Guidance for Early Years Providers
If you are an Early Year Provider there are two different pathways to follow in referring to the Area SENCO service:
- Graduated Response Pathway
- Fast Track Pathway
Make sure that you are familiar with both pathways so that you follow the right one. This ensures that any referrals to the Area SENCO service are placed at the correct time.
To refer a child to the Early Years Area SENCO service, the following must apply:
- Child must be resident in Bournemouth, Christchurch, or Poole (for cross border arrangements please contact eysend@bcpcouncil.gov.uk to check eligibility)
- Child must either attend or be due to start early years provision (including childminders) – for school support, please see separate referral process
- Child meets Universal Plus/Partnership Plus/Statutory level of SEND need (see EY Graduated Response toolkit for more information on levels of need)
- Parents must have signed a parental permission form to indicate they consent for referral to take place and for the Area SENCO service to be involved
- Providers must evidence the Graduated Response unless using Fast Track pathway
Graduated Response Pathway
To be eligible for Graduated Response Pathway, providers must:
- supply supporting evidence to show that the graduated response has been applied
- have completed at least 2 cycles of "Assess, Plan, Do, Review"
Fast Track Pathway
To be eligible for Fast Track Pathway, one or more of the following must apply:
- Child has a diagnosis
- Child is known to Child Development Centre
- Child is known to Portage
- Child has had assessment (either completed or in progress) for significant concern by another professional (this would include a child for whom a Health to Education Notice (HEN) has been completed)
- Child whose education placement is breaking down despite appropriate support in place (i.e. child is at risk of exclusion)
- Child in care or on a child protection or a child in need plan and children who are open to Early Help targeted support teams for whom an assessment is needed
How to make a referral
Early years practitioners can make an online referral to the service.
There is separate process for schools who need to make a referral.
The referral must include sufficient information to show the child meets the Area SENCO service criteria (as outlined in guidance above).
Supporting information and the parental permission form should be emailed to eysend@bcpcouncil.gov.uk alongside completing the online referral form.
We are happy to discuss the referral with you either:
- phone on 01202 127242
- or via email eysend@bcpcouncil.gov.uk