Who's Who

Who's Who - Other teams & professionals we work alongside

• Working Together

  All agencies work together with parents/carers as part of their role in supporting the child's needs.
  
  Parents and carers and the team in the child's educational setting are responsible for encouraging and supporting the child's speech, language and communication development on a daily basis. See the Descriptors and Responses for more detail.
  
  Parents/carers will be asked for their permission for professionals to be able to share information and can expect to be involved in decision-making and planning around their child's speech, language and communication needs.
  
  The communication and interaction specialist teachers work closely with speech and language therapists.
  
  The speech and language therapists share their plans, programmes and written information with the communication and interaction team, as well as with the school team.
  
  The communication and interaction teachers and speech and language therapy teams have regular liaison meetings that are often attended by the educational psychologists, to discuss new information and ideas as well as discussing the needs of individual children. These meetings are held at least termly.
  
  Teachers and speech and language therapists will also liaise at other times about children as the need arises.
  
  Joint training for the communication and interaction specialist teachers, the speech and language therapists and the educational psychologists takes place annually. Relevant topics to develop good practice are chosen.
  
  Speech and language therapists and specialist teachers will deliver joint training into schools as required.
  
  Liaison is also in place with the educational psychologists. Speech and language therapists also liaise with other health professionals involved with an individual child. For example this could be the community paediatrician, school doctor, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or hospital consultant.

• Parent/Carer

  The parent/carer has the central role in supporting their child's speech, language and communication development.
  
  

  Interaction with a child at home and in everyday situations plays a key part in their development of different skills.

  
  

  When children have difficulties in developing their speech, language and communication skills parents/carers may need the support and advice of professionals with expertise in these areas to guide them in helping their child outside of school as well as in understanding how the child may be supported when at school.

  
  

  The parent/carer:

  
  

  • Plays the central role in supporting their child's development at home and in everyday situations.
  • Discusses ways to help their child's speech, language and communication development with the people at school and with the speech and language therapist.
  • Shares information with professionals to help in the assessment of the child's needs regarding speech, language and communication.
  • Can follow recommended activities at home with their child, adding to them and adapting them as required.
  • Contributes to information for statutory assessment. (With guidance and support from the school).
  • Contributes to information for the annual review. (With guidance and support from school).
  • Meets and liaises with professionals involved with their child.
  • Can ask questions if there is anything they do not understand.

• Early Support Team

  Early Support is a national programme to improve the way that services for 

  pre-school children with additional needs in England work with families. 
  
  Early Support is relevant to all agencies that provide services for families in:
  

  • hospital and clinical settings 
    
  • Child Development Centres 
    
  • mainstream Early Years settings 
    
  • Sure Start children's centres 
    
  • a range of specialist support agencies, including portage services 
    
  • voluntary organisations. 
    

  Early Support keeps families at the centre of all decisions about their child. 

  As part of Early Support there are some people you are likely to see or have contact 

  with in addition to your health visitor.

  
  These people may include:  

  A Consultant Community Paediatrician – a medical doctor who diagnoses and looks 
  after children with developmental issues from birth.
  
  As the child gets older, the Paediatrician gives the setting/school medical advice 
  on how to meet your child’s needs and remains available to help manage existing or 
  new concerns until your child leaves school. 
  
  An Occupational Therapist (OT) – assesses and advises on your child’s developing 
  abilities to help with day to day activities.
  
  Both Physios and OTs may use equipment to help your child, from wheelchairs and 
  stair lifts to specialised cutlery and cups.
  
  Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) – assessed and advises on all 
  aspects of your child’s speech, language, communication and feeding. 
  
  Paediatric Community Nurses – offer specialist services for your child if they have a 
  chronic and complex healthcare need. 

• Children's Centres

  Children’s Centres provide support and advice for parents/carers of children under five in England, including the following:

  • professional advice about your child and family

  • the chance to learn about job opportunities

  • the chance to socialise with others

  • a safe, fun environment for you child to play and learn

  Children’s Centres run many weekly sessions for you to take you child along to such as ‘messy play’ and ‘bumps to babies’. They also run some courses which they may charge for. 
  There are lots of opportunities at Children's centres for your child to develop their speech, language and communication skills.
  
  To find your local Children’s Centre visit www.cambridgeshirechildrenscentres.org.uk

• Class Teacher

  The class teacher is employed by the Local Authority and is responsible for the child’s general learning and development in the classroom.
  
