The Early Years Team
The Early Years Team includes Area SENCOs and Early Years Practitioners who can work with settings and families and supporting children with a wide range of significant and complex difficulties from birth to the end of nursery in the Early Years Foundation Stage (0 to 5 years). Support takes place in a variety of settings, which may include home, pre schools, nurseries, and schools within Solihull.
The team work closely with a range of professionals including Solihull Inclusion Support Service (SISS), physiotherapy, speech therapy and health visitors. We offer joint visits with other colleagues when appropriate.
We are committed to the principles of early identification and support, and to inter disciplinary assessment for children with additional needs and their families/carers. The team aims to ensure that the educational needs of the children are identified and appropriately met and that we work in partnership with parents.
The Area SENCo SENCo’s will aim to offer each Solihull Private Voluntary and Independent (PVI) setting and school nursery an
annual Area SENCo meeting.
School nurseries and PVI settings can request additional visits for advice regarding individual children at any time.
Criteria for Area SENCo support for individual children:
- The child attends a setting for 15 hours or more
- The child has a significant delay in 3 or more areas as shown on the development table on the EY Team Referral and Consent Form
- Parents have been consulted and the EY Team Referral and Consent Form is completed and signed
- The setting can demonstrate they have followed the graduated response, having already put strategies in place to meet the child child’s needs. i.e. A play plan or a My Support Plan
The Early Years Practitioners, through home visiting educational support, help children children children’s development by working with parents and children to play and learn together.
Support is available for families who live in Solihull and have a child who has been accepted by the Early Years Team Around the Child (EY TAC) team.
Referrals to the team are accepted from professionals in education, health or social care, but not directly from parents. Parents/carers must always be consulted and consent obtained before any referral is made.