Hi
forgot i went on a communication course the other week and they said about a goo book called Inclusion Development Programme Supporting children with speech, language and communication needs: Guidance for practitioners in the Early Years Foundation Stage
http://nationalstrategies.standards....uk/node/161358
I found a copy at work and it had a dvd in it so i had a quick look at it and this was on it that might give you a little bit more info:
Who does what?
Roles and responsibilities in relation to speech, language and communication needs
Practitioner
The child’s key worker or class teacher is responsible on a day-to-day basis for ensuring that the
child’s needs are met and that the experiences and activities offered support each child’s learning
and development. This person is responsible for planning, observing, recording and evaluating
children’s learning and progression. The practitioner should undertake training and further
development in order to address any gaps in knowledge and to keep up-to-date with developments in special educational needs (SEN) provision and language teaching. It is expected that the practitioner will work in partnership with children’s parents. The practitioner has a responsibility to seek advice and support from senior colleagues as necessary and to act upon their advice. Where outside professionals are involved with the child, the practitioner is expected to work closely with them and implement their suggestions or programmes. For childminders working alone, seeking advice might involve contacting the local childminding network coordinator.
Learning support assistant
If a child has a statement of special educational needs, a learning support assistant (LSA) may be employed for a specified number of hours per week to support the child in the areas identified in the statement. The LSA works under the direction of the class teacher or child’s key worker and should not be given sole responsibility for planning for, and teaching, the child. However, it is reasonable to expect, for example, an experienced LSA to help adapt materials to make them accessible to a child with speech, language or communication needs. Generally speaking, LSAs should aim to work with the child in a small group, rather than on a one-to-one basis, and should work towards increasing the child’s independence and promoting inclusion.
SENCO or inclusion coordinator
The SENCO (or inclusion coordinator, in settings where this title is used to describe the member of staff who coordinates provision for children with special educational needs) has a setting-wide focus on children with SEN. They are responsible for determining the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the setting in order to raise the achievement of children with SEN. The SENCO or inclusion coordinator takes day-to-day responsibility for implementing the SEN policy and coordinating the provision made for individual children with SEN. They work closely with parents and other agencies, and provide professional guidance to practitioners working with
children on a day-to-day basis.
Headteacher, setting leader or manager
This person is accountable to the local authority (LA), governing body or management committee.
Although they may not work directly with the child, they have a responsibility to ensure that staffs are fulfilling their roles in relation to meeting children’s individual needs, and that staff are properly supported, for example, by being released to have opportunities and time to attend relevant training.
Area SENCOs are employed by the LA, often within an Early Years Service, and support settings in meeting their duties to identify, assess and meet children’s special educational needs and to
promote inclusive practice. The area SENCO or inclusion coordinator should work closely with the
setting SENCO, offering a range of services such as advice on quality first teaching, meeting
individual needs, modelling of appropriate teaching strategies, support for assessing children’s
needs, liaison with external agencies and providing training. The level of support offered varies
between different LAs. In many LAs, the area SENCO or inclusion coordinator works mainly or
exclusively with non-maintained sector settings. In some LAs, the role may be combined with that of an Early Years Advisory Teacher (EYAT), who also offers more general support in curriculumrelated matters.
The Government has recently signalled the need to bring together the SENCO role with the work of EYATs in supporting quality improvement in Early Years settings (ref: SSEYC Grant letter
01/08/07). This reflects the importance of developing and maintaining fully inclusive practice –
where the unique skills and abilities of each child are recognised and developed – as part of
improving the quality of experience for all children in settings. The DCSF will say more on the EYAT role and it’s relation to the area SENCO role in due course, although there is a clear expectation that the role of area SENCOs will continue and that every setting should continue to identify its own SENCO responsible for overseeing the maintenance of inclusive practice.
Educational psychologist
Educational psychologists (EPs) are specially trained psychologists who are also qualified teachers.
They work with settings to help assess children’s special educational needs and to devise
programmes of intervention. They may also work at a broader level, for example, helping the setting to develop a communication-friendly environment. Where a child is undergoing statutory
assessment in line with the SEN Code of Practice, an EP will be allocated to that child and will carry out a psychological assessment as part of the proceedings. All maintained schools have direct access to an EP on a regular basis. EP support for non-maintained settings varies between LAs. Some settings have an EP attached whilst in others EPs may only visit where a child is undergoing statutory assessment or has been notified to the LA by Health (in the case of children with significant physical and/or medical needs).
Speech and language therapist
Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are health professionals who work with children who have
difficulties with speech, language and communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing. SLTs work closely with parents and other professionals, such as practitioners and occupational therapists.
Where a child is being seen by an SLT, appointments may either be clinic-based or setting-based.
Therapists work with children who have a range of speech, language and communication
difficulties, including language delay, hearing impairment, difficulties with sound production,
autism/difficulties with social communication skills, and stammering. With parents’ permission,
therapists should ensure that the child’s setting receives copies of assessment reports and speech and language programmes, in order that they can be fully implemented in the setting.
Therapists
may also provide training for setting staff; for example, training in how to implement a signing or
symbol support system.
Specialist teacher
Most LAs have specialist teachers who work with children with language and communication
difficulties. They may be known as advisory teachers for language and communication. Such
teachers have undergone additional training, usually resulting in a specialist qualification. The
distinct expertise of specialist teachers lies in their knowledge of how to address language and
communication difficulties within an educational context. Specialist teachers may offer advice on
teaching strategies to meet specific needs, the modelling of such strategies and more formal
training. They may also work at a whole-setting level, for example, helping to develop a language
teaching policy. However, it is important to note that specialist teachers are not medically trained, and are not, therefore, able to offer formal diagnosis of specific difficulties, nor to intervene in medical aspects of difficulties such as speech production difficulties resulting from a medical condition. In some LAs, specialist teachers may work only with maintained settings, in which case non-maintained settings may contact their area SENCO or inclusion coordinator for support.
lynne