Barnsley Education Inclusion Services

About us

We're a team of specialist advisory teachers and specialist advisory support workers for Barnsley children and young people who have a diagnosis of autism or who have identified social communication interaction (SCI) needs. We work collaboratively with others to build capacity and to bring about positive change for children and young people that we work with. Our practice is underpinned by our service values and beliefs.

Our values and beliefs

Our values

  • Collaborative working
  • Evidence based practice
  • Transparency
  • Person centred
  • Open and honest communication
  • Respectful engagement

Our beliefs

  • Equality
  • Empowerment
  • Inclusion
  • Strengths based
  • Building inclusive environments

Meet the team

Our SCI team are:

  • principal educational psychologist
    • Dr Naomi Robinson
  • specialist advisory teachers:
    • Louise Stringer
    • Lora Moore
    • Chris Goodchild
    • Hayley Audin
    • Heather Collin
  • specialist support workers:
    • Melanie Booth
    • Lucy Shea
    • Gemma Whitfield

Between us we have a breadth of knowledge and specialist expertise to help meet the needs of autistic children and young people and those who have social communication and interaction needs.

 

What we do

We work in a range of educational settings across all age phases, providing strategies to meet the holistic needs of the child or young person. We use a consultation approach to work collaboratively with partners to achieve good outcomes for children and young people.

Our aim is to support practitioners and families to meet the needs of autistic children and those who have social communication and interaction differences. We do this by working together to support the 'assess, plan, do and review' process to bring about positive change and develop inclusive practice.

Our service offer

Our service model has been developed to support the delivery of a fair and equitable service that meets the needs of our most vulnerable children and young people and supports settings to prioritise children and young people for social communication and interaction (SCI) service involvement. A tiered system has been established within the needs-led model that supports the graduated approach outlined in the SEND Code of Practice (2014) and promotes early intervention.

Tier 1: Building capacity 

Planning meetings with SENDCOs to discuss pupil and school level needs and agree priorities for SCI work.

A centralised training programme for schools and parents to learn alongside each other, which includes:

  • An introduction to autism.
  • Understanding and using visual structure to support children with SCI needs in early years settings and schools.
  • An overview of using social stories and comic strip conversations.
  • Supporting key transitions for children with SCI needs (schools/parents).
  • An overview of music interaction.
  • Lego therapy.
  • Makaton Taster.
  • Identification of SCI needs in the early years.
  • Analysing and managing behaviour for children with SCI needs.
  • Autism and girls.
  • Makaton signing for babies.

A centralised training programme for parents which includes:

  • Cygnet autism support.
  • First steps parent workshop.
  • Thinking differently parent workshop.
  • Teens workshop.
  • Makaton taster.
  • Makaton signing for babies.

Tier 2: Consultation 

We'll prioritise advice for pupils who:

  • Are early years pupils with identified SCI needs (these pupils must have at least one reviewed cycle of APDR from your setting).
  • Are at risk of exclusion and have a diagnosis of autism.
  • Have significantly low levels of attendance and have a diagnosis of autism.
  • Need support to settle into year 7 and have a diagnosis of autism.

Early Years settings, including childminders can access our support by following the  consultation surgery flowchart and contact your SCI practitioner to discuss a consultation.

All pupils that we work with should ideally have at least one reviewed cycle of APDR from their setting so that we have a basis to begin our work from.

All work within tier two in schools must be agreed through a planning meeting with the SENDCO or be part of our transition support offer.

Tier 3: Individual work and modelling 

Where a higher level of support is identified by the SCI practitioner, school may need to access tier three involvement.

This could include:

  • Modelling strategies/techniques to staff and/or parents/carers eg inclusive practice, alternative forms of communication such as Makaton.
  • Coaching staff to deliver an intervention such as Lego therapy, music interaction, the Big A programme.
  • Individual work with a pupil eg ideal school.
  • Observation and feedback of how strategies and provision are being implemented.

All work within tier three must be agreed through a planning meeting or be part of our transition support offer.

 

Transition support

We also offer support for pupils during key transition periods eg new academic year, when the pupil is new to the setting. This is to help raise awareness of their strengths and needs and coproduce actions and next steps to help them settle.

Useful websites

How to get in touch

Schools can discuss autistic children and young people and those who have social communication and interaction needs who may require support from the service during regular planning meetings with the SENDCO.

Early years settings can seek advice and support at one of our SCI surgeries.

For more information