SEND Service A to Z
Adolescent Sure Start
Offering support to young people living in Southwark aged 11-19 (or up to 25 for young people with SEND) and their parents and carers. The team offers support on a wide range of issues via sessions run on a drop in basis in a number of locations around Southwark. The idea is that young people can access support close to where they live and access support early.
Alfred Salter SEND Hub
Direct school to school support to other mainstream local schools around the leadership of Inclusion and SEND – a professional network enabling discussion and sharing of good practice.
All-Age Disabilities (0 to 25 years) services
The All-Age Disabilities (AAD) service is a team of social workers and assistant practitioners who arrange support for children and young people with disabilities aged 0 to 25. It is a specialist service for those with severe and profound needs.
Alternative provision
Education other than school.
Autism Support Team
The Autism Support Team is a small team of professionals who specialise in autism. This includes specialist teachers, teaching assistants, and speech and language therapist, a post diagnosis support worker and an early years autism support officer.
Behaviuor support
Support for teachers and school staff to better meet the needs of children with behaviours that challenge, and to implement evidence-based behaviour management strategies, interventions, and techniques.
Cherry Garden Outreach Service
Provides an outreach service for mainstream schools to support them with children with complex learning differences. This does not include children with a diagnosis of autism, who are supported by the Autism Support Team.The support given varies depending on the needs of the child and the school, such as observation and consultation, training, input into Annual Review or Team Around the Child meetings, or supporting transition.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Provided by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM)
Early Years Inclusion Fund
For children aged 9 months to 4-year-olds plus with SEND (not necessarily those with a diagnosis) whose parents/carers are taking up the free entitlement to a pre-school place. The purpose of the fund is to support local authorities to work with providers to address the needs of individual children.
Educational Psychology Service
Southwark's Educational Psychology Service works closely with schools, post-16 provision and early years settings to promote the educational opportunities of vulnerable pupils including those with SEND. Educational Psychologists work with families, children, young people and teaching staff to apply psychological skills and knowledge to address issues that interfere with learning and wellbeing.
Family Early Help
A range of targeted services provided in partnership with others (children and family centres, health professionals, schools, and the voluntary sector) to assist a family to prevent problems from escalating.
Family Information Service
Providing free, confidential impartial information and advice on local services for children, young people and families.
Hearing Support Service
Qualified Teachers of the Deaf (QTOD) providing support to children and young people from pre-school to post-16 with hearing loss in Southwark.
Inclusion and exclusion
Support and resources to help your school create an environment where every pupil can thrive.
Inclusion and monitoring and SEND standards team
The Inclusion and monitoring and SEND standards teams work with maintained, free and academy schools in Southwark to support the development of best practice across the borough, in regards to educating children and young people with SEND in mainstream settings.
Literacy difficulties (including dyslexia)
Southwark Dyslexia Service has created an information pack which can help schools support pupils with literacy difficulties, including dyslexia.
Local Offer
Southwark’s Local Offer shows what’s available in the borough for children, young people and adults (aged 0-25) who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It includes up-to-date information on opportunities and services that are available to you.
Nest: Mental wellbeing support in Southwark
The Nest provides opportunities, experiences, and tools for young people and families to develop their physical, emotional, and social skills. The Nest offers youth work, person-centred counselling, well-being practices, and traditional talking therapies through one-on-one sessions, group activities, virtual resources, and peer mentoring.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy can help your child to join in everyday activities (occupations) to help them develop the skills they need to lead a full and healthy life.
Physiotherapy
Specialist assessment and treatment for babies, children and young people (0 to 19 years old) with conditions that affect their function and participation.
Post-16 support
Help with transtion: education, enterprise and work related learning including work experience, supported internships, CPD support webinars.
SEND Service Team
The SEND Service Team oversees arrangements for Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCPs) to provide children and young people with the support they need to learn. We work closely with families, education settings, health, and social care to ensure support is joined up.
Sensory Needs Service
The Sensory Needs Service supports children and young people, their families, and schools with hearing, vision and multi-sensory impairment.
SILS (Southwark Inclusive Learning Service)
Southwark's secondary Pupil Referral Unit for children who are unable to be educated in a mainstream school. Pupils are often referred if they need greater care and support than their school can provide.
Southwark Information Advice and Support (SIAS)
The Southwark Information Advice and Support (SIAS) team provides impartial, confidential advice and support about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to parents, carers and young people.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapy services offering specialist advice, assessment and help for children and young people aged 0 to 19 years old who have difficulties with any aspect of their communication.
Summerhouse Behaviour Support Service
Summerhouse Behaviour Support Service provides advice and guidance to mainstream schools experiencing difficulties in managing challenging behaviours from young people aged 5-11 with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Targeted short breaks
Clubs and activities for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), funded by Southwark Council.
Virtual School
A ‘virtual school’ service to pupils who are looked after by the Southwark Council. Support for schools with multi agency professionals to ensure an appropriate education or training placement is in place and that additional resources, such as the Pupil Premium, are used to overcome barriers to learning or to support the pupil’s progress.
Vision Impairment Team
Qualified Teachers of children and young people with vision impairments (QTVI) providing specialist support to children and young people with reduced vision that cannot be corrected by wearing glasses and whose vision impairment has an impact on their education.
Work experience
Enterprise and work related learning including work experience, employability skills, visiting speakers and visits to employers for young people with SEND aged 14 to 19 who are at school or live in Southwark.