Supporting Children with SEND in Mainstream Early Years Settings
Families benefit from tailored support sessions in mainstream early years settings, aiming to bridge the gap between mainstream and special education. Flexibility in session duration and digital support can enhance accessibility for working parents. Training for mainstream staff is crucial, and a balance between in-person and digital support is key for addressing diverse needs effectively.
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Question Response Some families said they benefit from 1 session per week and did not need additional sessions if mainstream was adequate and trained. Could go full time (15-30 hours entitlement) good to still have a link into mainstream Understand the need to reduce the hours to support mort children, working with mainstream nurseries to support children the SEND Needs some flexibility as children's needs are different 2.5 hours is adequate as long as the quality and time with the staff to help with wider aspects (EHCP s etc) Currently children can attend for up to 2.5 hours a week do you think this about right if not what are your suggestions Training for mainstream settings is essential Still need support to access mainstream settings support is required where needed 1:1 funding can be an issue in mainstream EY settings recruitment is an issue, funding for the support worker is an issue, cannot be used elsewhere in the nursery. The service is to compliment a child attending a mainstream EY provision do you support this model going forward and if so what help do you think mainstream EY settings need in supporting children with SEND? Being in the session has been vital for parents to learn and develop strategies to support their children Also there is a need for parents to be separate for children for respite and gain support from other parents It could be distressing for some parents to be in the session and for their parent not to be routine is important (cannot mix and match) Parent room is helpful for support and gives the child some independence in the play room Parents in the room is a good learning opportunities with parents Offer sessions for both depending on needs of the child / family following an assessment and regular reviews At the moment parents have to remain in the session with children if they are in Special Tots but do not have too with Koalas. How would you like to be supported in the future service? One or the other, both, flexible? Older age groups work well Parents do not always have equipment or wifi, have smart phones but not confident in using them, May need additional support to enable them to access the digital support Shouldn t be a barrier to entry, need to think of ways of accessibility, not always suitable for children with disabilities, Some children do not find screens accessible Can be used to support parents but not always suitable to support children Content, style of delivery is important Not suitable due to the age and disabilities of the children Some children may find it distressing seeing staff on the screen, does not hold their attention Weekly call in lock down was helpful for support and ideas on how to work with children How do you feel about being supported digitally are there any good examples / do s and don ts? Prep and feedback time is required for staff, Current times do work well (ST) Would struggle to get children out of the door before 9am Commitments with siblings can be difficult 8am may work for those at work Flexibility is the key depending on the assessment of the child, a full day is too much for some children they get tired and would need a nap, 2.5 hours would be maximum length of time (may struggle with volunteers if sessions were longer) If the new EY service was open 8am-6pm during term time would this increase accessibility? Would this help support parents who are working?
Question Response Has worked well in the past but if there was more capacity parents would access it, concerns around potentially diluting the service, mainstream settings can struggle with the skills and often receive training from koalas/ST. More sessions would be helpful would choose full time if there was capacity If hours couldn t be increased, could digital support be offered to help parents. Digital / telephone support was really helpful for parents during lock down, sharing ideas for activities for children. Technology wasn t an issue therapy team joined in and wider. Resource library online may be helpful pre recorded videos, great for those shielding Some limitations for those unable access tech, internet, and those disabilities Agree. One morning a week worked for us to fit in with work commitments as well as other baby activities. We were lucky enough to have portage as well as special tots so 2 sessions a week. 1 morning a week worked well for us but we had great support in nursery had we not had that I would have wanted more Currently children can attend for up to 2.5 hours a week do you think this about right if not what are your suggestions Has worked for some, good communication with the mainstream nursery and koalas/ST, mainstream need to be lead professional on children s cases so not to overload the specialist service Some bad experiences x 2 Children lead to a change in setting, no responsibility from the mainstream setting, despite taking the matter up with regional managers, lots of turnover in staff, koalas was essential, meeting up would have been helpful. Knowledge gaps with mainstream providers, 100% need more support with SEND Peg feeding has been in an issue in mainstream delay in the training, can be an issue on who can deliver the training (2 years for DP carers) now Nutritia, also issues with epilepsy training (particularly with the administration of medication rectal diazepam) with mainstream settings, parents end up training staff Esther to follow up Cross border issues with nurseries especially those nurseries in Wiltshire new housing estates are on boarders, where GP s are registered can be an issue Recruitment for 1:1 is an issue, skills are limited (no signalong, pecs) - parents can end up doing the 1:1 therefore do not get respite. Training is essential as only way a child can communicate We have a current family who's mainstream