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Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) at St John's Primary Academy

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Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) at St John's Primary Academy

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The SEND Code of Practice 2015 defines SEND as: '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.

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Mrs Jade Barber is our SENDCo at St John's. Her role involves the co-ordination of additional support and interventions for pupils identified as having Special Educational Needs and/or Disability.
Mrs Barber can be contacted through the school office, or by email: jade.barber@stjohnsprimary.academy

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Special Educational Needs & Disability Policy

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Special Educational Needs & Disability Policy

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SEN Information Report 2023

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Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy

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Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy

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Areas of NeedThe SEND Code of Practice identifies 4 areas of need: Communication & Interaction Cognition & Learning Social, Emotional and Mental Health Physical & Sensory

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Areas of NeedThe SEND Code of Practice identifies 4 areas of need: Communication & Interaction Cognition & Learning Social, Emotional and Mental Health Physical & Sensory

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The SEND Code of Practice says 'a child of compulsory school age ... has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in a mainstream school.

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Where a need is identified in one or more areas detailed in the SEND Code of Practice, we aim to work in collaboration with parents to support their child's individual needs.
Pupils will be placed on the SEND register and will have a Pupil Profile Plan which is set and reviewed on an at least termly basis.

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Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others.
Children and young people with Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction.

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Speech and Language Therapy Service
Autism Outreach
Educational Psychology

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The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service is provided across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent.

Speech and language therapists work with babies, children and young people who have speech, language, communication and/or eating and drinking needs. Teams include Speech and Language Therapists, SLT Assistants and support staff.

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Skip to main content Skip to accessibility tools

The Children's Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service is provided across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent.

Speech and language therapists work with babies, children and young people who have speech, language, communication and/or eating and drinking needs. Teams include Speech and Language Therapists, SLT Assistants and support staff.

What does our service offer?

Assessment

Advice

Diagnosis-if appropriate

Therapy - this may be direct (therapist working directly with child) or indirect (therapist working through a parent, carer or other professional)

Programmes and resources to support work at home and in a setting

Training: child specific or topic specific

Therapists work in the community in a wide range of settings. These include: family homes, community clinics, hospital, schools, nurseries, children's centres.

We work in partnership with a range of other agencies including Education and Early Years Services, Social Services and the Voluntary Sector.

What will happen at Speech and Language Therapy?

The speech and language therapist will ask you some questions about your child's development. It is helpful if you bring your 'red book' along and any other referral letters you have had. The therapist may use toys and pictures to encourage your child to interact. They will discuss their findings with you and agree on the next steps.

How to refer to Speech and Language Therapy

A referral can be made by a Health Visitor, teacher, nursery practitioner, G.P., other professional, parent or those with parental responsibility. Please contact your local SLT team for referral advice.

Things to try at home

There are many ways parents and carers can support their child's speech and language development. For children in the early years (aged 0 to 5) the following websites may be helpful:

Useful resources

The following links provide information for children with speech, language and communication difficulties:

Where to find us

North Paediatric Speech & Language Therapy Team (Newcastle, Moorlands, Stafford, Seisdon, Stoke-on-Trent)

Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre,
Dawlish Drive,
Bentilee,
Stoke-On-Trent
ST2 0EU

Telephone: 01782 234484 & 234485

Email: sltnorth.admin@mpft.nhs.uk

Stafford Central Clinic,
Level 2,
Civic Centre,
Riverside,
Stafford
ST16 3AQ

Telephone: 0300 1240109 ext 3058

Email: sltnorth.admin@mpft.nhs.uk

South Paediatric Speech & Language Therapy Team (Burton, Lichfield, Tamworth & Cannock)

Hill Street Health and Wellbeing Centre,
Hill Street,
Burton-on-Trent
DE15 9LD

Telephone: 01283 505833

Email: sltpaedeast@mpft.nhs.uk

Greenhill Health Centre,
Church Street,
Lichfield
WS13 6JL

Telephone: 07866 038772

Email: sltpaedeast@mpft.nhs.uk

All Dysphagia / swallowing disorders referrals County/City wide

Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre,
Dawlish Drive,
Bentilee,
Stoke-On-Trent
ST2 0EU

Telephone: 01782 234484 & 234485

Email: sltnorth.admin@mpft.nhs.uk

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Speech & Language Therapy Services (Children)

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Skip to main content Skip to accessibility tools The Children's Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) service is provided across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent. Speech and language therapists work with babies, children and young people who have speech, language, communication and/or eating and drinking needs.

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We support schools, other educational settings and the Local Authority in meeting the needs of children and young people, with severe and complex Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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We support schools, other educational settings and the Local Authority in meeting the needs of children and young people, with severe and complex Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Who can use your service?

Educational settings in Staffordshire, including maintained schools and academies, have the opportunity to purchase Educational Psychology time to support children and young people.

The Local Authority also commission Educational Psychologists to fulfil statutory duties relating to special educational needs and disability.

Are there any costs?

Our work is commissioned by schools and the Local Authority so there is no cost to the children, young people and families we work with.

How can I refer?

We are not commissioned to receive direct referrals from parents/carers or children and young people.

However, if parents/carers have concerns about their child/young person that may need the support of an Educational Psychologist (EP) they should contact the Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) at their school/college, who can contact the service if they have purchased Educational Psychology Service time.

What happens after referral?

What happens after the request for support depends on the specific concerns raised. All of our work is needs-based and therefore will vary greatly in response to the individual circumstances of the child or young person. If the focus of the work is an individual child or group of children informed parental consent is always confirmed prior to work being undertaken.

Who will we see?

Depending upon the concern raised, the Educational Psychologist may work with teachers or other school staff, with groups of children or with individual children.

Educational Psychologists work with educational settings on a range of different types of work including:

Collaborative consultation with setting staff, parents and children/young people

Assessment and intervention, as part of the graduated response within the SEND Code of Practice. This may include observation and assessments in different contexts, data collection and advice to staff on the development of effective teaching and learning strategies

Planning interventions with small groups or individual children/young people to facilitate the development of emotional well-being

Support to promote inclusive practice

Partnership working with other professionals

Transition planning from early years and across school phases

Training and support to small groups of staff or whole staff groups in a range of areas, including challenging behaviour, learning and emotional well-being.

What happens when I come to the service?

Educational Psychologists work in the community in schools and educational settings. The main focus for the work of an Educational Psychologist is to provide advice and support to schools and educational settings staff to meet children and young people's needs.

However, in certain circumstances the Educational Psychologists may want to see you and your child their school or educational setting. Very occasionally, we may ask to see you at home. If the Educational Psychologist has been asked to work with your child, you will be contacted for your consent and will work in partnership with you throughout the period of involvement.

What happens when I become an adult?

When required, Educational Psychologists work with staff in colleges and young people up to the age of 25 years.

How do I find out more?

For more details about the work of the Educational Psychology Service please contact the District Senior Educational Psychologist at your local District Office. Alternatively you may wish to contact Melissa Jones.

Email: melissa.jones@staffordshire.gov.uk

Phone: 07814 772157

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We support schools, other educational settings and the Local Authority in meeting the needs of children and young people, with severe and complex Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Who can use your service? Educational settings in Staffordshire, including maintained schools and academies, have the opportunity to purchase Educational Psychology time to support children and young people.

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The Autism Outreach Team (AOT) is a team within the Specialist Support Service, which is available across the County to support pupils, parents and schools. The team works predominantly with those pupils with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) in mainstream schools.

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Wellcomm Speech and Language Toolkit Screening 

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Wellcomm Speech and Language Toolkit Screening 

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WellComm is a Speech and Language Toolkit for Screening and Intervention in the Early Years: Revised Edition that plays a crucial role in identifying children with potential language difficulties and offers a range of customised intervention activities to help support their language development.

The screening tool uses a unique traffic light system to help practitioners understand the child’s current level of speech and language and to provide a pathway for action, ensuring every child gets the support they need.

⬤ Consider referral to a specialist service for further advice/assessment

⬤ Extra support and intervention required

⬤ No intervention currently required

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We are a not-for-profit organisation supported by the Department for Education. Our support programme offers education professionals training, practical tools and a wealth of free resources to better support autistic children and young people aged 0 to 25.

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Since 2016, this group of young people, ages 15-25, have shared their voices and lived experiences to steer, influence and advise the work we do. As well as advising on AET materials and strategy, Panel members speak at events, co-deliver training and support autism education networks.

Find out how this group of young people are supporting, co-producing and advising the AET.

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Helping you support autistic children and young people since 2007

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The Children & Young People's Autism Service is the autism service for South Staffordshire being provided by Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

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The service attended a Voice for Change meeting on 23 January 2020 to listen to the views of parents and carers.

A list of the questions and comments raised at the session are available to view by clicking here.

We are in the process of responding to the issues raised - these responses will be included below.

