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This website is only one part of the Local Offer; we also have a directory which you can visit at 1space.eastsussex.gov.uk/localoffer

Education East Sussex SEND Services

A computer screen with the logo of Education East Sussex and the additional words, SEND services, displayed on it.

Overview

Education East Sussex is a division within East Sussex County Council's Children's Services. They work together with schools and families to deliver excellence and inclusion in education.

Education East Sussex is a combination of previous divisions known as:

Education East Sussex offer services that support children and young people with SEND. SEND is a shorter term for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This page lists these SEND services.

Please note, some of the services below signpost to our directory, on 1Space. These services are contactable via the public. The directory provides their full service information and contact details.


Accessing the services

Access to most of the services on this page is via Education Front Door referrals on Czone. Referrals are usually made by professionals who support children. For example, the Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in schools and nurseries:

Assessment and Planning (A&P)

The Assessment and Planning (A&P) team manage Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). This includes the assessment and planning process. Some children and young people (0 to 25) may need An EHCP:


Interim Provision Service (IPS)

The Interim Provision Service (IPS) is an interim teaching service. It is for children and young people:

Access to teaching support is only via referral from Assessment and Planning (A&P). Referrals and requests for support are not available from:


SEND Placement Support Service (SEND PSS)

The SEND PSS supports the successful placement of learners in their local mainstream school. 

Access to SEND PSS support is only via referral from Assessment and Planning (A&P). This is for a focused piece of work.

Referrals and requests for support are not available from:


SEND Post 16 & INMS team

The SEND Post 16 & INMS team work with other teams within the Local Authority. INMS is short for independent and non-maintained schools.

Their main role is to support providers in post 16 and INMS to deliver:

This aims to meet the need of all young people in their setting, along with high quality transition. They achieve this via:

The team also oversee the High Needs Funding applications for post 16 provisions. This ensures young people get the funding they need to:

Children's Disability Service (CDS)

The Children’s Disability Service (CDS) helps children who have:

The child may also have physical disabilities.

We assess children up to 18 years old, and their families, for social care support:

Please note, CDS is a part of Children's Social Care.


Early Intervention Service (EIS)

EIS and Early Intervention (EI) workers will work in a team around the child approach. This includes working alongside families and other agencies. They aim to identify what support will work best. They offer families information, advice and guidance about appropriate:

These resources aim to meet their child’s needs. 

Where necessary, the EI worker will support families direct to access:

This may be from charities and other sources. This helps to ensure that the disabled child and their family receive timely, coordinated support.

Access to EIS is only via referral from the Children's Disability Service.


Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

PBS is a small team of specialist Positive Behaviour Support practitioners. They form part of the Children’s Disability Service social care team. Positive Behaviour Support is a recognised approach to working with behaviours that challenge. PBS works in a person-centred way. They aim to:

Access to PBS is only via referral from the Children's Disability Service.

Communication, Learning, Autism Support Service (CLASS)

Communication, Learning and Autism Support Service (CLASS) offers support, advice and training. We offer this to mainstream schools and academies. We work with other services to support children and young people to access full-time education. 

Our staff hold specialist qualifications in:

You can find out more about CLASS, on the 1Space directory:

CLASS+ and Spectrum are a part of CLASS.

CLASS+

CLASS+ works across East Sussex. It supports families/carers of Autistic children and young people. This includes those on the diagnosis pathway.

We provide advice and support that:

This team is part of the CLASS service.

CLASS+ run sessions throughout East Sussex, called ‘CLASS+ Coffee & Chat Sessions’. These sessions allow parents and carers the opportunity to:

These sessions support parents and carers who:

View upcoming CLASS+ Coffee & Chat sessions.

Education Support, Behaviour and Attendance Service (ESBAS)

Please note, ESBAS is no longer in service.


The main East Sussex County Council website has information on school attendance and behaviour:

You can also see our Team Around the School and Setting (TASS) heading. This explains how we are supporting schools with attendance and inclusion.

Educational Psychology Service (EPS)

The Educational Psychology Service (EPS) works with children & young people aged 0-25 years. This takes place within their educational setting. EPS focuses primarily on the:

The work of an educational psychologist can either be:

Indirect work often involves:

This helps to clarify the precise nature and requirements of any proposed intervention. This is either at the individual or systems level. Direct work can involve delivering intervention to an individual child or group. It usually involves some form of assessment.


Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing (MHEW) in Education Team

The Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing (MHEW) in Education Team is part of EPS. 

The MHEW in Education Team have three Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisors. They offer the following support:

Czone is an East Sussex County Council website for schools. The website has a page on the whole school approach (WSA). The page is aimed at education settings, but parents and carers might also find it useful to read:

English as an Additional Language Service (EALS)

We are a team of specialist:

We work with pupils who have English as an additional language. We help them access the curriculum and fully integrate in to school life. We work with pupils from Reception and KS1-4.

We have BSOs speaking many of the languages spoken in East Sussex. This includes:

You can find out more about EALS, on the 1Space directory:

SEND Early Years' Service (SEYS)

The SEND Early Years' Service (SEYS) supports pre-school aged children with SEND.

This may include complex needs. It also includes pre-school aged children who have English as an Additional Language. Those needs may create a barrier to learning and inclusion.


Parents and carers can also download the SEND Early Years' Service referral form as a Word document.

Sensory Needs Service (SNS)

SNS provides support to Deaf and Vision Impaired (VI) children and young people (CYP) aged 0 -25, and their families.

We also provide guidance to others supporting children with sensory needs. This includes:

The SNS support and promote the inclusion of CYP with VI and deafness in a range of settings. We also have four Deaf Support Facilities (DSF) in East Sussex. These support our highest need pupils:

Sibling Service (Sibs)

The Sibling Service (Sibs) is for children aged 6 to 17 who have a brother or sister with a disability. Sibs provides short breaks and activity days:

Spectrum

Spectrum is a free, county-wide service that helps Autistic children and young people ‘aged 5–18’ to:

Spectrum provides practical support packages. These packages enable Autistic young people to:

You can find out more about Spectrum on our directory:

This team is part of the CLASS service.

Teaching and Learning Provision (TLP)

TLP provides education support for children and young people (5-16) who are not able to attend school full-time. This can be because of:

You can find out more about TLP by visiting the 1Space directory:

You can also download the ‘TLP Medical Needs Policy (October 2023)’ Word document.


Elective Home Education (EHE)

EHE service fulfils the statutory duties for families that choose to home educate their children. These duties are within the Education Act 1996. The EHE service provide advice and support to families. This enables home educators to provide the best possible education for their child. It also satisfies the Local Authority’s duty to establish that a child is in receipt of a suitable education:


Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT)

We have created a website called ‘The Stopping Place’. This site offers advice and guidance to GRT Children and Young People:

Team Around the School and Setting (TASS)

The Team Around the School and Setting (TASS) supports East Sussex schools with:

Access to TASS support is via schools only. This is for a focused piece of work on whole school practice or specific cohorts of concern. Parents are unable to refer or request support from this service.


Attendance Support Team (AST)

The Attendance Support Team (AST) is part of the new Team Around the School and Setting (TASS). The Attendance Support Team track attendance data in schools in East Sussex. This helps to identify issues and barriers to attendance early on.

The team will support schools to manage any concerns. They help the school plan individual or group approaches to improve attendance.

The AST work in area-based teams to provide in-school support and advice in:

The Children's Commissioner for England website has resources for families. This includes a downloadable 'Guide for parents on school attendance'.

Access to AST support is via schools only. This is for a focused piece of work around whole school improvement and specific cohorts. Parents are unable to refer or request support from this service.


Attendance below 50%

The Level 2 Keywork Team works with the AST to improve school attendance. The team is part of the Early Help Service. The Early Help level 2 team support schools with individual referrals. They offer a whole family approach. This aims to address need and overcome barriers.  The AST and level 2 team work together to improve school attendance.

They offer support to families with children whose attendance has dropped below 50% for two terms in a row (current and previous).

The team takes a whole family approach. They work with parents, carers and children within the family. The intervention is voluntary.

Please note, this team is a part of Children's Social Care. Referrals are made via school with parent or carer consent.


Inclusion Team

The Inclusion Team is part of the new Team Around the School and Setting (TASS). Their role is to:

The Inclusion Team work in area-based teams to provide in-school support and advice in:

Access to Inclusion support (TASS) is via schools only. This is for:

Parents are unable to refer or request support from this service.


Glossary of East Sussex SEND Terms

We explain some of the terms used on this website on our page, Glossary of East Sussex SEND Terms.

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