Support for SEND professionals
Our SEND information hub supports parents, carers and young people, but education settings can also find relevant support and guidance.
Whilst our Kelsi website provides education settings advanced support and contact information.
Standards, strategies and charters
Children and young people with SEND need support and provision in Kent schools, taking their individual needs into account. To explain how to support education settings and how to support children and young people, we've developed strategies and standards, including:
- Early year settings: Best practice guidance
- Schools: mainstream core standards and SEND co-production charter
- All education settings: SEND inclusion statement and SEND strategy.
Early identification and health notification
It's a legal requirement that health and other professionals notify us (the local authority) if a child has, or is likely to have, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and are not known to our education service.
By doing this, we're aware of children with SEND so they can get the right support to be able to attend early years education. They can fill out an early identification and health notification form.
The notification form should only be completed by a health professional.
Funding
Early years settings
Our special educational needs inclusion fund (SENIF) is available to early years providers, childminders, and out of school providers. It is a statutory requirement, made available by us, to secure better outcomes.
Schools and colleges
Schools and colleges can apply for high needs funding if they need financial support to help deliver the support they need to for your child or young person.