Patient notes
Q: What is happening about children and young people's files that were held by the previous provider that were not active but part of their 'open door' service?
Remaining files phrased as 'working diagnosis' are due to be transferred to us from the previous provider on 31 January. We will to write to these families to confirm we have received their working diagnosis file from the previous provider and provide them with details of how they can access the service, alongside details of the workshops we are running as these families will have access to intervention and the duty worker.
Q: I have hard copies of my child's record from the previous provider. Do I need to hand this to MPFT?
There is not a need for parents to hand in their files to us. We do ask for a copy of proof of an autism diagnosis only. This can either be scanned/photographed and attached to an email, or sent to the Children and Young People's Autism Service, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, The Bridge, St George's Parkway, Stafford ST16 3NE.
Q: Where do the notes get stored at the previous provider or be archived, or do they get sent back to the previous provider or are they archived?
The NHS has defined standards with regards to how paper records are stored. Notes transferred to MPFT will be stored in accordance with these standards. All new activity relating to your child is entered in to MPFT's electronic patient records.
Q: Freedom of Information/subject access request pro-forma given to parents for the previous provider, to get data.
MPFT have now received working diagnosis notes from the previous provider and are reviewing these files. We will write to parents to inform them that these have been received. Any parents who wish to access their child's records are required to follow a process called Subject Access Request. The details of this process can be provided by contacting the relevant provider.
Q: How have you communicated the change of provider to schools?
The service has continued to work closely with other services (including schools) to ensure as smooth a transition as possible during the interim period. Schools within south Staffordshire receive a monthly update from the service. Information on the service is also shared directly with schools as part of the regular contacts the team have through school observations for children undergoing assessment.
Q: I have called MPFT and they didn't have my son's notes. Please could you advise parents in your weekly update how to get the notes?
All files that were 'actively open' for assessment or intervention were transferred over to MPFT on October 1 2019. Since we attended the Voice for Change session and spoke about this, there has been a further development which we hope will simplify matters. For those families awaiting a review of a working diagnosis for the previous 18 months, these files are due to be transferred on 31 January. We will then write to these parents to notify that your child's records have been received by us.
Q: What is happening regarding sensory support?
We are currently limited in the sensory support we can provide, whilst we recruit into vacancies. However, the service runs a number of workshops to support families and is holding an 'Understanding sensory processing in children with autism' workshop on Thursday 19 March from 10am-12.30pm at East Staffordshire Children Centre, Waterloo Street, Burton-on-Trent, DE14 2NJ. To book a place please call the autism team on 0300 303 0691 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or email cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk. Details of upcoming workshops are announced via the service's weekly updates, through social media and via the service's web page at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service and we welcome parents with a full or working diagnosis to contact the team to book a place. Occupational Therapists have an important part to play in sensory integration. The team have a part time Occupational Therapist supporting them with interventions, (who is trained in Sensory Integration) whilst we are recruiting a full time Occupational Therapist to support the team.
Q: How are MPFT preparing for handover following the decision over procurement?
Should MPFT not be successful in the autism bid, we would work closely with the successful provider and CCGs to ensure a smooth transition of care and information. This would be overseen by a project group who would be responsible for transfer of services and cover issues such as workforce, records and I.T. All information would be transferred in full and in a secure fashion in a method agreed by all parties and in line with NHS guidelines.

Staff currently working within the autism service will be an integral part of this process and these staff members would be eligible to TUPE (Transfer of Undertaking of Employment) to the new provider, ensuring consistency for families moving forward. Letters would be sent to all families known to the autism service providing information on the outcome of the tender and contact details of the successful provider. This information would also be available on the MPFT website and will be included as part of our regular stakeholder update.

MPFT will liaise with parent groups to set up meetings across south Staffordshire to provide face to face contact for parents who have any questions in relation to the contract award. These meetings will be arranged should the contract be awarded to MPFT or another provider.
Q: What is the lead time on appointments for new referrals?
We are currently unable to provide timeframes for new referrals; however, we are in the process of recruiting new staff to the team who will support the assessments and liaise with a range of professionals to provide additional support during the interim period to work through the waiting list as quickly as possible. We recommend that parents continue to monitor the regular stakeholder updates available on the autism service's web page at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service where information will be available once confirmation of timescales can be provided. As soon as we are able to, we will write to parents with an appointment. We thank parents for their patience and understanding during this period.
Q: My child is a closed case, but I feel that she needs new support?
Parents/carers can complete a self-referral form which can be requested via email at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk, along with proof of a full or working diagnosis. The service also has a duty worker available to discuss urgent concerns by telephone on 0300 303 0691 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) regarding your child.
Q: How are MPFT planning to address waiting times?
We recognise that children and families are experiencing a wait to access services and we are working hard to establish additional capacity to meet needs as quickly as possible. We have now recruited a full time Speech and Language Therapist and two new Assistant Psychologists who will be assisting with the assessments and interventions. We currently have posts advertised for psychologists, a specialist nurse and an Occupational Therapist. We are also attempting to source bank and agency capacity to support the service whilst we recruit to these posts. This will provide additional capacity within the team to offer appointments across south Staffordshire. MPFT is also looking into alternative options within their children's services and having discussions with external organisations who can provide capacity for those assessments that transferred from the previous provider.
Q: What is the position on additional diagnoses such as pathological demand avoidance (PDA), sensory processing disorder (SPD), dyspraxia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) etc? Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) was a term first used by Professor Elizabeth Newson in the 1980s, to describe the profile of a group of children she had seen for assessment. PDA first appeared in a journal article in 2003. Elizabeth Newson described PDA as sitting under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The diagnostic criteria for autism are continually reviewed and developed. Currently the categories of Pervasive Developmental Disorders are now being replaced by autism spectrum disorders.

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is increasingly, but not universally, accepted as a profile that is seen in some autistic people. The term Extreme Demand Avoidance emerged as an alternative term to Pathological Demand Avoidance as some feel extreme is a more acceptable term than pathological.

The existence of PDA as a 'diagnostic term' and how it fits within the autism spectrum is widely debated. With limited evidence based research there is no conclusive and agreed upon definition of PDA. What is generally agreed upon is what is often referred to as a PDA profile. People with a PDA profile are driven to avoid everyday demands and expectations to an extreme extent. This demand avoidance is often (but according to some PDA adults, not always) accompanied by high levels of anxiety.

As PDA is not a formally recognised diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), our team would not make a formal diagnosis, however if demand avoidance is a key feature of your child's profile we would make it known in any reports and support you in putting in place suitable management strategies.

For more information please see www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/pda.aspx.
Sensory processing disorder (SPD)
Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. 'Sensory Processing Disorder', is not a diagnosis that is currently recognised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), however that is not to say your child may not have sensory processing difficulties. Many children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will have sensory processing difficulties associated with their diagnosis. These children might be too sensitive to certain sensations such as loud noises, smells, the feel of their clothes or another person's touch. They might actively try to avoid these sensations through certain behaviours.

Some children are not sensitive enough to certain sensations such as food around their mouth, movement and body position. They might actively seek sensations through behaviours such as chewing non-food items, fidgeting or being generally on the go.

Sensory processing can be very variable from one day to the next and from one child to another.

As part of your assessment and intervention our team will help you unpick your child's behaviours and whether or not they are sensory, or have another cause.

We know that children with high levels of anxiety tend to display a higher level of sensory sensitivity i.e. more sensitive to sensations such as noise, touch, smells and tastes. We also know that children who are struggling to communicate and express their emotions or needs sometimes use sensory behaviours to gain attention. It is important to consider both of these things in the context of sensory processing difficulties and address them alongside the sensory behaviours.

Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy/Intervention (ASI) is a form of therapy which aims to change the child's underlying neural pathways and remedy the child's impairment in sensory processing. We do not offer ASI as it is not an approach that is recommended by the Royal College of Occupational Therapy or NICE guidelines for Autism.

When a child/young person is referred to occupational therapy as part of the ASC service an occupational therapy assessment will be carried out using a range of assessments which could include sensory processing assessments if the practitioner felt it was appropriate.

If it is identified that sensory difficulties are impacting a child/ young person's level of functioning, appropriate recommendations and care planning will reflect any sensory strategies alongside other occupational therapy recommendations/ interventions.

For more information about sensory difficulties please see www.autism.org.uk/sensory.

Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a condition affecting physical co-ordination. It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily.

Dyspraxia is thought to be caused by the way that the brain processes information, which results in messages not being properly or fully transmitted. It affects the planning of what to do and how to do it, and is associated with problems of perception, language and thought. Dyspraxia sometimes runs in families.

While it is distinct from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) many parents notice similar symptoms, including sensory processing issues. In some cases the two conditions can co-occur. As with autism, people with dyspraxia may be over- or under-sensitive to certain sensory stimuli. MPFT has a pathway for dyspraxia in our Community Paediatrics service, including an OT/Physio joint clinic. If the CYP autism team think it appropriate a referral to support to this service will be made.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is common in people with autism. If someone has ADHD, they have significant difficulties with things like poor attention, over-activity and impulsiveness. MPFT are currently reviewing the pathway for diagnosis and intervention for children with ADHD. We hope to move towards a more integrated neuro-developmental offer. This is subject to service redesign and further discussions with the CCG. If as part of your autism assessment it is suspected that your child may have ADHD then this will be discussed with you and a management plan put in place.

For more information please see www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/related-conditions/adhd.aspx.
Q: What is happening about feedings specialist appointments?
We have been commissioned by the CCGs to provide an autism assessment and intervention service. The specification and requirements for a specialist feeding support or ARFID (Avoidance Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) would be different and we are not in a position to provide an ARFID service. However, we recognise that many young people with autism have issues relating to food and support around feeding issues related to autism will be provided in line with an autism intervention service. We will be making contact with the families that were actively open with the previous provider as soon as practically possible.Files involving children and young people who were actively receiving support around feeding at the time of the transfer have been transferred to MPFT and have been reviewed by the team.

Recognising the issues children and young people with autism can experience, we are in the process of developing a workshop focussed on food and diet in conjunction with the Trust's Dietetic team and details of these workshops will be available shortly.

Where a specialist service is required, as with other specialist services MPFT would make an onward referral where necessary.
Q: Are the staff trained in autism or will they be undertaking some form of training?
All members of staff in the service have experience and knowledge of autism, with these skills being dependent on their role within the team. Staff who transferred from the previous provider bought with them a range of qualifications, experience and knowledge of autism and these staff have been able to provide some consistency to the families. Since the transfer from the previous provider, clinicians have also undertaken additional training on assessment tools such as Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).

