Inclusion Consultants

The Inclusion Consultants are a team of skilled educational practitioners, who are experienced in teaching and special needs. The team has experience of working with pupils and advising teaching professionals, including SENCOs from Foundation Stage to Key Stage 4, in mainstream and in specialist settings.

The Inclusion Consultants support whole school staff in developing excellence in practice at High Quality Teaching and SEN Support Level. The team work with SENCOs and Senior Leadership at a strategic level, using a range of methods including cluster group meetings, individual and team approaches, with training in SEND available to both primary and secondary settings. The Inclusion Consultants also support schools with pupil transition.

The purpose of the work undertaken by Inclusion Consultants is to support the Graduated Response and promote inclusion to improve whole school practice for all SEND, to impact on the progress of all SEND learners including those in receipt of SEN support and EHCPs. Early identification and intervention forms the core of the Inclusion Consultant’s focused work. Training delivered focuses on criteria for identification of SEND pupils for schools to act upon. Whole service training responds to the current needs of the SEND population following whole authority data analysis.

Our Aims

To support schools in their delivery of an effective and efficient Graduated Response
To support schools in the early identification of pupils with SEND
To support schools and SENCOs in improving outcomes for SEND pupils through the development of purposeful and impactful teaching approaches and interventions
To support schools and SENCOs in developing systems of monitoring SEND pupil progress and attainment to determine effective and efficient provision
To enable the Local Authority and its schools to evaluate educational outcomes for pupils with SEND and determine effective and efficient provision
To support schools in developing documentation which complies with requirements of the Code of Practice, 2015 (e.g. School Information Report/ Report to Governors)
To help schools work in partnership with key stakeholders: parents, pupils and Governors, and with multi-agencies support services

What We Do

The Inclusion Consultants support school staff in developing the most effective ways forward for those pupils who require personalised learning and provide advice and guidance to schools. We support SENCOs in the fulfilment of their role as described in the Code of Practice, 2015. Our areas of focus include:

Co-ordinating peer to peer cluster group meetings so that good practice and key areas of focus can be identified, shared and addressed
Providing training and professional development opportunities to practitioners working in school settings (Key Stage 1 and above)
Advising the SENCO and Senior Leadership Teams (as required) on effective targeted assessments, interventions and programmes for SEND pupils
Supporting schools and teachers in the development and delivery of inclusive High Quality Teaching approaches that benefit all pupils
Advising staff on curriculum delivery, adaptation, personalised learning and adjustments required for SEN pupils to access learning (including those pupils with higher level needs)
Assisting schools in monitoring and evaluating data to support identification of ways forward for SEND pupils
Supporting SENCOs in reviewing the effectiveness of SEND Provision
Supporting school staff and SENCOs during important transition periods (between classes and between schools
Advising on how best to work in partnership with parents and carers
Signposting schools and parents to support additional support from Multi-Agency Teams (including health and social care)
Supporting SENCOs in the effective deployment of support staff

How We Do It

In the primary settings, each area cluster group is segmented into smaller cluster groups (with 5-6 schools in each Group). Meetings are held on a termly basis to discuss areas of key focus, to identify ways forward, and to share good practice
In secondary settings, workshop approaches are used to support schools in sharing and developing good practice
In addition, each school is provided with an allocated amount of time to support them in the identification of SEND priorities and actions required to improve outcomes for pupils
A core menu of training is offered to all schools. Schools can also request specific training to be delivered at individual school level as part of their allocated support time
We act as a conduit between the Local Authority and schools to share up-to-date information and feedback
We provide an email support service regarding queries in SEND
We provide written to schools, as required, to evidence advice and support provided
Parental permission is required through schools, should the support requested involve observation or work with individual pupils (to model assessment materials or in the delivery of coaching sessions for staff)
Practitioners comply to statutory safeguarding expectations

For more information you can contact Sefton SEN and Inclusion Service on 0151 934 2347 or by emailing SENIS@sefton.gov.uk

Address:

Sefton SEN and Inclusion Service

4^th Floor, Magdalen House

30 Trinity Road

Bootle

L20 3NJ