Working with parent carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Working with parent carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
When working with parent carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) you need to:
- give parents as much information as possible
- provide reassurance – right at the start
- outline the aims or ethos of your provision
- invite parents to approach your setting early
- outline in full the details of your childcare offer
- outline staffing and childcare ratio details
- explain the environment and equipment you have in your setting
- explain your policies
- discuss links with outside agencies
- explain what extra support for parents is offered within your setting
- provide transition advice
- links with other schools, organisations
- provide contact details
Give parents as much information as possible
When parent carers of children with SEND are looking for information about childcare and holiday provision, more often than not they struggle to find it. When they do find your setting online, or are handed information about it, it will be more useful to parents if you can provide as much detail as possible about how their child will be supported in your setting.
Provide reassurance – right at the start
In the introductory part of your information, state clearly that your provision is inclusive to children with SEND, making sure to explain if it is inclusive to children with a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities, or if your provision has a particular SEND focus. For websites include a link to your latest Ofsted report so that parents can easily access it. Also, include into your text any recommendations and positive comments from parent carers of children with SEND who have used your provision.
Outline the aims or ethos of your provision
Set out the ethos, or aims of your provision. This should include a reassurance to parents that your setting works with parent carers individually to plan and arrange the particular support their child may need.
Invite parents to approach your setting early
If necessary, invite parents to come along to a taster session at your setting to discuss particular special educational or other needs their children may have so that your staff can be prepared to support their children when they start attending your setting. Acknowledge that parents are the experts on their own children and that you will work in partnership with parents to support their children’s learning, development and play. Describe how your setting gathers information from parents about their children’s needs for example, do you use one-page profiles? Do you use communication passports?
Outline in full the details of your childcare offer
Clearly outline the particular services your setting offers parents for example:
- hours
- holiday provision
- flexible provision
- breakfast club
- your charges
State which age groups you cater for and how many children you can accommodate in your setting. Remember to keep this part of your website and your information with Family Information Service up-to-date. State whether you offer transport, or how parents can access transport to and from your setting.
Update details of your childcare offer online.
Outline staffing and childcare ratio details
Staffing of provision that is suitable for children with SEND is one of parent carers' primary concerns. It's important to clearly outline the information about your staff and your staffing ratios early in your information, and to give parents as much clear detail as possible. State the use of the ‘key person system’, how you work with SENCOs as well as INCOs, whether you employ ‘special educational needs support workers’, and what skills, qualifications and experience your staff members have. For example, you may have a speech and language therapist on your staff or you may work with an external therapist during certain sessions of the week. Give parents as full a picture as possible of what support your setting offers. Also, state which particular expertise and skills your staff members have. For example, Makaton signing, or if you have staff who are trained in the use of Picture Exchange Communication system (PECs).
Explain the environment and equipment you have in your setting
Explain what kind of special equipment you have in your setting and what outdoor facilities you offer.
Explain your policies
Ensure there is a link on your website to your policies, including an inclusion policy, SEND policy, behaviour policy and your complaints procedure or forms.
Discuss links with outside agencies
Show how your setting links with other professionals and outside agencies and how you can support parents to access this type of advice and support. Under the new SEND reforms, settings and schools must assist parents to set up Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) for children who have complex SEND needs. Explain to parents how you will help them to do this in partnership with the local authority.
Explain what extra support for parents is offered within your setting
Clearly state when parents can visit your setting to see their children’s progress and discuss any changes. Also, if your setting has access to specialist teachers with expertise in various special educational needs, make this clear.
Provide transition advice
Offer advice to parents about the transition of their child into primary school or other settings and explain how you do this.
Links with other schools, organisations
If you sometimes arrange visits to other settings or schools for support, or any other purpose related to the early education of the children in your childcare setting, explain the support clearly and how it's accessed.
Provide contact details
List all the relevant telephone numbers and email addresses. Include your on site details, the contact details of the local authority and any professionals or outside agencies your setting works with.