Early Years Area SENCO SEND consultation surgeries

Our Early Years Area SENCO runs consultation surgeries that Early Years SENDCOs, Early Years practitioners and childminders can attend in order to support settings with their graduated approach to SEN.

Consultations are also available for you to discuss and review SEN processes and practice within your settings generally; or related to individual children. Where the discussions is about an individual child, parents/carers are encouraged to attend to facilitate shared understanding and jointly agree actions.

To book a consultation, please contact Julie Thompson, Early Years Area SENCo:

• Email: juliethompson@barnsley.gov.uk 

Following your request, you'll be contacted to confirm the time for your consultation. Where the consultation is related to an individual child, consent forms will be sent to you and will need to be returned in advance of the consultation.

Early Years joint Educational Psychologist (EP) and Area SENCo consultation surgeries

The EP and Early Years area SENCo are running joint virtual consultation surgeries to discuss children whose needs are being supported at SEN support but who aren’t making progress within the graduated approach, and for whom Early Years settings may be considering submitting an EHC needs assessment request. 

The sessions are held virtually using Microsoft Teams. To discuss and book a consultation please contact Julie Thompson at juliethompson@barnsley.gov.uk

Consent forms will be sent to you with confirmation of your appointment and will need to be returned in advance to enable the consultation to go ahead. Parents/carers are encouraged to attend consultations to facilitate shared discussions about their child.

Dates of surgeries:

• Monday 14 February 2022
• Thursday 31 March 2022

Social communication and interaction consultation surgeries

We usually run consultation surgeries in locations across the borough every half term. Currently these are being held virtually via Microsoft Teams.

All educational settings working with children and young people can attend a surgery, including teachers, teaching assistants, key workers and SENDCos. We also welcome parents or carers to attend with you.

You can talk to us if:

• you're thinking of referring a child or young person to the SCI team but want to discuss their needs first and gain practical advice
• you need help setting SCI-based targets on a SEN support plan

You'll need to book a SCI surgery appointment with the practitioner designated to your locality area. Please find the dates below for your setting’s allocated surgeries. If you wish to discuss a child, please contact the practitioner who's listed for that surgery directly to book a slot. Slots are 45 minutes long and are designed to discuss one child. As always, parents/carers are encouraged to attend to add to the discussion and agree actions.

Following your request, the SCI practitioner will be in contact with you to confirm a time for your appointment. Please note that consent forms will be sent to you with confirmation of your appointment, and this will need to be completed and signed by the parent/carer and returned to the SCI practitioner in advance of the surgery going ahead. Without a signed consent form, unfortunately we'll not be able to discuss any children.

Settings in the following areas:

Town centre, Stairfoot, Kendray, Worsbrough, Thurnscoe, Goldthorpe

SCI Practitioner: Gemma Whitfield (gemmawhitfield@barnsley.gov.uk)

• Week commencing 25 April 2022
• Week commencing 30 May 2022
  

Note: As the 30 May is during the half term, please contact Gemma if you require a date during term time and a date can be offered week commencing 13 June.

Penistone, Athersley, Darton, Mapplewell, Gawber, Wilthorpe

SCI Practitioner: Mel Booth (melaniebooth@barnsley.gov.uk)

• Tuesday 11 May 2022
• Tuesday 29 June 2022

Wombwell, Darfield, Jump, Hemmingfield, Elsecar, Grimethorpe, Shafton, Carlton, Royston, Cudworth

SCI Practitioner: Lucy Shea (lucyshea@barnsley.gov.uk)

• Week commencing 25 April 2022
• Week commencing 30 May 2022

Note: As the 30 May is during the half term, please contact Lucy if you require a date during term time and a date can be provided week commencing 6 June.

‘First Steps’ autism parent and carer workshops

We usually run workshops for parents and carers who's child or young person has received an autism diagnosis. These events give parents and carers the opportunity to find out more about autism and the support that's available, as well as chat and share experiences with others.

However, all First Steps workshops for parents/carers are now available online only. You will get access to Powerpoint presentations, including short videos, and parents/carers have the option to access feedback sessions via Microsoft Teams.

To request a place please contact Melanie Booth

Online Cygnet Parent Programme

We're able to offer support to families of children with a diagnosis of autism through the online Cygnet Parent Programme created by Barnardos.

Participants are given access to online learning materials and supported by attending a weekly Microsoft Teams discussion session. This discussion session is facilitated by a team practitioner who is a licensed Cygnet tutor and is personalised to the group's needs to ensure that parents/carers have their questions answered and are able to build a support network with other parents/carers in the group.

The course lasts for six weeks and can be currently accessed free of charge.

Expressions of interest to access the Cygnet Parent Programme can be made by the parent via email to Andrea Eaton or Louise Stringer.

ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) training

The role title of ELSA is gained through access to a six-day training package developed and delivered by educational psychologists, with ongoing regular supervision facilitated by educational psychologists that supports the practice of ELSAs.

ELSAs are trained to plan and deliver programmes of support to pupils in their school who are experiencing temporary or longer term additional emotional needs. The training aims to build capacity in schools to meet the emotional needs of their pupils and covers aspects of emotional literacy including:

• emotional awareness
• building resilience
• emotional regulation
• social and friendship skills
• active listening and reflective conversations
• loss, bereavement and trauma

The ELSA Network supports and assists ELSAs in their work.

To access Barnsley ELSA training and be awarded ELSA status you'll need to be able to meet the following criteria:

• be employed as a TA, HLTA or Learning Mentor in a Barnsley school
• have capacity within your role to plan and deliver weekly ELSA support to identified pupils in your school
• commit to attending all six of the following full days training:
  • 14 January 2022
  • 28 January 2022
  • 11 February 2022
  • 4 March 2022
  • 18 March 2022
  • 1 April 2022
• attend half termly ongoing supervision sessions facilitated by Barnsley EP Service
• for your manager to support and promote ELSA in your school and commit to attending an initial introductory meeting to plan for having a registered ELSA in school

If you're able to meet the above criteria and want to enquire about booking a place on our ELSA training course then please email Jo Patterson (Principal Educational Psychologist) at joannepatterson@barnsley.gov.uk and include your role, the name of the school you work at and the name, role and email contact of your manager.

Focused training events 

You can take a look at the training courses on offer and book your place through POD. All of the courses will take place on Microsoft Teams.