Support for schools and settings
The Education Inclusion 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 Education Health and Care (EHC) Team assesses, reviews, and places students with Education, Health, and Care Plans.
The Educational Psychologists work with schools and settings to promote inclusion and positive outcomes for all children, particularly those with special educational needs. The team offers various services, including assessing progress, supporting interventions, providing training, and offering information and advice.
The Council commissions and monitors services for children with hearing and visual impairments. They also prioritise staff training and collaborate with the NHS for healthcare services.
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.
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.
Educational Psychologists
At Barking and Dagenham Educational Psychology Service (EPS) we work to ensure that all children and young people in our Borough have a good start in life and achieve their best in school.
We aim to promote inclusion and to support positive outcomes for all children and young people by working together with families and schools or educational settings.
How do Educational Psychologists (EP) work?
The main goal of an EP’s work is to help ensure that children/young people make progress.
The views and opinions of children/young people form an important part of any assessment work.
Typically, when someone has a concern about a child/young person’s progress, a SENCO (SEN Coordinator) will organise a ‘Consultation Meeting’ with parents, school staff and the school’s EP to help develop a clear understanding of a child’s strengths and needs.
Educational psychology service
Find out more information on the Educational Psychology Service webpage.
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 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).