  

  The class teacher:
  

  • Has responsibility for the education of all the children within the class.
  • Teaches according to the guidelines of the National Curriculum.
  • Plans and prepares their lessons.
  • Maintains good order and discipline among the children and safeguards their health and safety.
  • Together with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) has responsibility for differentiating the curriculum to meet the individual needs of all children within the class.
  • Assesses, records and reports on the developmental progress and attainment of all children.
  • Promotes the wellbeing of individual children.
  • Provides information for statutory assessment.
  • Submits reports for the annual review process.
  • Together with support from the SENCo and/or other professionals, plans and contributes to a child’s Individual Education Plan. (IEP)
  • Implements agreed strategies as outlined in the IEP.
  • Liaises with the parents/carers and other professionals to further the child’s progress.

• Teaching Assistant

  The role of a TA varies from school to school. TAs may work supporting an individual or a group of pupils, or they may support the teacher in the classroom.

  TAs work under the guidance/supervision of the classroom teacher.

  Day-to-day tasks can include:

  • planning, delivering and evaluating teaching and learning activities.
  • preparing the classroom for lessons, helping pupils who need extra support to complete tasks, individually and in groups.
  • observing pupil performance and reporting on observations to the teacher.
  • supervising art and craft activities and displaying work.
  • looking after children who are upset or have had accidents.
  • playing educational games with children and encouraging younger children to learn through play.
  • setting up information and communication technology (ICT) resources and supporting teaching and learning through the use of ICT.
  • listening to pupils read, reading to them, or telling them stories.
  • helping with outings and sports events, and
  • carrying out routine administrative tasks.

• Specialist Teacher

  The specialist teacher is employed by the Local Authority and is a qualified teacher.
  
  

  They either have or are working towards a specialist qualification in speech and language/learning/communication difficulties. They are part of the Access to Learning Specialist Teaching Team (please see documents below).

  
  

  The specialist teacher:

  
  

  • Works with children with speech, language and communication difficulties with a specific focus on their ability to access the curriculum and school life.
  • Works in schools or in preschool settings to support individual children to take part in learning.
  • Liaises with the speech and language therapist and teachers, school staff and parents/carers regarding children's speech, language and communication.
  • Advises on strategies to support all aspects of speech and language, and to support the therapy programme as necessary.
  • Can offer school or county-based INSET (training).
  • Provides information for statutory assessment.
  • Submits reports for the annual review process.

  Documents
  

  Support for Learning 1 - Describes Support for Learning Teams  
  Support for Learning 2 - Working with Schools  
  Support for Learning 3 - Speaking, Listening and Learning Primary Strategy  
  Support for Learning 4  - Quality First Teaching  
  Support for Learning 5 - Training  
  Support for Learning 6 - Talking Partners 
  Support for Learning 7 - Spirals  
  

  
  

  
  

• SENCO

  The special educational needs co-ordinator:
  

  • Is responsible within the school for overseeing the operation of the school's SEN policy.
  • Assists the head teacher and governing body in planning SEN policy and provision.
  • Liaises with staff, parents/carers and other agencies, to ensure co-ordination of the support provided to individual children.
  • Provides professional guidance to those colleagues and supporting pupils with SEN.
  • Helps to identify barriers to learning within the school context and to develop means to overcome these restrictions.
  • Manages learning support assistants.   
  • Oversees the records of all children with special educational needs.
  • Liaises with parents/carers of children with special educational needs.
  • Contributes to the in-service training of staff.

• Educational Psychologist

  The educational psychologist is employed by the Local Authority. They are qualified in teaching but also have a master's degree.
  

  • The educational psychologist works in schools to apply psychological knowledge of social, emotional and cognitive development.
  • Advises parents/carers, teachers and therapists on interventions based on psychological theory and research.
  • Is part of the team that assesses, reviews and supports learning through the identification of learning abilities and styles.
  • Provides consultation and advice to school staff based on a sound knowledge of child and adolescent development which draws on knowledge of psychological theory and advises on how theory can translate into practice.
  • Consults on gathering evidence - IEP data, reading scores, national curriculum or standard attainment tests (SATS), the progress of targeted individuals, analysing this data and supporting the school in the use of such data to target set and plan development work.
  • Carries out statutory LEA work, where necessary, such as preparing psychological advice for formal assessment and attending annual reviews.
  • Carries out assessment with children and young people for a range of purposes, including clarification of individuals' strengths and difficulties.

• Visual Impairment Service Teacher

  Visual Impairment Service Teachers are employed the Local Authority and are part of the Visual Impairment Service. They have a specialist qualification in visual impairment and visit many schools to help pupils with visual impairment. 

   

  Visual Impairment Teachers:

   

  • Provide specialist educational support for children and young people who have a medically diagnosed visual impairment.
  • advise staff and parents on underlying issues, effective teaching strategies and classroom management for children who are having visual problems
  • provide information about the range of the child’s visual skills
  • provide strategies to help minimise problems related to vision
  • may work with a child from the early years until they leave school at 16 or 19.