Eligibility criteria
Last updated:In all requests for support from the Integrated SEND Service for children and young people all of the following five criteria must be met:
1. The child or young person is a resident, or receiving education in a Buckinghamshire educational establishment.
2. The child or young person is in the age range 0-25 years.
3. The child or young person has special educational needs and/or disability
4. The request for support has been discussed with parents/carers and signed consent has been obtained from those with parental responsibility or from a young person themselves, where they are considered to be competent and are over sixteen years of age.
5. The request is within the specialist areas of expertise available in the Integrated SEND Service
Extenuating circumstances
It is recognised, that some circumstances may mean that a child or young person requires support even if they don’t fulfill the criteria described. This will be because of exceptional circumstances, such as:
• Being new to the local authority and needs haven’t been fully assessed
• Having particular personal/family needs, e.g. being a looked after child or a child in care
• Being vulnerable because of specific circumstances which result in significant adverse childhood trauma.
• Context, including the educational setting, which is impacting learning and development.
• Being out of school due to no available school place or being permanently excluded due to behaviours that are related to SEND.
• Being highly mobile and has special educational needs and/or disabilities, i.e. frequent school/setting moves and/or in a service family.
• Experiencing serious mental health issues and these are significantly impacting on education.
• Suffering from chronic health needs that are significantly impacting education.
• Persistent substance abuse and this is impacting education and welfare.
• Being a young offender and has unidentified/unmet SEND.
• Is looked after by the local authority and SEND may be present.
• subject to a child protection plan and SEND may be present.
• Being severely bullied or is bullying others, causing significant harm either as perpetrator or victim, and these behaviours are related to SEND.
• Has SEND and are from a military family and whose parent is deployed to a conflict zone.
Flexibility, in tandem with professional discretion, will be used in such circumstances, as described above. In principle, this means that support will be allocated in response to individual requirements, taking into account complex and significant difficulties and presenting areas of need.
The Integrated SEND Service works in accordance with Buckinghamshire’s children and young people strategy and in compliance with equal opportunities, safeguarding, and other relevant statutory and non-statutory guidance.
In particular, the Children & Families Act, 2014 and the SEND CoP has an overall assumption that priority is given to ensuring that services are available equitably, irrespective of where children and young people live in the county, or which school/setting they attend.
Part of the responsibilities laid out in the C&FA and the CoP are to ensure that provision and services are kept under review, including the views of children and young people, parents/carers, and schools/settings.
Therefore, it is important that feedback from schools/settings will form an integral part of the continuing development of the service, which means there will be:
• Partnership working with schools/settings to develop services that are efficient, effective, and responsive.
• A response to stakeholder feedback through listening to what schools/settings say as priorities change.
The Integrated SEND Service is quality assured through self-evaluation, planning, and review of the impact of the provision.
Clarification of ‘complex’, ‘vulnerable’ and ‘significant’
In all cases, the most complex and vulnerable children and young people, who have the most significant needs will be prioritised, regardless of the status of their setting (including, maintained, academy, independent, and free).
The terms ‘complex’, ‘vulnerable’ and ‘significant’ in the context of the Integrated SEND Service are intended to encompass children and young people whose needs cannot be met without additional expertise, over and above what is typically expected in schools and settings (see Ordinarily Available Provision).
As a general guide, complex and significant needs will be characterised by the following:
• The child or young person’s progress is significantly delayed, has regressed, or has been arrested in comparison with the progress of those of the same age, and the pace of learning may mean this gap is widening.
• Attainment is very low and there is significantly delayed progress to the extent that the child or young person is unable to participate with their age-related peer group.
• The child or young person needs frequent and longer-term targeted support in order to be safe, be healthy, make progress, and/or access any learning opportunities.
It is important to note that the child or young person might be achieving at an expected or even higher level but other factors contribute to their complex range of needs. Other factors might also trigger the need for a joint multi-agency approach to meeting their needs and this could, for example, include children and young people who have the learning potential to achieve at expected levels or above but are experiencing;
• Health issues (including life-limiting conditions)
• High levels of anxiety
• Social dysfunction leading to isolation and impacting on well being
• Mental health issues (below the threshold for CAMHS)
• Co-morbid conditions
Exceptions to the eligibility criteria
Cases outside the eligibility criteria can be directed to Senior Specialist Teachers when requested by EHCCo’s as part of the approach within the Integrated SEND Service. This will typically be in relation to the education, health, and care needs assessment (EHCNA) process or by direct request from the SEND Area Team Manager or the resolutions team.
The Integrated SEND Service will, on occasion, use professional discretion to agree on core cases outside the criteria depending on the context, e.g. school, family, and involvement of other agencies, where this makes the child or young person vulnerable.
Support for Buckinghamshire children and young people attending schools outside of the county
Access to support for children and young people who attend educational establishments outside of Buckinghamshire will comply with the cross-border arrangements agreed by different local authorities.
On this basis, children and young people attending schools in other local authorities may be supported by the Integrated SEND Service, where they meet the eligibility criteria or they may be supported by the local authority where the school sits.
Support Available
Core support for children and young people who meet the eligibility criteria may include:
• Advice and signposting to other agencies.
• Advice and support with SEND provision planning and development of specialist interventions.
• Support and challenge the school for LA processes and procedures in relation to SEND.
• Support and challenge in respect of the Equalities Act and the SEND CoP.
• Support for statutory processes, including, statutory advice writing for education, health, and care plans and contributing to annual reviews and/or attending these, where the following applies;
I. Significant changes are to be made.
II. Planning for a period of key transition.
III. If requested by EHCCo’s as part of the statutory process.
IV. Preparation, advice, and attendance in relation to SEND tribunals, as requested by the Resolutions Team.
• Support in the event of a critical incident or exclusion.
• Targeted services for vulnerable groups as identified in the eligibility criteria above.
• Work with individual children and young people who meet the SEND specific eligibility criteria
Support for Special Schools and mainstream specialist provision
Special schools and mainstream additionally resourced provision (ARP) will have their own specialist staff so will only need to draw upon the Integrated SEND Service for individual children and young people who have a vision, hearing, or multi-sensory impairment.
The Integrated SEND Service, mainstream ARP, and special schools will work in partnership, as part of the whole SEND network of support and provision in Buckinghamshire.