Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in General FE Colleges and Sixth Forms.

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1 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in General FE Colleges and Sixth Forms. Background The Draft Special Educational Needs Code of Practice states that all education providers are responsible for meeting the special educational needs of children and young people up to the age of 25 and must publish information on all policies, services and facilities in place to assist them. This information has to be published by the 1 st September The purpose of this proforma is to ensure a consistent approach for publishing of post 16 institution s Local SEND Offers and to make them more accessible to families and practitioners working with them. Colleges We expect all Post-16 education providers used by Thurrock residents to welcome young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) by: Delivering high quality teaching to enable learners to make the best possible progress Developing a partnership approach with young people with SEND and their parents/carers Designating member(s) of the teaching and learning support staff with responsibility for SEND Participating in the process of identifying, assessing and meeting young people s needs. Ensuring that all centres have DDA access and that all reasonable adjustments are made for learners. Thurrock accepts that it may not always be possible to have the appropriate resources available in college and as part of the reforms would expect colleges to work in partnership to identify gaps in provision and services. Specialist support service Guidance on completing the form Notes about the form SEND: Throughout this document SEND is used to describe young people s special educational needs and disabilities. How to complete the form The form is designed to be completed electronically where options can be ticked and freetext boxes will expand automatically. What happens to your information? All relevant information from your completed proforma will be published on the Thurrock website to enable families and practitioners to view them. By ling the completed form to Thurrock you are verifying your agreement to publish information that: a) your Local SEND Offer can be published on the Thurrock website b) all information supplied is accurate and up to date Information updated 19 November 2014 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Page 1 of 8

2 How is your information maintained? All content on the Thurrock website is annually reviewed and the responsibility for keeping it up to date lies ultimately with the provider. We will send annual s to request updates and any major changes to your SEND Offer should be communicated to Thurrock as soon as possible. Where do I send it back to? Please your setting s completed proforma to eolaore@thurrock.gov.uk or contact alison.mccleave@thurrock.gov.uk or m with any queries. Information updated 19 November 2014 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Page 2 of 8

3 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Name of school/setting Name of person(s) completing the form South Essex College Karen Fox Role of person completing the form Additional Learning Support Team Manager Date completed 3 November 2014 Your Local SEND Offer The following information will be made available to families, young people and practitioners, via the Thurrock Council website. An overview of the college Give an overview of the college, including information such as size, statement of ethos, whether the college has a special unit/ resource for a particular type of SEN. Any specialist facilities, i.e. Hydrotherapy pool, physiotherapy services, Independent training house etc. South Essex College is a large general college of Further and Higher Education. It is an exciting time to be studying with us at one of our 3 main campuses located in Southend, Basildon and our brand new Thurrock Campus. We offer a wide range of courses from Entry level to mainstream across all campuses, which are easy to reach by public transport or car. South Essex College welcomes learners who have a disability and/or learning difficulty and will use our best endeavours to ensure, in line with its commitment to the Equality Duty as defined by the Equality Act 2010 and the new Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2014, that there is appropriate access and appropriate support for individual students where necessary. We appreciate and value the contribution that individuals with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities bring to the College. We are committed to making students with an additional support need feel valued, respected and supported. We aim to create an inclusive environment where all students are treated on the basis of their merits, ability and potential. The College working in partnership with relevant agencies (e.g. Local Authorities) is proud to fulfil its statutory duties to provide for those individuals with more complex learning needs and disabilities. Whether you need help with completing your application, with your course or with examinations, our experienced staff in the Additional Learning Support Team provide support for a variety of disabilities including hearing/visual impairments, learning difficulties and physical difficulties. We will assess any learning needs you might have, and our teaching and support staff work together to offer equal access to the curriculum, equipment and physical resources. South Essex College has 6 core values which underpin everything we do. Respect is one of our key values but is also embedded within all the other 5 values: Information updated 19 November 2014 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Page 3 of 8

