The Additional Needs and Disabilities Partnership
Surrey's Additional Needs and Disabilities Partnership (formerly known as Surrey's SEND Partnership) brings together services for children with additional needs and/or disabilities:
In this section you can find out more about:
Education support services
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO)
Every school and nursery has a SENCO who works with teachers and parents to make sure the school meets the needs of children with AN&D.
Your child's school should publish information about the support it offers children with AN&D on its website.
The Learners' Single Point of Access (L-SPA)
The L-SPA offers advice on how to find the best support for your child. They can signpost you to information and advice from many services.
They process all requests for EHC needs assessments. You can find out more on the L-SPA webpage.
Surrey's Specialist Educational Support Services
Surrey's specialist educational support services work together to help pupils in different ways,
such as:
- working with pupils individually after a referral
- providing training and development for the school
Your child does not need an EHCP to use Surrey's Specialist Educational Support Services.
Educational Psychology
Educational Psychologists focus on the young person in their educational setting, home and community. They work collaboratively through the application of psychological theory, research and techniques with children and young people, their families and professionals to understand what is happening, develop empathy and agree effective support to enable children to thrive in
their local communities.
They use psychological frameworks to support those working closely with our vulnerable learners to develop stable and supportive networks that make a real difference to the lives of children and young people.
Autism Outreach
Autism Outreach provide services to schools for any child/young person with social communication difficulties, who would benefit from autism related strategies.
The team is made up of specialist Teachers and Teaching staff who are based at our specialist schools.
A child/young person does not have to have an EHCP to access this service. A formal diagnosis is not necessary to access Surrey Autism Outreach service.
Physical and Sensory Support Service (PSSS)
PSSS help schools to support children and young people with physical, hearing, visual and multisensory impairments. They give advice, support and training to schools to help children with learning, social and emotional development.
PSSS can also refer to other services such as Sight for Surrey if needed.
Speech and Language Service
Speech and Language Therapists help children and young people who have difficulties with speaking and communicating. They can also support treatment for those who have difficulty eating or swallowing.
Surrey provides a school-based speech and language therapy service for pupils. If your child has used the Early Years speech and language service, there will be a handover when they move on.
Specialist Teachers for Inclusive Practice (STIP)
The specialist teaching teams provide expertise and practical support to schools and families so children and young people with AN&D can achieve their potential. They offer advice and training on whole school approaches to inclusive practice.
They also provide assessments and provision planning for individual children and young people with learning, communication, social, emotional and behavioural needs. Their aim is to identify need early and support schools to put in place proactive interventions to enable progress and positive outcomes.
Race Equality and Minority Achievement (REMA)
Surrey's Race Equality and Minority Achievement (REMA) team are teachers and support workers who work with Surrey families who have English as an additional language (EAL) or are Gypsy, Roma or Traveller (GRT). They can support families in their first language and help to build home-school links and relationships with families.
If your family has English as an additional language you should speak to your child's school for a referral. If you are a Gypsy, Roma and Traveller family and would like support please email rema@surreycc.gov.uk
The Inclusion Service
The Inclusion service aim is to help children and young people attend school full-time and support pupils and parents in resolving issues which may be affecting attendance.
All Surrey schools have an allocated Inclusion Officer to support schools and parents to ensure every child goes to school regularly. Inclusion Officers can accept referrals or enquiries from schools or other agencies, parents and members of the public if a child is not attending school.
They can provide advice on:
- resolving attendance problems
- social and family problems
- other services and useful resources available
The SEND Team
There are four SEND teams who work with families based in their locality. Each team has Local SEND Case Officers who deal with specific children and young people who have an EHCP or who are going through assessment.
They deal with everything related to the EHCP and the legal processes, this includes annual reviews and key stage transfers.
If you have concerns about your child's development or education, you should speak to their key worker or teacher in the first instance. You can also speak to the SENCO.
The school SENCO or relevant school staff can refer to the specialist education services if it is appropriate.
Health services
Your child's health needs will usually be met by everyday services including GPs, dentists, opticians, your health visitor or a school nurse.
Where extra support is needed for more complex needs, your child may receive targeted support.
Your child's GP, dentist, school nurse etc. can refer them for this. It is often short-term help.
Children and Family Health Surrey
This is the Surrey-wide NHS community health service for children and young people from birth to 19 years old and their parents/carers. It offers advice and information on medical issues as well as running children's immunisation services.
Children's and Family Health Surrey Advice Line
Families with children from birth to 19 years old can call the health Advice Line on 01883 340 922 for support on all aspects of child health, development and parenting.