Internal and external training to provide continuing professional development is available to all staff to ensure they can provide the appropriate advice and support around autism.

All new members of the team undergo an induction programme and complete any training required to enable them to provide a thorough assessment or delivery of intervention programmes.

As a team, we frequently attend external training to keep updated on any new approaches to intervention and staff make a conscious effort to maintain their understanding of current research in the field to ensure we continue to offer an evidence based service that meets the needs of families.
Q: How long will the process take once you have sent a self-referral with evidence of the child's diagnosis?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide a timescale presently, but the team are recruiting a range of professionals to support with interventions and are offering an increasing number of workshops across south Staffordshire which include sleep, understanding sensory processing, introduction to autism, speech and language and feeding. Please feel free to contact the team on 0300 303 0691 (between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or via email to cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk for further information or to book on a workshop.
Q: Can you do consultations over the phone?
We can offer advice and support over the phone (0300 3030 0691) through a duty worker, who is trained to provide this support to families. The team welcome any enquiries or questions and if information is not available at that time, we will call families back as soon as possible. We are looking to develop other modes of consultation in the future, including telephone and video conferencing consultation.
Q: What does the new service specification say about education, health and care plans (EHCPs)? Is this a condition of remaining in the service until 25?
The future autism service is currently proceeding through the procurement process by the CCG. This specification is not the same as the interim service specification. The future autism service is currently proceeding through the procurement process by the CCG. This specification is not the same as the interim service specification. The CCG will be able to provide further information about the revised service specification.
Q: No appointments.
We would like to reassure families that appointments for assessments and interventions are taking place across south Staffordshire. The team are prioritising those children and young people who are experiencing the longest wait and the greatest clinical need.

All new referrals that are received into the service for both assessment and intervention are risk assessed at the time of triage.

We would like to thank families for their patience during this interim period. The service has experienced a number of staffing issues, leading to delays in appointments for assessments. We are taking on a number of senior clinicians, including a new Speech and Language Therapist who has joined the team and new Assistant Psychologists and are actively recruiting other clinical specialists to further bolster the team.

Should you have any specific issues or concerns then a duty worker is available by calling the service on 0300 3030 0691 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday to provide advice.

We would also encourage families to contact the team to book on workshops that are being delivered across south Staffordshire. For further information and to book a place please email the team at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk or call 0300 303 0691 during office hours.

Regular stakeholder updates can be found via MPFT website at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service.

The service web page features:

Referral information (NB: Referrals into the service can only be made by a professional who has met with the child and family)

Frequently asked questions that provide more information both to current and new users of the service

Information should urgent help be required

Contact details for a number of other useful services and organisations

Workshop information

Weekly updates

Q: Consistency of messages on what to do for parents to progress.
Our admin team are aware that families are waiting for an appointment and the frustration this causes. We apologise that we are currently unable to confirm exact timescales for assessments or interventions to commence. As well as taking on a new Speech and Language Therapist and new Assistant Psychologists, we are recruiting other clinical specialists to further bolster the team.

We would recommend that families sign up to our weekly update which provides the latest information concerning the service - this can be done by emailing communications@mpft.nhs.uk.

With regards to advice provided by our duty worker, the team are varied with a range of professionals with differing expertise and knowledge. Each member of the clinical team has a unique background and specialism to support a multi-disciplinary approach. This provides us with the potential to have different methods in supporting any one problem, giving families alternative options around advice for their individual child.

The team work closely together and share their knowledge to ensure the best outcomes for the child or young person. If situations arise where a child or young person may benefit from access to other services or experience, our weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings help to facilitate this.

Families may be suited to, or have a preference for a different approach, but any advice given is in line with the family's current needs and will be evidence based. Every family is unique, with differing needs and circumstances, but if an approach is not providing the expected outcome, we would welcome a further call into the office to discuss alternative advice or support mechanisms.

Questions/observations from Autism Pyramid Group members
Q: Child has a working diagnosis - are they likely to be seen by MPFT or will they have to wait for new provider?
Any child or young person with a full or working diagnosis has access to our range of interventions and workshops provided by the service. For interventions, families would need to complete a self-referral form (which they can do by emailing us directly at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk) and we would require evidence of a diagnosis should this not currently be available to the team.

We have now received the files from the previous provider for families that are in receipt of a working diagnosis. We are in the process of sending out letters to these families whose files have now transferred over and further information will be contained within these letters. However, we would like to reassure parents and carers that until such time that a review of the diagnosis can take place, the working diagnosis will remain valid and does not expire without a review.

Should MPFT not be successful in its tender to provide the service on a substantive basis, then we will work closely with the new provider to ensure a smooth transition of services and this will include those families awaiting a working diagnosis review.
Q: Timescale from referral by GP for autism assessment?
We are unable provide specific timescales presently concerning the commencement of an autism assessment. We are in the process of recruiting new staff to support with these assessments and appointments will be arranged once these staff are in post.

All referrals received, whether from a GP, school or other health professional are triaged by the referral team and added to the waiting list in order of date accepted.

We will share more information through our weekly update around timescales for assessments to commence as soon as possible and we thank families once again for their patience during this period.
Q: Transfer of files from the previous provider - where are our children's notes and files being stored?
All files transferred from the previous provider are stored securely.
Q: I had one appointment with the previous provider, but have heard nothing since.
We would like to reassure families that appointments for assessments and interventions are taking place across south Staffordshire. The team are prioritising those children and young people who are experiencing the longest wait and the greatest clinical need.

Should you have a query relating to this then please email the team, at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk or call 0300 303 0691 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) and we will be happy to check our records. We would encourage families to sign up to the service's weekly update to receive the latest information - this can be done by emailing communications@mpft.nhs.uk
Q: Have been told I am on a waiting list.
The team are aware of those families that are currently on a waiting list for assessment or intervention and these records have been reviewed to identify those with the longest wait and assessed for risks. The team are prioritising those children and young people who are experiencing the longest wait and the greatest clinical need.

We would recommend that families sign up to our weekly update which provides the latest information concerning the service - this can be done by emailing communications@mpft.nhs.uk.
Q: I do not have a specific appointment date and have spoken to PALS to complain.
We thank everybody for their patience during this transition and we do understand that this is very frustrating for everybody involved. We are doing all we can to help, and apologise that we cannot offer precise appointment dates to all children waiting. We are writing to parents where we are in a position to offer appointments. May we please also remind you that we have a clinician available to talk with you if you have any specific queries or concerns. The Trust's Customer Services Team (PALS) is available for advice and support and to receive any concerns you may have. They can be contacted by:
Q: Feel like interim provider is not providing a service at present.
We recognise this is a difficult time for families and again thank you for your understanding during this time. We would like to reassure families that appointments for assessments and interventions are taking place across south Staffordshire. We are also offering a wide range of workshops to support families - the latest information is shared through our weekly update (which you can subscribe to by emailing communications@mpft.nhs.uk), via the service's web page at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service and also through MPFT's Facebook account www.facebook.com/mpftnhs.

We are also continuing to meet face-to-face with parent groups to listen to parents and receive feedback, ideas and suggestions.

We welcome any feedback or suggestions should parents/carers not be able to attend one of these events and we will do our utmost to respond to any enquiries as quickly as possible. You can submit this feedback by emailing the service at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk.
Q: Has there been communication to schools, social services and other agencies who may be involved as parents are having to tell these agencies that the previous provider are no longer responsible for autism services?
Prior to commencing the interim service, the Trust communicated this news to a wide range of stakeholders, including schools, and other agencies. During the interim service period, the Trust has continued to communicate openly and directly with a range of groups through the service's weekly update, as well as through face-to-face meetings. Where appropriate, the service liaises with social services, schools and other professionals to ensure information is made available to those who are currently working with a child/family. The service will continue to provide regular updates through the service's weekly updates, through social media and via the service's web page at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service and is committed to furthering positive relationships with parent groups to ensure information gets to those seeking access to the service, whether this be families or professionals.
Q: Main concern from parents is that their children have been lost in the system.
The service appreciates this concern and thanks families for their patience during this interim period. We also acknowledge some of the difficulties caused by the initial transition; however we can assure you that we are working as hard as we can to support these families. The team are happy for families to contact them if they have any questions or wish to speak to a duty worker around urgent concerns for their child or young person. This can be done by calling 0300 303 0691 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or emailing cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk. We continue to build on the team with a range of professional skills that will ensure a specialist multi-disciplinary service moving forward.

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Children and Young People's Autism Service

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The service attended a Voice for Change meeting on 23 January 2020 to listen to the views of parents and carers. A list of the questions and comments raised at the session are available to view by clicking here . We are in the process of responding to the issues raised - these responses will be included below.

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Find us on Facebook.
We are a group of parents and carers who all have children of various ages with autistic spectrum disorder, some of our children also have other conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD. We provide peer to peer support to parents, carers and the wider family of children and adults with ASD.

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Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD).
Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia

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Bloom’s Taxonomy is one of the best-known theories in education, used to create and classify learning objectives according the level of complexity.

The taxonomy comprises three domains of learning: cognitive, affective and psycho-motor. Skills are ordered in a hierarchy, where each level takes over from the one before.

In principle, the taxonomy promotes higher forms of thinking and supports learning outcomes that focus on depth of learning rather than tasks.

