Children with Special Educational Needs

Frequently asked questions

How are social care services and health services involved?

Some children and young people will have complex needs. Health and care needs can have a negative effect on a child's progress at school.

When we are considering a statutory assessment, we will contact local services and ask them for any relevant information that we need to consider during the assessment process.

A doctor, therapist or another professional from the primary care trust is often the first person to notice that a child might have special educational needs. This can happen some time before the child goes to a nursery or school. They will tell the Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review Team.

This is called early notification and an educational psychologist will contact the parents or carers. We will contact a senior pediatrician, based at The Willows, St George's Hospital in Hornchurch, during the assessment process.

We will also contact Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services if this team has been involved with the child.

We will always contact social care services when considering a statutory assessment. If the team knows the child, we will ask a social worker to provide any relevant information.

Special educational needs multi-agency meeting

Every 3 weeks, a special panel is held. As well as the members of the Special Educational Needs Panel, this involves representatives from social care services, the primary care trust and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Special Educational Needs Multi-agency Meeting considers the needs of pupils who need a multi-agency response. This panel may be held when we are making a decision about a statutory assessment, or later when we are considering suitable arrangements.

You can get more information about the Special Educational Needs panels and our conditions for statutory assessments from the Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review Team on 020 8227 3540.

Contact

Jonathan Butler

Special Educational Needs Team

Town Hall

1 Town Square

Barking

IG11 7LU

Tel: 020 8227 3018

Fax: 020 8227 3307

Textphone: 020 8227 3180

Email: jonathan.butler@lbbd.gov.uk|