Support for schools and settings
Page Content
- Local Authority Education Inclusion Team
- Local Authority SEND Services – Education Health and Care (EHC) Team
- Educational Psychologists
- Aspire Virtual School
- Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Partnership (BDSIP) – SEND & Inclusion Service
- Partnerships, Commissioning, and Training
- Developing the expertise of the workforce
- Partnership work with Health
Local Authority Education Inclusion Team
This team aim to support schools, young people, and families in Barking and Dagenham by focusing on ways to engage young people in their learning. The team do this through early intervention and looking at key strategies such as the prevention of/and reducing suspensions, exclusions and keeping pupils in school to achieve good attendance.
The team aim to work together with the local community to provide a supportive service to keep children and young people in education and ensuring that their education and learning needs are met and supported.
Alternative Provision
When a student is at risk of permanent exclusion, a school can commission alternative provision. For information, please visit Inclusion Team – AP
Education Inclusion Team
For advice and guidance, please visit Education Inclusion Team or contact inclusion@lbbd.gov.uk
Local Authority SEND Services - Education Health and Care (EHC) Team
This team is responsible for the assessment, review and placement of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans. Decisions as to whether to undertake an assessment are made by the local authority EHC Panel. The Panel comprises a multi-agency group of professionals who consider individual requests for assessment by scrutinising all available evidence.
Main Contact is email ehcenquiries@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8227 2400
Educational Psychologists
Educational Psychologists (often known as EPs) have been trained to understand children’s learning, behaviour, emotions and relationships. Their work is based on the research evidence of what works for children, parents, families and schools.
At Barking and Dagenham EP Service we work with Pre-School settings and Schools to advise and support staff who work most closely with children and young people.
We aim to promote inclusion and positive outcomes for all children and young people, so that they can achieve their best in school.
Find out more about how Educational Psychologists work here: Educational psychology service | London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (lbbd.gov.uk)
Aspire Virtual School
The Aspire Virtual School provides educational support to young people who are looked after by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, from reception to Year 13 (and beyond).
Contact
2nd Floor, Town Hall, Town Hall Square, 1 Clockhouse Avenue, Barking IG11 7LU
Telephone 020 8227 2691/2075 or email adminsupport@lbbd.gov.uk
ePEP helpline is 0333 7720944
Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Partnership (BDSIP) – SEND & Inclusion Service
An experienced inclusion adviser will work closely with your SENDCO and inclusion lead to create a bespoke package of support, which draws on the extensive expertise of the BDSIP inclusion team and our partners. This includes specialists in high quality first teaching, neurodiversity, language and communication, cognition and learning, literacy and numeracy, social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, trauma-informed practice, and outstanding leadership of SEND and inclusion.
For further information, or to discuss your requirements, contact Helena Brooks, Lead Inclusion Adviser on 07734 247773 or email Helena.Brooks@bdsip.co.uk
Partnerships, Commissioning, and Training
Barking and Dagenham has maintained and actively promoted a school-based training programme to ensure that staff gain a range of qualifications in order to fully understand pupils’ needs. Staff in school can access training in the following areas:
- Communication and interaction
- Cognition and learning
- Social and emotional and mental health needs
- Sensory and physical
The Council is a commissioner of services for children and young people with SEND. The Council monitors these services through contracts and service level agreements. Currently the Council provides or commissions the statutory services set out below. We commission BDSIP as our preferred partner to provide support and training for school SENCOs. They also provide support and advice to all ARPs.
Statutory services currently provided or commissioned by the Council:
Type of Service | Provider | How to access the service |
Support for hearing impaired and deaf children aged 0-5 | Early Years Service | Referrals to Portage and Audiology |
Support for hearing impaired and deaf children and young people aged 5-19 in schools and settings | Five Elms Outreach Deaf Service | Referral to Education Health and Care Panel |
Support for visually impaired children and young people aged 0-19 | Flourish Learning Trust Outreach Support Service | Referral is via LBBD school |
Developing the expertise of the workforce
Barking and Dagenham recognises the uniqueness of these individual pupils and has ensured that all staff, including new staff, can develop specialist skills and become highly trained practitioners. The quality of training and continuous professional support for all staff who work with the child is of great importance to ensure children achieve the best possible outcomes.
The Council’s Education Commissioning team, in partnership with BDSIP, has developed a core training programme in several areas which is linked to building specialist skills in our school-based staff. It supports the Graduated Approach to SEND model.
Partnership work with Health
NHS North East London Clinical Commissioning Group (NELCCG) is responsible for planning, buying and monitoring healthcare services for people living in north east London. Including Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge (BHR).