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Staffordshire Graduated Response Toolkit 

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Staffordshire Graduated Response Toolkit 

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Children/young people can present with difficulties in some or all areas of learning (attention and listening, literacy, numeracy, retention etc) and can be identified in school in a number of ways - for example, teacher assessment, curriculum assessment and academic achievement.

Children and young people are usually identified when school tracking information shows that learning is significantly below expectations and/or progress is less than expected so the gap is widening between them and their peers.

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Graduated response toolkit: guidance for schools

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Graduated response toolkit guidance for schools.

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Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

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For a child to be successful in school they need to be well fed, sleeping well, feeling safe at home, and have confidence in themselves. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a popular theory which focuses on a series of needs to be successful.

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Behaviour is a form of communication. Where children are unable to communicate and articulate their needs and/or emotions, their behaviour becomes their communication tool.

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The Gottman Institute

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Promoting positive mental and emotional health in children and young people through music, mindfulness and sign language.
Fireworks (webador.co.uk)

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The motivation behind starting OWL Behaviour Consultancy was to support young people, their families and schools with behaviour challenges. Many barriers have been overcome by this move which has allowed a consistent, thorough approach, meeting the needs of young people as they arise.

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WHO IS OWL?

The motivation behind starting OWL Behaviour Consultancy was to support young people, their families and schools with behaviour challenges. Many barriers have been overcome by this move which has allowed a consistent, thorough approach, meeting the needs of young people as they arise.

Following 12 years of working within a variety schools with challenging behaviour, young people with disabilities, young people in public care all within Primary and Secondary Education. A flexible approach is essential, working in conjunction with home and Schools to ensure a consistent approach to enable strategies to be embedded where necessary.

The practical experience I have gained from Educational settings and home alongside a degree in Special Needs and Inclusion and continuing development with Child Behaviour Course, regular updates from Sebda (working together for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties) has ensured that the support is realistic and meets a young person's needs at the time.

OWL has a separate safeguarding policy which is available on involvement with schools.

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The motivation behind starting OWL Behaviour Consultancy was to support young people, their families and schools with behaviour challenges. Many barriers have been overcome by this move which has allowed a consistent, thorough approach, meeting the needs of young people as they arise.

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Staffordshire Emotional
Health and Wellbeing Service

We are here to support children and young people,
from 5 to 18, with their mental health.

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CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) South Staffs

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CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) South Staffs

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We are a support service for young people aged 18 and under who live in south Staffordshire.   We offer support and advice for a wide range of emotional difficulties that young people may experience.

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We are a support service for young people aged 18 and under who live in south Staffordshire. We offer support and advice for a wide range of emotional difficulties that young people may experience.

What we do

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are often known as CAMHS. You might be asked by your GP, School or other professional if you would like help and support, or you may want to refer yourself.

CAMHS are here to help you with lots of different emotional and psychological difficulties. We have a range of professionals who work in CAMHS, such as

Occupational Therapists,

Psychologists,

Doctors (known as Psychiatrists),

Art Therapists,

Nurses and

Youth Workers.

We also have Family Therapists who may offer some sessions with you and your family, to help you all understand each others experiences in a more helpful way.

Are there any costs?

There are no costs to the patient.

How do I refer?

Young people under 18 years of age living in south staffordshire can self refer with the consent of their parents or carers. To self refer please complete the online form on our website.

What happens after referral?

When you are first referred to CAMHS, the team will offer you an assessment where you get the chance to discuss what things are bothering you and how CAMHS might be able to help. There will then be a discussion with you, and your parents if you want them to be involved, and with the team, to see how CAMHS may be able to help you. It may be that CAMHS then offer you some further appointments to work through some of the difficulties you might be having. Or, It may be that a different service would be better suited to helping you; if this is the case, CAMHS will provide you with this information and make any other referrals with your agreement.

What happens when I become an adult?

If needed, a transition will be made to the adult mental health team. This will be completed over a period of time and may involve some joint appointments with children's and adult services.

Where do I find out more?

Please visit our website.

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CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) South Staffs

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We are a support service for young people aged 18 and under who live in south Staffordshire. We offer support and advice for a wide range of emotional difficulties that young people may experience. What we do Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are often known as CAMHS.

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We're leading the fight for a future where all young minds are supported and empowered, whatever the challenges.

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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A website for parents, carers and professionals. Reliable and up-to-date resources on emotional health for your children. For all ages, from babies to young adults. Worried about your child’s behaviour or mental health? Not sure where to start looking for help? Happy Maps has information and resources to help you and your child of different age groups, comprehensive help directory and information for professionals. There are also resources for children or teenagers with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities, who often experience issues with mood, anxiety, poor sleep and other problems.

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HappyMaps - Find the best support, advice and information on young people's mental health, all in one place. For Parents, Professionals and Young People.

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Read reviews

"I think this is a fabulous resource-very clearly laid out with the full range of supports available, from parenting tips through to professional help" (Parent)

"This is great to recommend to parents when they are worried about their children. It's the best website for mental health issues that I've found" (Teacher)

"Excellent. I work for CAMHS Bristol and regularly recommend this website" (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)

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Home - HappyMaps: Help and Resources for Children's Mental Health

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An award-winning website on children's mental health collating sensible and professional advice on common problems. With new self-help pages for young people.

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Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support.

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Movement Matters is the UK umbrella organisation representing the major national groups concerned with children and adults with coordination difficulties, a condition called Developmental Coordination Disorder (or DCD) and sometimes referred to as ‘dyspraxia’.

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Movement Matters UK

Movement Matters is the UK umbrella organisation representing the major national groups concerned with children and adults with coordination difficulties, a condition called Developmental Coordination Disorder (or DCD) and sometimes referred to as 'dyspraxia'.

Movement Matters was formed early in 2011 to act as an umbrella group to bring together the key bodies involved in Developmental Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia in the UK.

This includes DCD-UK, the Dyspraxia Foundation, and the National Handwriting Association.

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Developemental Coordination Disorder, DCD, Dyspraxia, ADHD SPLD, support and information, Movement Matters

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Movement Matters is the UK umbrella organisation representing the major national groups concerned with children and adults with coordination difficulties, a condition called Developmental Coordination Disorder (or DCD) and sometimes referred to as 'dyspraxia'. Movement Matters was formed early in 2011 to act as an umbrella group to bring together the key bodies involved in Developmental Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia in the UK.

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The Vision Inclusion Team is part of the Specialist Teaching Support Service and we support children and young people aged 0-25 with a diagnosed vision impairment at home, in early years settings, mainstream and special schools.

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The Vision Impairment Team supports children and young people aged 0-25 years with a vision impairment at home, in early years settings, mainstream and special schools. This support continues throughout school and into further education. This forms part of Staffordshire's Local Offer and is part of the Sensory Team.

Qualified and experienced Specialist Teachers of the Vision Impaired, Mobility Officers, Intervenors (who work with children and young people with sensory impairments with additional needs) and Communication Support Workers (Specialist Teaching Assistants) work in partnership with parents/carers, teachers and other professionals to provide support to each individual.

The video below gives an overview of living with sightloss.

Teacher of the Vision Impaired

These are qualified teachers who have undertaken specialist training to obtain the mandatory qualification for teachers of children and young people with a vision impairment MEd/Postgraduate Diploma.

They are responsible for the management of a caseload of children and young people with vision impairment across the age range 0-25 in both mainstream and special schools.

Communication Support Worker

These are specialist teaching assistants who have undertaken specialist training in visual impairment. They work for the service for the vision impaired but are based in school with the children and young people. We also have Communication Support Workers that teach ICT- general skills, keyboard shortcuts, speech and magnification software.

Intervenor

These are specialist Communication Support Workers who work in homes and in special schools, they work with children and young people with visual and multi sensory impairments.

Mobility Officer

We have two mobility practitioners offering support and training who deliver mobility and life skills for independent living. They work as part of a team delivering a high quality mobility service including environment assessments, orientation and mobility.

Talk Time Co-ordinator

The Talk Time Co-ordinator provides an opportunity to explore emotional worries and concerns with an experienced Specialist Teacher of the Visually Impaired who also has counselling skills training.

Resource and IT Technician

We have an ICT Technician trained in the use of assistive technology. Our ICT technician also maintains our service laptops and computers.

VI Role Model

We employ an adult with vision implairment who visits pupils in school and gives advice and training on assistive technology. He promotes a positive Blind identity.

Our aim is to provide appropriate support for inclusion. Input is designed to ensure that the specific needs of each individual are met. Careful assessment is made and the level and type of support is reviewed regularly.

Support may include:

visiting homes, pre-school groups, nurseries, schools and colleges

providing advice, information and support to parents/carers and professionals

assess and monitor functional vision

offering training to the setting

assessing and monitoring functional vision

providing advice for teachers and parents/carers on access to the curriculum in mainstream and special schools

teaching of specialist skills: e.g. Braille or Moon

assessment of the need for specialist equipment and training in its use

mobility assessment and life skill training

ICT advice and touch typing training

training in the use of low vision aids

specialist advice to Local Authority as part of any assessment process such as Education Health and Care Plans

provide opportunities for sensory impaired C&YP to access activities and to meet together

How can I access the service?

We accept referrals primarily from health agencies but also from parents/carers, schools and other agencies but always with reference to medial advice regarding vision loss.

What happens when I become an adult? / Post 16 Support

Advice and support from Teachers of the Visually Impaired may continue to be available to young people with vision impairment in Further Education and other post school settings.

This may include

How to access mobility assessments and training

Advice on careers and work experience and apprenticeships

Information on benefits and services such as, Disabled Students Allowance(DSA), Access to Work

Signposting to organisations who can help with independent living

In addition the visual impairment team works closely with ASSIST (Autism and Sensory Support In Staffordshire) to ensure needs are met appropriately.