setting won't be the child's lead professional so Karen has had to do it. The service is to compliment a child attending a mainstream EY provision do you support this model going forward and if so what help do you think mainstream EY settings need in supporting children with SEND? Flexibility is helpful appreciated being in the session has been helpful as well as the parenting room, building relationships with other parents. Siblings need to think about how we manage siblings, children do not always want their siblings in the play room Like being in the session and talking to staff to understand what you can apply for (benefits, support etc) peer support is really helpful. Like the best of both worlds, staff to encourage parents to stay in the session More like an educational setting and support for families emotional and physical support worried this could be diluted if tendered For me we had to stay which i understand however, being able to pop out at some sessions and staying in others would have been so helpful At the moment parents have to remain in the session with children if they are in Special Tots but do not have too with Koalas. How would you like to be supported in the future service? One or the other, both, flexible? Would be easy for parents to get across Swindon is difficult early in the morning afternoon or late morning would be better Some children cannot manage the afternoon so 8am would be helpful Some children find early mornings better routine is important helpful if the service is all year round, Some children get tired and need a nap full day not suitable 2.5 hours is a good length of time parents need choice according to their child s needs makes it more productive do not want to dilute the session feedback is after the session just the professionals Personally extended hours wouldn't be something we would have accessed- mainly because the child was tired and even now at 8 years old he'd be struggling to do anything productive at 6pm! If the new EY service was open 8am-6pm during term time would this increase accessibility? Would this help support parents who are working?
Question Response Do you value structured play and learning or are you looking to use this service for respite? Mixture of them all is helpful at different times, depending on the child and their needs Aim to make children as independent as possible Travel time for those using public transport is challenging wouldn t have time to go elsewhere In the session staying at the session was vital Offer options depending on needs of child / family Does the home based service need to remain in the Portage approach or are there alternative ways / approaches? Portage makes a real difference, combined with other play services is essential, speed at delivering services was essential Does not replace a play room service need the sense of community with other parents 1:1 was beneficial, focused play, supports the parents, beneficial to have both play room and home based service. Should the service be time limited depending on the outcomes met for the child and family? Children who are deferred from school lost place at Special Tots this is an issue (4 year old, is in mainstream nursery) Should be dependent on the child s needs / situation, ideally should be until they transition to school Some leave earlier depending on the needs and development of the child family and professional decision What support do you need as parents / carers? EHCP applications, emotional support, flexibility is key, experienced staff with knowledge base
Question Response Do you value structured play and learning or are you looking to use this service for respite? As the staff are so experienced parents appreciate the structured learning although respite is valuable - need to market it correctly Does the home based service need to remain in the Portage approach or are there alternative ways / approaches? Not always needed depending on the family situation and wider support networks, Helpful for children who get overwhelmed and for parents who need support at home (various reasons, tired, overwhelming ) reduces the number of appointments , 1:1 was helpful for parents to learn, less distractions, Would have been helpful could also be accessed remotely or online Should the service be time limited depending on the outcomes met for the child and family? Children who are deferred from attending school currently loose the service (ST and Portage). Transition would be really helpful and children could miss out. What support do you need as parents / carers? How to communicate and engage with children visual and auditory issues, transition to school and EHCP to ensure he got into the right school Great at supporting the whole family, access to key worker sooner is helpful first point of contact Emotional support, TAC help and support, EHCP applications staff go above and beyond, late hours, extra support in crises whole family support Cross working with the therapy team worked really well important to keep How do you feel about being supported digitally are there any good examples / do s and don ts? Some children may not be able to access online need to be flexible according to the needs of the child maybe better to support parents
Question Response How often should the home based service be delivered? Weekly in conjunction with other play room sessions Do you think an outreach service will support mainstream EY settings and schools to be more inclusive? Would you consider a mainstream setting more if they were supported in an outreach approach? Mainstream nurseries do not know how to support children with SEND Koalas and ST support those nurseries Fully support the outreach support to mainstream EY settings
Further comments / ideas Early Bird trainers not available this is an issue, even though they have paid for it Team around the child meetings really important - essential from the start, part of assessment and goal settings Therapist came into the sessions this worked well, tailor activities, this may not work if there are more children in the sessions Plan do review approach works best
Further comments / ideas SALT lost home visits when she went to school mainstream Border issues with EHCP reviews outreach program in the new service training OOB settings
