1.1 The purpose of this Handbook
For many years, mainstream schools in England have been required to appoint a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), although this term was not universally used in schools until the 1980s. The background to the relevant legislation is outlined in sections 1.3 and 1.4.
Although providers of post-16 education are set up in a range of different ways, there has long been an expectation that they will ensure support and guidance for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and this support is scrutinised as part of routine OfSTED inspections. Until 2014, however, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice had not extended to young people up to the age of 25. For post-16 provision attached to schools, sixth-form centres for instance, it could be argued that existing practice will have mirrored that of the school itself and, although systems will have been revised to reflect the new Code, this will have taken place from an established starting point.
Colleges and other training providers, on the other hand, embark on this new way of working from any number of different bases. While this could appear daunting, a positive slant can be adopted. The requirements of the Code of Practice set out what providers, and others, must do. It does not, however, describe how it should be done. So, we can be positive about the fact that providers do not have to devise their own obligations because this has been done. It is not the ‘what’ which needs to be established, it is the ‘how’: and this book aims to offer practical guidance in order to do this. In this respect, further education (FE) college SENCOs who are new to the role may feel reassured that even those who have been in place for many years are also embarking on new ways of working, adapting to new systems and encountering a range of different outside agencies with whom to collaborate.
This book can be used in a variety of ways. It can be read in order or perused selectively, so as to focus on particular areas of the SENCO role or address particular issues or challenges. At the start of each chapter, an overview of its contents is given to facilitate the speedy location of information and guidance. Chapters contain, where appropriate, Action Points to allow SENCOs to ensure they have not omitted any aspects of their responsibilities. Each chapter ends with a summary of its key points.
Within the chapters, the way in which different styles of provision may adapt and/or introduce systems is set out. In this way, readers may select the part of the guidance that is particularly suited to their setting and their role within it. For instance:
• a sixth-form centre is likely to be designed to incorporate provision for a percentage of learners with disabilities and/or learning difficulties;
• on the other hand, a discrete provision set up solely for the education of these learners should have established specialised systems in terms of staffing levels and expertise and may be able to share these with mainstream colleagues;
• settings which incorporate mainstream vocational and academic courses may lack confidence in the new requirements and need to introduce new ways of working to evidence the support offered to students with additional needs.
It is intended that, when reading in chapter order or by selection of topic, the reader will be able to opt for the section best suited to their needs.
Due to the variety of ways in which education providers and local authorities (LAs) are made up, it has not been possible to provide precise descriptions of how issues should be addressed. Large establishments and LAs may have a dedicated member of staff who undertakes a particular role, while in smaller organisations the role may form only part of one person’s responsibilities. Similarly, the manner in which systems are designed and monitored varies between establishments, even within the same LA. For this reason, it is hoped that those with responsibility for the support of young people with learning difficulties/disabilities in post-16 education will identify what needs to be done and use the Action Points in each chapter to assist them in undertaking their role, adapting details and practices as appropriate within the context of their own particular establishment.
1.2 The terminology surrounding special educational needs
A child or young person has special educational needs (SEN) if he/she has a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her (Department for Education (DfE), 2014). As the focus of this book is young people aged 16 and over, they will be described as young people and/or students rather than children and/or pupils. This immediately identifies an anomaly with regard to the group of people, including the young person and their family, often referred to as the Team Around the Child because one of the key features of the revised Code of Practice is an emphasis on the person-centred approach to the support of vulnerable young people; this puts the student at the centre of discussions, decision-making and support systems, and requires that the person rather than the team is the key element.
The language used to describe learning difficulties and disabilities, and many other aspects of our culture, has changed and developed over the years and, no doubt will continue to do so. Some terms, previously in common use, appear to us now to be unacceptable and shocking.
Legally, children, here young people, are considered to have special educational needs if they:
require special educational provision because they have a significantly greater difficulty in learn...