ASSIST provides support for people over 16 years of age who have hearing or vision loss, are deafblind, or who have an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).

Parental Feedback

Below are just a few positive comments from parents about the service that we provide.

My child has been previously in a different VI service catchment area and the services that we have received from Staffordshire County Council VI are far more superior at all levels.

Always supportive, act on any issues, efficiently and promptly and feedback always given. Training school staff was excellent.

Regular support in place with an excellent understanding of my sons' needs.

Child has made progress in terms of learning new things and becoming independent.

Child's VI Teachers have always been excellent. I know exactly how to get hold of them and always feel confident in their support to us and our family. We value their input greatly.

Useful Links

Action for Blind People
Action for Blind People is a national charity that provides free and confidential support for blind and partially sighted people in all aspects of their lives. One call to Action ensures that visually impaired people receive help with anything from finding a job, applying for benefits, housing issues, aids and adaptations, holiday breaks or information on local services. We can also offer advice to people who have a visually impaired friend or family member. Whatever the need, Action can help: Action for Blind People
Blind Children UK (formerly National Blind Children's Society)
Blind Children UK helps children and their families tackle the challenges of young sight loss so that they can enjoy their childhood and realise their potential as adults: Brent Council - Blind Children UK (formerly National Blind Children's Society)
Clear Vision Project
ClearVision is a postal lending library of children's books designed to be shared by visually impaired and sighted children and adults: Clearvision Project
Guide Dogs UK Charity for the Blind and Partially Sighted
Guide Dogs provides a wide range of services for children and young people, including mobility and life skills, large print books and grants for specialist technology. And we're here for the whole family, providing support and advice on a range of issues, including education: Guide Dogs UK Charity For The Blind And Partially Sighted
National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP)
NatSIP, the National Sensory Impairment Partnership is a partnership of organisations working together to improve outcomes for children and young people with sensory impairment: NatSIP - Home
RNIB Bookshare
RNIB Bookshare opens up the world of reading in education for learners with a print-disability, including those with dyslexia or who are blind or partially sighted: UK education collection | RNIB Bookshare, accessible books for print disabled learners.
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is one of the UK's leading sight loss charities and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people: RNIB - See differently -
SENSE
For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential: Home | Sense, for people with complex disabilities
VICTA
If you are the parent of a child who is blind or partially sighted, or a young adult aged 29 or under who is visually impaired, VICTA is here to help: VICTA - Empowering Children and Young Adults who are Blind or Partially Sighted

Further Information

Please see below a list of our Information Leaflets which are available on request:
V01 - Families - Support and Advice

V02 - Vision Loss - Teacher Guidelines

V03 - Visual Perception - Teacher Guidelines

V04 - Primary - Teacher Guidelines

V05 - Secondary - Teacher Guidelines

V06 - Mobility - Tips for Parents

V07 - Mobility - School Environment

V08 - Mobility - Teacher Guidelines

V09 - Teacher Guidelines - Cerebral Palsy

V10 - Teacher Guidelines - Down Syndrome

V11 - Teacher Guidelines - Monocular Vision

V12 - Teacher Guidelines - Squint

V13 - Teacher Guidelines - Colour Blindness

V14 - Talk Time - Listening Service

V14A - Talk Time - Listening Service Where Next

V15 - Referral and Permission Form

V16 - Multi-Sensory Impairment

V17 - Specialist Support Service - Visual Impairment Team
If you, or someone you know, would like a copy of these leaflets either in large print, braille, an audio tape or in languages other than English, please contact the Vision Impairment Team by phone on 01785 356830 or by email: sss.service@staffordshire.gov.uk

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The Vision Impairment Team supports children and young people aged 0-25 years with a vision impairment at home, in early years settings, mainstream and special schools. This support continues throughout school and into further education. This forms part of Staffordshire's Local Offer and is part of the Sensory Team.

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Staffordshire Deaf/Hearing Inclusion Team 

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Staffordshire Deaf/Hearing Inclusion Team 

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The Deaf/Hearing Inclusion Team is part of the Specialist Teaching Support Service (STSS) and we support children and young people aged 0-25 with a diagnosed hearing impairment at home, in early years settings, mainstream and special schools.

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Conductive Hearing Loss Leaflet

High Frequency Hearing Loss Leaflet

Mild Hearing Loss Leaflet

Moderate Hearing Loss Leaflet

Severe and Profound Hearing Loss Leaflet

Unilateral Hearing Loss Leaflet

BAHA - Bone Anchored Hearing Aid Leaflet

Battery Information Flyer

CI - Cochlear Implant Leaflet

Retubing Instruction Sheet

Softband BAHA Leaflet

Fire and Rescue Alarm at Home Leaflet

General Hearing Impairment Advice Leaflet

Residential Information Leaflet

Specialist Support Service Hearing Impairment Team Leaflet

Swimming Information Leaflet

Using Technology at Home Leaflet
If you, or someone you know, would like a copy of these leaflets either in large print, braille, an audio tape or in languages other than English, please contact the Hearing Impairment Team by phone on 01785 356830 or by email: sss.service@staffordshire.gov.uk

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The Hearing Impairment Team supports children and young people aged 0-25 years with a vision impairment at home, in early years settings, mainstream and special schools. This support continues throughout school and into further education.

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The Children's Occupational Therapy Service

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The Children's Occupational Therapy Service

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The Children's Occupational Therapy service helps children to be able to do their everyday activities where a physical disability or impairment is making it hard for them.

We see children who have difficulties because of conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Arthritis, or a motor coordination problem.

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Occupational Therapy (Children) :: Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust

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The Children’s Occupational Therapy service helps children to be able to do their everyday activities where a physical disability or impairment is making it hard for them.

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We are specialist occupational and sensory integration accredited therapists, who provide independent services to individuals in special and main stream schools, health and social care settings as well as to charities.

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Located in Needwood, Staffordshire, our centre includes training facilities, opportunities for group work, specialist Occupational Therapy and a full Sensory Integration based Occupational Therapy treatment room (built in association with 'Spacekraft' - sensory equipment providers). Essentially, our centre allows us to undertake more complex assessments and facilitate a variety of interventions.

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Staffordshire Family Support and Outreach Service serves the Staffordshire Moorlands, Newcastle under Lyme, Stafford, Cannock Chase and South Staffordshire districts.

We provide emotional, practical and financial support to help children, young people and their families, through a programme of:

Referral Based Family Support

Targeted Outreach Visits

Support to access community support, groups, universal offers and entitlements.

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Staffordshire Family Support and Outreach Service - Family Action

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Staffordshire Family Support and Outreach Service serves the Staffordshire Moorlands, Newcastle under Lyme, Stafford, Cannock Chase and South Staffordshire districts. We provide emotional, practical and financial support to help children, young people and their families, through a programme of: Refe…

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An early help team is a team of children's service professionals. We work with children, young people and families living within a particular area.

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Getting access to support - Staffordshire County Council

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To agree to our use of cookies, click the ‘Accept’ button. No, give me more info

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We are Staffordshire’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service and provide free, impartial, confidential advice and support around Education, Health and Social Care.

Our team supports Parents and Carers of Children and Young People with SEND (0-25) and also Children and Young People with SEND.

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SENDIASS SEND IASS - Staffordshire Family Partnership

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We are Staffordshire’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service and provide free, impartial, confidential advice and support around Education, Health and Social Care.

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The Children & Young People's Autism Service is the autism service for South Staffordshire being provided by Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

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The service attended a Voice for Change meeting on 23 January 2020 to listen to the views of parents and carers.

A list of the questions and comments raised at the session are available to view by clicking here.

We are in the process of responding to the issues raised - these responses will be included below.

Patient notes
Q: What is happening about children and young people's files that were held by the previous provider that were not active but part of their 'open door' service?
Remaining files phrased as 'working diagnosis' are due to be transferred to us from the previous provider on 31 January. We will to write to these families to confirm we have received their working diagnosis file from the previous provider and provide them with details of how they can access the service, alongside details of the workshops we are running as these families will have access to intervention and the duty worker.
Q: I have hard copies of my child's record from the previous provider. Do I need to hand this to MPFT?
There is not a need for parents to hand in their files to us. We do ask for a copy of proof of an autism diagnosis only. This can either be scanned/photographed and attached to an email, or sent to the Children and Young People's Autism Service, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, The Bridge, St George's Parkway, Stafford ST16 3NE.
Q: Where do the notes get stored at the previous provider or be archived, or do they get sent back to the previous provider or are they archived?
The NHS has defined standards with regards to how paper records are stored. Notes transferred to MPFT will be stored in accordance with these standards. All new activity relating to your child is entered in to MPFT's electronic patient records.
Q: Freedom of Information/subject access request pro-forma given to parents for the previous provider, to get data.
MPFT have now received working diagnosis notes from the previous provider and are reviewing these files. We will write to parents to inform them that these have been received. Any parents who wish to access their child's records are required to follow a process called Subject Access Request. The details of this process can be provided by contacting the relevant provider.
Q: How have you communicated the change of provider to schools?
The service has continued to work closely with other services (including schools) to ensure as smooth a transition as possible during the interim period. Schools within south Staffordshire receive a monthly update from the service. Information on the service is also shared directly with schools as part of the regular contacts the team have through school observations for children undergoing assessment.
Q: I have called MPFT and they didn't have my son's notes. Please could you advise parents in your weekly update how to get the notes?
All files that were 'actively open' for assessment or intervention were transferred over to MPFT on October 1 2019. Since we attended the Voice for Change session and spoke about this, there has been a further development which we hope will simplify matters. For those families awaiting a review of a working diagnosis for the previous 18 months, these files are due to be transferred on 31 January. We will then write to these parents to notify that your child's records have been received by us.
Q: What is happening regarding sensory support?
We are currently limited in the sensory support we can provide, whilst we recruit into vacancies. However, the service runs a number of workshops to support families and is holding an 'Understanding sensory processing in children with autism' workshop on Thursday 19 March from 10am-12.30pm at East Staffordshire Children Centre, Waterloo Street, Burton-on-Trent, DE14 2NJ. To book a place please call the autism team on 0300 303 0691 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or email cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk. Details of upcoming workshops are announced via the service's weekly updates, through social media and via the service's web page at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service and we welcome parents with a full or working diagnosis to contact the team to book a place. Occupational Therapists have an important part to play in sensory integration. The team have a part time Occupational Therapist supporting them with interventions, (who is trained in Sensory Integration) whilst we are recruiting a full time Occupational Therapist to support the team.
Q: How are MPFT preparing for handover following the decision over procurement?
Should MPFT not be successful in the autism bid, we would work closely with the successful provider and CCGs to ensure a smooth transition of care and information. This would be overseen by a project group who would be responsible for transfer of services and cover issues such as workforce, records and I.T. All information would be transferred in full and in a secure fashion in a method agreed by all parties and in line with NHS guidelines.

