What is alternative provision and what is available in West Sussex?
The Local Authority must ensure that children have access to a suitable education. The Pupil Entitlement Team focus on attendance, children missing in education, elective home education, child employment and entertainment.
The ASCT supports maintained and mainstream schools and academies. The team promotes the educational, social and emotional development of children and young people with ASC and Social Communication Difficulties (SCD).
Corporate catering contract, support for in-house catering, free school meals
Specialist NHS support for children and young people who are experiencing difficulties with their emotional, psychological and mental health.
Offer a varied team of health staff to assess and treat children with developmental and special needs.
The team works to ensure that children who are employed or who are engaged in the entertainment industry do so safely and within the legislation and bye-laws governing this area.
The Local Authority has a duty to identify children who are missing education i.e. not on a school roll or in any other provision. The team will work with families to engage or reengage with education and identify a suitable provision.
The service provides children’s community nursing for children and young people with long term conditions, complex needs, and palliative care, including end of life care.
The Community Mental Health Liaison Service (CMHL) provides an early intervention and prevention service for professionals who are working with young people under the age of 18, and are concerned about a young persons mental health and wellbeing.
The team looks after the majority of statutory returns, such as school census, and data analysis within Education and Skills.
A ‘whole family’ approach to Early Help ensures that children’s needs and welfare are met and maintained as well as those of the family. This is done by working with the family, local communities and others already supporting them.
A multi-agency forum to discuss the needs of pre-school children.
West Sussex provide the role of Appropriate Body for Early Career Teachers (formerly know as NQTs). This happens in teachers’ statutory induction year and includes a programme of professional development. The service provides recruitment and retention advice and guidance. It also answers teacher training queries.
The Educational Psychology Service provides advice to the local authority to support assessments of children’s SEN and disability.
Emergency planning support and validation training
Supports full access to education and aims to raise the attainment of Gypsy Roam Traveller and ethnic minority pupils.
The team manage the admissions of children to school, who do not have a school place and meet the Fair Access Protocol criteria. The team provide advice, support and guidance to schools, parents and governors. The team give advice about the exclusion process and signpost schools when a pupil is at risk of exclusion. The team commission places for children who have been permanently excluded, require support when they are at risk of exclusion. They also support children who have health needs, which impact on their ability to attend school.
The Family Information Service (FIS) is run by West Sussex County Council and offers free, impartial, up-to-date information to all families on activities, services and childcare. The service is the only direct link with the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) for registered childcare in West Sussex.
This service confirms the number of pupils eligible for free meals to be provided by the school if requested by parents. The service determines the following year’s funding for the provision of free meals for the school/academy. The service also forms part of the data set for the calculation of the Pupil Premium.
The service provides information on how to become a school governor. It also gives useful information if you are already a school governor.
Healthy Child Programme (HCP) teams lead and deliver the Healthy Child Programme. They provide services from pregnancy to age 19. The HCP is the universal evidence-based public health programme for children and young people. The programme provides a range of health interventions and support, beginning in pregnancy and continuing through to the end of formal schooling.
All enquiries/referrals for both Social Care and Early Help should go through one single front door referred to as the Integrated Front Door (IFD).
The team offer professional expertise across Education, Health and Social Care to support the network around a child/young person and their family. IPT identify creative ways to achieve good outcomes and develop positive and person-centred solutions. This includes the identification of alternative support and funding streams.
A team of Advisory Teachers who work directly with WSCC maintained mainstream schools and academies. The team offer support, consultation, advice and challenge to schools. They work with schools to improve children’s educational outcomes and emotional well-being. The team offer CARMS (Consultation and Review Meetings), individual consultations and bespoke training. They work with schools to support children and their families. They offer support for learning and/or behaviour difficulties affecting a child’s progress in school.
Advice, guidance and monitoring of safe practice of all LOtC activities
The Local Authority Designated Officer is a WSCC officer. The officer manages allegations for those who work or volunteer with children, including school staff.
The Mental Health Support Teams in Schools (MHST) service is known as Thought-Full in West Sussex.
