Little Rockets Childcare – Langney
　
Local Offer for Children with Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

​

Name and contact details of person submitting this offer: Amanda Saunders, Little Rockets Childcare – Langney, Langney Shopping Centre, Kingfisher Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 7RT

Contents:
　
How does the setting know if children/young need extra help, and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

How will early years setting staff support my child?

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?

What support will there be for my child’s overall well being?

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?

How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

How accessible is the setting environment?

How will the setting prepare and support my child to join the setting, transfer to a new setting or the next stage of education and life?

How are the setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?

Who can I contact for further information?

Disclaimer
Feedback

From the parent carer’s point of view:

​

1. How does the setting know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

Little Rockets Childcare is an inclusive setting with a commitment to meeting the needs of all of our children. As part of our practice we have on-going assessment which enables us to identify any children with additional needs. We do this by completing a progress check at two and half years of age, a final assessment on transition to school and we complete next steps sheets. We complete a learning journey which parents can contribute to and we gather information from yourselves prior to your child starting with us. We also provide settling in visits for you and your child. Every family has a key worker with whom you can discuss any achievements and concerns. If we have any concerns we will approach parents/carers and discuss these directly with them through their key worker and possibly the SENDCO (special educational needs/disabilities co-ordinator). There is an Inclusion and SEND policy available for all parents to read. Little Rockets Childcare has experience in supporting children with behavioural needs, speech and language condition/ delays, autism and hypermobility.

​

2. How will nursery staff support my child?

At Little Rockets Childcare all staff work with and support all of the children. Guidance is provided by the SENDCO who works with the child’s key worker. We can offer an individual needs assistant or/and small group work. The director and manager support the setting in implementing our inclusion and SEND policy. We can also apply to East Sussex County Council Inclusion bursary fund for any specialist equipment that may be required to meet your child’s needs. When your child is starting at Little Rockets Childcare we gather information from you to identify your child’s strengths and needs as part of our registration process and this is held in your child’s personal file and shared with all of our team. We will work in partnership with you to review and complete the setting support plan. This will include ideas to use at home to support your child. To ensure that your child enjoys and makes progress whilst they are with us we will use a range of resources to support them. This may be in the form of symbols, ICT and sharing activities to participate in at home.

​

3. How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

We plan for individual children and their stages of development and all staff will work with the support plan compiled for your child. We will make any adaptations to the environment if any specialist equipment is needed. We will receive support and guidance from outside agencies such as speech and language therapists. We can make referrals to the Children’s Integrated Therapy Service (CITS) to provide support to your child in the following areas Early Years Teaching and support Service, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, orthotics. These services provide us with methods of working to support your child. We also use Makaton as part of our daily practice, which enables all young children to participate and make progress in speech and communication.

​

4. How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?

At Little Rockets Childcare we track your child’s progress on an on-going basis and take action when children are not making the expected progress. You will receive regular reports and will be invited to attend meetings regularly to discuss your child’s progress and to review the support plan for your child. The meetings will be arranged at convenient times for you. We will complete a learning journey and you will also have the opportunity to contribute to this. A long side this we will also complete a developmental journal that will break down your child’s progress in smaller steps. We will also ask you to contribute to this and again discuss with you at the review meetings. We complete a final assessment at key stages in your child’s development and we also complete a progress check when your child reaches the age of two and a half. This is again shared with you in an informal discussion and enables you to contribute. The support plan for your child is compiled every six weeks. Children with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) will also have an Annual Review meeting to discuss arrangements and progress. The support that your child receives will be outlined in a letter sent out once a term. Parents and carers will also be informed when any new arrangements are put in place. This letter will list support and have attached the support plan to show the targets each child is working to. Additional meetings are available by request.

　
5. What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

At Little Rockets Childcare we are committed to helping all children stay safe and healthy and enjoy their time with us. We help them to develop the necessary skills to make progress in their independence and to make a positive contribution to the setting and community. All children have a key worker who will support them daily. We have one member of staff trained in supporting children’s emotional, social and behavioural development and three other team members who have completed additional training on social and emotional aspects of development, and 0-36 month Child Development, and one of these team members is in the setting daily. The team can also seek advice and support from the specialist Early Years Teaching and Support Service and The Early Years Emotional and Behavioural Intervention Service who are part of (CITS). All the staff have been trained in Child Protection Levels one and two. The setting has policies and procedures for administering medicines and care plans and a Behaviour Management Policy. We talk with children about their activities and learning and the children contribute to their learning journey. The key worker provides daily support and all children have the opportunity for small group work with their key worker which enables them to develop social relationships. The setting also follows ESCC guidance on intimate care and toileting.

​

6. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?

A number of our staff has completed additional training to support children with SEND and we have a team with a number of years’ experience in early years. The setting accesses support and guidance from Early Years Teaching and support Service which provides support in speech, language, and communication, play and learning, sensory, social/emotional development and specific behavioural concerns. We can also make referrals to CITS who provide support with speech & language therapy, occupational therapy, equipment/adaptation, physiotherapy and orthotics. We also have access to the local Health Visitors

​

7. What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?

At Little Rockets Childcare we have a trained Early Years SENDCO. she attend inclusion support groups run by East Sussex county council. We also access support from the Early Language team, specialist teaching service, outside agencies as detailed above and we can hold multi-disciplinary meetings at the setting so that all the professionals involved in your child’s care can meet together with you. Two members of staff have been trained to run Turn taking, Attention, Learning & Listening groups (TALL). The manager of the setting has training in Emotional, Social & Behavioural Development, early identification of SEN in early years settings, communication, Interaction social communication/autistic spectrum condition, supporting children’s developing speech & language, 0-36 month Child Development. Managing Behaviour positively, Makaton 1-4, Understanding and supporting Schemas as well as being qualified as an Early Years Professional. . Other members of our team have training in Managing Behaviour positively, and Makaton levels 1-4, understanding and supporting Schemas, 0-36 Months Child Development training Staff can attend training linked to specific SEN or medical needs if required.