Staff currently working within the autism service will be an integral part of this process and these staff members would be eligible to TUPE (Transfer of Undertaking of Employment) to the new provider, ensuring consistency for families moving forward. Letters would be sent to all families known to the autism service providing information on the outcome of the tender and contact details of the successful provider. This information would also be available on the MPFT website and will be included as part of our regular stakeholder update.

MPFT will liaise with parent groups to set up meetings across south Staffordshire to provide face to face contact for parents who have any questions in relation to the contract award. These meetings will be arranged should the contract be awarded to MPFT or another provider.
Q: What is the lead time on appointments for new referrals?
We are currently unable to provide timeframes for new referrals; however, we are in the process of recruiting new staff to the team who will support the assessments and liaise with a range of professionals to provide additional support during the interim period to work through the waiting list as quickly as possible. We recommend that parents continue to monitor the regular stakeholder updates available on the autism service's web page at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service where information will be available once confirmation of timescales can be provided. As soon as we are able to, we will write to parents with an appointment. We thank parents for their patience and understanding during this period.
Q: My child is a closed case, but I feel that she needs new support?
Parents/carers can complete a self-referral form which can be requested via email at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk, along with proof of a full or working diagnosis. The service also has a duty worker available to discuss urgent concerns by telephone on 0300 303 0691 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) regarding your child.
Q: How are MPFT planning to address waiting times?
We recognise that children and families are experiencing a wait to access services and we are working hard to establish additional capacity to meet needs as quickly as possible. We have now recruited a full time Speech and Language Therapist and two new Assistant Psychologists who will be assisting with the assessments and interventions. We currently have posts advertised for psychologists, a specialist nurse and an Occupational Therapist. We are also attempting to source bank and agency capacity to support the service whilst we recruit to these posts. This will provide additional capacity within the team to offer appointments across south Staffordshire. MPFT is also looking into alternative options within their children's services and having discussions with external organisations who can provide capacity for those assessments that transferred from the previous provider.
Q: What is the position on additional diagnoses such as pathological demand avoidance (PDA), sensory processing disorder (SPD), dyspraxia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) etc? Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) was a term first used by Professor Elizabeth Newson in the 1980s, to describe the profile of a group of children she had seen for assessment. PDA first appeared in a journal article in 2003. Elizabeth Newson described PDA as sitting under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The diagnostic criteria for autism are continually reviewed and developed. Currently the categories of Pervasive Developmental Disorders are now being replaced by autism spectrum disorders.

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is increasingly, but not universally, accepted as a profile that is seen in some autistic people. The term Extreme Demand Avoidance emerged as an alternative term to Pathological Demand Avoidance as some feel extreme is a more acceptable term than pathological.

The existence of PDA as a 'diagnostic term' and how it fits within the autism spectrum is widely debated. With limited evidence based research there is no conclusive and agreed upon definition of PDA. What is generally agreed upon is what is often referred to as a PDA profile. People with a PDA profile are driven to avoid everyday demands and expectations to an extreme extent. This demand avoidance is often (but according to some PDA adults, not always) accompanied by high levels of anxiety.

As PDA is not a formally recognised diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), our team would not make a formal diagnosis, however if demand avoidance is a key feature of your child's profile we would make it known in any reports and support you in putting in place suitable management strategies.

For more information please see www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/pda.aspx.
Sensory processing disorder (SPD)
Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. 'Sensory Processing Disorder', is not a diagnosis that is currently recognised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), however that is not to say your child may not have sensory processing difficulties. Many children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will have sensory processing difficulties associated with their diagnosis. These children might be too sensitive to certain sensations such as loud noises, smells, the feel of their clothes or another person's touch. They might actively try to avoid these sensations through certain behaviours.

Some children are not sensitive enough to certain sensations such as food around their mouth, movement and body position. They might actively seek sensations through behaviours such as chewing non-food items, fidgeting or being generally on the go.

Sensory processing can be very variable from one day to the next and from one child to another.

As part of your assessment and intervention our team will help you unpick your child's behaviours and whether or not they are sensory, or have another cause.

We know that children with high levels of anxiety tend to display a higher level of sensory sensitivity i.e. more sensitive to sensations such as noise, touch, smells and tastes. We also know that children who are struggling to communicate and express their emotions or needs sometimes use sensory behaviours to gain attention. It is important to consider both of these things in the context of sensory processing difficulties and address them alongside the sensory behaviours.

Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy/Intervention (ASI) is a form of therapy which aims to change the child's underlying neural pathways and remedy the child's impairment in sensory processing. We do not offer ASI as it is not an approach that is recommended by the Royal College of Occupational Therapy or NICE guidelines for Autism.

When a child/young person is referred to occupational therapy as part of the ASC service an occupational therapy assessment will be carried out using a range of assessments which could include sensory processing assessments if the practitioner felt it was appropriate.

If it is identified that sensory difficulties are impacting a child/ young person's level of functioning, appropriate recommendations and care planning will reflect any sensory strategies alongside other occupational therapy recommendations/ interventions.

For more information about sensory difficulties please see www.autism.org.uk/sensory.

Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a condition affecting physical co-ordination. It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily.

Dyspraxia is thought to be caused by the way that the brain processes information, which results in messages not being properly or fully transmitted. It affects the planning of what to do and how to do it, and is associated with problems of perception, language and thought. Dyspraxia sometimes runs in families.

While it is distinct from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) many parents notice similar symptoms, including sensory processing issues. In some cases the two conditions can co-occur. As with autism, people with dyspraxia may be over- or under-sensitive to certain sensory stimuli. MPFT has a pathway for dyspraxia in our Community Paediatrics service, including an OT/Physio joint clinic. If the CYP autism team think it appropriate a referral to support to this service will be made.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is common in people with autism. If someone has ADHD, they have significant difficulties with things like poor attention, over-activity and impulsiveness. MPFT are currently reviewing the pathway for diagnosis and intervention for children with ADHD. We hope to move towards a more integrated neuro-developmental offer. This is subject to service redesign and further discussions with the CCG. If as part of your autism assessment it is suspected that your child may have ADHD then this will be discussed with you and a management plan put in place.

For more information please see www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/related-conditions/adhd.aspx.
Q: What is happening about feedings specialist appointments?
We have been commissioned by the CCGs to provide an autism assessment and intervention service. The specification and requirements for a specialist feeding support or ARFID (Avoidance Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) would be different and we are not in a position to provide an ARFID service. However, we recognise that many young people with autism have issues relating to food and support around feeding issues related to autism will be provided in line with an autism intervention service. We will be making contact with the families that were actively open with the previous provider as soon as practically possible.Files involving children and young people who were actively receiving support around feeding at the time of the transfer have been transferred to MPFT and have been reviewed by the team.

Recognising the issues children and young people with autism can experience, we are in the process of developing a workshop focussed on food and diet in conjunction with the Trust's Dietetic team and details of these workshops will be available shortly.

Where a specialist service is required, as with other specialist services MPFT would make an onward referral where necessary.
Q: Are the staff trained in autism or will they be undertaking some form of training?
All members of staff in the service have experience and knowledge of autism, with these skills being dependent on their role within the team. Staff who transferred from the previous provider bought with them a range of qualifications, experience and knowledge of autism and these staff have been able to provide some consistency to the families. Since the transfer from the previous provider, clinicians have also undertaken additional training on assessment tools such as Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).

Internal and external training to provide continuing professional development is available to all staff to ensure they can provide the appropriate advice and support around autism.

All new members of the team undergo an induction programme and complete any training required to enable them to provide a thorough assessment or delivery of intervention programmes.

