Advice and Support

Formerly known as Special Care Baby Unit, the Neonatal Unit provides specialist care to premature babies and other babies needing hospital care or treatment after birth.

The unit works with other hospitals in the region to make sure that all babies get the right medical care:

• Babies who are very premature or poorly are routinely transferred to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in another hospital where they have the facilities to offer long-term breathing support and highly specialist care. Once they start to recover these babies are usually transferred back to the unit in Rotherham.
• Babies requiring surgical care are routinely transferred to a Neonatal Surgical Centre. These babies are sometimes transferred back to the unit in Rotherham after surgery.

If your baby needs to be admitted to the neonatal unit it can be a very worrying time. The staff will support you whilst your baby is in the unit. As a parent or carer you are an important and invaluable part of your baby’s care so there is an open visiting policy enabling you to be with your baby at all times, day and night.

If you know before birth that your baby will need the neonatal unit, you are welcome to visit to familiarise yourself with the unit and meet the team.

For more information about the neonatal unit, click below:

Neonatal unit | The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Preparing for your baby to come home from the neonatal unit can feel exciting but may also feel daunting. The neonatal outreach team works with premature babies born at or before 34 weeks, including those who are coming back home to Rotherham from a specialist unit elsewhere. It also works with babies who have a low birth weight (under 2 kilos) or significant medical needs. It helps parents to get ready to take their baby home and will offer support for the first 6 weeks of being at home.

The team also organises monthly group sessions that bring families with premature or babies with medical needs up to 1yr of age (including full-term ones) together, so they can enjoy socialising with their new babies in a safe environment, support each other and pick up useful information.

For more information about this team and contact details, contact the neonatal unit and ask for the neonatal outreach team.

Some babies may be well enough to leave hospital but still need access to medical support, equipment or monitoring. They may need oxygen, additional feeding support via a tube, injections or post-operative wound care. The community children’s nurses deliver care at home and work with parents to give them the skills and confidence they need to look after their new baby’s day to day medical needs. They can also provide medical supplies.

For more information, click below:

Children’s Community Nursing Team | The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

The 0-19 service is there to support all families with advice and support they need to make sure their children make progress in their development, keep healthy and stay safe.

The 0-19 has strong links with the neonatal outreach team. There is a link practitioner who works in both. This practitioner will act as the named health visitor for any baby who has previously been under the neonatal outreach team until they reach 2 yrs of age. This makes it easier for families to get health advice on topics such as bonding, weaning and sleep that takes into account their baby’s birth history and particular needs. The named health visitor may also suggest that other members of the 0-19 team, such as nursery nurses, offer a block of sessions to help with a specific issue.

For more information, about the 0-19 service, click below:

Rotherham’s Children’s Public Health Nursing Service (0-19) | The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Rotherham Parent Carers Forum brings together the families of babies, children and young people who have additional needs. They provide a wide range of support and activities, including free counselling and ‘SEND connect’  sessions where parents can meet others in a similar position for mutual support, to share ideas and to make new friends.

For more information, click below:

RPCF Rotherham Parent Carers Forum

If your baby has been given a diagnosis that means they are likely to need ongoing support with their medical needs and overall development, they are likely to be referred to the team at the child development centre. This is a specialist team made up of doctors, nurses, therapists, a psychologist, early years practitioners and a specialist teacher. They provide a ‘one stop shop’ service for 0-5 yr olds tailored to the needs of individual children and families, linking in with specialist teams elsewhere (like at Sheffield Children’s Hospital) when needed.

For more information, click below:

Child Development Centre | The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

In Rotherham, we want to make sure that every child gets the right opportunities to learn and grow – and that all parents are supported to go back to work if this is what they want to do. Health practitioners work closely with the education and childcare teams in Rotherham to try to make sure this happens. Passing on the names of children who may need some additional support in school or nursery makes sure that no child slips through the net.  This is not just good practice – it’s a legal duty.

For more information about support with learning (including the Portage Home visiting service) and help finding childcare, click below:

Education and Childcare – Rotherham SEND Local Offer

Bliss, the charity for babies born premature or sick, offer emotional and practical support to families. They can help them with the knowledge and skills they need to get the best possible care for their baby, for however long they live and for however long their stay in neonatal care.

They provide information about caring for premature and full-term sick babies at every stage of their hospital journey, and after they have gone home.

