SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Advice Service

The SEND and AP advice service is for professionals working with children from B&NES with SEND and those requiring alternative provision (AP). This includes professionals from the early years, primary, secondary and transition to adulthood sectors.

If you are a parent/carer or young person looking for information, advice and support related to SEND you can find relevant information by exploring the SEND Local Offer, including how to get impartial SEND advice and support.

The advice service can help to identify and meet the needs of children with SEND and those requiring AP as early as possible by supporting settings with:

  • Signposting to appropriate resources, services and information;
  • Advice on identifying need at the earliest opportunity;
  • Advice on next steps and implementing the SEND Commitment to support meeting needs of children and young people;
  • Whole school SEND and / AP provision;
  • CPD and training

Education professionals can contact us to talk through the main worries or difficulties for the child or young person, including:

  • Cognition and learning;
  • Social and emotional development;
  • Language and communication development;
  • Sensory and physical development;
  • Transition planning and preparation for adulthood;
  • Behaviour.

What we do

The advice service will give professionals working with children and young people from B&NES time and opportunity to discuss SEND and AP at an individual or whole school level.

The advice line practitioner will:

  • Signpost you to resources and links to support meeting needs in your setting;
  • Direct you to the most appropriate services;
  • Arrange a convenient time for an in depth discussion with an experienced professional where required;
  • Triage the request for support to the Education Inclusion Co-ordinator where appropriate (where the request has highlighted specific young people who are regularly exhibiting negative learning behaviours).