense of these feelings.
Children 5-19 years old
Your child or teenager continues to depend on you as they grow and develop. They want to become more independent and can find boundaries tricky to deal with. They will struggle to manage their feelings as their brains are developing and hormones are starting to surge. This can be really challenging for parents!

It helps to notice and comment on all the times they are behaving well and having fun. This will help your child's self-esteem and confidence to grow.

What you can do

Put yourself in your child's shoes and try to understand why your child may be acting in the way they are. Are they tired? Overwhelmed? Hungry? Bored?

Support, listen and comfort your child. Show them that you love them and that their feelings are important to you

Be consistent in the boundaries you set. If you react one way one day and differently another day your child will get confused. It is important that everyone in your family deals with your child's behaviour in the same way

Try to ignore unwanted behaviour where is it safe to do so. Distract your child into another activity and praise good behaviour

Remember that bad behaviour may be a sign that your child is unhappy or scared. You may need to help them to find the words to describe their feelings

When your child is calm, talk to them. Explain to them why it's not OK to bite you or why you want them to hold your hand when crossing the road, for example.

Sometimes, the behaviour is because of a concern or worry your child has. Give your child the time to talk about things - driving somewhere together is often a great time to talk.

Think about how your child's behaviour is making you feel. If you are becoming stressed or angry, it can be difficult to respond rationally. Talk to family or friends or a health professional.

Never smack your child. This does not work - it can frighten your child and will teach them that smacking is OK. They may then hit other children or adults

Who can help?

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As children grow and learn, they depend on you to keep them safe and teach them what is and is not good behaviour. As your child becomes more independent, they may start to push your boundaries. This can be really challenging as a parent!

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The specialist nursing team co-ordinates, advises and supports children and their families, particularly in the areas of sleep, behaviours that may challenge and continence who access any service based at the Child Development Centre (CDC) and Union Street Clinic

The service is provided by a multi-skilled team of registered nurses, specialist nursery nurses and children's support workers.

Where our service is based

How to contact our service

For advice and support contact our health hub: ﻿

Bedfordshire & Luton Health HUB - Tel: 0300 555 0606
Monday - Friday (except bank holidays) 0900 - 5.00.

How to access the service

Please ask for a referral from one of the following:

You can contact our Health HUB and ask for information from the Bedfordshire nurse led advice line.

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Bedfordshire nurse-led clinic team at the Child Development Centre

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The specialist nursing team co-ordinates, advises and supports children and their families, particularly in the areas of sleep, behaviours that may challenge and continence who access any service based at the Child Development Centre (CDC) and Union Street Clinic The service is provided by a multi-skilled team of registered nurses, specialist nursery nurses and children's support workers.

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The specialist nursing team co-ordinates, advises and supports children and their families, particularly in the areas of sleep, behaviours that may challenge and continence who access any service based at the Child Development Centre (CDC) and Union Street Clinic

The service is provided by a multi-skilled team of registered nurses, specialist nursery nurses and children's support workers.

Where our service is based

How to contact our service

For advice and support contact our health hub: ﻿

Bedfordshire & Luton Health HUB - Tel: 0300 555 0606
Monday - Friday (except bank holidays) 0900 - 5.00.

How to access the service

Please ask for a referral from one of the following:

You can contact our Health HUB and ask for information from the Bedfordshire nurse led advice line.

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Bedfordshire nurse-led clinic team at the Child Development Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The specialist nursing team co-ordinates, advises and supports children and their families, particularly in the areas of sleep, behaviours that may challenge and continence who access any service based at the Child Development Centre (CDC) and Union Street Clinic The service is provided by a multi-skilled team of registered nurses, specialist nursery nurses and children's support workers.

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ERIC is the national charity dedicated to improving children's bowel and bladder health

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See behaviour...think sensory

As well as bladder and bowel function, and development, it is often very useful to consider how sensations affect a child's response to using the toilet.

When we think of how children understand their world, this includes understanding the impact of their sensory experiences. As they grow they experience a wider world, including nursery school, wearing pants and going to bathrooms. How they perceive and understand sensations may influence the strategies needed to help children learn to use the toilet. This can affect many children, and especially those with developmental difficulties or with autism.

We experience ourselves and the world around us through our senses. Most people have the ability to filter out a great deal of the sensory information they receive. Children often cannot do this so well, and can become easily overwhelmed.

We have emotional reactions to sensory experiences, and these may be influenced by memory and imagination as well as the physical sensations. There are some sensory experiences which we may love, such as the feel of being stroked, or looking at a flower, whereas there may be others which we dislike, such as the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard or a particular taste such as sprouts! We all appreciate sensory experiences differently, with often individual emotional reactions and memories.
Adjusting the sensory input can make a difference for many children to help them to learn toileting skills. As children grow they often learn to adapt and become comfortable to the sensations they experience.
Sensory information

This is received from our sensory organs and gives us information about our world. The sensory systems include: touch, balance, body position, vision, hearing, taste and smell.

Other sensory information is also received from our internal body organs including bowel and bladder awareness, which affects the ability to learn continence.

Our responses to sensory information may be affected by a range of factors; including our previous sensory experiences or how alert or stressed we are, and maturity.

Sensory problems

Increased sensitivity:

Some children may be especially sensitive to the sensations they feel, and find them upsetting. They may perceive certain noises as unbearably loud, and touch may feel painful. This can lead to children avoiding sensory input they find upsetting.

Reduced sensitivity:

This is where sensation may be reduced and the child doesn't appear to register it. Some of these children may try to actively seek sensory input; these children often rock, spin or slap their hands to stimulate themselves with increased sensory sensation.

These different reactions can vary across the senses, meaning they crave input from one sense but actively avoid it in another.

Sensory aspects of toileting

Toileting, like eating, is an extremely sensory experience. Many children find that bathrooms and toilets are upsetting or scary.
They may have difficulties in understanding the sensations experienced by their own body, and knowing how to react to them.
It is useful to look at the different sensory experiences a child has and try to analyse and understand which aspects are causing difficulty. This helps in appreciating a child's perception and difficulties, and to create an environment where the child feels more relaxed, secure and comfortable.