Children and Family Health Surrey advice line website https://childrenshealthsurrey.nhs.uk has specific advice, tips and information on a range of topics including, sleep, behaviour, feeding and much more.
Physiotherapy service
The physiotherapy service provides assessment, therapy and advice for children and young people with physical difficulties from birth to 19 years old. The team work closely with your child, family, other professionals and nurseries/schools to maximise your child's physical potential and independence.
Visit https://childrenshealthsurrey.nhs.uk/categories/therapies to find physiotherapy advice sheets, apps, videos and links.
School nurses
School nurses are registered nurses who have completed additional specialist training in school nursing. They work on issues such as sexual health, illnesses, healthy eating, exam stress and bullying.
Not all schools will have a school nurse, but you can ask them to refer you if they do.
Community nurses
Children's community nurses provide specialist nursing care to children and young people from birth to 18 years old in their own homes so they can avoid or shorten hospital admissions.
The care is tailored to the needs of each child/young person.
Continuing Health Care
Children's Continuing Health Care is care arranged and funded by the NHS outside hospital for children and young people who have ongoing healthcare needs.
This is usually because they have a complex medical condition that requires a lot of care and support, or because they need highly specialised nursing support.
More information can be found on the Surrey website:
Mental health services
MindWorks Surrey
This is an emotional wellbeing and mental health service for children and young people at every level, up to urgent needs. Its website has plenty of information and guidance:
What to do if you are concerned about the emotional wellbeing of a child or young person:
- If they are in crisis, speak to the free 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line on 0800 915 4644. In an emergency, dial 999 or 112 from a mobile.
- Talk to them, try to find out what is upsetting them, listen and encourage them to talk about how they are feeling. The Young Minds How to Talk to Your Child about Mental Health web page may be helpful. www.youngminds.org.uk/parent
- Talk to your child's school or college, GP, social worker or health visitor. They could make a referral to MindWorks Surrey to help.
- Ask your child/young person what support they feel they need. Depending on their age they might want to speak to someone outside the family. Healthy Surrey's Children and young people's mental health and wellbeing webpages have lots of information.
- If your child is over 18, the mental wellbeing section of the Healthy Surrey website may be useful.
- The CYP Haven is a safe space for children and young people aged 10 to 18 where they can talk about worries and mental health in a confidential, friendly and supportive environment. They can help CYP through talking about what the issue is and find ways to ensure they get the right information. www.cyphaven.net
Support for medical needs in school
Where your child has a medical need, an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) may detail what sort of care they need at school.
IHPs are for children with physical and/or mental health conditions. They detail your child's medical needs and how they should be treated. They ensure that schools know what needs to be done, when and by whom.
They specify the support your child needs to participate fully in school life, including physical education and school trips. They include what medicines the school can administer, and what to do in a medical emergency.
IHPs should be reviewed at least once a year, or more frequently depending on your child's needs.
What you can do
An IHP is developed in partnership between you, your child, their school and the healthcare professional who can best advise on their case. They should always be made with your child's best interest in mind.
Children with long-term illness unable to attend school
If your child is unable to go to school because they are in hospital or they have a long-term medical condition, we can help them continue their education. This may include:
- home tuition
- education at a local centre
- education in hospital
The help offered will depend on your child's needs.
Some children in Surrey, particularly those missing education, may need extra support.
Frequently asked questions about children's health:
How do I get support for a health or medical need?
If you have a concern, you can talk to a health professional such as your GP or health visitor. They can make referrals to other services if needed.
You can also speak to your school about whether they can refer your child to services, for example the school nurse or therapies.
See the section on 'Health support and services' for more information.
Does my child need an IHP?
Most children with a medical need will not require an IHP. They are usually only necessary for children with complex medical needs. The head teacher will decide if one is needed.
Common medical needs that may require an IHP are asthma, epilepsy, diabetes and allergies, but there are many other conditions where a child may require a plan.
Does my child have special needs if they have a health need? And do they need an EHCP?
Not usually but each case is individual. See the section on Children and young people with medical conditions for more information.
Social care support and services
Surrey County Council's Children's Services work with families to ensure that all children and young people are seen and heard, feel safe and can grow. You can get help and support from different professionals working as one team.
There are different thresholds you will have to meet for support. You can read more about this on the Children's Services website: www.surreycc.gov.uk/children
Helping Families Early
In Surrey we believe in helping families early. Early help means that children, young people and families receive the right help as soon as a problem emerges. This could be at any age.
