Expectation of setting/school:​

As also set out in the Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) documents ​

• SENCo as SEND expert in setting/school. To offer advice, observation, gather pupil/parent views, involve wider school/Trust specialist/leaders​

• SENCo and all school staff to have received appropriate training and qualifications suitable to their role and child/young person they are supporting (e.g. centralised training offer, NASEN, Autism Education Trust (AET)​

• Use of guidance documents (e.g. OAP, Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), Literacy guidance)​

• Use of in-house assessment tools (e.g. British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS),  Phonological Assessment Battery (PhAB), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) etc.)​ For Early Years use of appropriate assessment tools (e.g Birth to Five Matters, Cherry Garden Branch Maps)

• Fully utilise SEND Local Offer ​

• Attend SENCo Quadrant meetings​

• Participate in local projects such as Making Connections, Partners in Inclusion for Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS)​

• Sign up to SEND Updates newsletter​

• Attend SEND Inclusion Forum when invited

SEND Team offer:​

• Regularly update the SEND Local Offer with involvement from settings/schools​

• SEND Support Service for professionals/settings/schools for general enquiries that cannot be answered by Local Offer (expected SENCo is main point of contact)​

• Update and develop guidance documents ​

• Create and deliver range of centralised training programmes for staff linked to local aims and SEND strategy areas​

• Lead SENCo Quadrant meetings alongside SENCo Co-chairs​

• EP consultation service (no requirement for SEND Support Plan). Consultation can be either child focused, group focussed or themes/strategic

Expectation of setting/school:​

• Named SENCo only to contact regarding specific pupils or groups of pupils and when making request for more specific work via SEND Support Service (previously SSL)​

• Settings and schools to generalise the support given to children of similar profiles This can be evidenced in SEND Support Plan or for EHC needs assessment requests as required - no requirement for individual advice​

• Setting/school to request involvement from most appropriate professional as indicated by the child’s needs​, consideration to be given if SEND Team offer is most appropriate.

• School to demonstrate interventions and strategies advised have been implemented over the appropriate timescales in order to be most effective (e.g. Assess Plan Do Review (APDR) cycle)​

• SEND Support Plan (MK proforma) to be complete with a minimum of 2 APDR cycles when requesting support from Specialist Teaching Team. Request for involvement form to be completed once agreed and asked to complete by SEND Support Service. ​

• Where there is an EBSA concern – evidence of Milton Keynes EBSA guidance being followed and an EBSA support plan in place , minimum of two cycles.

SEND Team offer:​

• EPS consultations available to teaching and support staff regarding individuals or groups of children or around themes/systemic issues (online via MS Teams)​

• SEND Team managers to determine the support offered following the receipt of the request for involvement. In majority of cases, a consultation will be offered.​

• Specialist Team Team – 45 minute consultations regarding specific main need to be addressed (online via MS Teams). In the majority of cases the consultation will aim to be offered within 4 weeks of allocation. As an outcome of the consultation, “modelling” work may be agreed as a part of the support offer (Inclusion Practitioner or Specialist Teacher).​

• Specialist Teaching Team to be involved in multi-agency meetings/Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings as supportive to the outcomes agreed for the CYP, typically where STT are currently involved or have been involved in the last 6 months.

Expectation of setting/school:​

For direct involvement for the Specialist Teacher/Inclusion Practitioner to be considered (and in addition to targeted expectations): ​

• SENCo is expected to share an accurate up to date understanding of child/young person and parent views via the SEND Support Plan and for this information to be recorded in the child SEND Support Plan or other documentation shared by SENCo with Specialist Teacher / Inclusion Practitioner. 

• Timetable to indicate and evidence school is fully utilising expected first £6,000 of notional budget to support ​

• SENCo will have completed observation within the last 6 weeks and have provided support to the teacher/key worker​

• As appropriate SENCo will have completed relevant assessments to provide baseline scores and contribute to appropriate teaching strategies and interventions​

• Evidence of pro-active multi-agency working where this is appropriate to support the child/young person

• SEND Support Plan (MK proforma) to have been complete with a minimum of 2 APDR cycles​

• Where there is an EBSA concern – evidence of EBSA guidance being followed and EBSA support plan in place ​

• For children/young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), change of placement/risk of placement breakdown: school to have held a review in order to capture parent views and pupil voice.​

SEND Team offer:​

• EPS consultations available to teaching and support staff regarding individuals or groups of children or around themes/systemic issues (online via MS Teams)​

• Specialist Teaching Team involvement for the most vulnerable and most complex needs CYP/ where situations have or are escalating (eg risk of placement breakdown)​

• Involvement to typically consist of: observation of CYP, option for in person meeting with SENCo, class teacher/key worker, parent/carer. Modelling support, training etc. to be agreed as appropriate. Review to take place online after 6 week.​

• Involvement to typically end following 6-week review (either online or in person – ST to determine).​

• For children with an EHCP where change of placement is being considered, Specialist Teacher to hold consultation with school to consider the current EHCP to see how it is being implemented and monitored and if further involvement from the Specialist Teaching Team would support the inclusion of the child/young person. Specialist Teacher will provide short written summary as record of the conversation and agreed next steps. Specialist Teaching Team will only be involved in annual reviews where they have current involvement and where setting/school can evidence that attendance is essential

Educational Psychology Service (EPS)

Information about what support our Educational Psychology Team offer to children and young people with SEND, can be found on the EPS page. 

Social, Emotional, Mental Health (SEMH) 

The Specialist Teaching Team will not ordinarily be involved with child/young person that have an identified SEMH need. Support and/or advice for these pupils will be access through attending inclusion partnership meetings, accessing AP as appropriate to need and working with early help services. 

Setting/school ‘best endeavours’ approach:​

• Settings/schools are expected to fully utilise all available resources and evidence how they are using these to best effect​

• As a part of agreeing to the involvement of the Specialist Teaching Team, settings/schools are agreeing to implement the advice discussed. Where the CYP had been attending on a part-time timetable/reduced hours, it is expected the setting/school will increase access to the educational offer available. 

SEND Support Line

The SEND Support Service offer support, advice and signposting to professionals working in schools/settings with children and young people with SEND.

How to get in contact:

Please email SENDsupport@milton-keynes.gov.uk

For children / young people with an EHCP please email EHCP@milton-keynes.gov.uk 

Routes into MKCC SEND Team for support.

Settings and schools can access support and advice from the SEND Team in a number of ways:

• The SEND Local Offer Milton Keynes City Council (mksendlocaloffer.co.uk)
• By emailing the SEND Support Service for advice on processes, strategies and provision SENDsupport@milton-keynes.gov.uk
• By submitting a request for support to the team via the SEND Support Line - this may result in a consultation or involvement being undertaken.
• By accessing our free Centralised Training Offer 
• By joining our half termly SENCo Quadrant Meetings for collaborative conversations with SEND Team and to hear updates on processes, local initiatives. These sessions also offer information on specific areas of SEND in order to develop practitioner and provider knowledge.
• Through regular updates in the SEND Update newsletter - you will need to sign up to receive the newsletter
• Through direct contact from the Specialist Teaching Team when a statutory Health Notification (children under 5 years) has been received.
• Through the Educational Psychology Consultation Service - this service can be requested through SEND Support Line.