Southwark’s vision for children and young people with SEND:

Our vision for children with special educational needs and disabilities is the same as for all children and young people – that they achieve well in their early years, at school and in college, and lead happy and fulfilled lives.

The duties set out below are best achieved when young people, their parents/carers and all involved professionals work in partnership, and in the best interests of the young person. Young people and parents/carers are equal partners in their education and co-working and coproduction are the principles under which the following is expected and required:

• All post 16 providers MUST have regard to the SEND Code of Practice.
• All post 16 providers MUST have arrangements in place to identify and address the SEN of the young people they support.

FE Colleges, sixth form colleges, 16-19 academies MUST:

• Use their best endeavours (do everything they possibly can) to make sure that a young person with SEN gets the support they need with and without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The responsibility for meeting the SEN of young people attending the provision is shared by all staff;
• Cooperate with the Local Authority on arrangements for young people with SEN;
• Admit a young person if the institution is named in an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan;
• Not discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled young people and MUST make reasonable adjustments to prevent them being placed at a disadvantage in their education;
• Secure access to independent careers guidance for all students up to 25 years with EHC plans (up to 18 years without plans);

There should be a member of college staff who has responsibility for the oversight of SEN provision to ensure coordination of support (similar to the role of the SENCO in a school).
Colleges should ensure they have access to external specialist support and expertise when required such as educational psychologists, therapists, mental health professionals.
It is expected that college leaders should regularly review how expertise and resources used to address SEN can be used to build the quality of whole-college provision as part of their approach to overall improvement.
The Code and Southwark LA would expect:

• The quality of teaching for young people with SEN and the progress made by those students to be a core part of the college’s performance management arrangements and its approach to professional development for all teaching and support staff;
• The identification of SEN should be built into the overall approach to monitoring the progress and development of all students;
• All students with SEN should follow a coherent study programme which provides stretch and progression and enables the student to achieve the best possible outcomes in adult life.

Last updated: 12 June 2020