Pupil Support Service

Tameside Specialist Outreach Support Service

Tameside’s Specialist Outreach Support Service is the merger of CLASS, SpLD and the SEMH Support and Inclusion Service. There are a number of specialists on the team who sit with the Multi Agency Autism Team (MAAT) and ADHD Triage Panel. The team is a multi-skilled team of professionals who have a first and a second specialism and will be able to respond to a wider range of needs.

Tameside Specialist Outreach Support Service is a traded service available for Early Years and school-aged children attending an educational provision and with a special educational need. The service provides:

Advice, consultation and guidance from specialist practitioners;
Observations
Strategies and modelling
A range of specialist training

Regular multi-agency meetings will support triage and allocation of referrals to the most appropriate practitioner.
Consultation is available 1pm – 4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon when specialist practitioners are available for schools to contact. A Cognition and Learning practitioner is only available on a Wednesday afternoon. Early Years specialists experienced in communication and interaction needs and social, emotional and mental health needs are also available.
Telephone: 0161 342 5503

ADHD Pathway

Our ADHD Pathway is made up of a team of experienced professionals from a range of disciplines.

We accept referrals from the child or young person’s school. Please be aware we do not accept referrals for children under the age of six.

In the first instance, schools should complete the PSS referral form and tick the ADHD pathway. Further documentation will be sent out for both schools and parents to complete. Schools should include reports from other professionals, which may support a child or young person’s referral. A copy of the QB check should also be included if this available to school. Once all of the documentation has been received by PSS, the ADHD Triage Panel then triages the referral and a decision made as to whether the child or young person is accepted onto the pathway. Once accepted all relevant information is passed to HYM.

Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2 Off Site Intervention

In addition to advice, consultation and guidance from specialist practitioners Primary schools can access Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Off Site Intervention. We have two Key Stage 1 places available at Corrie Primary School in Denton. Key Stage 2 places are available at Discovery Academy. There are up to 4 places available dependent on the needs of the children.

This provision is a time-limited, targeted intervention delivered by specialist staff, away from the school site at Discovery Academy or at Corrie Primary School. Primarily for young people at risk of exclusion, this is a period of specialist intervention designed to support the child in reducing specific problematic behaviours. The intervention will include training for relevant staff, to identify and deliver long-term solutions and strategies for the ongoing effective inclusion of the child/ young person within their mainstream setting.

Schools are required to complete a referral form and include all relevant information that provides evidence of a graduated response. The referral is considered by a multi-agency panel, including specialist-teaching staff from the Off-Site intervention, Headteacher of the KS1 off site provision, Deputy Head of SEND, Headteachers and SENDcos from across Tameside. Decisions are made on the paperwork submitted, based on:

risk-level of exclusion
is child deemed to be at or approaching crisis point
have the school followed the graduated approach and exhausted all other options
is on-site intervention more appropriate
will the child’s admission pose a risk to the efficient and safe education of other pupils accessing the site
is the intervention likely to achieve the desired outcome or successful reintegration.

School are asked to set academic work for the specialist staff to deliver, so the child is still able to follow the curriculum set by the substantive setting. We also ask that wherever possible a TA from the substantive setting attend with the child on at least one occasion each week, so they can observe specialist strategies and interventions, in order to facilitate a successful reintegration into the school after the period of off-site intervention.

The child attends the setting part-time for mornings only, 9am -12noon. It is the responsibility of the parent/carer and or school to bring the child or young person to the Off Site Intervention at either Corrie or Discovery Academy.

If a child is absent, the substantive setting is informed immediately. If the child has a social worker or is involved with the virtual school, the relevant caseworkers are informed immediately.

Schools, parents/carer, social workers and virtual school staff are regularly kept up to date with progress and concerns.

Prior to admission, a planning meeting is held with the school, the parent/ carer, virtual school and if appropriate social worker.

At the meeting:

Gain consent from all parties, for off-site intervention, positive handling measures, taking photographs, placement expectations, travel arrangements etc.
Check for allergies etc.
Agree reporting measures
Co-produce with school and parents/ carers the focus areas for intervention
Agree with all parties on expectations of intervention
Ensure school understands their role, which includes providing curriculum work weekly, sending school staff wherever possible, attending review sessions.
Agree any additional training that may be appropriate for school staff to help support the child or young person successfully re-integrate. E.g. ADHD awareness training.

A review is held in the 3^rd week of placement. At this meeting:

Discuss how the pupil has presented in the off site location
Discuss how the pupil has responded to intervention work
Discuss and agree next steps
Plan reintegration
Agree a support plan going forward
For the meeting a report is provided by the specialist team with strategies and additional recommendations

Following the period of off-site intervention, a member of the specialist team will support the child back into his/her substantive setting, and will provide additional advice and strategies during this period of reintegration, to maximise the chance for successful reintegration.

