What services and expertise are available within school?

The agencies used by the school include:

School Nurse
Autism Outreach Team (ASC Team)
Child Protection Advisors
Educational Psychologist
SENNAT (Special Educational Needs Assessment Advice Team)
CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service)
AAP  (Attendance Advisory Practitioner previously known as Educational Welfare Officers)
PASS (Physical & Sensory Service) to support pupils with hearing/visual Impairment
Inclusion Team
Social Services
Children’s Therapy Team (Speech & Language/Occupational Therapy)

Portage
Paediatricians
Behaviour Support Service
WELCOMM ( Speech and Language for F1 and F2)
MEAS team
Catholic Children’s Society.
Gilbrook Outreach Service

School nurse

Our school nurse is available for offering support and advice on a range of issues. She supports the SENCo with initial referrals and updates on how the children are progressing along certain pathways. 

Educational Psychologist

Our educational psychologist supports the SENCo when making and Educational Health Care Plan request. They will support both school and parents in decisions regarding next steps and future education for the child. They are able to privde school with next steps and time related outcomes for the child to work towards and then be reviewed. 

SENAAT (Special Educational Needs Assessment Advice Team)

Our member of the SENAAT team is trained to undertake a wide range of diagnostic tests to support our school in the identification of children with special educational needs and consequent decisions about their support and provision (including staff training), 1:1 assessments are carried out.

Speech Therapy

Speech and language therapists (SALTs) work closely with children who have various levels of speech, language and communication problems, and with those who have swallowing, drinking or eating difficulties. Therapists assess a child’s needs before developing individual treatment programmes to enable each child to improve as much as possible. Treatment plans often involve other people with whom the child has a close relationship, e.g. family, carers or teachers. SALTs usually work as part of a multidisciplinary team, alongside other health professionals such as

doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. They may also liaise with professionals in education and social services.

Vision and Hearing Support

Wirral Council's Sensory Service aims to ensure that deaf and visually impaired children and young people (0-19 years) receive an appropriate inclusive education that enables them to fulfil their potential and develop into independent adults.

The core work of the Sensory Service is to provide training, advice and support for school staff to:

• enable students to develop specialist skills eg Braille, to help them access the curriculum independently;
• monitor progress of pupils to ensure that student’s individual needs are met, in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act ;
• undertake specialist assessments (hearing assessment and functional vision assessments);
• maintain records and provide reports as necessary;
• undertake specialist assessments of language and literacy development which monitor progress, inform planning and IPMs, and facilitate successful transition;
• provide advice on alternative methods of communication;
• provide advice on the differentiation and adaptation of teaching materials;
• liaise with Paediatric and Orthopaedic departments to ensure an effective exchange of pupil information;
• liaise with other agencies across Children’s services, including health and voluntary agencies;
• advise on technology which can improve access to the curriculum or the environment and deliver training for its use eg magnification software and radio aid systems etc;
• develop visually impaired pupils’ mobility and rehabilitation skills to ensure safe access to the school and outside environment;
• modification of Braille or large print materials where needed;
• provide advice, support and information to parents and carers which promote principles of good practice;
• promote a positive image of deafness and visual impairment and encourage self advocacy skills.

Multicultural Ethnic Advisory Service ( MEAS)

MEAS staff work in Primary and Secondary schools throughout Wirral.

The service aims to raise achievement, remove language barriers, provide access to the curriculum, raise self-esteem and encourage social integration.

MEAS staff:

• assess pupils learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) from Foundation Stage to Year 11;
• act as consultants within schools to enable staff to meet the needs of pupils effectively ;
• provide direct teaching support for prioritised pupils;
• work with parents and the wider community;
• provide training centrally and school based on: Race Equality, Community Cohesion and EAL. ï‚· support the admission of new arrivals including refugee, Gypsy Roma and Irish traveller pupils ;
•  give advice on embedding race equality through the curriculum and advise on materials that;
• promote a greater understanding of ethnic diversity and racial equality.

Gilbrook Outreach Team

The Gilbrook Outreach Team work with colleagues in primary schools to support the management of children with challenging behaviour within their own schools. To enable pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties to be supported within their mainstream schools. Gilbrook Outreach is committed to focusing on preventative work to ensure that needs are identified as quickly as possible and that early action is taken to meet those needs. Developing approaches that embed co-operative

multi-disciplinary working between all agencies.

Typical work activities include:

• Promoting an understanding of the context and environment which effect the child’s well being;
• Observing children in the contexts in which they play and learn;
• Assessments/interviews with children to gain understanding as to why the problem behaviours are being exhibited;
• Developing and supporting strategies to improve behaviour - providing ‘in class’ modelling and support when required;
• Writing recommendations on action to be taken and contributing professional advice ;
• Attending meetings involving multi-disciplinary teams, and parents/carers, on how to best meet the social, emotional and behavioural needs of the child.

Autism Social Communication Team ( ASC TEAM)

• To advise and support schools staff on specific and appropriate targets and strategies for pupils with diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or with Social and Communication Difficulties;
• To liaise with professionals/parents/carers;
• To monitor/review progress (Review and Pupil Funding Agreement meetings);
• Support transitions, especially KS2 to KS3;
• Provision of recommendations regarding future placements and support.

Occupational Therapy

The role of the Occupational Therapist (OT) is to work with children who have difficulties with the practical and social skills necessary for their everyday life. An Occupational Therapist will aim to enable the child to be as physically, psychologically and socially independent as possible.

Portage

Wirral Portage Service provides support and guidance to parents primarily in their own homes. It serves the youngest, most disabled children on the Wirral and provides individualised programmes of learning. Portage workers can support children into school/settings with transition plans and offer advice to parents re a variety of issues to support the process. Wirral Portage Service takes place in the child’s home in partnership with the parents who are recognised as their children’s primary educators and facilitators of their overall development. It is part of the SESS team and close partnerships are forged with all those working in the early years’ sector. As part of the 1st 4 Families virtual team, we are committed to the delivery of a high quality service to the youngest most disabled children and families in Wirral.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

Are a team of specially trained workers whose job it is to improve the mental health of children and young people by helping them with aspects of life that make them worried, upset or angry. They can help when a child's behaviour, thoughts and feelings become difficult for them to cope with.

Catholic Children's Society

A dedicated team of experienced staff and volunteers, with excellent knowledge of local services and support network deliver our Family Support Service. They work together in partnership to provide a multi-agency approach. The team will work with you to make sure you have all the support you need, delivered in a way that

best suits your family situation. They are non-judgemental and will challenge, support and provide a service that best meets the needs of you and your family. The benefits to you and your family include: improved self esteem, better communication of feelings and thoughts of knowing how to look for compromise and keep each other safe, increased confidence in dealing with difficult and risky situations, seeing your children and young people happy, motivated and achieving, feeling better – both mentally and physically and less reliance on outside services – but the awareness of how and when to access them.

Doctors / Paediatricians

Paediatricians are doctors who look at specific health issues, diseases and disorders related to stages of growth and development. This is an area of medicine where the doctor works closely with the patient and their family.