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Local Authority Services

DSPL areas work closely with Integrated Services for Learning, a multi-professional service working in four integrated area teams across the county, helping schools, settings and families to improve outcomes for children and young people with additional and special educational needs.  

DSPL9 sits alongside the team in Watford, Three Rivers, Bushey and Radlett.
Services include:

  •  Ask SALI
  •  Attendance
  •  Early Years SEND
  •  Educational Psychology 
  •  Educational Support for Medical Absence (ESMA)
  •  Inclusion
  •  SEND Implementation and Support Officers (SISOs)
  •  Specialist SEND Advisory Teachers
  •  Statutory SEND team
Ask SALI

The SEND Advice Line for Inclusion (or 'Ask SALI') is a new phone line for SENCos and other school professionals to call, to get advice about meeting the needs of their children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.  The advice line is staffed by 4 advice and guidance officers (SENDIAGOs) from a range of different professional backgrounds.  Their knowledge of the different SEND pathways and first-hand experience of working with services means that they are well-equipped to support schools and settings.  

SENCos and other professionals can contact Ask SALI by calling 01438 843310 8.30am–5pm  Monday to Friday.  The team can also be contacted via email at asksali@hertfordshire.gov.uk. 

Bookable appointments are available at the start and end of the day.

 

Attendance

The Attendance Team has a responsibility to make sure parents ensure their child attends school regularly and on time. This is all children, not only those with SEND.  Schools can refer to the attendance team for statutory intervention or advice in situations such as where a child may have many authorised absences.  The team often becomes involved when:

  • attendance is below 80%
  • absences have occurred in the previous 8 weeks
  • majority of absences are unauthorised

Schools can make referrals by completing the ISL service request form and the ISL Baseline Assessment form.

                                        Service Request Form      
ISL Baseline Form

Parents can make referrals by calling the Customer Service Centre - telephone 0300 123 4043

Early Years

The EY team support early years settings (like nurseries or pre-schools) where children between the ages of birth to five are not making the educational or developmental progress that's expected, or where children may require specific, specialised support to meet their social and emotional needs.

 Please click here for further information on Early Years


Educational Psychology (EP) Service

The EP Service helps schools, settings and families to understand and manage a wide range of developmental issues and special educational needs. They use psychological based approaches to assess and intervene to enhance the learning, emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people aged 0-25 years.

Currently, the EP team are focussed on completing statutory work for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and are not carrying out individual work in schools.


ESMA

The Education Support for Medical Absence (ESMA) team is a teaching service for students who are unable to attend school for medical reasons.  The service helps pupils continue their education around their needs and works towards getting them back into school life as soon as possible.

Please click here for further information about ESMA

 


SEND Implementation and Support Officers (SISOs)

 

SISOs are part of the Ask SALI team.  They have in-depth knowledge of the different SEND pathways and first-hand experience of working with SEND services.  They act as a bridge between school, families and the Statutory SEND Service and work closely with schools to ensure that children's needs are met, and that families are well supported in the journey. 

The SISOs for DSPL 9 are Mandy Brandon and Alyssa MacLean.


SEND Special Advisory Service

SEND SAS provides specialist advice, guidance, modelling of strategies and interventions.  The team of specialist advisory teachers have additional qualifications and/or expertise in their field and are supported by a team of skilled practitioners.  Specialist advisory teachers support the following areas of special educational needs and disabilities: 

  • Sensory impairment (visual, hearing and deaf blind),
  • Physical and neurological impairment,
  • Speech, language and communication needs,
  • Cognition and learning (now a traded service). 

Please click here for further information about SEND SAS

To make a referral to the service complete the Service request and the ISL baseline assessment forms.  

                                    Service Request Form
ISL Baseline Assessment Form

Statutory SEND Team

The Statutory SEND Team delivers all the local authority’s statutory duties in relation to SEND: managing the statutory EHC needs assessment process, reviewing Education, Health, Care plans (EHC plans) and commissioning of educational placements/packages for children and young people who have EHC plans.

Within statutory SEND, there are three teams: 

  • Assessment team (ehcneedsassessments@hertfordshire.gov.uk)
  •  Provision, Outcomes and Placement team (annualreviewswest@hertfordshire.gov.uk)
  • Resolution and Reconciliation team

You can contact the SEND duty line on 01442 453300 

Schools can also contact the DSPL 9 EHCCos:

Primary:

  • Lynsay Sandford
  • Sarah Cowell
  • Rhiannon Strachan

Secondary:

  • Emily Snape

To find out which EHCCo is attached to your school click here