This relies on local services, such as schools, health, police and voluntary organisations, working together to identify and support children and families who would benefit from extra help.
Early help services try to prevent children and families reaching crisis.
There is support available to all children and young people and their families in Surrey through:
- the Family Information Service, which has helpful information and advice information about
childcare, holiday schemes, and activities in your local area: You can find more information
on the website: www.surreycc.gov.uk/fis - the Family Information Directory, which lists a huge range of services available in the
community
There is also extra help available for children with AN&D and their families.
- Surrey Early Support Service for young children with additional needs and/or disabilities supports families of children aged 0 to 5 who have disabilities or complex medical needs
- Children with Disabilities Team (CWD) works alongside families to support children with severe and profound disabilities so they can remain living at home where possible
- The Carers Guide to Support: information about support you may be entitled to, including parent carer assessments, emergency cards and local support organisations
- Assessment, Family Safeguarding (FST) and Adolescent Safeguarding Teams (AST) can help
parents who need extra support to manage challenging behaviours - Transition from child to adult social care: preparing for adulthood, including support from
adult services
Short breaks for disabled children
Short breaks for disabled children: play and leisure activities run throughout the year during the day, in the evening, overnight, on weekends and during school holidays. They can take place in your home, at another venue or in a residential setting.
Surrey's Children's Disability Register (SCDR)
You can choose to place your child on this voluntary register for children who have a disability.
This may entitle you to access different services, for example the Max Card.
- Children do not need to be on the register to receive support for AN&D.
- Your child does not need an EHCP be on the register.
Max Card
If your child is on the register, you can get a Max Card. The Max Card is the UK's leading discount card for foster families and families of children with AN&D. Families can use their Max Card at venues across the UK to get free or discounted admission. You can find out more about this on the Local Offer: https://www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk/parents-and-carers/leisure-and-childcare/scdr
You can register your child here: SDCR online registration form
Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP)
Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership supports professionals, parents and carers in keeping children safe and provides advice and support on a wide range of topics.
Any parent/carer can access this free information service.
You can find out more and sign up to the SSCP Newsletter here: www.surreyscp.org.uk/sign-up-for-newsletter-after-gdpr
Frequently asked questions about children's social care:
How do I get an assessment/support from Children's Services?
If you, or a professional working with you, feel that your family would benefit from help from Children's Services, contact the Children's Single Point of Access (C-SPA) and tell them why.
Support and advice for children and families. See:
www.surreycc.gov.uk/children/contact-childrens-services
What support could my child be eligible for?
Full details of the Children's Services assessment and support can be found on Surrey's website:
www.surreycc.gov.uk/children
There are many types of support, depending on your child's and family's needs. Some options
include:
- A short break. This is a temporary break from your caring role. Some services offered do not
need a social care assessment for this. - Direct Payments from Surrey County Council. Direct Payments may be available from Surrey County Council if you are responsible for a child with severe and profound disability. These are to meet the goals agreed in your child's care plan. It may be used to employ a trained carer to take your child on outings/ trips, to pay for clubs and activities etc.
- Occupational Therapy (OT) assessments. To adapt your home to help a child with a disability. You can ask for an OT assessment by contacting the Children's Single Point of Access. If you have an existing social worker, you can discuss it with them.
- The Children's Crisis Intensive Support Service (CCISS) helps children aged 4 to 18 with a learning disability and/or autism to stay in their home or community.
- Residential Care. This is only considered when all other options have been explored, such as short breaks and support from family and friends. It is normally only considered when a child presents significant challenges during the night, with a damaging impact on their sleep and their carers' sleep.
What if my family does not meet the threshold for Children's Services support?
If your family do not meet the threshold for support, you will be signposted to the most appropriate service to meet your family's needs. This may be your child's school or nursery, health professionals such as a paediatrician or services from the voluntary or third sector.
The voluntary or third sector
The "third sector" is the name given to charities and community organisations working in Surrey. These range from large organisations with paid staff, such as Barnardo's and YMCA, smaller organisations such as Appeer and Change of Scene, through to those led entirely by volunteers, such as Guides and Scouts.
Most charities were started by passionate people, who identified a need that was not being met. These organisations are a lifeline for many in the community, helping them cope with their daily challenges or providing support to enrich their lives. Each organisation has its own governance arrangements, which may include a board with trustees or a management committee.
Every organisation will have a safeguarding policy and designated safeguarding lead.
Many charities and community organisations offer support for young people additional needs or
disabilities.
Information about some of the relevant third sector organisations can be found in this guide.
You can find more details of organisations on the Surrey website: