What is SEN, SEND or SEN provision?
Special educational needs can affect a child or young person’s:
- ability to learn
- behaviour or ability to socialise and make friends
- reading and writing
- ability to understand things
- concentration levels
- physical ability.
SEN provision is the help and advice you can get from the local authority, and other organisations, to help with these needs. SEND is the wider term used for Special educational needs and disabilities.
Education
All children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education that enables them to make progress so that they:
- Achieve their best
- Become confident individuals living fulfilling lives and
- Make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training.
Every child or young person with Special Educational Needs should have SEN support. This means help that is additional or different from the support generally given to other children or young people of the same age.
Most children and young people with SEN have their needs met through mainstream education.
For more information on education, please visit our Get support with education section.
Health
A wide range of health services are available to meet the health and well-being requirements of everyone.
The Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust offer a number of services to SEN families.
In Hertfordshire there are 2 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG); Herts Valleys CCG which covers West Hertfordshire and East and North Herts CCG. The CCGs are responsible for commissioning (planning, designing and paying for) your NHS services. In addition to this there are also 4 NHS trusts, which run the hospitals, community and mental health services and a number of NHS trusts in neighbouring areas.
Our services for children and young people area has more information about the health services available to SEND families.
Social care
Social care is a term that generally describes all kinds of personal care and other practical assistance for children, young people and adults who need extra support. Some disabled children/young people and their parents will need practical support both inside the home and outside it. Local authorities have legal responsibilities to help families with disabled children.
Most children and young people with SEND will have their needs met by universal services. These are services that anyone can use such as GPs, health visitors, schools and community activities and services.
Children, young people and young adults, with severe, permanent and substantial disabilities or long-term complex health problems can access our Short Breaks Local Offer and those with continuing needs can be supported by our 0-25 Together service.