The SENDCO Helpdesk is a free early advice service that can discuss concerns at an individual or whole school/setting level. It is aimed to help support SENDCOs to consider the next steps when implementing the Graduated Response so that the needs of children with SEND are met as early as possible.
Services to help children with their education, health and social care needs (access to these services requires parental agreement).
Early Help
Early Help Children’s Services refers to the collaborative approach taken by all services working with children and families to provide support for a family before problems escalate. Accessing early help can address potential issues and improve outcomes for children, young people, and families. More information
Early Years (under 5s)
Single Point of Request for Involvement (SPORFI) is a multiagency form used to request support from various educational and health teams for children under 5 with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Services that can be requested include:
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and Language Therapy (feeding)
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Early Years SEND team
SENSS – Physical Disability
Complete the SPORFI form to make a request.
If there are concerns about a child’s vision or hearing the first port of call is usually the child’s GP (or optician for a visual difficulty). He or she will decide whether further specialist advice is needed.
Health
Children & Young People (0-19) - Integrated community physical health Oxfordshire including Health Visitors, School Health Nurses, Family Nurses and other members of the team offer support to families at home and in the community from pre-birth until the child turns 19 years old.
Community Paediatrics: For children where there may be underlying medical needs contributing to their Special Educational Needs it may be appropriate to consider referral to the Community Paediatrician for assessment. These referrals must be made via the GP or Health Visiting Teams or other health professionals.
- Children’s Integrated Therapies in Oxfordshire include:
- Occupational therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Speech and Language therapy
The Occupational Therapy service helps children participate in everyday life and become as independent as practically possible at school and at home. The service provides assessments, advice, activity programmes and therapy for children with a range of physical or developmental conditions that affect their daily life.
The Speech and Language Therapy service support children and young people who have speech, language and communication difficulties to develop the best possible communication skills that they can. For some, this might be spoken communication, and for others it might be learning to use a communication aid, or an approach based on signs, symbols or gestures. Speech and Language Therapists also assess, treat and advise on eating, drinking and swallowing problems.
The Physiotherapy service are a team of trained physiotherapists who work with children and young people up to the age of 18 years, to help develop gross motor skills. The team help children move and function to the best of their ability, when they have been affected by injury, illness, developmental delay or other disability.
The Children's Housing Occupational Therapy service assesses children and young people at home to help determine solutions to enable them to continue to live as independently as possible in the family home.
Oxfordshire | Oxford Health CAMHS The Child and Adult Mental Health Services page has details of all their services for children, young people and their families that support mental health.
Education
SEN Support Services (SENSS) work in partnership with schools and parents to secure good outcomes and a positive future for children and young people with SEND. SENSS is made up of the following specialist teams:
- Communication and Interaction
- Deaf and Hearing Support
- Multi-Sensory Impairment
- Vision Impairment
- Physical Disability
- Down Syndrome and Complex Needs
- Assistive Technology Team (ICT and AAC)
The Behaviour Inclusion team offer guidance, advice and support to aid inclusion of children in school-age classes with SEMH needs, preventing suspension and exclusion and supporting reintegration into education. Advice from Behaviour Inclusion Officers can be accessed via the SENDCO Helpdesk or the schools linked Exclusion and Reintegration Officer to support a referral.
The Educational Psychology Service works with children, parents and teachers to promote children’s learning and development. They are responsible for statutory SEN functions and also offer non-statutory Traded Services.
The Special Educational Needs Casework team manages statutory assessment work relating to the Education, Health and Care process, including formal assessment of special educational need, changes of placement and annual reviews.
Migrant Education / New Arrivals Support for new arrivals and refugees.
Hospital & Outreach Teaching Service (OHS) Teaching for pupils unable to attend school due to medical needs.
Services to support schools in their delivery of SEND Support and provision.
The Educational Psychology Service works with teachers to promote children’s learning and development. They offer non-statutory Traded Services.
Oxfordshire School Inclusion Team (OXSIT) are a traded service who support the strategic development of inclusive provision in schools, focusing on early identification and improving provision for pupils at SEN Support by developing an effective graduated response that improves learner outcomes.
Special School Outreach is designed to foster sustained improvement rather than addressing individual pupil cases or offering short-term fixes. Support focuses on leadership and key worker development in schools to drive cultural change and ensure long lasting impact. Special School Outreach be accessed via the SENDCO Helpdesk.
Exclusion and Reintegration Team | Oxfordshire Schools If you are considering permanent exclusion for a child or young person you must contact your Exclusion and Reintegration Officer or another member of the team.
County Attendance Team | Oxfordshire Schools Provides support to both schools and parents by working closely with partner agencies to ensure appropriate actions are delivered as early intervention and prevention measures.
Children missing education | Oxfordshire Schools The team works closely with colleagues within the local authority, with other local authorities, with schools and with partner agencies to identify children, taking steps to ensure access to education and learning.
Section 19 Team Education for pupils unable to attend school due to illness/exclusion or other circumstances
Virtual school Guidance for Children we care for (CWCF) and children we’ve previously care for (PWCF) and oversight of PEPs.