Through their network of dedicated volunteers they provide face-to-face and email support, meaning families have access to practical information and a listening ear when they need it the most.

www.bliss.org.uk

We offer one-hour bookable advice sessions with an autism family practitioner. These sessions offer opportunities to explore family, home and community-based difficulties that are related to their autism diagnosis. We can also offer telephone or locality-based appointments where appropriate.

Advice sessions are open to:

• Families of children who have had a new diagnosis of autism and have been discharged from the Child Development Centre
• Families of children who have received a new diagnosis of autism and been referred from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Families of children with a recent private diagnosis of autism
• A young person 18-25 years who has had a recent diagnosis of autism
• All children/young people would need to be registered to a Rotherham GP Practice

The booklets aims to provide simple straightforward information to support children and young people with a social communication difficulty including Autism. The booklets cover:

• Know your child
• Communication
• Social Interaction
• Sensory Issues
• Behaviour
• Strategies

We provide families with copies of ‘Basic Strategies to support children with Autism’; this is available in English, Punjabi, Urdu, Polish, Slovak and Mandarin.

You can also download the book on the links below:

Download in English

Download in Punjabi

Download in Urdu

Download in Polish

Download in Slovak

Download in Mandarin

Referrals for advice sessions and training can be made by the Child Development Centre and CAMHS.

Referrals for training can be made by social workers, Early Help workers and families themselves.

Ongoing/ intensive support to families who have children / young people with Autism or to young people aged 18-25 who have an autism diagnosis.

For any further information please contact us on 01709 336404

Email: autismadvice@rotherham.gov.uk

Gives a basic understanding of current thinking around autism and to reflect on differences in autistic social communication and interaction, behaviour, and sensory processing. Parents and carers booking on to this session are encouraged to also book on to the Considering Behaviours training.

• Thursday 21st March 2024 – 10am to 12:30pm
• Thursday 25^th April 2024 – 10am to 12:30pm
• Monday 24^th June 2024 – 10am to 12:30pm
• Monday 25^th November 2024 – 10am to 12:30pm

To gain an understanding of sensory modulation and how this affects your child and to learn about typical sensory presentations.

The training is run over 2 weekly sessions.

2024 training

Group 1

• Theory – Monday 15^th April 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm
• Strategies – Monday 22nd April 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm

Group 2

• Theory – Thursday 11^th July 2024 – 10:30am to 1pm
• Strategies – Thursday 18^th July 2024 – 10:30am to 1pm

Group 3

• Theory – Monday 4^th November 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm
• Strategies – Monday 11^th November 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm

Learn how autism influences and shapes our children’s thinking and behaviour, how to unpick behaviours and reactions and how to use the iceberg and STAR model to analyse behaviour and shape change.

It is recommended that parents/carers attend the Understanding Autism session first unless they have a good understanding of current thinking around autism.

• Thursday 28th March 2024 – 10am to 12:30pm
• Thursday 2nd May 2024 – 10am to 12:30pm
• Monday 1^st July 2024 – 10am to 12:30pm
• Monday 2^nd December 2024 – 10am to 12:30pm

Teen Life is course for parents and carers of autistic young people aged 10 to 16. It aims to help them to understand more about autistic teenagers, discussing strategies and sharing ideas about how to communicate with and support autistic young people.

The training runs over six weekly sessions.

2024 training

Group 1

• Session 1 – Monday 8th January 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 2 – Monday 15^th January 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 3 – Monday 22^nd January 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 4 – Monday 29^th January 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 5 – Monday 5^th February 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 6 – Monday 19^th February 2024 – 10am to 12pm

Group 2

• Session 1 – Thursday 6 June 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm
• Session 2 – Thursday 13th June 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm
• Session 3 – Thursday 20th June 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm

• Session 4 – Thursday 27th June 20234– 6pm to 8:30pm
• Session 5 – Thursday 4th July 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm
• Session 6 – Thursday 11th July 2024 – 6pm to 8:30pm

Group 3

• Session 1 – Monday 9^th September 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 2 – Monday 16^th September 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 3 – Monday 23^rd September 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 4 – Monday 30^th September 20234– 10am to 12pm
• Session 5 – Monday 7^th October 2024 – 10am to 12pm
• Session 6 – Monday 14^th October 20234– 10am to 12pm

Autism East Midlands: Parent Workshops

Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with zoom or are uncomfortable with appearing on screen. We can arrange a practice Zoom beforehand if you feel that would help just ask! During the actual workshop there is no pressure to have video or audio on, so you can just watch the presentation.

