Barnet Early Years (Barnet EY) SEND Advisory Team supports pre school children (0-4 years) living in Barnet who are likely to have special educational needs (SEN). This includes children with identified genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, which will impact of their development and learning. 

The team supports children with group sessions at Children Centres and in early years settings. In some cases, home visits will be offered.

The team's role includes supporting private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years settings in Barnet (who take children on government funding) to include and support all children with special educational needs.

GP can refer children to the EY SEND Specialist Pathway of support. See below for further information.

Team intervention pathways

• The Universal Pathway:
  • delivered to early years settings, consisting of inclusion advice, such as identification of needs, training and general inclusion strategies
• The Targeted  Pathway
  • primarily delivered through the child's early years setting. The pathway may include observations, modelling of supporting strategies, and supporting the Assess Plan Do Review process
• The Specialist Pathway
  • for children who are likely to have significant developmental needs. The offer includes parent and carer workshops, home support, and setting support.

Barnet Early Years undertakes informal assessments of the child's needs and monitoring of a child's progress; this is always undertaken jointly with parents/carers.

Learning outcomes are written together with parents/carers/early years settings, and the team provides strategies on how to help a child achieve the outcomes.

The team signposts and shares information of other support available, e.g., benefits, voluntary groups and referrals to other agencies with parent/carer permission.

Support during transition to nursery or school is also provided and the team will act as key workers if appropriate.

For children in a setting

The EY SEND Advisor attached to the setting will support on both elements of setting and home support.

For children not in a setting

They will be offered the Specialist Pathway through Childrens Centres and home visits.

Families and settings

Both families and settings are offered a wide range of workshops and training to support their child's development and access advice and support from other local agencies.

Please note: the team does not support children who are already in maintained school nurseries on Fee 3 or specialist settings.

The Specialist Pathway

Referrals for Specialist Pathway are made through Barnet's weekly multi-agency referral meeting. The meeting is a single referral route to access support from speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, paediatrician and specialist teaching (including the Early Years SEND Advisory Team).

With parental permission, professionals can refer children to this meeting where the referral is discussed and appropriate services are then allocated. The service also accepts referrals directly from parents

See the Barnet Council website for more information on referrals.

Early Years Send Advisory Team involvement ceases when a child:

• starts attending a specialist nursery, e.g., Acorn/Kingfisher Livingstone
• transfers to BEAM or other local authority specialist teaching service, e.g., physical disability team
• starts attending a local authority-maintained school nursery or reception class
• starts attending a special school
• moves out of the borough of Barnet.

For further information and queries, parents and carers can email admin@eysend.barnetmail.net

Barnet Early Years PVI settings can email adviceline@eyit.barnetmail.net

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

Children should:

• be aged from 0-4
• have a Barnet home address.

Targeted Pathway

Children should:

•  attend a Barnet PVI Early Years Setting, regardless of borough of residence.

Specialist Pathway

Children should:

• reside in Barnet.

How to Refer