Early Years Inclusion Advisor (EYIA)

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This service provides specialist advice and support to staff in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) pre-school sector. The service offers support to setting staff, and to childminders in receipt of Early Years free Entitlement Funding to enable provision of high-quality inclusive, differentiated practice for children from birth to school age who have either emerging additional needs or identified special educational needs and or disability (SEND) and who live in the Borough of Wokingham.

In addition to individual support for children with additional need, the EYIA offers a rolling programme of training to PVI Special Educational Need Coordinators (SENCos) as well as to staff. For example, termly SENCo Network Meetings, SENCo Induction, Autism Awareness, Understanding Sensory Processing, Writing Early Years Intervention Plans (EYIPs), Early Years SEN Code of Practice, and Writing Reports for Education, Health and Care needs assessments. Childminders can access Autism Awareness training.

The Early Years Inclusion Advisor (EYIA) aims to provide the following as part of the specialist support/advice for PVI staff in Wokingham. Some of the services can be accessed by PVI staff from other boroughs where that setting supports a Wokingham child:

Support for parents in understanding the developmental and educational needs of their child
Identification and understanding of needs and behaviours, so that appropriate interventions and strategies can be implemented, to help the child make progress
Support for providers to be able to implement appropriate teaching styles, strategies, behaviour management and to write appropriate 'outcomes' for children
Collaborate with parents/carers and if appropriate liaise with relevant professionals to ensure a positive outcome for the child
Support staff in enabling children towards becoming as independent, confident and competent learners and communicators as they are able to be
Facilitate the process of successful transition meetings into both an early years setting and school
Inform parents of the options regarding appropriate early years settings and schools, helping them to make informed decisions and to feel confident that the setting is able to meet the needs of their child
Signpost parents to other services and if appropriate make direct referrals to other services
Advise parents and staff where appropriate, regarding the Education Health and Care needs assessment process.

Website:: Children under 5 with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)

Provider:: Wokingham Borough Council
: Service provided by Wokingham Borough Council

Who to contact

Contact Name: Karen Halley
Contact Position: Early Years Inclusion Advisor
Telephone: 0118 908 8125
Email: karen.halley@wokingham.gov.uk

When is it On/Open ?

Date & Time Information: The EYIA service is offered all year round across a variable three day week, excluding bank holidays and annual leave. The core day is Wednesday.

Costs and Fee Information

Service/Activity is Free: Yes
How is the service funded: Local Authority

Accessing this service

Age Ranges

Birth to 5 years

Eligibility Criteria

The EYIA can be accessed by any of the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings, as well as childminders registered for Early Years Free Entitlement Funding in the borough of Wokingham. In addition, PVI Early Years providers in other boroughs, can make use of the service for children who live in the borough of Wokingham. As part of the Graduated Approach - SEND Code of Pracice 2015, it is expected that practitioners will have completed a range of national and standardised assessment materials, and implemente a range of strategies before requesting the involvement of the EYIA. The EYIA service is requested by completing a 'Request for Involvement' form, which requires the informed consent of the child’s parent or carer. Childminders not in receipt of the Free Entitlement can access a telphone consultation service.

The EYIA can also become involved following allocation at Wokingham’s multi-disciplinary Early Years Support Panel, where a child's identified needs have been 'notified' by a paediatrician or referred in by other health professionals. Allocation to the EYIA may be made when a child’s special educational needs do not at the time of panel, meet the criteria for the involvement of the Early Years Inclusion Teacher EYIT.

Booking and Registration Notes

'Request For Involvement'

Waiting List

Requests are assessed on receipt of the documentation and allocated a date for intervention. The date offered is likely to be several weeks later.

Referral

Referral required

Yes

Referral notes

Referrals can be made by:

Any non-maintained nursery or pre-school for children living in the borough of Wokingham
Childminders registered to accept Free Entilement Funding
Early Years Support Panel

Childminders not registerd to accept the Free Entitlemetn funding can access a telephone consultaion service with the EYIA.

Provision For

Supporting people with: Mental health conditions
English as an additional language
Sensory Impairment
Autism Spectrum Conditions
Social Needs
Emotional Needs
Visual impairment
Children with Additional Needs
Behavioural
Learning and Communication
Mobility problems
Multi-sensory impairment
Medical
Physical impairment
Other long term conditions
Hearing impairment

Quality Assurance

Local Offer - Support available for children and young people with additional needs

Contact Name: Karen Halley EYIA
Contact Telephone: 0118 908 8125
Contact Email: karen.halley@wokingham.gov.uk

Data last checked: 04/11/2019
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