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Early years specialist development centres

Who are they for?

We offer places for children up to 3 years with a range of special educational needs, including:

  • severe and multiple difficulties
  • speech, language and communication difficulties
  • physical and neurological impairments.
  • learning and developmental difficulties

Children going to specialist development centres will have an allocated 0 - 5 Specialist Advisory Teacher.

Staff work closely with practitioners from both education and medical backgrounds; we prioritise this multi-professional way of working for children and families.

What do centres offer?

  • Weekly (term time) play based family sessions, where assessment and specialist teaching are offered to help increase children’s progress and development.
  • Sessions with a therapeutic, play based curriculum in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and SEN Code of Practice.
  • Flexible therapy services, including Speech and Language therapy, Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy.
  • Help to access local activities, including services run at family centres.
  • Multi-professional meetings (for families of children with the most complex needs), where professionals come together with you and your child to plan next steps forward.
  • Help and advice for you and early years setting staff, specifically through times of change, like moving schools. When your child turns 3, our EYSDC staff work with the Early Years Advisory Teachers to support transition into a universal Early Years setting.

How many sessions will I get?

  • Sessions are 2 - 2.5 hours long, either in a morning or afternoon.
  • From 0 - 18 months, we'll offer a combination of home visiting and / or access to ‘Parent and Toddler’ group (2 hours).
  • Children 18 - 36 months will be offered 1 - 3 group sessions a week, depending on their needs and the number of children attending each session.
  • Children who go to other settings i.e. pre-schools / day care as well as specialist development centres, will be offered 1 session each week.
  • When children start nursery, the specialist development centres service finishes (with the occasional exception for children with the most severe and complex needs).
  • Families will continue to have help from the team via the 0 - 5 specialist advisory teachers.

You'll need to attend sessions regularly, or we may have to reduce the number of sessions we can offer you, or give the place to another child due to high demand.

How do I get a service from a specialist development centre?

Children going to specialist development centres will already be known to the early years SEND team. They will refer you to the centre.

Area teams

North Herts and Stevenage 

St Albans and Dacorum  

East Herts, Broxbourne, Welwyn and Hatfield 

Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere 

Requests are considered at an Early Years Action Group panel. They will then let you, education setting and any professionals know the outcome.

 

Page was last updated on: 09/01/2024 12:29:07

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