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Early Help

Aim

Early Help involves providing support and interventions as soon as a problem or difficulty is identified, at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years and beyond. At Bettridge School, we are here to work closely with you and other professionals, to ensure you have the required level of support needed. If you would like to talk to someone, the first port of call would be your child’s class teacher, who may seek advice from their team leader if necessary. Following this, they may contact you directly, or they may refer you to our Family Liaison Worker who is based in school for further information, advice, support and guidance.

Early Help in Gloucestershire

“Early help is about Children, Young People and Families getting the right help at the right time, before issues get worse. We want all of our children and young people, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to achieve the best possible outcomes and to receive the support they need when they need it most. We now have one integrated, holistic Graduated Pathway of Early Help and Support. The purpose of early help is to prevent issues and problems becoming serious and harmful to the child, young person, family and community. When children and families need this extra support, they need it quickly. Children and families are entitled to early help if and when they need it. It may be provided through an increase in the levels of universal services, or services provided or commissioned in localities.”

Reference “Early Help in Gloucestershire” – Gloucestershire County Council.

In School Support

  • Effective links with Gloucestershire
  • Safeguarding Children’s Board
  • Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
  • Early Years Provision from age 2 years where appropriate
  • Qualified and Experienced staff in identifying the needs of our students
  • Open door approach to all of our parents/carers with the offer of regular meetings with class teachers.
  • On-site Family Liaison Worker
  • Total Communication approach embedded within the school
  • Strong communication links between home and school
  • Effective links with the Virtual School for Children In Care, Social Care and CYPS
  • PTA “Friends @ Bettridge” – open to all of our families
  • Health clinics which are held at school
  • Multi-Agency Group meetings held at school
  • Team Teach – Positive behavioural support for all of our students
  • Informative and accessible school website
  • Purpose built safe environment including sensory and safe spaces
  • Regular training events for parents and carers
  • Termly coffee and information sharing mornings

We also work in partnership with many other professionals and services alongside our educational specialists to ensure the best possible outcomes and wellbeing for our students, including:

  • School Doctor/Nursing Team
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Children and Young People’s Service
  • Disabled Children’s and Young
  • People’s Team (Social Care)
  • The Enablement Team and Families
  • First Plus (Social Care)
  • Educational Psychologists
  • Specialists Teachers for those with hearing impairments and visual impairments
  • Music Therapists

Review

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022, The Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, SEN Policy, SEN Information Statement and Equality Policy and will be reviewed and updated, if required, every two years