Identify reasons for working in partnership

Table of Contents

1.1. Identify reasons for working in partnership.

• Builds strong relationships

• Settings run well when people work together

• Children’s needs are identified and met

• New skills can be learned

• Families are given additional support if required

• Settings are given additional support if required

• Ideas can be shared and improved

1.2. Summarise policy and procedural requirements in relation to partnership working.

Providers must enable a regular two-way flow of information with parents and/or carers” Statutory Framework for the EYFS 2017(3.68)Good parenting and high-quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities as they grow up.”Page 5 of the Statutory Framework for the EYFS 2017. Successful relationships become partnerships when there is two-way communication, and parents and practitioners really listen to each other and value each other’s views. This supports in achieving the best outcomes for each child. Working together in partnership can have long-lasting and beneficial effects on children’s learning and well-being.

I will meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and Childcare register.

•I will encourage parents/carers to work with me to support their child’s learning and development.

•I will seek consent from parents to discuss and share information about their child’s learning and development with Health Visitors, Community Nursery Nurse, and Members of Early Learning & Childcare Team in order to ensure their child is fully supported.

•Keeping children safe and helping them to thrive.

•Making time to listen to parents and/or carers to learn about their child’s feelings and identify any concerns; making sure there is a two-way flow of information, knowledge and expertise between you as parents and myself.

•Make policies and procedures available to all parents and/or carers to read, understand and sign.•Knowing parents and/or carers preferred time and method of contact.

•Informing parents and/or carers about their child’s progress and development, providing appropriate support in line with the child’s interests and capabilities.

•Involve parents and/or carers in the observation, assessment and planning of their child’s next steps.

•Seeking parental feedback.

•Ensure parents and/or carers are aware of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)by sharing “what to expect when” booklet and ‘Parent Guide to the EYFS’ and identify how we will work together to support your child.

•Keep parents regularly informed about the type of activities undertaken and any interests the child currently has so that parents can appropriately support their child’s learning at home.

•Provide a weekly menu.•Share details with parents and/or carers about how to complain to Ofsted should the need arise. A contract detailing arrangements for the care of the child will be reviewed annually.

•Identify if parent/carer wishes to access Early Years funded place with me for eligible 2-year-olds and all 3 and 4-year-olds.

•Give notification of impending Ofsted visit and provide parents and/or carers with a copy of the report.

•Ensure parents understand that they need to notify me immediately of any change in contact details (including emergency contact) and also information relating to the child’s health and well-being on a daily basis.

•When the child turns 2, the parents must inform me of when the health visitor intends to carry out the Integrated Review (Progress Check at Age 2) so that I may fulfill my statutory obligation to complete a progress record at the most appropriate time.2. Understand how to work in partnership.2.1. Explain the roles of others involved in partnership working when supporting children.PractitionerThe child’s key worker 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. Learning support assistantIf 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.S

ENCO 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 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 curriculum related matters.

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 deviseprogrammes 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. Therapistsmay 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.