Touch:

Touch provides information about the sensations we feel on our skin and about the objects and textures we come into contact with. Children will feel surfaces as hard or soft, hot or cold, rough or smooth. The hands and genitals have high numbers of touch receptors, so are especially sensitive.

Children who are sensitive to touch may not like sitting on toilet seats, which may feel hard or cold. They could be upset by feeling wee or poo on their hands or body, and feeling splashes of water from the toilet. They may not like the sensation of toilet paper or wipes, solid or liquid soaps. Touch and contact with bathroom furniture and flooring may also affect them.

Children who have reduced sensation may not notice when they are wet or soiled, and may enjoy the extra tactile experience from playing with their poo. They may like the feeling of wee and poo in their pants or nappy, or the contact provided by wearing a nappy. They may like exploring the sensations gained from playing with bathroom products.

Balance:

The balance system gives information about movement and where our body is in space.
Children who are upset by balance sensations may feel unsteady on the toilet, particularly if their feet can't reach the floor. The memory of previous experiences of feeling unstable can continue to affect their confidence. Some children may find an open space or gap at the side of the toilet affects their position sense, and they may feel more secure in toilet cubicles with walls on either side. The reflections from tiling or mirrors or changes in floor surfaces may make them feel unsteady.

Children who have reduced sensation or sensory seekers may feel a need to rock to stimulate their balance system, and find it difficult to sit still on the toilet.

Body awareness (Proprioception):

This sensation tells us where our body is in relation to the world around us, helping us know which parts of our body are moving and allowing us to control movements without looking. It also gives information about the pressure needed to manipulate objects.

Children who have increased awareness may have more sensation from sitting on the toilet, and they may be aware of the contrast of the hard toilet seat and the space inside. They may find these feelings uncomfortable or even painful.

Children who have reduced sensation seek increased stimulation and may enjoy the deep pressure they get from wearing a nappy. Nappies and tight clothing may increase the awareness of their body position and help coordinating movement. They may be unsure of their position on the toilet, or where to put their feet. Some children may try to feel their body better by pushing themselves back to feel the toilet cistern behind them.

Children often find wiping themselves difficult. This can be linked with difficulties in coordinating their movements and using the right amount of pressure to clean themselves.

Vision:

Sight provides information about objects and people around us, enabling us to define the boundaries of things we can see.
Children who have increased awareness of visual stimulation or sensory avoiders may struggle with the confusing amount of visual input in a bathroom. This can come from bright lights, reflections from tiling, mirrors, windows and bathroom fitments. They may be overwhelmed by the range of colourful toiletry products, towels or patterned flooring. This visual input may be distracting and sometimes cause anxiety and distress.

Children who have reduced awareness or sensory seekers may struggle with distinguishing what it is they are supposed to be focusing on in the bathroom, or may be actively seeking reflections or bright lighting.

Hearing:

Hearing provides information about whether sounds around us are loud, soft, high, low, near or far.
Children who are very sensitive to sound may struggle with the variety and volume of sounds within a bathroom. These include echoes, running water, flushing toilets, fans, etc. Some children may find the sound of wee or poo landing in the toilet worrying. Hand-dryers can be particularly difficult for many children, and can feel like a loud and painful sound. Toilets and bathrooms are often echoing places, especially in larger school and public toilets.

Children who have reduced sensation or are sensory seekers may be unaware of or actively seek out some of the sounds within the bathroom. They may enjoy the sound of the toilet flush, and they may want to play with this rather than using the toilet. Some may enjoy the noises that may echo in a bathroom.

Taste and smell:

This provides information about different types and varieties of smell; many of which are present in different bathroom products. The experience of smell is often an emotional experience and very individual.

A child who very sensitive may find certain smells unpleasant or distressing. These smells could include wee and poo, their own or other people's. There are often strong perfumes in toiletries and cleaning products and these can be overwhelming, especially in a small bathroom.

Children who have reduced sensation or sensory seekers may not notice the smell of wee or poo if they are wet or soiled. Some may actively seek out strong smells, and sniff or play with bathroom products. They might enjoy the smell of poo, and may explore this by smearing poo.

Body signals (Interoception):

There are receptors located throughout the inside of our body, which gather information from the body and send it to the brain. Our brain helps to make sense of these messages, and enables us to feel things such as a full bowel or bladder or if we are hungry or thirsty.

Many children may not notice these sensations, or may miss them completely. For some children, who get the sensations sometimes, they are more likely to be unaware of them if they are tired or getting sensory input from another source, such as a computer game, which can distract their attention.

The bowel and bladder are smooth muscles, and the sensory signals they send to the brain are like soft whispers in comparison to messages from other parts of the body.

Some children may seek increased sensation from their body, and gain a positive reaction to the feeling of a full bowel or bladder. Interoception is also linked to feeling our emotions.

How to help children with sensory needs:

It helps to understand a child's individual needs and create the right environment for them. Children often have different sensory needs, and it is helpful to explore a child's reactions to the different sensations they experience.

Consider ways to reduce a child's anxiety and help them to feel relaxed. Use distraction, stories, music, and a special toy.

Look at the environment and reduce stimulation the child finds upsetting.

If children need increased stimulation look at ways of providing this, or give alternatives.

Many children may benefit from a mixture of sensory inputs scheduled into their day.

How to adjust sensory input

Reactions to sensation can be affected by stress, previous memories and experience.
It can be helpful to build a scheduled mixture of sensory inputs into a child's daily routine. The aim of this is to help their nervous system feel better organised, and support with attention and performance through providing a mixture of calming, alerting and organising activities.

Calming

This is helped by activities to relax the nervous system, and reduce anxiety and sensory overload.
Examples include stress balls or fiddle toys, weighted mats, rocking chair, soothing smells, low level lighting, relaxing music, sleeping bags, blankets or cushions or deep pressure massage, and calming music.