Interaction and Communication

We have a good track record at supporting children with social communication and interaction difficulties including autism. There are a number of specialist practitioners on the team who sit with the Multi Agency Autism Team (MAAT) to support the diagnosis of Autism. Staff are able to carry out detailed and structured observations, produce reports to support Statutory Assessment or the MAAT pathway.

We can offer practical and reasonable adjustments tailored to the need of the individual as well as an extensive range of training and workshops available centrally or school based including:

ASC Awareness
The ASC Friendly Classroom
Running Social Communication Groups – Early Years and Primary
Running Social Communication Groups – Secondary
Relationship Circles
Bespoke Training
ASC and Anxiety Workshops for Young People
Supporting Transition to Secondary Workshops for Year 6 Students

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL and MENTAL HEALTH

We are a team of specialist staff who work closely with settings across the borough. The service supports schools to include learners whose unmet needs present as behaviour that challenges. We offer a combination of training and support for individual or groups of staff. Staff are able to carry out detailed and structured observation to support schools to implement advice and strategies to help support pupils when behaviour has become a barrier to learning.

We can offer practical and reasonable adjustments tailored to the need of the individual as well as an extensive range of training and workshops available centrally or school based including:

ADHD Awareness Training: The training explores how ADHD affects pupil behaviour and the similarities between the presentation of other conditions and ADHD. The session will offer practical ways to support pupils in the classroom setting using a variety of strategies.
Attachment Awareness Training: The training explores how different attachment styles impact on behaviour and offers practical strategies to support pupils in the classroom and within the wider school environment.
Demand Avoidance: Raising awareness of avoidant behaviour and how to implement practical classroom strategies.
Behaviour Management in the Early Years: Training that offers practical advice and strategies to early year’s practitioners within the nursery or school setting to help promote children’s social, emotional and academic development.
Mid-day assistant Training: Training to support midday assistants to learn new skills and develop knowledge and strategies to support children and young people during lunchtime.
Bespoke Training: Training to meet the needs of your school setting.
Whole School Behaviour Review: aimed at supporting Primary schools in reviewing the processes and procedures in place to encourage positive behaviour within the setting.

Cognition and Learning

We are a team of specially trained staff that collaborate with schools and other agencies to support the learning needs of pupils’ throughout the borough as part of the Graduated Response to Special Educational Needs and Disability.
We can offer:

Consultation and Advice: to clarify concerns on a range of issues and help generate solutions and strategies which play an important part in the early identification of SEN. In advising schools on effective provision, we hope to prevent the development of more significant needs. We can help to identify other barriers to learning and where appropriate signpost to other specialist agencies.
Early Intervention: to carry out specialised assessments e.g. identification of dyslexic tendencies, dyscalculic tendencies and developmental co-ordination delay specific difficulties as well as general learning difficulties. Through the analysis of results we provide advice on most suitable strategies and resources to support needs.
Observations– Staff are able to carry out detailed and structured observation to support schools to implement advice and strategies to help support pupils.

We can offer practical and reasonable adjustments tailored to the need of the individual as well as an extensive range of training and workshops available centrally or school based including:

SpLD Awareness
The Dyslexic Friendly Classroom
Delivering a Cumulative Multi-sensory Programme of Phonics
‘Clicker’ Training
Bespoke Training

Referral dates for submission

Deaf Provision

SENSORY SERVICE – Provision for children and young people with a hearing impairment. Link to Adobe PDF file

ASC Resource Base Provision

Most children and young people who have an Education, Health, and Care plan will attend a mainstream school or provision. For some, it might be right for that child or young person to go to a specialist setting, school, or college, or an enhanced resource base. To go to a special school or an enhanced resource base in a mainstream school, a child or young person must have an Education, Health and Care Plan which sets out the specialist support necessary for the child/young.
In Tameside there are two Enhanced Resource Base’s for children with autism.

St John Fisher Primary School for pupils aged 5-11 years
Primary Resource Base
The ASC Resource Base is a specialist provision catering for children who have a diagnosis of Autism and an Education, Healthcare Plan. Our aim is to involve all children in the social and academic life of the school wherever possible. We strive to provide positive learning experiences for all our children. The children share dinner and play times and take part in some assemblies. We also aim to include children whenever possible in mainstream classes. Those who are able to cope will gradually increase the proportion of time spent with their mainstream peers. The level of inclusion in mainstream classes is based upon individual needs and abilities. We provide a curriculum that not only focuses on their academic needs but also allows them to develop their skills of social interaction and social awareness.

St Thomas More RC College for pupils aged 11-16 years
Secondary Resource Base
The ASC Secondary Resource Base is located at St Thomas More RC College, Denton and managed by the Local Authority. The Resource Base caters for students who have a diagnosis of Autism and an Education and Health Care Plan. The purpose of the resource base is to enable students to access the curricular and social activities of the main school with the appropriate level of support. The resource base also provides a place for students to access support and targeted interventions either on an individual basis or as part of a small group. Students are able to spend break and lunchtimes within the base. Staff working in the base have a wide range of experience in working with young people on the Autistic Spectrum.