The referral criteria for the EYSEN Outreach team are that the child:
- has significant or complex SEMH needs, sensory processing needs or a diagnosis which impacts their behaviour in setting.
- attends a Derbyshire EY setting (PVI or maintained)
- has had a graduated response of assess, plan, do, review at targeted level within their setting.
Information for Parents
If your child is attending a setting who are finding it difficult to meet your child’s needs, and perhaps only offering reduced access to your child’s funded hours, then you can ask them to consider a referral to the EYSEN Outreach team as part of their graduated response to your child’s needs.
If your child’s setting thinks that this intervention work would be supportive, they will ask for your permission for the Outreach team to work with your child. The Outreach Team practitioner will engage you throughout the 8 to 10 week process via home visits, regular records and reports, and invitations to planning and review meetings.
Information for Schools and Settings
The EYSEN Outreach team offers support at a targeted level of the graduated response. The aim of the Outreach team is to improve inclusion and access for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, and/or complex needs that present as a barrier. The support will involve assessment of both the child’s needs and provision currently offered and focus upon upskilling of the EY workforce.
Settings will be required to engage in a whole setting approach to accessing training following advice, and implementing strategies. Capacity to commit time to these requirements is a pre-requisite to service delivery. This is not a traded service, and no charges will be made for training offered as part of the Outreach Team's work.
Following the support over a period of 8 to 10 weeks, the final review meeting with parents will make decisions about the ongoing support needed for the child. This may involve:
- continuation of targeted support in setting with Early Years Inclusion Funding (EYIF)
- referrals to specialist support services such as the EYSEN specialist teaching service, or the Educational Psychology service.
- request for a statutory EHC Needs Assessment
It is envisaged that settings who have worked alongside the Outreach Team proactively will be well-equipped to meet future needs of children requiring targeted support around SEMH needs without further external support. With this in mind, settings will not be eligible to refer again within a 6-term period, except in extenuating circumstances such as, unusually high staff turnover.
Case Study 1
Jack is 2 and 1/2 years of age and has attended his EY setting for 9 months. He is in receipt of 8 hours EYIF for the 15 hours he attends setting and has a behaviour plan in place but is not making expected progress towards his targets. Jack is described by the SENCO as being aggressive and hurting other children and staff, defiant and oppositional, not being able to follow the rules and boundaries of the setting. He has been sent home from setting on several occasions due to his behaviour and is at risk of being excluded. Tensions are rising between staff and parents and setting have reported that they do not feel their setting is the right place for Jack.
With support from the Outreach team practitioner, parents and setting come together to discuss their perspectives on what is happening for Jack. His behaviour is considered in terms of his experiences and responses and an ecosystemic approach is used to put this into the context of his developmental stages and lived experiences. DCC documents including the Celebratory checkpoints, EY Graduated Response document, and SEN descriptors are used to support the setting to identify developmentally appropriate strategies and activities for Jack and these are replicated at home for consistency. Use of genograms and ACEs audit highlighted a complex home life that Jack’s mum was trying her best to navigate and reduce any impact upon him but had not had the confidence or opportunity to discuss with the setting. Training is delivered to settings and parents to increase their understanding of the roots of SEMH needs, reframe problematic behaviours as dysregulation, and compliment practice.
Jack is now building positive connections with setting staff who have a shared understanding of his previously unmet SEMH needs. He is accessing a developmentally appropriate, inclusive curriculum and is learning that he is safe, valued and understood which has led to a decrease in dysregulation. Setting and mum feel confident in their relationship, and are able to work together to support Jack.
Case Study 2
Samira is 3 years of age and attending a maintained nursery class. She is not in receipt of EYIF and only attends for 10 of her 15 hours entitlement as staff feel unable to meet her needs beyond this. The SENCO describes Samira as sensitive, avoidant and unwilling to join in routine nursery activities even when encouraged to do so, often having meltdowns throwing, screaming and lashing out. Parents report that although Samira is awaiting an autism assessment, they do not see this extremity of behaviour at home and because she does not use much functional language, they are unable to work out why there is such as change at nursery.
With support from the Outreach team practitioner, parents and setting come together to discuss their perspectives on what is happening for Samira. Observations of her behaviour are considered in terms of her experiences and responses to the environment and expectations placed upon her. DCC documents including the Celebratory checkpoints, Derbyshire Sensory processing needs toolkit environmental audit for home and setting and the Early Years ‘What you might see overview’ are used to support staff to identify sensory processing needs that are presenting Samira with significant challenges to accessing the nursery provision and regulate her emotional responses. The strategies lists within unregulated sensory systems are used to identify reasonable environmental adjustments required alongside resources, activities and spaces that would support sensory regulation.
AET ‘making sense of autism’ training is delivered which supports reframing in the context of the use of autism-affirming language and expectations of Samira. Parents are supported to understand that as their home and routine was, without them realising it, adapted to respond to Samira’s sensory processing needs and requirement for sameness and self-direction she was more settled and calmer. Whereas the sensory and social environment at nursery was more challenging for her and each element of challenge contributed to her dysregulation.
Nursery are supported to identify elements of their routines and expectations which are not developmentally appropriate for Samira and adapt these accordingly. Parents and staff are able to agree what is happening and why and work towards more inclusive and developmentally appropriate provision for Samira. Nursery is awarded EYIF, and an extra member of staff is available to be able to offer planned and responsive strategies during the session which enables Samira to access her full nursery entitlement.