Alerting

Activities to help with alerting the nervous system, with the aim of helping the child become more focused and attentive.
Examples include bright lighting, loud music, strong smells, messy play, running games, ball bouncing, trampoline or alerting sensory toys.

Ways to alter sensory inputs:

Tactile, balance and body position

Consider if the toilet seat is right, and if necessary experiment with an alternative shape or cover that gives a different tactile feeling. A padded seat may feel softer and warmer.

Consider the texture of toilet rolls or wipes and work out which the child is happy with.

Consider the temperature of the bathroom and how this might affect the toilet seat, floor and environment.

Provide toys and activities which offer extra tactile input if needed.

Build in more opportunity for movement activities, including bouncing on therapy balls, wheelbarrow walks, doing push-ups against walls or things that the child can fiddle with.

Consider increased experiences at other times to give more opportunity for movement, such as wobble cushions, beanbags.

Limited awareness of wee or poo in nappy or pants

Use a nappy liner pad/folded kitchen paper or pants worn inside the nappy to increase awareness of wetness

Limited awareness of body sensations - 'not feeling the need to go'

Use visual reminders, timers, phone alarms or a vibrating watch as an indicator to go to the toilet

For some children, letting them go without pants in the summer so they can see and feel when they have done a wee, and learn to connect this sensation with themselves

Positioning on the toilet and feeling secure

Use a foot stool (this is always a good idea!)

Use a toilet seat with a smaller hole, such as a children's toilet seat insert

Install a handrail, both sides if needed

Have feet marks on the floor or stool to show where the feet should go to help correct positioning

Use a lap-pad to increase body awareness (can help increase sensation from their legs through the pressure that's provided)

Use a rolled-up towel or a cut up foam swim tube behind them, to show them how far back they should sit, increase awareness and provide a feeling of security

Allow the child to squat on the toilet if that is the best position for them

Use a device that allows them to squat e.g. Squatty Potty

Flooring - impact on balance, vision or temperature

Cover tiled or patterned flooring with a non-slip mat

Avoid having too many changes or varieties in colour or texture

Anxiety about wee or poo touching or splashing on their body or clothes

Put a piece of toilet paper in the toilet before using it to reduce risk of splashes

Teach the child how far down to pull their trousers, pants or skirt

Child wearing disposable gloves to avoid contact with wee or poo

Using wet wipes for cleaning themselves (remember - most are not flushable!)

Wanting the sensation of wee or poo in nappy or pants as this gives increased tactile experience

Explore options to increase tactile sensory input in other ways, for example tightly fitting clothing or fiddle toys

Wanting the sensation of wearing a nappy - as it may be providing deep pressure

Allow the child to wear tight fitting pants, leggings or shorts, for some children you may need to do this over the nappy initially

Provide deep pressure in other ways - using weighted lap-pads or blankets, massage or tight clothing

Gradually reduce the tightness of the nappy as the child gets more confident

Bathroom environment

It is often important to try and create a low arousal environment so the child feels more safe and secure.

Sights:

For those upset by too much visual input:

Reduce the amount of visual information on the walls, and think about the need for calming colours for walls and towels

Reduce glare from lighting - small press-on lights or low wattage bulbs may be useful

Think about reflections, and whether mirrors need to be changed, covered or removed

Some children may wear sunglasses to reduce visual input and these may be useful in the bathroom

Reduce visual overload by putting toiletries or equipment in boxes or out of direct line of vision

For those needing increased visual input:

Bright lighting may be needed

Provide visually stimulating input for the child to see, such as charts, pictures, cartoons, sensory lights or ceiling mounted fiddle toys or mobiles!

Sounds:

The sound of the hand-dryer petrified him...until we realised that he never knew that it actually stopped ....explaining how it worked helped him understand and manage his fear - he then wanted to stay and count how long it lasted before stopping!

For those upset by too much noise:

Use ear-defenders, earplugs or headphones for accessing some bathrooms, particularly public toilets

Use curtains, mats or towels to reduce the impact of echoes in the bathroom

Putting a piece of toilet paper in the toilet prior to using it can decrease the sounds that weeing or pooing can make

Avoid or reduce the use of hand-dryers

If a child finds flushing distressing, try recording the sound of the flush, and using this to gradually desensitise them

For those who need increased sound input: Provide alternative things to provide auditory input if this is what the child is seeking, for example musical or other toys with interesting sounds

For repetitive flushing, include a visual cue for a single flush followed by a different enjoyable activity

Smells:

For those who are upset by smells:

Reduce smell input by using non-perfumed toiletries and cleaning products, and consider detergents used on towels

Use odour neutralisers

Install an extractor device and ensure good ventilation

Allow a child to take something they like with them to sniff to distract from other smells

For those wanting to experience and explore smells:

Increase smell input by using air-fresheners

Allow a child to have something with them to sniff to provide them with strong olfactory input, by using a wristband with perfume or essential oil or scratch-and-sniff stickers

Build in experience of olfactory stimulation in their daytime routine

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ERIC is the national charity dedicated to improving children's bowel and bladder health

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Almost all children can learn to be clean and dry. Children with special needs including delayed development and physical disabilities may take a little longer and need more support. However, the process you need to follow is the same.

This can feel like a big challenge, but it's important not to put off potty training for too long. The longer your child wears a nappy, the harder it may be to introduce a new place for them to wee and poo.

There's information and tips on this page to support children with additional needs and sensory issues.

How to potty train your child with additional needs?

We recommend breaking potty training into stages and tailor your approach on their abilities.

Our 3 step Let's Go Potty approach has been developed to suit all children and abilities. This includes children with autism, ADHD, developmental delay, cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome.

Potty training with autism

There is no evidence that suggests autism causes delayed potty training. However, autistic children may be more likely to struggle to learn potty training skills due to sensory problems or learning disabilities.