In West Sussex two teams (covering Bognor Regis and Felpham and North West Crawley) are currently working with a total of 28 primary and secondary schools. Two more teams will be launched during 2021/22 in Worthing and Mid-Sussex with more planned in future years.
Occupational Therapy (OT) provide assessment and therapy to help children develop life skills and increase their participation in school. They work with children who have a variety of difficulties including children with developmental delay, learning difficulties, physical difficulties or sensory or coordination problems.
Provides a paediatric physiotherapy service for children aged 0-19 years. The service assesses and treats children with neurological, neuromuscular and motor development problems. As a community service, they see children at home, school or nursery if appropriate, as well as at children’s hospital centres. The service offers clinics, individual sessions and group exercises, tailored to individual children’s needs.
Portage is a home visiting educational service for very young children (0-3) with significant support needs from birth. Other pre-school children are referred as their needs are identified. Portage provides support for families by working alongside parents. The service offers practical help and ideas to encourage a child’s emerging skills.
The Pupil Admission Team coordinates the admission of children Starting School, Junior and Secondary Transfers in West Sussex. This is part of the national scheme of co-ordination. It also co-ordinates all In Year admissions for community and controlled schools and many of the academy schools. It advises parents and schools on admissions and applying for a school place, except for children with Education Health Care Plans.
Pupil Entitlement works with Schools and Families to ensure children and young people have access to their entitlement to a suitable education. It consists of the following teams: School Admissions, Fair Access, Investigation and Elective Home Education, Children Missing Education, Children in Employment and Entertainment, and Free School Meals
The Safeguarding in Education team is the strategic lead for practice and policy development. The team are responsible for the Education for Safeguarding Curriculum (E4S). They carry out in school safeguarding audits, Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training and DSL network meetings. They offer general safeguarding advice and guidance.
The School Effectiveness Team comprises of experienced professionals who provide expertise, challenge, and support in aspects of educational development and training that help to improve the quality of provision for children. Our team possess a wealth of specialist knowledge that spans the curriculum, operational and strategic aspects of leadership, safeguarding, SEND and Inclusion.
Potential school reorganisations and consultations, negotiating land and financial contributions for new housing developments, forecasting pupils numbers, academy conversion, SEND school place planning and managing the Education Capital Programme
The team provides information on the latest self-harm resources and offers available in West Sussex
The SEND and Inclusion Link Advisors work across School Effectiveness and the SEND and Inclusion Teams to promote inclusive practice in schools and settings.
The SEND and Inclusion team works to strategically improve provision, practice and outcomes for children and young people with additional needs. It consists of the Special Educational Needs Assessment Team, Education Psychology Service, Special Advisory Teaching Service, and the SEND and Inclusion Advisors
West Sussex SEND Information, Advice and Support (SENDIAS) Service provides impartial and confidential information, advice and support to children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They also offer this service to their parent or carers.
The West Sussex Sensory Support Team works with children and their families, pre-schools and schools. They support and promote the inclusion of children with sensory needs in a range of settings. New referrals should be made to either the Visually or Hearing Impaired Lead Advisory Teacher.
Short breaks cover a range of activities from an hour’s sports activity, a summer playscheme, evening cinema trip or a fun day for the whole family. For children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, and their families.
West Sussex Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT) works with pupils who already have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The team also considers and conducts assessments for those who may need an EHCP.
Special Needs Offers are part of the SENAT team. Their role is to offer support and guidance to schools in meeting the needs of children and young people with Education Health and Care Plans.
The Speech and Language Therapy Team support children and young people aged 0-19 years with speech, language and communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) is a County Council committee whose job is to advise the County Council, as local education authority (LEA), on religious education and collective worship.
The transport team work closely with SENAT to help with school transport for children with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who meet the distance criteria. Cases are considered on individual circumstances.
The Virtual School monitors the educational progress and attendance of all children looked after by West Sussex.
The Young Carers Team provide an assessment and support service to young carers, aged 0-18 years, and their families, across West Sussex.
YES support young people with a variety of mental/emotional health issues including low mood, feelings of anxiety, relationship issues and self-injury.
The Youth Justice Service aims to reduce offending behaviour by children and young people. The Service help young people to change their behaviour and supports them to make more positive choices about their futures.
Tools for Schools