SEND: Special Educational Needs and Disability

If you think that your child's ability to learn in school is affected by their special educational needs and disability (SEND), the GOV.UK website has set out guidelines of who to contact.

Additional support in school for adopted children

Pupil passport

Many Virtual Schools advocate the use of a pupil passport which you, the school and your child can complete together. The pupil passport covers the child's:

• Photo, name and age

• Strengths and interests

• What other people need to know

• People who can support

• Ways in which they can be supported

• Intervention and provision (to be added to throughout the year)

Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)

An EHCP is usually only applied for by a school once they have exhausted all options of school-based and outside agency support that is available to them. Before applying for an EHCP, schools are asked to show that they cannot meet the child's needs without the extra provision that an EHCP will provide.

An EHCP document sets out your child's:

• Educational, health and social needs

• Additional support to meet those needs

• Tools for measuring the outcomes

A parent of children with special educational needs and disabilities or a teacher can apply for an EHCP (GOV.UK). There are specific timescales if the Local Authority accepts to undertake an EHCP assessment. The whole process can take up to five months from the time you ask the local authority for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment to the point when the EHC plan is ready to begin.

Local offer

Every local authority must identify education, health and social care services in their local area provided for children, young people and families who have Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).

Local authority SEND offers

• Trafford

• Stockport

• Manchester

• Salford

• Cheshire East

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

SENDIASS provides free, confidential, impartial advice and support to parent carers, children and young people aged 0–25 in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).

They offer information, advice and support on:

• The law around SEND

• Health and social care in relation to special educational needs provision

• Personal budgets

• Education Health Care Plans (EHCP)

• Information on the Local Offer

• Transition post-16 – Preparing for adulthood

• Resolving any disagreements

SENDIASS contacts by area

• Trafford SENDIASS

• Stockport SENDIASS

• Manchester SENDIASS

• Salford SENDIASS

• Cheshire East SENDIASS

One Education

We partner with One Education on our adoption psychology services. You can find more information about their services on their website.