As a team, we frequently attend external training to keep updated on any new approaches to intervention and staff make a conscious effort to maintain their understanding of current research in the field to ensure we continue to offer an evidence based service that meets the needs of families.
Q: How long will the process take once you have sent a self-referral with evidence of the child's diagnosis?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide a timescale presently, but the team are recruiting a range of professionals to support with interventions and are offering an increasing number of workshops across south Staffordshire which include sleep, understanding sensory processing, introduction to autism, speech and language and feeding. Please feel free to contact the team on 0300 303 0691 (between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or via email to cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk for further information or to book on a workshop.
Q: Can you do consultations over the phone?
We can offer advice and support over the phone (0300 3030 0691) through a duty worker, who is trained to provide this support to families. The team welcome any enquiries or questions and if information is not available at that time, we will call families back as soon as possible. We are looking to develop other modes of consultation in the future, including telephone and video conferencing consultation.
Q: What does the new service specification say about education, health and care plans (EHCPs)? Is this a condition of remaining in the service until 25?
The future autism service is currently proceeding through the procurement process by the CCG. This specification is not the same as the interim service specification. The future autism service is currently proceeding through the procurement process by the CCG. This specification is not the same as the interim service specification. The CCG will be able to provide further information about the revised service specification.
Q: No appointments.
We would like to reassure families that appointments for assessments and interventions are taking place across south Staffordshire. The team are prioritising those children and young people who are experiencing the longest wait and the greatest clinical need.

All new referrals that are received into the service for both assessment and intervention are risk assessed at the time of triage.

We would like to thank families for their patience during this interim period. The service has experienced a number of staffing issues, leading to delays in appointments for assessments. We are taking on a number of senior clinicians, including a new Speech and Language Therapist who has joined the team and new Assistant Psychologists and are actively recruiting other clinical specialists to further bolster the team.

Should you have any specific issues or concerns then a duty worker is available by calling the service on 0300 3030 0691 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday to provide advice.

We would also encourage families to contact the team to book on workshops that are being delivered across south Staffordshire. For further information and to book a place please email the team at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk or call 0300 303 0691 during office hours.

Regular stakeholder updates can be found via MPFT website at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service.

The service web page features:

Referral information (NB: Referrals into the service can only be made by a professional who has met with the child and family)

Frequently asked questions that provide more information both to current and new users of the service

Information should urgent help be required

Contact details for a number of other useful services and organisations

Workshop information

Weekly updates

Q: Consistency of messages on what to do for parents to progress.
Our admin team are aware that families are waiting for an appointment and the frustration this causes. We apologise that we are currently unable to confirm exact timescales for assessments or interventions to commence. As well as taking on a new Speech and Language Therapist and new Assistant Psychologists, we are recruiting other clinical specialists to further bolster the team.

We would recommend that families sign up to our weekly update which provides the latest information concerning the service - this can be done by emailing communications@mpft.nhs.uk.

With regards to advice provided by our duty worker, the team are varied with a range of professionals with differing expertise and knowledge. Each member of the clinical team has a unique background and specialism to support a multi-disciplinary approach. This provides us with the potential to have different methods in supporting any one problem, giving families alternative options around advice for their individual child.

The team work closely together and share their knowledge to ensure the best outcomes for the child or young person. If situations arise where a child or young person may benefit from access to other services or experience, our weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings help to facilitate this.

Families may be suited to, or have a preference for a different approach, but any advice given is in line with the family's current needs and will be evidence based. Every family is unique, with differing needs and circumstances, but if an approach is not providing the expected outcome, we would welcome a further call into the office to discuss alternative advice or support mechanisms.

Questions/observations from Autism Pyramid Group members
Q: Child has a working diagnosis - are they likely to be seen by MPFT or will they have to wait for new provider?
Any child or young person with a full or working diagnosis has access to our range of interventions and workshops provided by the service. For interventions, families would need to complete a self-referral form (which they can do by emailing us directly at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk) and we would require evidence of a diagnosis should this not currently be available to the team.

We have now received the files from the previous provider for families that are in receipt of a working diagnosis. We are in the process of sending out letters to these families whose files have now transferred over and further information will be contained within these letters. However, we would like to reassure parents and carers that until such time that a review of the diagnosis can take place, the working diagnosis will remain valid and does not expire without a review.

Should MPFT not be successful in its tender to provide the service on a substantive basis, then we will work closely with the new provider to ensure a smooth transition of services and this will include those families awaiting a working diagnosis review.
Q: Timescale from referral by GP for autism assessment?
We are unable provide specific timescales presently concerning the commencement of an autism assessment. We are in the process of recruiting new staff to support with these assessments and appointments will be arranged once these staff are in post.

All referrals received, whether from a GP, school or other health professional are triaged by the referral team and added to the waiting list in order of date accepted.

We will share more information through our weekly update around timescales for assessments to commence as soon as possible and we thank families once again for their patience during this period.
Q: Transfer of files from the previous provider - where are our children's notes and files being stored?
All files transferred from the previous provider are stored securely.
Q: I had one appointment with the previous provider, but have heard nothing since.
We would like to reassure families that appointments for assessments and interventions are taking place across south Staffordshire. The team are prioritising those children and young people who are experiencing the longest wait and the greatest clinical need.

Should you have a query relating to this then please email the team, at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk or call 0300 303 0691 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) and we will be happy to check our records. We would encourage families to sign up to the service's weekly update to receive the latest information - this can be done by emailing communications@mpft.nhs.uk
Q: Have been told I am on a waiting list.
The team are aware of those families that are currently on a waiting list for assessment or intervention and these records have been reviewed to identify those with the longest wait and assessed for risks. The team are prioritising those children and young people who are experiencing the longest wait and the greatest clinical need.

We would recommend that families sign up to our weekly update which provides the latest information concerning the service - this can be done by emailing communications@mpft.nhs.uk.
Q: I do not have a specific appointment date and have spoken to PALS to complain.
We thank everybody for their patience during this transition and we do understand that this is very frustrating for everybody involved. We are doing all we can to help, and apologise that we cannot offer precise appointment dates to all children waiting. We are writing to parents where we are in a position to offer appointments. May we please also remind you that we have a clinician available to talk with you if you have any specific queries or concerns. The Trust's Customer Services Team (PALS) is available for advice and support and to receive any concerns you may have. They can be contacted by:
Q: Feel like interim provider is not providing a service at present.
We recognise this is a difficult time for families and again thank you for your understanding during this time. We would like to reassure families that appointments for assessments and interventions are taking place across south Staffordshire. We are also offering a wide range of workshops to support families - the latest information is shared through our weekly update (which you can subscribe to by emailing communications@mpft.nhs.uk), via the service's web page at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service and also through MPFT's Facebook account www.facebook.com/mpftnhs.

We are also continuing to meet face-to-face with parent groups to listen to parents and receive feedback, ideas and suggestions.

We welcome any feedback or suggestions should parents/carers not be able to attend one of these events and we will do our utmost to respond to any enquiries as quickly as possible. You can submit this feedback by emailing the service at cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk.
Q: Has there been communication to schools, social services and other agencies who may be involved as parents are having to tell these agencies that the previous provider are no longer responsible for autism services?
Prior to commencing the interim service, the Trust communicated this news to a wide range of stakeholders, including schools, and other agencies. During the interim service period, the Trust has continued to communicate openly and directly with a range of groups through the service's weekly update, as well as through face-to-face meetings. Where appropriate, the service liaises with social services, schools and other professionals to ensure information is made available to those who are currently working with a child/family. The service will continue to provide regular updates through the service's weekly updates, through social media and via the service's web page at www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/children-and-young-people-autism-service and is committed to furthering positive relationships with parent groups to ensure information gets to those seeking access to the service, whether this be families or professionals.
Q: Main concern from parents is that their children have been lost in the system.
The service appreciates this concern and thanks families for their patience during this interim period. We also acknowledge some of the difficulties caused by the initial transition; however we can assure you that we are working as hard as we can to support these families. The team are happy for families to contact them if they have any questions or wish to speak to a duty worker around urgent concerns for their child or young person. This can be done by calling 0300 303 0691 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or emailing cypautismservice@mpft.nhs.uk. We continue to build on the team with a range of professional skills that will ensure a specialist multi-disciplinary service moving forward.

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Children and Young People's Autism Service

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The service attended a Voice for Change meeting on 23 January 2020 to listen to the views of parents and carers. A list of the questions and comments raised at the session are available to view by clicking here . We are in the process of responding to the issues raised - these responses will be included below.

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Caudwell Children Autism Assessment Service can provide:

Fast and efficient Autism Spectrum Disorder assessments

Self-funded or 80% charity-funded autism assessments

Diagnostic feedback

12 months of post-diagnostic support

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Autism assessments take place at the Caudwell International Children's Centre, which is designed to provide a calm and peaceful experience for children and their family. The Centre includes a mixture of quiet zones, specialist facilities, sensory rooms and garden, which allow our clinical team to develop a comprehensive profile for each child during their assessment.

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The Autism Outreach Team (AOT) is a team within the Specialist Support Service, which is available across the County to support pupils, parents and schools. The team works predominantly with those pupils with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools. The AOT works with: pupils in mainstream schools, nurseries and pre-school settings; pupils who have a confirmed diagnosis or medical identification of an ASD

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Autism Service Directory

Staffordshire County Council

Main information

Type of service: Outreach - education

The Autism Outreach Team (AOT) is a team within the Specialist Support Service, which is available across the County to support pupils, parents and schools. The team works predominantly with those pupils with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools. The AOT works with: pupils in mainstream schools, nurseries and pre-school settings; pupils who have a confirmed diagnosis or medical identification of an ASD or similar; the ASSIST branch of the team work in Post 16 establishments. Schools can refer directly through their Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) or headteachers. Parents, carers and other agencies who wish to refer are directed to the pupil's school to discuss the priority in terms of school based difficulties. The team may be able to help on a consultative basis where school based criteria are not met. Other LEA Support Services will refer through the pupil's school. For school referrals which are accepted the team will provide the following: liaison with other support services currently involved with the pupil; contact with parents prior to school visit and consultation with parents throughout the duration of involvement; autism awareness training for all staff; observation of the pupil and learning environment leading to strategies for the staff to use with the pupil related to Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets; a period of school visits to establish and evaluate appropriate teaching and management approaches for the pupil.