They may also be more likely to suffer from constipation. If your child is autistic, research suggests that starting learning in infancy and avoiding constipation is the best way to avoid problems in the future. Get more information about supporting autistic children who have constipation.

One of the hardest things for many autistic children to cope with is a sudden change in routine or habit. This is why the more you can do before you stop using nappies the better, to help make this transition as gentle as possible for them.

Our Let's Go Potty approach has been designed to help your child make this transition whatever their needs are.

Potty training and delayed speech

Non-verbal and neurodivergent children can't always communicate their thoughts and feelings. This means you can't rely on their signals to tell you when they're ready to potty train.

You may need to take more responsibility for knowing how often your child goes for a wee or poo and using this to help direct them.

Here's what we recommend doing to help your child learn this skill:

Complete a bladder/bowel assessment chart so you can see how often they are doing a wee or poo. (Make sure any underlying constipation is treated.)

Base your potty or toilet routine based on this information. Take them at set times according to what the chart tells you.

If they wet themselves at another time, take them to the toilet as quickly as possible and try to get them there so some of the wee goes into the toilet. Ignore the wetting and positively reinforce that the wee has gone into the toilet and continue the rest of the toileting routine.

Use verbal and visual clues. Introduce simple books on the subject consistently using the signs, sounds or words that your child can use. Reinforce verbal clues with a visual clue - use photos, drawings, pictures, images and social stories when preparing them to use the potty. Using these images to create visual schedules will make it easy for your child to follow the new routine and make it more predictable.

Using sign language for common toileting words and phrases can also reinforce learning.

Potty training children with Down syndrome

We are delighted to be partnering with Down Syndrome UK and Positive about Down syndrome to share their fantastic #Pants4school Step by Step Programme. Enabling children with Down Syndrome to be toilet ready for school and reach their full potential.

Download the programme today! (opens in new browser).

Tips for children with additional needs

Your child may take longer to learn each stage, so consider your expectations and don't rush the learning.

Focus on one stage at a time. For example, teach them that poo goes down the toilet by flushing it away together.

Be as consistent as possible. The more consistent you are, the easier it will be for your child to learn.

It's important that your child feels relaxed, comfortable and secure about using the toilet or potty. Make sure the space is accessible to your child. An Occupational Therapist (OT) can help with practical adaptations.

Think about your child's sensory needs and how these relate to using the bathroom. Adjusting the sensory input can make a difference for many children to help them to learn toileting skills.

If you start with the toilet you should use a footstool to help your child feel confident and safe. This will also help your child get into the best position for doing wees and poos, with their feet supported and knees above hips.

Help your child learn the physical skills needed by breaking them down into smaller steps and allowing your child to do the last step independently. For example, help them push their trousers down most of the way, then have them push the last bit down themselves. Same when pulling them up again.

Encourage independence as soon as you see it developing, phasing out support once your child shows competence.

Use stories, visual charts, props and games to teach your child what to do and how to do it. Make your own learning aid by taking photos of your bathroom, drawing pictures of the steps, or by searching on the Internet for visual routines. A standard routine could be: 1.Undress 2. Underwear down 3. Sit 4. Do wee/poo, 5. Wipe, 6. Pull up underwear, 7. Pull up trousers/dress, 8. Flush toilet, 9. Wash hands.

Give your child positive encouragement and praise for the efforts they are making, not just the result. This can help to keep them motivated and willing to move to the next step.

FAQs

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Potty training children with additional needs - ERIC

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Information on potty training for children with additional needs and sensory issues including delayed development, ASD and physical disabilities who may take a little longer to become toilet trained.

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Positive about Down syndrome provides information and support to new and expectant parents of a little one with Down syndrome.

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Whether you are a new or expectant parent, a professional interested to know about Down syndrome or a member of the public - you've come to the right place!

We hope that our stories and photos reassure you, inspire you and show you the reality of life with Down syndrome. There is a lot of negativity, fear of and ignorance around Down syndrome, but we are the experts on living with someone with Down syndrome and these stories are written honestly from experience and absolute understanding.

#NobodyToldMe is a collection of personal experiences written by young people with Down syndrome, their friends and family.

#NobodyToldMe challenges outdated perceptions and attitudes towards those with Down syndrome by showing the reality of our lives.

We, too, have experienced receiving the news that our baby has Down syndrome, so we know how you're feeling, what you're worried about, or what you are feeling guilty for thinking. We are delighted to have this opportunity to share a little of our lives with you to try to address some of those feelings.

There are groups all around the UK, offering a range of support and community.

Click the button below to see a map showing what groups there are near you.

The stories here are our true and personal experiences. PADS is not affiliated with any religious or political organisation.

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Positive About Down Syndrome - A website by parents for parents and parents-to-be

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Whether you are a new or expectant parent, a professional interested to know about Down syndrome or a member of the public - you've come to the right place! We hope that our stories and photos reassure you, inspire you and show you the reality of life with Down syndrome.

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Corinna Laurie, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist at the National Autistic Society and Director of Evolve Children's Therapy Services Ltd, gives some simple strategies to target sensory processing differences.
1. For the child who is overwhelmed by excessive noise, try offering them ear defenders, calming ear buds or allow then to use an MP3 player whilst concentrating.

2. For the child who becomes agitated by touch, allow them to stand at the front or back of the queue to avoid being bumped. Allow them to transition to the next lesson three minutes before others, to avoid corridor collisions.

3. For the child who finds it difficult to sit still, include regular movement breaks, try alternative seating, for example wobble cushions/stools to allow fidgety movement. Always have a variety of fiddle toys available to aid focus.

4. For the child who seeks hugs, try Lycra undergarments, rash vests and rugby base layers that are cheaply available from many sports outlets. Weighted lap pads and blow up canoe chairs are also useful.

5. For the child who finds black print on a white background difficult to read, change the paper to a buff colour and consider the font. This is less stressful on the eyes. Consider your presentation layout for PowerPoints too.