4 Partnership, Respect, Outstanding, Unique, Dynamic and Proud. We aim for our whole College community to be proud of our record on Equality and Diversity and strive to embed good practice throughout the organisation. Identifying additional needs How will the college know if a young person needs additional help and how do they keep parents/carers informed, e.g. regarding assessments. When a young person applies to us and declares a special educational need or disability, the Additional Learning Support Team will contact you to seek further information about your additional support needs and with your permission, liaise with and involve those people who support you in relation to your education. If you apply for a course with our Foundation Studies Department, you will be invited to meet with them to discuss your course choice and any additional needs you may have. Young people will be able to express a preference to enrol at South Essex College in their EHC Plan and we will consult with the LA to ensure they agree we are an appropriate placement to help the young person achieve the best possible outcome towards preparing for adulthood. For students enrolling without an EHC Plan, we are committed to identifying, assessing and making special educational provision for students who require it. Dedicated contacts at the College Who should parents/carers contact if they have any questions or concerns about SEND, e.g. Course Tutor, Parent/Student Support Adviser? Name of staff Role address/telephone number Karen Fox Neil Coates Susan Gentry Lorraine Brophy Janaki Nair Tracy Cross Gill Collins Additional Learning Support Team Manager Head of Skills and Foundation Learning Curriculum Manager for Foundation Studies Senior Learning Mentor Senior Learning Mentor Senior Learning Mentor Senior Learning Mentor Karen.Fox@southessex.ac.uk Mobile: Neil.Coates@southessex.ac.uk Mobile: Susan.Gentry@southessex.ac.uk Mobile: Lorraine.Brophy@southessex.ac.uk Mobile: Janaki.Nair@southessex.ac.uk Mobile: Tracy.Cross@southessex.ac.uk Mobile: Gill.Collins@southessex.ac.uk Mobile: Information updated 19 November 2014 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Page 4 of 8

5 Tracey Fellows and Kerry Clayton Ann Graham-Older and Janetta Smith Sarah Markey Emily Couzens Rob Garden Cheyne Conway Shan Mok You can contact the Additional Learning Support Team through our dedicated Mailbox Learning Mentors at Thurrock Campus Learning Mentors at Basildon Campus Learning Mentors at Southend Campus Tel: /362739/ Tel: / Tel: /220631/ Involving the young person and parents/carers in planning support How does the college involve students and parents/carers in planning to meet SEND? Add supplementary information in the notes box The Additional Learning Support Team provides a flexible support service to students who face difficulties associated with disabilities, learning difficulties and health issues. The college takes a learner-centred approach to supporting students. We will liaise with you if you have declared a special educational need or disability and will involve you and your parent/carer in discussing how best to support you at college. This will involve us asking you some questions about how your disability or learning difficulty affects you and what approaches or adjustments will help you. We believe that everyone should be treated fairly, and we can support you in a variety of ways, so that you are not disadvantaged, regardless of your individual need. Information relating to your special education or disability support needs will be shared with relevant staff in College to ensure that reasonable adjustments can be made and flexibility around programmes of study can be considered to accommodate individual needs as appropriate, having regard to the SEND Code of Practice. Additional notes Range of support available to pupils/students with SEND? Curriculum adaptations/differentiation Assessment for examination access arrangements Specific teaching interventions individual 1-1 support or counselling specialist teaching groups eg Teacher of the Deaf, Support for challenging behaviour Foundation Studies programmes Assessment & Support for communication Monitoring of health needs needs/assistive technologies We can provide a wide range of support which may include: Access arrangements for exams Student Learning Coaches for on programme support In addition to our usual accessible toilet facilities, we also offer a Clos-o-Mat toilet, hoist and couch available for students with personal care needs Administration of emergency Epipen/Buccal Midazolam via appropriately Additional notes trained Agency staff for identified learners in line with a SEC Care Plan Teaching materials in alternative formats (e.g. Braille; large print; audio; assistive software) Support from Educational Communicators for students with Visual or Hearing Impairments Assistance with access and mobility Information updated 19 November 2014 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Page 5 of 8

