- Alternative Provision
What is alternative provision and what is available in West Sussex?
- Attendance Investigations and Elective Home Education (EHE) Teams
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.
- Autism and Social Communication Team (ASCT)
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).
- Catering Services
Corporate catering contract, support for in-house catering, free school meals
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Specialist NHS support for children and young people who are experiencing difficulties with their emotional, psychological and mental health.
- Child Development Centres (CDC)
Offer a varied team of health staff to assess and treat children with developmental and special needs.
- Children in Employment and Entertainment (CIEE)
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.
- Children Missing Education (CME)
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.
- Children’s Community Nursing (including Special School Nursing)
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.
- Community Mental Health Liaison Service (CMHL)
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.
- Data and Intelligence Team
The team looks after the majority of statutory returns, such as school census, and data analysis within Education and Skills.
- Early Help
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.
- Early Years Teachers (ECTs)
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.
- Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
The Educational Psychology Service provides advice to the local authority to support assessments of children’s SEN and disability.
- Emergency Planning
Emergency planning support and validation training
- Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS)
The Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) supports schools to improve access and raise attainment for pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, particularly those with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and those from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman & Boater backgrounds (GTRSB).
- Fair Access Team
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.
- Family Information Service
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.
- Free School Meals
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.
- Governance Services
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) including school nurses
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.
- Integrated Front Door (IFD)
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).
- Intensive Planning Team (IPT)
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.
- Learning and Behaviour Advisory Team (LBAT)
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.
- Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC)
Advice, guidance and monitoring of safe practice of all LOtC activities
- Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
The Local Authority Designated Officer is a WSCC officer. The officer manages allegations for those who work or volunteer with children, including school staff.
- Mental Health Support Teams in Schools (Thought-Full)
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)
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.
- Physiotherapy for Children
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
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.
- Pupil Admissions Team
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.
- Safeguarding in Education
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.
- Standards and Effectiveness
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.
- School Organisation and Development Team
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
- Schools and Colleges Programme – Self Harm (EPS and Public Health)
The team provides information on the latest self-harm resources and offers available in West Sussex
- SEND and Inclusion Advisers
The SEND and Inclusion Advisors work across School Effectiveness and the SEND and Inclusion Teams to promote inclusive practice in schools and settings.
- SEND and Inclusion Team
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
- SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIAS)
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.
- SEND Under 5s
A multi-agency forum to discuss the needs of pre-school children.
- Sensory Support Team (SST)
The West Sussex Sensory Support Team works directly with children and their families, pre-schools and schools to support and promote the inclusion of children with a diagnosed visual impairment, hearing impairment or physical disability.
- Short Breaks
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.
- Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT)
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 Officers
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.
- Specialist Advisory Teachers – Early Years SEND Transition
Supporting young children with additional needs as they transition into Reception.
- Speech and Language Therapy Team (SALT)
The Speech and Language Therapy Team support children and young people aged 0-19 years with speech, language and communication and/or swallowing difficulties.
- Statutory Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE)
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.
- Transport
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.
- Virtual School for Care Experienced Children
The Virtual School monitors the educational progress and attendance of all children looked after by West Sussex.
- Young Carers
The Young Carers Team provide an assessment and support service to young carers, aged 0-18 years, and their families, across West Sussex.
- Youth Emotional Support (YES)
YES support young people with a variety of mental/emotional health issues including low mood, feelings of anxiety, relationship issues and self-injury.
- Youth Justice Service
We are a multi-agency team bringing together statutory partners and specialised advisory roles for emotional wellbeing, education, substance misuse, restorative justice and parenting. The YJS provides services before and after Court to meet the statutory requirements of the youth justice system with the primary aim to prevent offending and reduce reoffending by children. Working closely with partners we assess the needs, risks and strengths of a child and develop an individual intervention plan to address and reduce offending and anti-social behaviour and support children to achieve their goals. Further, the service works with children to repair the harm caused to victims and communities.
Tools for Schools