6. If a child is overwhelmed by smell, use a sweatband with a drop of oil, shampoo, or perfume/aftershave that they like. Allow the student to take this with them to mask the smell they find uncomfortable.

7. Food play should be encouraged for those children with a limited diet. There should be no pressure on the child and this should not be done at mealtimes. The aim is purely to reduce the fear of food.

8. The use of a quiet, calming room/space within the classrooms and at home are essential for calming. Use a pop-up tent, blanket over a table or under a cabin bed. Add bean-bags and other sensory equipment/toys.

9. For children who want to chew, offer alternatives like commercially available chew toys, crunchy bread sticks or carrot sticks. Drinks in a sport bottle also help those seeking oral input.

10. For children who dislike having their teeth brushed, try a vibrating toothbrush, Collis Curve toothbrush (this cleans all surfaces in one movement) and use unflavoured toothpaste such as Oranurse.

Further information
Laurie, C. (2022) Why is occupational therapy important for autistic children? Laurie, C. (2022) Sensory and Motor Strategies (3rd edition)

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Ten simple sensory strategies for autistic children

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Corinna Laurie sets out some strategies to support sensory processing

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The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a globally-recognised symbol for non-visible disabilities, also known as hidden disabilities or invisible disabilities

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JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

What is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower?

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple tool for you to voluntarily share that you have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent - and that you may need a helping hand, understanding, or more time in shops, at work, on transport, or in public spaces.

Learn more

Our global network

The Sunflower is connected to you all around the world

The Sunflower is there for you as you work, shop. travel. learn and at leisure. Businesses all around the world have joined the global Sunflower network to support you when you wear the Sunflower - anywhere you choose to be discreetly seen. Discover the locations that recognise the Sunflower using our route planner on our Sunflower locator map.

Our Business network

Contribute to a positive impact

Are you looking to create a culture in your business where everyone has the same opportunities and a voice to impact the business? Whether you are in retail, financial services, education or in healthcare, sport and leisure, join businesses around the world who use the Sunflower as a catalyst to create a disability inclusive culture for their colleagues as well as their customers.

Sunflower Partner Program

We're looking for regional and global business partners to help expand the Sunflower across the globe

Register

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The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a discreet sign that the wearer has a hidden disability and may need additional support

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SENSE supports everyone who is deafblind or has complex disabilities

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SCOPE is a charity which provides practical information and emotional support

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Disabled people under 18 need to have a legal guardian who is in charge of their care. This is often a parent.

Once you turn 18, you are an adult and you will be responsible for managing your own care. The way you access funding and services will change and could become more difficult. The transition to adult services needs careful planning.

Your guardian can help you plan, together with your support workers and doctors.

When to start planning

You can start planning when you are in Year 9 at school in England and Wales. This means you will be about 13 or 14.

From then until you turn 18 is called the transition period. Different services will move at different points during this period. Some moves can take time. Careful transition planning means you are less likely to have a gap in services.

Asking for adjustments

Communication about transition planning should be adapted to work for you.

For example, you could ask for:

a quiet room for meetings

more time for meetings

meetings online instead of in person

letters and documents in different formats

You can also ask for an advocate to go with you to meetings about your care. An advocate should be someone you trust, who also knows what your rights are.
Advocacy Toolkit: The rights of disabled young people in the transition planning process (Council for Disabled Children)
Transition assessments

If you are likely to have care needs after you turn 18, your local authority should give you a transition assessment.

This needs to happen before you turn 18, and once it is clear what your needs are likely to be.

Your local authority might contact you first about this transition assessment. The Care Act 2014 says that your local authority has to give you a transition assessment if you ask.
Understanding the Care Act 2014 (Speakup Self Advocacy, easy read PDF)
Transition planning

Your local authority should give you a named person to help you move to adult services. This is often a social worker and will probably be called something like a 'key worker' or 'transition co-ordinator'.

Your local authority might contact you first about your named worker. You can ask your local authority for a named worker when you think that you need one.

Your named worker will co-ordinate your transition plan with you. This plan could involve talking to lots of different people, like your guardian, doctors and teachers.

Your transition plan looks at the support you need to live the life you want after you turn 18. It will have goals around:

work, college or university

independent living

social life

health

Your transition assessment should help inform your transition plan.

Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)

If you have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), this ends when you move to adult care.

During your transition period, you can use your annual EHCP reviews to help you plan. You could ask questions like:

When will I move to adult services?

What choices do I have?

How is the adult service different?

Can I talk to someone who has experience of moving into the adult service?

What should I know before I move to the adult service?

Asking for an EHCP review
If you're still in school or college, ask how they can help. For example, they might offer:

independent travel training

independent skills training

personal health education

social education

Healthcare

Adult medical services are different. You will probably need to deal with more specialists. Ask your doctors or your named worker about the move to adult health services.

NHS passport

Creating a healthcare passport can help pass on useful information about you to healthcare professionals.

This could be:

things people must know about you

things that are important to you

your likes and dislikes

There are many healthcare passport templates available online. Use the template that works best to communicate your needs.

GPs and annual health checks

Your GP will stay the same unless you move home. Your GP will have an overview of your care.

If you are on your GP's learning disability register, you will get an annual health check once you turn 14. These checks are a chance to ask questions and talk about what you need.
Annual health checks for people with learning disabilities (NHS)
Social care (home care)

The funding of adult social care services is different. This can mean that your care package can change or reduce when you move from children's services.

The amount of support you get usually depends on your transition assessment. You have the right to challenge the assessment if you think it's wrong.

Challenging a social care needs assessment

Understanding personal budgets

Your local authority will give you a personal budget for social care, based on your assessment. This is what the council thinks your care will cost.

You can choose how to manage this budget. You can:

let the council manage your personal budget

get a direct payment you manage yourself

use a mixed approach

Managing your social care direct payments budget
Complex care needs

If you have complex health needs that cannot be met by the local authority, the NHS might pay for this care. This type of funded care is called NHS continuing healthcare.