If you would like to attend any of the above dates, please email lesley.lock@aem.orq.uk at least 24 hours before the workshop you would like to attend.

The aim of the hub is to offer support and a safe space for families who have children on the Autistic Spectrum. These are drop in sessions for the whole family to enjoy. Children (including siblings) can participate at their own pace with support from parents and our staff team. Families can engage in activities or sit back and enjoy some refreshments, whilst talking to other families and sharing experiences or speaking with staff for advice and support. No need to book a place – just turn up – but feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Venue – The Unity Centre St. Leonard’s Road, Rotherham, S65 1PD

When – Usually the 4th Saturday of the month, 10am-12noon

• January 13th (moved)
• February 24th
• March 23rd
• April 27th
• May 25th
• June 22nd
• July 27th
• August 24th
• September 28th
• October 26th
• November 23rd
• December event TBC

For further information contact:- Christopher.Smith@aem.org.uk

• The best thing to do is to tell someone like a teacher or parent so that they can help you. If you try to fight-back you might make things worse or get into trouble.
• Walk away from the situation as soon as you can.
• Keep a diary of what the bullies are doing and saying, when and where they are doing it.
• Remember it is a criminal offence to send threatening and offensive phone messages and if it continues it can amount to harassment. The police can and do take action.
• Speak to a member of school staff – schools have anti-bullying policies which say what they have to do to help you. Teachers have a duty to look after you.

• Talk to the school and ask to see their anti-bullying policy.
• Keep a record of incidences and show this to the member of staff supporting your child.
• Help your child to relax at home and encourage them to turn off their phone if they are experiencing cyber-bullying.
• Teach your child how to stay safe online.
• If your child has been impacted emotionally by bullying or they are struggling with their mental health, they may benefit from counselling. Speak to your GP for advice.

The charity Contact has produced a guide for parents who have a child with SEND who is being bullied; you can open this in the links below.

Guide for parents with SEND

View advice from Contact for parents of children with SEND

Different but equal anti bulling showcase

View the different but equal anti bullying showcase

Bullying and Autism

Visit Anti-Bullying Alliance website

Cyberbullying and SEN/disability

Visit Anti-Bullying Alliance website

Child safety online: a guide for parents and carers

View Child Safety online guide

When making a complaint you can choose to complain to either the healthcare provider i.e. the organisation where you received the NHS service, for example your hospital or healthcare provider or the NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group which is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received.

Complain to NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group

Complain to Rotherham Hospital

Complain to RDASH (CAMHS and Learning Disability Services)

Healthwatch Rotherham – Signposting and information on health and care services; Rotherham based organisation

The Disagreement Resolution Service is there to help resolve three kinds of disagreement between parents or young people and the organisations that are responsible for making provision for children and young people with special educational needs. These are:

• How early years providers, schools and further education institutions carry out their duties for children and young people with SEN.
• The special educational provision made for a child or young person by early years providers, schools or further education institutions.
• Health or social care provision when this part of an EHC needs assessment, while EHC plans are being drawn up, reviewed or when children or young people are being reassessed.

Find out more about resolving disagreements

We welcome any feedback or comments both good and bad about the Rotherham SEND Local Offer.

You can click on the bar at the top of the screen to access a feedback form. Here you can give us details about your experience of using the Local Offer.

You can click on the tab on the left-hand side of the screen from any page on the Local Offer to rate your experience and leave a brief comment.

There is also a feedback form available on the Rotherham Council website:

Leave a comment about the SEND Local Offer

Alternatively you may wish to complain about the service.
Complain about the SEND Local Offer

If you are unhappy with decisions made about the local authority’s EHC assessment or EHC plan, please talk to the SEND Assessment Service Manager in the first instance on 01709 822660. It is important that you do this as soon as possible due to timelines around mediation and tribunal appeals.

Mediation is a type of disagreement resolution for EHC related disagreements that can be appealed to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. The service is free and confidential.

If parents and young people want it to, mediation can take place following decisions by the local authority not to carry out an EHC needs assessment, not to draw up an EHC plan, after they receive a final EHC plan or amended plan, following a decision not to amend an EHC plan or a decision to cease to maintain an EHC plan.