​

8. How will my child be included in activities outside the setting including school trips?

All children at Little Rockets Childcare have access to all activities offered by the setting, and where necessary additional adult support will be available to assist your child on school trips. Parents will be asked to meet with us to plan any appropriate support. Parents are always invited to attend any of our off site visits. The setting always conducts a risk assessment before the trip goes ahead and this enables us to make any necessary adaptations. A named member of staff will be responsible for supporting your child on the trip and we will take your child’s medication and health care plan with us together with any medication required.

​

9. How accessible is the setting?

The setting has a Valuing Diversity and Equality Policy and we welcome all families. We can access support from the EAL (English as an additional language) team to support with communication and translations. We can also apply to the Inclusion Grant for funding for specialised equipment and to support with resources for any impairment. The setting is fully wheelchair accessible. It has disabled toilet facilities and is all on one level. The resources are accessible to all children and we would make any reasonable adaptations to the setting to enable SEND children to access the resources and equipment. When your child first joins us we will ask you to let us know of any access issues you or your family members have. Little Rockets Childcare Langney does not have a car park directly outside the nursery so you can use the public roads or the shopping centre car park, so there will be a short walk to access the setting.

​

10. How will the setting prepare and support my child to join the setting, transfer to a new setting / school or the next stage of education and life?

When you and your child first start we will arrange settling in visits so that you can become familiar with the environment and staff. You will be introduced to your key worker and all other team members. We will gather information from you about your family and your child’s needs and agree a settling in period with you. Once your child starts with us we will give you a ‘First Five Sessions sheet to complete and we will also complete one and we will meet with you to discuss how things have gone and then plan any adaptations and next steps for your child. If your child moves to another setting whilst they are with us we will forward any documentation, learning journey and final assessments. We will hold a transition meeting with everyone involved in your child’s care and education. The Staff work closely with all local schools to support children when transferring. When the children are allocated a school place we contact the school and invite them to come to Little Rockets to meet the children who will be attending their school later in the year, we invite them to our setting so the teachers can see the children in their familiar environment and to have an informal discussion with the receiving reception teacher. Children moving on to school will also attend transition visits to their new school. We will provide an adult to accompany them if required. This will usually be the child’s keyworker or the settings SENDCO. We will share your child’s support plan to enable a seamless transition. We will also seek advice form the specialist early years’ service to enable a smooth transition, and where necessary attend transition meetings with the other professionals involved with your child/ family.

​

11. How are the setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

Children will be allocated resources based on their individual need. If the setting considers that a child needs extra resources we will apply to the Inclusion Grant for additional funding. We will also use staff effectively to support your child. This may result in your child having some support from an Individual needs assistant for some activities to enable them to access the routines of the day. We will also use any guidance from your child’s EHC plan and also use the settings support plan.

​

12. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

Our budget is used to provide the wide range of support outlined above in addition we will apply for funding for additional staff or resources/equipment to support your child this may be available from East Sussex County Council. Your child will have access to this support according to their needs. Support for those children with a high level of need will be provided as outlined in their EHC plan and for those children with a lower level of need information from parents, other professionals and our staff will be used to plan support that will be paid for by the setting or ESCC.

We will meet with parents when additional support has been identified, as being required. The SENDCO and the manager will be at these meetings. A referral will be made after this meeting and you will be part of this process. A teacher from the specialist early years support service will visit the setting and yourselves at home. After this a support plan will be compiled and shared with you. This will be reviewed every six weeks with you.

​

13. How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?

Staff will meet with you at parent consultation evenings and review meetings and you will have daily contact with your child’s key worker. We ensure that each child has a learning journey that you can contribute to. In the lobby we have a weekly information board which will inform you of things that are happening in the setting that week and how you can contribute. You can complete a ’wow’ slip, which celebrates your child’s significant achievements both at home and with their learning; these are shared at small group times and then displayed in the setting. You can be a parent helper at any time. This can be a one off activity times or on a regular basis. You can read stories, help at milk bar, run a specific activity or demonstrate a specific skill to the children such as – playing a musical instrument, art work, sharing your job role etc. When we review or introduce new policies parents are involved in this process and there is a time period for you to respond to any changes. We also send out annual questionnaires to obtain parents/carers views and comments.

​

14. Who can I contact for further information?

Your child’s key worker is the first person to talk to. If you have a specific question or concern relating to SEND you can contact Amanda Saunders the settings SENDCO who will answer your concerns or pass them to relevant team members or outside service following a discussion with yourselves. Information about your child will not be shared with any other professional without your consent. All documentation relating to your child will be shared with you. You can also contact your health visitor and local children’s centre. The settings staff can sign post you to many other sources of help.

This offer is accurate now, but services are regularly reviewed and could change. All information will be updated as soon as possible to reflect any new service offer.

An invite for Feedback
This offer is intended to give you clear, accurate and accessible information.
If you would like to comment on the content of the offer or make suggestions to improve the information, please email　littlerockets@hotmail.co.uk