If you are eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you will get a continuing care package to help you move into adult services. Talk to your named worker about this.
Are you eligible for NHS continuing healthcare funding? (MoneyHelper)
Personal health budgets

Personal budgets for social care are managed by your local authority. They are different from personal health budgets, which are managed by the NHS.
What is a personal health budget? (NHS)
Managing money and benefits

Once you turn 18, you become responsible for managing your own money. This includes benefits and social care budgets.

Being able to safely make decisions about finances, benefits and care is called 'mental capacity'. Mental capacity starts at 16. But legally your guardian can make most decisions for you if you are 16 or 17 and both of the following apply:

you do not have mental capacity for the specific decision

they have what the law calls 'parental responsibility'
Managing money for someone else
If you are over 18 and do not have mental capacity, you can get help managing your bank account.

Benefits
Become an appointee
If you are not ready to manage your benefits when you turn 18, you could ask someone to apply to be your appointee. This can be helpful if you have mental capacity but need support with benefits.

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Transition to adult care | Disability charity Scope UK

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Disabled people under 18 need to have a legal guardian who is in charge of their care. This is often a parent. Once you turn 18, you are an adult and you will be responsible for managing your own care. The way you access funding and services will change and could become more difficult.

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SENDIASS The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services

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SENDIASS The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services

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Visit the Gov Delivery website, enter your email address and then select 'Your Child and You' to subscribe.

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SEND Matters - a newsletter for all things 'SEND' in Bedford Borough

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Childrens Health Hub Edwin Lobo Centre (Child Development Centre)

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Contact the Beds and Luton Childrens Health Hub on 0300 555 0606 or email ccs.bedsandlutonchildrenshealthhub@nhs.net
Available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm

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Contact the Beds and Luton Childrens Health Hub on 0300 555 0606 or email ccs.beds.childrens.cdc.admin@nhs.net
Available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm

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Contact the Beds and Luton Childrens Health Hub on 0300 555 0606 or email ccs.beds.childrens.cdc.admin@nhs.net
Available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm

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Bedfordshire and Luton Speech and Language Therapy service update

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Bedfordshire and Luton Speech and Language Therapy service update

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Bedfordshire and Luton Speech and Language Therapy service update

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Bedfordshire and Luton Speech and Language Therapy service update

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In this section we share helpful stories and information about mental health, and where to find help and support.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) provides outpatient assessments, support and treatment for children and young people up to the age of 18 experiencing moderate to severe mental health problems. The service is available via the following links:

Here are links to 2 videos by Claire Scott, a CAMHS practitioner in the Luton team about anxiety- one aimed at young people and one at parents/carers.

For the waiting times for CAHMS ASC services please click on this link: CAMHS ASC waiting times

Here are a few other short video's that you may find helpful.

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Louise talks about her role as a clinical psychologist and working at CAMHS.

J ay's story- a CAMHS service user discussing his gender identity

Service User Molly Lewis has written an article about mental health - click on the link to read Molly's Mental Health Article

Where else can I go for support and other services available to families

has a parent helpline. You can call the Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544 (Monday to Friday 9.30am - 4pm, free for mobiles and landlines. Click on the poster to view and download a copy. There is also a section on their website for parents/carers: https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/

Anna Freud - the Anna Freud Centre has some amazing resources on their website

Yvonne Newbold training - information to support children with additional needs, their families and the staff who support them.

Luton and Bedfordshire Local Offer has information about local mental health services too.

Adult Mental Health Support

Samaritans: Call 116 123 or email: jo@samaritans.orgWhatever you're going through, a Samaritan will face it with you - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The following two links of are for resources that reflect a truly multi agency approach to supporting emotional well being of children & young people of Bedfordshire.

What do you think of this Diagnosis Support Pack?- please let us know if there is anything we can improve on or if you have any suggestions for content by clicking on this link
How to use the Diagnosis Support Pack
All the pages in this pack can be translated into your native language as text or audio via our Recite feature which you will find at the top of each page. The translated page can also be downloaded. More information about using our translation service can be found by clicking here.

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To accompany the Sensory Processing video we have produced some helpful literature with regards to the Planning Wheel - click on the links below to access:

In addition, we have also produced an engaging animation about two characters, Jake and Serena which you can watch with your children. This video is designed to help you all understand the purpose of Planning Wheels, how they can make a difference to children with sensory differences and help them manage to develop their independence in completing everyday tasks such as teeth brushing and getting dressed.

If you would like to view a version of the Planning Wheel animation with subtitles and BSL please click here.

A transcript of the Planning Wheel animation, which can be translated into various languages via the 'ReciteMe' function can be viewed here.

Planning Wheel animation (without subtitles or BSL)

Using planning wheels to support your child with sensory differences
The second video goes into more detail about the planning wheels and the benefits which you may find useful as well as giving some useful resources on further reading and valuable web sites.

A transcript of the Planning Wheel presentation video, which can be translated into various languages via the 'ReciteMe' function, can be viewed here.

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To accompany the Sensory Processing video we have produced some helpful literature with regards to the Planning Wheel - click on the links below to access: In addition, we have also produced an engaging animation about two characters, Jake and Serena which you can watch with your children.

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The following video will give you information on sensory processing and its role in your child's everyday life.

To accompany the video we have produced some helpful literature. Click on the links below to access

If you would like to view a transcript of these videos which can be translated into your native language please click here.
We would love to receive your feedback on this video. Let us know by clicking on the link to the Feedback Survey. Ways to help with sensory difficulty
If you think your child has sensory processing difficulties you can talk to any health or education professionals working with your child. They will help you unpick your child's behaviours, and whether or not they are sensory, or have another cause. For example it can be that children with high levels of anxiety display higher levels of sensory sensitivity, or children who are struggling to communicate can use sensory behaviours to gain attention.

The information below has been recreated with permission from Bedford Borough Local Offer. Click on the image to download.

The information on this page also forms part of the Post Diagnosis Resource Pack.
To go to the Resource Pack section click on the button below:

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Luton's Local Offer SEND information hub

Artwork and design by Timeon Jarrett, a former student at Woodlands Special School, currently studying Art & Design at Barnfield College

Support available for children, young people with special education needs or a disability aged 0-25 years

The Luton Local Offer helps you find information about local services, support and events for children and young people aged 0 to 25 years who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

Get some advice

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Social Media and the Local Offer

Right now we're posting, sharing and tweeting lots of information to help support SEND families and professionals. If you don't follow us on either or both of the social media channels, here's what you'll need.

Luton Local Offer on Twitter Luton Local Offer on Facebook

Find services by age

What to do if you think your child has special educational needs and / or a disability

Find services by area of specific need

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Luton's Local Offer SEND information hub

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Skip to main content Home Luton's Local Offer SEND information hub Artwork and design by Timeon Jarrett, a former student at Woodlands Special School, currently studying Art & Design at Barnfield College The Luton Local Offer helps you find information about local services, support and events for children and young people aged 0 to 25 years who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

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Audio transcription of "Something Feels Different" video

Have you sat and watched your child and thought that something is unique about them, something different in the way they understand the world, but you are unsure what to do?  You could be a friend, relative or neighbour noticing these differences. It could be an obvious difference such as difficulty with sleep, not talking, walking or responding at the same time or age as most children their age. It could be a particular behaviour, perhaps the way they need things done in a certain way each and every time. The difference could also be less obvious, for example, how they respond to sensory stimulation such as sounds, smells and touch or needing their own space and time more than most. 

For some parents their children are doing really well and reaching milestones noticeably earlier at nursery or school and physical developments too. But they notice that their child finds it  difficult to cope with heightened emotions such as happiness, sadness, excitement and it all gets too much for their child. This can result in what could be misunderstood as being a tantrum.
 
Where do I go for help?

You feel that you should be talking to someone for some advice and guidance but who do you talk to and where do you start? There may even be something that is stopping you from taking the next step. It could be you are thinking and feeling: “I don’t know where to start" ;  "I didn’t realise I needed help" ; "It is so subtle I am not sure there is professional help available" ; "I have mentioned it to professionals, family or friends and the conversation has stopped but my worries have not." ;  "What will people and family think" ;  "In my religion we pray for help and now I also want professional help but where do I go?". 

Don't worry, there is support

Don't worry, there is support available for you. You are not the first parent, carer, friend or relative thinking this way. When you know something feels different… please reach out and get help. In this short video we will show you where you can go for information, support and advice. We hope this video helps you and makes your journey and your child’s journey more positive. 

Many children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, or SEND for short and their parents, carers along with many professionals have worked together to create lots of resources including the Neurodevelopmental Disorder (NDD) Pathway, Diagnosis Support Pack and the local offer pages. There are videos, tips, information on where to go for help and so much more. 

Here's a link to the Neurodevelopmental Disorder pathway and a video in English explaining how it works. It's also available in different languages. The pathways starts with asking what your concerns are. There are purple circles you can click on to find help. For example, with Sleeping, Behaviour, Mental and Emotional Health. It then takes you through how to access professional help from health and mental health services. 

The Diagnosis Support Pack has been created by families with children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities so they can help other families. The Diagnosis Support Pack has lots of helpful advice videos to motivate young people, information and where you can go for support and guidance in your local area. It's available to print, read online, or you can listen to it and read it in many languages as well. Click on the link to find out more. 

The local offer pages can provide lots of support and guidance in your area.

When you know something feels different... please reach out and get help.

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I am worried about my childs development... Who do I need to speak to?

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I am worried about my childs development... Who do I need to speak to?

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Who are the Health Visiting team? What do they do? 

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Who are the Health Visiting team? What do they do? 

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The Health Visiting team is made up of a variety of staff in different roles; including Health Visitors, Community Nursery Nurses, Public Health Nurses, Health Visiting Assistants, Specialist Feeding Advisors and Baby Friendly Workers. For development, most of the work and support is provided by our Community Nursery Nurses, and overseen by the Health Visitors.

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The SENCO has a critical role to play in ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities within a school receive the support they need.

Gradually over the years the status and import of the role has developed with successive guidance validating and substantiating the role.

In the most recent Code of Practice, the SENCO must be a qualified teacher (why ever were they not!) and a newly appointed SENCO must achieve a National award in Special Educational Needs Coordination within three years of appointment.

The SENCO has 'an important role to play with the headteacher and governing body in determining the strategic development of SEN policy and provision and will be most effective if they are part of the school leadership team'.

The type of responsibilities a SENCO has are:

Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school's SEN policy.

Supporting the identification of children with special educational needs.

Co-ordinating provision for children with SEN.

Liaising with parents of children with SEN.

Liaising with other providers, outside agencies, educational psychologists and external agencies.

Ensuring that the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEN up to date.

Clearly the role of the SENCO as a leader in a school has never been more important.

So what does it mean to be a leader?

First of all the SENCO needs to have status in the school. As we all know status is a combination of your role/position and credibility. The position of the SENCO does not necessarily hold great status in some schools even though on average nearly a fifth of children in the school are likely to have some kind of special educational need.

If the SENCO is not a member of the leadership team it makes their job harder. With status comes the capacity and authority to make change where it is needed so it follows that they are less likely to bring about effective change in the school if they are not on the team.

However, not having the SENCO on the leadership team also says something about the school's attitude to inclusion and how high a priority the status of SEND is on the agenda.

Unless the SENCO works closely with the Headteacher and the Headteacher both recognises and supports the critical strategic leadership role of the SENCO the provision will not be as good as it could be. The SEN action plan should not be an afterthought or an add-on - it should clearly link with whole-school priorities.

Secondly, the SENCO needs to have time to carry out their duties. The Code of Practice states the SENCO should have 'sufficient time and resources to carry out these functions'. It's hard to be precise about the amount of time a SENCO will need to carry out their duties as every school is different.