Find out more about mediation

If you are unhappy with the outcome of an EHC request, assessment or plan and have not resolved this through contacting the service or mediation you may be able to appeal to the Tribunal.

Rotherham SENDIASS has more information about the appeals process and offers independent advice and support should you wish to proceed with an appeal.

Find out more about SEND Tribunal Appeals

CEAS is an information, advice and support service for families in the armed forces. CEAS provides authoritative, confidential, impartial advice to service and eligible MOD civilian families on a wide range of educational issues including:

• parental rights and responsibilities
• children or young person’s rights and responsibilities
• special educational needs and/or disability
• school admissions and appeals
• overseas education in non-MOD school areas
• retention of quarters for educational purposes
• continuity of education allowance

All Army families with children with special or additional needs should note that Registration with CEAS is required under AGAI 108 and families from the RAF and Royal Navy are strongly encouraged to do so.

Special educational needs and/or disability (SEND/AN)

Telephone: 01980 618244

Email: enquiries@ceas.uk.com

Everyone deserves a fair start in life and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to giving every child and young person aged 0 to 25 the opportunity to reach their full potential. Education plays a critical role in achieving this.

All families need extra help from time to time. For children and young people who have a Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND), different levels of support are required at different times. Children and young people with the most complex needs, as well as their parents and carers, may need access to ongoing support and advice.

We aim to provide a range of support so that children and young people with SEND can be educated and enjoy social opportunities alongside their peers in their local community, wherever possible. As a result, we are working with families, schools, health and other agencies to provide and develop services that enable children and young people to have to provision which is appropriate to their special educational need and/or disability.

These pages set out what you can expect to be available for children and young people who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Rotherham across education, health and social care services. There is a lot of help available and we aim to enable you to get the right support and advice for your son or daughter and family when you need it most.

It is important to remember and acknowledge from the beginning that it is not just the practitioners and specialist services that can help you and your family. For many people, it is the help and informal support of their family and friends, and the support of their community, that is most valued and makes a significant difference.

Services that everybody can use (the universal services) such as children’s centres, schools, leisure centres and your doctor’s surgery can provide really valuable support. Practitioners can also work together to provide joined up services. There is also a range of services that can provide very specialist support at times when it is most needed.

It is a combination of informal and formal support that can provide your family with the help you need most and your child with the best opportunity to realise their potential.

Whilst for most children, young people and parents, education and learning is a positive and enjoyable experience and opens up opportunities for life; some parents may have anxieties about it, particularly if their son or daughter has a Special Educational Need and/or Disability (SEND). For a child or young person with SEND, deciding whether a mainstream or a special school will be the best setting is very important and there are a number of people who can help you make the right decision.

All children and young people living in Rotherham, regardless of whether they have SEND, have the right to the highest standard of education and the widest variety of opportunities to develop academic, personal and social skills. To make the most of the educational opportunities available and to maximise their progress some children and young people may need additional help or support.

All schools and colleges in Rotherham have the same duties towards special educational needs and disabilities and are expected to provide support for children and young people who have additional needs.

These duties come from the Children and Families Act 2014 and the national 

SEND Code of Practice 

The majority of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) will have their educational needs met in their local area and attend mainstream schools. All schools have a Special Educational Needs  Coordinator (SENCO) and post-16 providers such as Dearne Valley College, Rotherham College and Thomas Rotherham College have a named person responsible for SEND. These staff members will have specialist training and are responsible, along with the Head Teacher or Principal, for ensuring that children and young people’s needs are met.

You can also get support online from organisations such as the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen) – a charitable membership organisation that exists to support and champion those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences:

Parents and Carers | Whole School SEND

The Local Authority expectations of all mainstream education settings, including nurseries, early year’s providers, schools and colleges is to:

• Focus on the quality of teaching for all children and develop different approaches to meet the needs of individual children and young people
• Follow the graduated response to need, to meet the needs of children and young people
• Identify children and young people with special educational needs quickly and accurately so that support can be put in place
• Inform parents when pupils receive support for special educational needs and involve them in reviews of progress
• Meet their Equality Act duties for children and young people with disabilities
• Meet the needs and objectives identified in a Statement or Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) for children and young people with additional needs
• Have a regularly reviewed special educational needs and disabilities policy, which is available to all parents of children and young people with additional special educational needs
• Produce and publish online an SEN information report (post 16 settings do not need to do this, but it would be considered to be best practice)
• Work in partnership with children, young people and their parents
• Delegate resources fairly, efficiently and in response to identified need
• Set out the support and provision they provide for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities
• Appoint a suitably qualified or experienced teacher as Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). In post 16 settings they must have a named person responsible for SEND.
• Co-operate with the Local Authority regarding the Local Offer.

• Should co-operate with the local authority
• Consider to have a member or a sub-committee with specific oversight of the school’s arrangements for SEND (this is identified as being good practice)
• Must publish information about the arrangements for the admission of disabled children
• Should ensure the SENCO is a qualified teacher who is either on the  Senior Leadership Team or has a direct link to the leadership team
• Should determine and monitor the key responsibilities of the SENCO
• Must include an SEN information report on the school website
• Must inform parents and young people if the child or young person is receiving special educational provision and is on the SEN register
• Must use their ‘best endeavours’ to ensure that special educational provision is made for a pupil
• Must admit a child or young person to their school where they are named in the Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• Must ensure that arrangements are in place to support pupils at school with medical conditions.

• Should take overall responsibility for implementing the SEND reforms 
• Ensure that the SENCO is able to influence strategic decisions about SEND
• Ensure the wider school community understands the implications of the reforms for whole school improvement (from governors to classroom teachers and teaching assistants)
• Put in place arrangements to ensure parents are regularly engaged in discussions about the progress of their child (at least three times a year)
• Ensure a process is in place for involving parents and young people in reviewing provision and planning for those currently at SEN Support and any newly identified pupils with SEND
• Develop relationship with post-16 providers and explore how they will support pupils with SEND with their transition to post-16 education.

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of school’s SEND policy
• Co-ordinate provision for children with SEND
• Liaise with designated teacher where a Looked After Child has SEND
• Advise on graduated approach to SEND Support
• Liaise with parents of children with SEND
• Link with other education settings and outside agencies
• Liaise with potential next providers of education
• Ensure that SEND records are up to date
• Monitor and track the progress of SEND children/young people.

In Post 16 settings the named person with an oversight of SEN provision should have a role similar to that of a SENCO.

• Focus on outcomes for the pupil: Be clear about the outcome wanted from any SEND support
• Be responsible for meeting special educational needs: Use the SENCO strategically to support the quality of teaching, evaluate the quality of support and contribute to school improvement
• Have high aspirations for every pupil in their care: Set clear progress targets for pupils and be clear about how the full range of resources is going to help reach them – using quality first teaching to ensure a differentiated approach to learning, for all pupils
• Involve parents and pupils in planning and reviewing progress: Seek their views and provide regular updates on progress.

• Support the inclusion of all pupils, ensuring they have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop
• Have an in-depth knowledge of all the children with SEND needs in class, including barriers to learning and targets set.

Education settings should follow the graduated response to need, in order to meet the needs of children and young people receiving SEND support or have an Education Health and Care Plan.

The following documents provide Information for Education settings regarding the graduated response to need:

Rotherham’s Graduated Response

Identifying SEND

View the Identifying SEND document

View the Support in Education pages on the Local Offer

SEND system flow charts (co-produced by the Department for Education and Special Needs Jungle)

Special Needs Jungle has worked with the Department for Education in devising a series of easy-to-understand flow charts that detail how the new special educational needs and disability system should proceed.

Below are four flow charts detailing the process for SEN Support; how to seek an assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP); how an EHCP assessment should proceed; and what to do if your child is refused an assessment, a plan, or if you have a complaint.

Visit the Special Needs Jungle website 

Information for parents and carers regarding the Education, Health and Care Plan process

View the Special Education Needs Assessment and Planning document

request an application form please email Autism_Alert_Card@southyorks.pnn.police.uk or get in touch with our branch on nasrotherhambranch@nas.org.uk Once you have received your application form, please:

• Complete the application form
• Attach a copy of the cardholder’s autism diagnosis
• Enclose a recent, passport-sized photograph of the cardholder
• Send all the documents via post to:

Autism Alert Card
Lifewise
Kea Park Close
Rotherham
S66 8LB

Once your application has been processed you will be asked to collect your card in person, or alternatively someone else can collect it on your behalf. If you have any questions about the alert card scheme, please get in touch with Autism_Alert_Card@southyorks.pnn.police.uk