HSDC South Downs & Havant

We find out if a student needs extra help in a number of ways:

The Local Authority requests a reply to their EHCP from us before they arrive

Their school SENCo tells us before they arrive

They tell us on their application form, at interview or on arrival during their induction

Through their tutor / teachers whilst on their chosen course

When we have had information from any of these sources, we conduct an assessment to ascertain the type of need and support required.

A student’s study programme will be overseen by their tutor / department manager and a member of the Additional Learning Support team. Who this is depends on the type of support required, for example an LSA will support in-class, a Student Progress Mentor will provide health and wellbeing guidance or a specialist teacher may provide out-of-class interventions. Specially qualified staff may also assess for specific learning difficulties, exam access arrangements or a BSL communicator may support BSL users. The frequency and type of support will depend on the student’s individual needs and may be available in every class or via a regular appointment. This support will be reviewed regularly and adapted to suit the student's needs. Parents/carers are welcome to contact the college and/or meet staff, at which point the type of support required by their child/young person will be explained in detail. HSDC is committed to supporting students to achieve both their academic goals and greater independence.

Students on foundation learning programmes will access courses designed around the Preparing for Adulthood outcomes.

Individual programmes of study are created for students according to their needs and choices in addition to their chosen area of study. It may be the case that it is beneficial for a student to attend weekly learning support sessions, Aim High programmes or work experience and this can be included in their timetable; the hours of work they commit to this count towards their overall programme. All curriculum is focused on ensuring that student outcomes are appropriate and relevant - the college runs a range of employment focused provision including Supported Internships, specifically aimed at supporting students aged 16-25 with learning difficulties into paid employment. Differentiated strategies to achieve learning aims are expected in all lessons. .

Teaching and support staff set targets for students on a regular basis and discuss progress against these with students during tutorials. Progress is recorded and new targets are agreed with the student as necessary. Parents/carers will be invited to attend Student Progress Evenings to discuss overall progress but can additionally request to meet with staff supporting their child/young person if they would like more regular feedback on progress made in both learning and wider social skills. At this point you will also be able to discuss how you can ensure consistency of support strategies at home. For students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), an annual review will take place with a college SEND Coordinator to which parents/carers and other relevant professionals will be invited. Student and parent/carer contributions to this are considered invaluable and are welcomed.

Student wellbeing is a priority for all staff. Students can access a wide range of support available through the dedicated Health and Wellbeing Centres at each campus.  This includes a counselling service that may be accessed as necessary to support student progress and to advise on referrals to other support agencies. Students who require advice to ensure their physical and mental health are supported in conjunction with other specialist support agencies including CAMHS and the specialist teacher advisory service. One-to-one and/or group tutorials take place weekly to ensure that students are given the time and opportunity to talk to their teachers about individual needs and concerns. Group tutorials are an opportunity for students to develop a broad awareness of factors affecting individuals and society as well as skills of communication and reflection. Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties are supported in many ways, to enable students to develop strategies to manage their behaviour and develop social skills. Interventions are in the form of small group and one-to-one support sessions where specific targets are agreed and engaging activities to achieve these take place.  Some students may also be referred to the college ELSA or behaviour support mentor.

Counselling provision is available to all students. Staff specialising in a wide range of Specific Learning Difficulties and social, emotional and mental health are trained to graduate and post graduate level, or have relevant expertise and offer out-of-class interventions to support students in developing their independence and resilience. A fully-qualified Educational Psychologist is available within the Additional Learning Support team, as well as qualified access arrangements assessors and an Educational Psychologist. To ensure the support of students who are looked after or care leavers (LAC), a designated team of specialist Student Progress Mentors are available to support their needs. This requires regular liaison with the Local Authority to ensure students are supported appropriately and that information about their progress is shared. Allocation of space for interventions to take place with other professionals may be discussed based on the extent of daily need for such interventions as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.

Staff have a wide variety of qualifications based on their areas of specialism - including Postgraduate qualifications in Dyslexia / SpLD Teaching and Assessing, Educational Psychology, Youth Work, training in Speech and Language (ELKLAN), Registered Nursing, Degree in Education and Teaching, Teacher Training, Level 3 British Sign Language, Makaton core curriculum levels 1-8, Level 2 and 3 Supporting Teaching and Learning and Level 2 & 3 Working Together to Safeguard Children and Young People. We also have our own qualified and registered Makaton trainer.

Feeling part of the college community and enjoying the experience of college is an essential part of student well-being, therefore enrichment activities and off-site visits take place throughout the academic year that are open to all students. Enrichment activities should be accessible to all and reasonable adjustments will be made to ensure students can access all activities, trips and events. Students, along with their parents/carers are often best placed to advise on how best to plan activities and trips and discussions on this will be welcomed. Risk assessments for all off-site activities are essential.

The College campus at South Downs is medium sized and has several buildings, most of which are  wheelchair accessible by ramps or lifts. There are disabled changing and toilet facilities across the campus that can be accessed by students as necessary including hoists. Hearing loops are available for hearing impaired learners in public areas and adjustments are made wherever necessary to ensure visually impaired students and visitors are able to access all promotional and instructional materials. The college is committed to providing alternative formats for communication with parents/carers whose first language is not English and translation into community languages is available on request. 

The campus at Havant is smaller with wheelchair access and accessible toilets / physio bed and hoist.

Information on a prospective student's needs will be sought from the Local Authority in the form of an Education, Health and Care Plan or other relevant documentation. A formal reply will be sent to the Local Authority confirming the support that can be offered. Information will also be sought from the student’s current school SENCo. The student will be invited to make transition visits to the college either individually or with their current school, in order to meet staff who will teach and support them and to familiarise themselves with the environment. Parents/carers and other professionals who support the student are welcome to visit before the student is due to commence their course. When a student is preparing to move on from the college they will be supported to apply for further study at another College, Universities or to apply for employment options. With their permission, information on their support needs may be passed to other educational establishments to support their progression.

Students with Education, Health and Care Plans are allocated the support agreed as a priority. Where costs of support rise over £6,000 per year, the Local Authority pay for the additional costs from their High Needs allocation. Students without Education, Health and Care Plans may still be supported based on their needs and resources will be allocated based on specialist teacher assessment.

The decision is made based on student need. All support is allocated with a view to promoting independence and resilience to enable future success. Students’ needs will firstly be assessed based on information from the Local Authority where a student has an Education, Health and Care Plan or on information from their previous school. Next, students and parents/carers will be consulted and preferably observed in an appropriate learning environment. The Lead Professionals within the organisation will make the decision on the type and volume of support and this decision will be confirmed where necessary by the Local Authority. The impact of the support is judged against the extent to which students have met their agreed targets at each regular review point. Their attendance, success on their course and where they progress to are also used as indicators of success as they demonstrate the extent to which the student is engaged with their learning.

Parents/carers are involved with regular liaison, where appropriate, to ensure that the support that is in place is effective in supporting the student's learning. Parents/carers are invited to  Parent's Evenings and can seek further details at any point during the year if they have concerns. Parents/carers are written to if there are significant concerns about the student's behaviour, attendance or progress and staff welcome support from home in dealing with these issues as they arise.  Parent voice is also actively sought to improve future services.