6 Access to external specialist services e.g. Teacher of the Deaf, Teacher of the Visually Impaired as appropriate Group or 1:1 support in class as appropriate according to identified needs Assistive Technology Modification of resources The College has a Minicom system to make telephone communication easier. If you have a hearing impairment you can contact the College by calling A portable CCTV which enlarges print, will help you if you access text and are visually impaired. The College also has computers with specially designed software for visually impaired users. A Portset Reader is located in the Learning Resource Centre and can be accessed upon request. Each of our main campuses is easily accessible and have designated disabled parking bays available which may be accessed by Blue Badge holders. Measuring progress How will the college know how well students with SEND are doing and how will they inform parents/carers about this? Progress will be measured against each student s Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and targets will be set relating to literacy, numeracy, vocational areas and attendance. These identified targets will be agreed between the student and their course team. Parents/carers can access information related to their student s individual progress online and through parent/carer information evenings/discussion with the course team. The ILP is a living document and will be updated and reviewed with the student throughout their programme. Reviews of progress will take into account the student s own ambitions and aspirations, which may lead to changes in their support. Support and training for staff Have any staff received specialist training in SEND? How are staff supported to work with students with SEND? Please include details of training undertaken within the last 12 months and numbers of staff that attended. Additional Learning Support staff work closely with Departments to assist with embedding of strategies within teaching and learning to meet the needs of those students with SEN and disabilities. Awareness training on the SEND Code Of Practice 2014 is being undertaken across college to all staff. The ALS team provided SEN Awareness workshops to teaching staff during the past academic year and this will continue to be undertaken on an ongoing basis during 2014/15 these include ADHD (57 academic staff in February), Sensory awareness (64 academic staff in February), Dyslexia & Dyscalculia (55 academic staff in February) and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (62 academic staff in February). 56 Student Learning Coaches/Progress Coaches attended awareness of the SEND Code of Practice 2014 training in August, strategies to employ with students with SEN (SEN Awareness sessions 60 staff), and receive ongoing support and guidance from their learning Mentors and attend relevant training via Staff Development to support their role and understanding of SEND. In addition 34 Student Learning Coaches attended a session on Positive Behaviour Management. Staff Development Team provided external training events to staff across college on subjects including: 92 staff attended Pivotal Education- SEN in the Classroom in June, 14 staff attended Anger Management Train the Trainer in October, 58 staff attended Maze 8 Coaching Training in February and October, 260 staff attended Pivotal Education- Behaviour Change in June. Accessibility How is the college accessible to young people with SEND, e.g. physical accessibility, facilities for personal care, specialist teaching areas? In addition to our usual accessible toilet facilities, we offer a Clos-o-Mat toilet, hoist and couch available for students with personal care needs Each of our main campuses is easily accessible and each has designated disabled parking bays available, which may be accessed by Blue Badge holders Each of our main campuses is accessible for students with physical or mobility difficulties. We have a Information updated 19 November 2014 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Page 6 of 8

7 Priority Lift User system in place at Southend campus to ensure that those who require use of the lift are able to take priority over those who do not have a condition necessitating lift use. Lifts operate at Basildon and Thurrock campuses for use by those with medical or physical needs At each of our Southend and Thurrock campuses, we have a dedicated space for Independent Living which includes a specially adapted kitchen facility for students studying on Entry level programmes Inclusion How does the college ensure that young people with SEND are included in all activities, social events, sport and recreation, field work and vocational experience? (e.g. risk assessments, provision of additional support, planning with host organisations.) South Essex College offers an inclusive approach to learning and teaching, and the Additional Learning Support Team work with course teams to help support teaching strategies which differentiate for individuals, including those with SEN. The college encourages students with SEN or disabilities to join in and contribute to all aspects of college life and we can provide support to students with more complex needs to enable them to participate in these. For those students with more complex needs, requiring 1:1 support, we can support educational trips associated with their study programme and work experience placements. Transitions How will the college support pupils with SEND to make a good start and eventually to move on to further training or employment and independent adult living. We work in collaboration with local authority transition teams and local schools pre enrolment to seek relevant advice and information relating to special educational and medical needs, to use our best endeavours to enable appropriate support provision to be determined and put in place, taking into account the wishes of the student and their parent/carer/advocate. We will liaise with local authorities to discuss progression options in relation to employment or further study in line with student aspirations and achievements. Students of South Essex College have access to a wide range of careers information including books on careers and higher education prospectuses in our libraries, regular group works and guest speakers. Students can make appointments with one of our careers and IAG qualified Student Advisors to discuss course choices, career plans and progression routes. The college has teamed up with REED NCFE - their new Learning to Work Zone is there to help students in the hunt for work and will equip young people with the training, advice and support you need to achieve your employment goals. This dedicated expert team, based at the College all year round, will offer South Essex College students exclusive access to local vacancies and jobs that are rarely advertised. The Funding Team in Student Services can offer advice on financial support available whilst you are studying at South Essex College and this includes advice on travel, free college meals, as well as the discounts you may be eligible for, with some local travel companies. Support and training for parents/carers What support and training within the school is available to parents and carers? (e.g. parent learning/support groups, Parent Support Adviser (PSA), coffee mornings) Additional notes Staff from the Additional Learning Support Team and Academic staff attend college open events to liaise with and meet parents/carers, we also attend external events run by local authorities/schools and liaise with parents/carers at parent information evenings. We are striving to develop further links to support parents. Further information for families and practitioners Where can further information on your school be found, e.g. school website? Further information relating to courses, support and information about the college can be found on our college website: Where do I send it back to? Information updated 19 November 2014 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Page 7 of 8

8 Please your setting s completed proforma to eolaore@thurrock.gov.uk or contact alison.mccleave@thurrock.gov.uk or contact on or with any queries. Information updated 19 November 2014 Proforma for the Local SEND Offer in Post 16 institutions Page 8 of 8