Eligibility

Age: For people of any age

Aimed at: Adolescent , Child

Registrations & Approaches

Specialisms: Exclusively autism specific

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Autism Service Directory Type of service: Outreach - education The Autism Outreach Team (AOT) is a team within the Specialist Support Service, which is available across the County to support pupils, parents and schools. The team works predominantly with those pupils with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools.

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Since 2016, this group of young people, ages 15-25, have shared their voices and lived experiences to steer, influence and advise the work we do. As well as advising on AET materials and strategy, Panel members speak at events, co-deliver training and support autism education networks.

Find out how this group of young people are supporting, co-producing and advising the AET.

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Helping you support autistic children and young people since 2007

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Find us on Facebook.
We are a group of parents and carers who all have children of various ages with autistic spectrum disorder, some of our children also have other conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD. We provide peer to peer support to parents, carers and the wider family of children and adults with ASD.

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“Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.”

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Description

Most children learn to read and write easily. Others take longer and may need extra help, but do manage it. However, a few children find the process of learning to read, write and spell particularly hard.

Such children may have underlying problems that affect their ability to learn these skills. This is called "dyslexia", which means "difficulty with words". It is sometimes referred to, particularly by professionals, as a "specific learning difficulty" or "SpLD".

The Rose report in 2009 gave this description of dyslexia which has been adopted by the British Dyslexia Association:

"Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling."

Dyslexic tendencies occur in people of all backgrounds and of all abilities. It is estimated that about 10% of the population may be affected, with 4% of these having severe difficulties.

If you feel that your child's difficulties with reading, writing and spelling are affecting their progress at school, this may be the time to talk to your child's teacher and discuss your concerns.

Signs

Dyslexia creates difficulties with the ability to deal with text,and sometimes numbers too. Children may find it difficult to sort out the individual sounds that make up words. This will mean that they have problems with reading, writing and spelling.

Children may also have difficulty with memory and sequencing, numeracy and sometimes in other areas too. Some dyslexic children are described as being disorganized and forgetful - they never seem to have the right books and equipment for school. Dyslexia is sometimes seen alongside other conditions such as dyspraxia, so others may have difficulty with motor skills - that is, how they move their body or use equipment such as pens or scissors.

However, dyslexia is not all about difficulties. Children may be good at problem-solving, many are artistic or sporty. Everychild has things they like and are good at. It helps to discover and celebrate these strengths and work with the school to develop them. It is important to keep a child's self esteem high.

What should I do if I think my child is dyslexic?

If you are worried about your child's progress then always speak to your child's school. You may wish to make an appointment to see the class teacher or the school SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator). They may be able to reassure you that adequate progress is being made, or they may share your concerns.

If you feel you would like support to talk to the school staff, you can always take along a friend or talk to someone from Staffordshire SENDIASS to help you prepare for your meeting.

Teachers in school will have experience of supporting children with reading and writing difficulties. Many will have received some training on dyslexia and some may have additional qualifications in teaching pupils who are dyslexic. They can help think about what changes may be needed in the classroom to make it easier for these children to learn.

What can the school do to support my child?

Teachers regularly assess a child's progress to help them plan new work. If they are concerned about a child's progress the teacher will look at how they can adapt their teaching to help the child learn. High quality teaching targeted at a child's area of weakness is the first response if a child is identified as making less than expected progress for their age. This may include making small changes to the way the lesson is taught, the materials that are used, or the support given to a child during normal teaching. These are reasonable adjustments to increase a child's access to the curriculum. These strategies will be identified on the school's website in their SEN Information Report, and in their school offer on the Local Offer website.

A small number of children need additional support (see the section on "SEN Support" below). This involves a more detailed and structured teaching approach or further changes to the teaching methods to allow them to be included in lessons.

SEN Support

If your child's difficulties are such that they are placed on SEN Support, the school will follow the 'Assess, Plan, Do, Review' process and set up an individual learning plan. You, and your child, will be involved in this. Outside agencies and specialist support may also be asked to give their advice. Your child's progress will then be regularly monitored and reviewed.

If your child is meeting their targets and making good progress, it may be possible to reduce the support. If not, the school may ask for advice from their special educational needs support service (SENSS) This service is now part of the special educational needs and inclusion service (SENIS) provided by Entrust, the provider for Staffordshire local authority. Schools can also ask for advice from a learning support teacher or educational psychologist. Your permission will always be sought before this is done.

The input may include:

Looking at the school's assessment of the child.

Reviewing the strategies that have already been tried.

Helping consider how the child's needs can be met.

Thinking about how the school could adapt the learning environment.

Planning what to do next.

Drawing up targets as part of the child's learning plan.

Providing appropriate training for school staff.

What help is available within Staffordshire schools?

Dyslexia Friendly Schools Initiative

The SEN and Inclusion services (SENIS) works with schools in Staffordshire to help them achieve 'dyslexia friendly' school status.

Dyslexia Friendly Schools: Level One

The award is valid for three years. After this schools must re-visit their action plan.

Dyslexia Friendly Schools: Full Status

As for the level one process, the full status is valid for three years after which time the school needs to re-apply for the award.

Other sources of help

There are a large number of voluntary organisations, businesses, charities and local support groups dedicated to dyslexia. Some are listed below. This information is provided in good faith and does not constitute a recommendation.

Local Groups

Dyslexia Association of Staffordshire (DAS)

Studio 9 St James House
Webberley Lane
Longton
Stoke-on-Trent
ST3 1RJ

Dig-iT (Dyslexia Information website)

View their website.

Useful link to various free dyslexia / neurodiversity checklists developed by the Dyslexia SPLD Trust and used in a government-funded project on awareness training for schools.

National Groups / Organisations

The British Dyslexia Association

IPSEA

This is a charity offering free advice to parentsand carers on special education.

Websites dedicated to dyslexia

These are not recommendations, but may be a starting point for you.

2 Simple Software: View their

Barrington Stoke: View their website

Crick Software Ltd: View their website

Crossbow Education: View their website

Enabling Computer Supplies Ltd: View their website

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre: View their website

Iansyst Ltd: View their website

Inclusive Technology Ltd: View their website

LDA: View their website

Learning Materials Ltd: View their website

Multi-sensory Learning Ltd: View their website

Nessy Learning Ltd: View their website

REM: View their website

SEMERCSmart Kids (UK) Ltd: View their website

Toe-by-Toe: View their website

The law and further reading

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 him or her.

A child or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of other children the same age.

Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

Disabled Children and Young People

A child or young person has a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if they have:

"a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities."

"Long term" is defined as "a year or more" and "substantial" is defined as "more than minor or trivial".

The Equality Act 2010 sets out the legal obligations that schools and other education providers have towards disabled children and young people;

They must not discriminate in relation to admission.

They must not directly or indirectly discriminate against, harass or victimise in the way it provides services.

They must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled children and young people are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers.

See more information.

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Most children learn to read and write easily. Others take longer and may need extra help, but do manage it. However, a few children find the process of learning to read, write and spell particularly hard.

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The British Dyslexia Association tells us Dyslexia is a learning difference which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills.

It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields.

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The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

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Acute bereavement Support for Children and Young People in Staffordshire

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To preserve and protect the physical, emotional and mental health of Children & Young People when someone significant in their life is dying, or has died, by providing bespoke, focused and supportive acute bereavement care.

Referrals To Our Service

Our service is free of charge and absolutely ANYONE can refer into us, whether you are a family member, Teacher, Healthcare Professional, friend, Emergency Services...the list goes on. All that we ask is that the family/main caregiver are informed of the referral so it wont be a surprise when we get in touch.

Referrals can be made via the contact us form on the website, via email windmills2019@gmail.com or via the phone numbers on our contact section.

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Windmills Charity Stoke-on-trent Staffordshire - Acute Bereavement Support for Children & Young People in Staffordshire

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To preserve and protect the physical, emotional and mental health of Children & Young People when someone significant in their life is dying, or has died, by providing bespoke, focused and supportive acute bereavement care.

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Winston’s Wish supports bereaved children, young people, their families and the professionals who support them.

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Winston's Wish is the UK's childhood bereavement charity. We support children and their families after the death of someone important.

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Child Bereavement UK supports children and young people (up to age 25), parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.

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We help children, young people, parents, and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.

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Staffordshire Aiming High is a programme commissioned by Staffordshire County Council that is open to 0-25 year olds with a special educational need/disability who live in Staffordshire and you can access a set amount of free activities each month.

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Moving Forward (Lifeskills and Independence Support) Up to a possible 56 hours of individual support is available from our Moving Forward programme to help young people aged 11 years and over with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) towards achieving their dreams or goals...

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Information in regards to SEN Support in School.

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SEN Jungle Flowcharts - Requesting an EHCP Needs Assessment 

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SEN Jungle Flowcharts - Requesting an EHCP Needs Assessment 

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Information in regards to making a request for an Education, Health and Care Plan Needs Assessment.

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Holidays and Food Activities Summer 2023

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Holidays and Food Activities Summer 2023

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Holidays and Food Activities Summer 2023

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Holiday Activities and Food Programme Summer 2023

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Aiming High July Activity Brochure

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Aiming High Newsletter May 2023

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Families Health & Wellbeing Service Cost of Living Padlet. Information for families to help with the current cost of living difficulties.