The SEND Graduated Approach Toolkit is available to all professionals who work with youngsters with SEND, aged from 0-25 years, to make sure the right support is in place for them at the right time. The toolkit is set to become the go-to guide to help identify special education needs, offering practical advice and strategies for selecting support or bringing in specialist services.

The toolkit is also publicly available so that parents and carers also have access.

It has been developed by Liverpool City Council and School Improvement Liverpool and was piloted in 17 schools with case studies and feedback from the schools being used to finalise the toolkit.

The graduated approach works on a continuous assess–plan–do–review cycle to ensure that appropriate support is always in place as youngsters’ needs change and it follows four stages: universal provision, emerging needs, targeted support, and specialist support.

The toolkit addresses each stage of the graduated approach across four areas of need:

• Communications and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
• Sensory and/or physical needs.

A play plan or SEND support plan would be developed at the targeted support stage and an Education Health Care needs assessment may be advised at the final specialist support stage.

The toolkit is available on the Liverpool Family Information and SEND Directory – where there is also a short online training module.

Cllr Joanne Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Employment, Educational Attainment and Skills, said:

“The SEND Graduated Approach Toolkit is a real step forward in supporting all the city’s children and young people with SEND and will help professionals to identify SEND needs as early as possible.

“Everyone working with young people has a role to play in bringing the graduated approach to life and the toolkit will help them do just that. Above all, this means that our children and young people will get the right support at the right time and everyone – children, young people, parents or carers, and professionals – will move forward on this journey together.

“Our thanks also go to the schools who took the opportunity to get involved with the pilot. Their feedback has been invaluable in the making the toolkit the very best it can be.”

Helen Marsden, SENCO at All Saints Catholic Primary School, Anfield, who took part in the pilot study, said:

“The aim of the toolkit is to provide a joined-up approach so that everybody is consistent and that children get a consistent offer across the city.

“I felt it was really important for my school to get involved in the pilot project so that we could be involved in developing the toolkit and also that our children would benefit from the earliest opportunity.

“It’s really beneficial for parents and carers to have access to the toolkit so that they understand how the process works as well.”