STAS Communication and Interaction Mainstream Schools and Colleges including EHE/EOTAS (C&I) Local Offer

The Communication and Interaction (C&I) Team consists of Specialist Teacher Advisors, Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists. Typical activities include:

• Facilitation of transition from primary to secondary and from secondary to college.
• Assessment of young people's Speech, Language, Communication and Interaction Skills
• Provision of a profile outlining a young person's needs and helpful support strategies
• Training for school staff, parents/carers to raise awareness of the barriers to learning
• Advice on personalised curriculum/target setting and outcomes 
• Individual work with young people on specific skills as appropriate
• Observation of young people within their settings and feedback  
• Signposting parents, carers and staff to other useful agencies and contacts
• Support and liaison with parents/carers so that they can make informed choices
• Attendance at Annual Reviews where appropriate

Specialism teams provide training for groups of staff across the County, accredited training courses as well as bespoke training solutions in individual schools and settings. Most of the support provided is free however a charge is made for training.

Specialist Teacher Advisors (STAs) and Specialist Speech and Language Therapists (SaLTs) support children and young people with an EHCP, including SLCN and/or Autism, from age of 7 to age 25 in mainstream junior or secondary schools and mainstream colleges in Hampshire. 

We also support children and young people who are not attending a setting, are Electively Home Educated (EHE) or are under Education Other Than a School (EOTAS), support children undergoing statutory assessment or who have sensory regulation or integration needs.

We aim to ensure:

• communication needs are not a barrier to learning.
• staff are trained and confident in supporting communication needs in the classroom.
• the school is communication rich and inclusive of young people with communication needs.
• SENCos are given the tools and support to make and implement decisions about communication.
• that pupils, with EHCPs, can receive additional specialist support and therapeutic intervention.
• that support and intervention leads to observable functional progress and independence.

When children and young people are attending a Hampshire school or college, SENCos are able to make a request for additional support if the child or young person has an Education Health and Care Plan and they are experiencing current functional challenges related to their communication or interaction skills. Our mainstream school team comprises Specialist Teacher Advisors and Specialist Speech and Language Therapists. We have experience in supporting children and young people with developmental and associated language disorder, Autism, learning difficulty or SEMH. Support is sometimes provided by developing SaLTs under the supervision of a specialist SaLT.

SEN caseworkers are also able to make referrals for children attending school or college (mainstream or special), not attending a setting, are EHE or EOTAS. Support can be provided for children and young people with an Educational, Health and Care Plan or who are undergoing Statutory Assessment. This support includes access to our Specialist Occupational Therapists. All children and young people who need Occupational Therapy support for sensory needs must be referred by their SEN caseworker.

Once a child or young person has been referred for support from the Service, a STA, SaLT or OT is assigned to them and support will start within the next half term. Support is tailored to the young person’s functional difficulties and the school’s experience. Support is regularly negotiated and reviewed with young people, parents/carers and staff, and adjusted to reflect progress. Decisions about the appropriate level of support are based on the assessment of need and the most appropriate model of support for that need, based on the available research evidence. We work to strict professional guidelines and to clear decision making pathways. Once a school is confident in meeting the child or young person's needs, then C&I support is paused; a new referral can be made for further support when required. 

STAS C&I is located within three offices around the County, providing an equal level of support and advice to all children and young people within a Hampshire Special School. There are Speech and Language Therapists for C&I in all 3 offices.

• Specialist Teacher Advisory Service Children’s Services Department Dame Mary Fagan House Chineham Court Lutyens Close Basingstoke RG24 8AG Tel: 0370 779 0779
• Specialist Teacher Advisory Service HCC Children’s Services Havant Public Service Plaza Civic Centre Road Havant PO9 2AX Tel: 0370 779 0779
• Specialist Teacher Advisory Service Children’s Services Department Winchester Local Office Falcon House Monarch Way Winchester SO22 5PL Tel: 0370 779 0779

Email: stas.service@hants.gov.uk

The C&I Team liaise with schools to discuss appropriate referrals at regular intervals and in particular highlight children and young people who have recently been given an EHCP and may require additional support. STAS will ensure parents/carers/schools understand and appreciate any decisions made in relation to a referral and can be contacted for further discussion. STAs will refer back to the eligibility criteria, functional difficulties and the the child or young person's ability to access the school environment and curriculum. If the STA, SaLT or OT thinks that the child or young person would benefit from seeing someone in the team with a different clinical specialism (e.g. speech, SEMH or ASD), they will refer them. 

We involve children and young people in decision making by gathering their views of their strengths and difficulties, and what they would like to achieve. This is always part of their assessment process. They are involved in reviewing how they progress at key points and we regularly gather their views of the service they have received.

Regular communication is made with parents and carers through meetings at school, written reports, telephone contact, emails and annual reviews where appropriate. From the information shared in these situations, you will be informed of any progress your child/young person is making and whether any additional support/intervention is required if the expected progress is not being made. We also regularly ask parents for their feedback and hopes for their children’s communication through questionnaires. Parent support groups/coffee mornings and training events are also offered to parents.

Yes, as we use the school and college sites that are fully adapted and accessible for their students.

It is unusual for service users to have to attend meetings at the Local Offices, as most meetings take place in the educational setting or occasionally the service users home, however all three offices are accessible. All of the offices have accessible toilets, but they do not have accessible changing facilities.

STAs Service is a multi-disciplinary service with all members of staff qualified and trained in their specialist area and it is a requirement for them to continue to update their knowledge through continual professional development. Specialist staff include 

• Specialist Teacher Advisors (STAs)
• Speech and Language Therapists (SaLTs)
• Occupational Therapists (OTs)

Our SaLTs and OTs are qualified to degree level and registered with the Health Professionals Council. Specialist SaLTs have experience and further training in supporting the speech, language or communication needs of children and young people with special needs under one or more of Language Disorder, Autism, SEMH, Learning Difficulty, or Complex Needs. Support is sometimes provided by developing SaLTs under the supervision of a specialist SaLT. Our OTs hold specialist post graduate qualifications in Sensory Integration.

We work closely with the Hampshire Educational Psychology service and NHS Children’s Therapy service.

This service complies with and adheres to all Hampshire County Council policies regarding safety at work, child protection and data protection including Keeping Children Safe in Education.

In addition, speech and Language Therapists adhere strictly at all times to professional codes of conduct, monitored by the Health Professionals Council and are professionally regulated in all areas and at all times.

• PECS
• Signs and symbols
• Makaton
• AAC

• Autistic spectrum conditions
• Challengine behaviour
• PMLD
• Communication needs
• SLD
• Social mental and emotional healh
• SPLD
• Complex health needs
• MLD

You should contact the school first, for more information and discuss your thoughts or concerns with the LSA, class teacher SENCo or the Head. You may contact the Special Needs Officer (SNO) within the Local Authority SEN service for more information in relation to Education Health and Care Plans and school placement.

Useful websites: • [http://www.ican.org.uk/ I CAN] – Children’s communication charity. • [http://www.autism.org.uk/ The National Autistic Society] • [http://www.cerebra.org.uk/English/Pages/home.aspx Cerebra] – Charity for brain injured children. • [http://www.handyhandouts.com/ Handy Handouts] – Free information sheets. • [http://www.talkingpoint.org.uk/en/Parent.aspx Talking Point] – Information on children’s communication. • [https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/schools/resources.aspx The Communication Trust] – Information, booklets and leaflets • [http://www.sentencetrouble.info/ Sentence Trouble] – Resources and information to support Children with SLCN. • [http://www.afasicengland.org.uk/parents Afasic] – Parent led website to support SLCN’s.