There will be varying numbers of children identified as having SEN. What is clear is that anything less than a working day each week in any school setting would seem too little for the role to be carried out effectively. In most cases much more time is needed.

Some key questions about the leadership of SEND in schools:

· Is the SENCO a member of the Senior Leadership Team?

· Does the SENCO regularly inform SLT on current SEND policy and practice?

· Does the SENCO have a clear vision for SEN provision and outcomes in the Academy?

· Does the SEN Information Report meet legal requirements and is it published on the Academy website?

· Has the SENCO received appropriate training and is knowledgeable on policy and practice?

· As part of the School Improvement Plan is there a SEN development plan in place with clear aims and objectives?

· Is the SENCO involved in making decisions about staff deployment and use of resources for SEN (including funding and the use of pupil premium)?

· Has a lead governor for SEN been identified and are they briefed regularly by the SENCO?

· Does the lead SEN governor systematically challenge leaders about the learning and progress of pupils with SEN and the efficient use of resources?

· Is SEN provision (including roles of staff) clearly articulated and understood by all?

· Are staff CPD needs in regard to SEN being accurately identified; is relevant and ongoing training put in place (including for Teaching Assistants and support staff)?

The key areas of leadership in SEND:

The IDENTIFICATION of children with special educational needs in the school

TRACKING and MONITORING the progress of children with SEND

Ensuring there is HIGH QUALITY TEACHING AND INTERVENTION for children with SEND

Developing the SEND PROVISION in the school further

The code of practice identifies four main areas of need for children with SEN:

Cognition and Learning

Communication and Interaction

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

Sensory and Physical

Many of my colleagues have found this a helpful way of overviewing the provision and asking themselves the question, 'What is the service for each of these areas of SEN in our school?' and 'Where is our school-based expertise in these four areas?'.

What should I expect from my SENCO?

You should expect honesty and a commitment to working in partnership with you to provide the best service possible for your child. You should expect the SENCO to ensure that any plans or provision agreed for your child are carried out by the school.

What questions should I ask my school?

The three key questions are:

What expertise is there in the school to support my child?

What support is or will be in place, which is additional to or different from what children without SEN are receiving?

Is the support working? - ie. is my child happy in school and making good progress?

It is important that you receive honest answers to these questions because honesty, even if it's not always exactly what you might want to hear, will build your confidence and trust in the school.

How will the SENCO support my child and me?

They should ensure that you are well-informed about the provision for your child and that you are invited to regular review meetings where you can discuss how things are going. In school they should advocate for your child by understanding his or her needs and ensuring that everyone who regularly works with your child knows how best to support them.

What qualities should I look for in a SENCO?

An understanding and empathy for children with SEN.

Honesty about what is and is not being provided and

A commitment to improving the service.

If I don't feel a SENCO is appropriately supporting my child what should I do?

The first thing to do is to meet with the SENCO, set out your views and secure their commitment to improve things. If that doesn't work you should write a letter to the Headteacher explaining your concerns and ask to meet with them.

If that doesn't work you should ask to meet with the lead governor for SEN in the school (since September 2014 every school has had to have one). If that doesn't work then you should contact the local authority or appropriate body in charge of the school (for example in the case of an academy the academy trust's board).

If that doesn't work you should contact your local MP with your concerns. At any point in this process you might like to take advice from one of the many parent organisations set up around the country to support parents of children with SEN or a national organisation which focuses on your child's particular needs. You might also take advice and support from an organisation like IPSEA (Independent Parental Special Education Advice).

Where can I go for more info on the role of SENCO and school requirements?

Chapter 6 of the SEN Code of Practice sets out the responsibilities of schools and on p.108 the role of the SENCO is set out.

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The role of the SENCO: what do you need to know? - Special Needs Jungle

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The role of the SENCO - what do you need to know?

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What is an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?

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What is an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?

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An EHCP can be requested by your child's education setting from the Local Authority

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Section A can be useful in providing a quick summary of your child. It should be based on information given by you and your child or young person. Section A is not legally binding, so the main detail of the plan should not be in here.

Section B describes your child's special educational needs i.e. what your child has difficulty with. The SEND code of practice defines four broad areas of SEN. Many Local Authorities structure the educational sections of the EHC plan in this way, but there is no obligation to do so. These areas are:

Cognition and learning.

Communication and interaction.

Social emotional and mental health.

Sensory and physical.

Section C contains any health care needs relating to your child's condition or SEN. This can be physical or mental health difficulties, for example difficulties with eating, severe anxiety, or a medical condition such as Epilepsy.

Section D contains any social care needs relating to your child's special educational needs or disability. For example, support to join in with activities outside home and school.

Section E contains the outcomes anticipated for your child. The outcomes describe what your child will be able to do as a result of getting the extra help in the EHC plan. Outcomes can be about reaching a particular educational level, or they can be things that are important to your child, such as being able to take part in an out of school activity.

Section F contains details of the help your child will get in school. This section must be specific and quantified. It should be very clear how much help, how often, and who will give it. Therapies such as speech and language must normally be in section F.

Section G is the healthcare provision required. For example, medication, equipment (such as a wheelchair), nursing support, monitoring seizures etc.

Section H is social care provision. This might be short breaks, out of school activities or support for the family at home.

Section I names the school or other institutions your child attends. In a draft EHC plan, this must always be left blank, because this is when you can tell your Local Authority what school you want your child to go to.

Section J If you have requested a personal budget, Section J will contain information about this. A personal budget is not extra money, but a more flexible way of using the funding allocated to your child. See our separate information on personal budgets.

Section K contains all the reports gathered as part of the assessment process.

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What is an EHC plan? An EHC plan is a legal document that describes a child or young person's special educational, health and social care needs. It explains the extra help that will be given to meet those needs, and...

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What are Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) Definition of Special Educational Needs (SEN) A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them....