The Early Years Inclusion Service are a small team of experienced specialist advisors who promote and aid the inclusion of young children (0-5) with possible Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). This can involve supporting nurseries, pre-schools and childminders to make adaptations to cater for the individual needs of the child, as well as liaising between the Early Years setting, health professionals and families to give recommendations to support a child to make progress in their development and access educational provision. Where a child is not in an Early Years setting, we will offer support to the family through home visits.
Children can be referred to the Early Years Inclusion Service by an Early Years provider or by a health professional (if the child is not attending an Early Years setting).
It is a legal requirement for all Early Years settings to have a designated Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENCO) as stated in the SEND Code of Practice 2015. Our role in Early Years Inclusion involves supporting Early Years SENCOs to:
- Identify developmental delays early to allow swift intervention.
- Implement the Graduated Approach – Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
- Develop appropriate strategies to meet the individual needs of children.
- Guide and train their Early Years practitioners in promoting inclusive practice.
- Feel confident in completing SEND related paperwork when necessary, such as EHCNA requests.
For more advice on what to do when you have a concern around a child’s development and to decide whether a referral to the Early Years Inclusion Service may be appropriate, please refer to the RCC Graduated Approach in the Early Years flowchart.
Please click below to download the RCC Early Years Inclusion Referral form.
For Rutland early years providers requiring additional funding for a child to deliver support that is above and beyond what is ordinarily available within the setting, you may apply for Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding (SENIF).
This page was last updated on: 04/06/2024