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Section 23 - Notifying the council of your child's SEND


Health professionals (such as Health Visitors) working with young children are often the first people you might talk to if you have concerns about your child's development. They are there to help you find the right support and discuss options. They also have a legal duty to notify the council of any concerns (known as a 'Section 23' notification) so that different services can work together to ensure that a child's needs are not missed and that the right support is in place in good time (for example, when they start school).

What is a Section 23 notification?

Health professionals and health services have a legal duty under Section 23 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to notify us (Hertfordshire County Council) of any child under the age of 5, who they consider may need some extra arrangements made for them when they start school and has, or is likely to have, special educational needs or a disability (SEND).

Why does the council need to be notified of my child's needs?

Section 23 Notifications help us all work together better to improve services for families. Your visiting health professional will talk to you about the notification at your child’s appointment and will give you advice on organisations and services that may be able to provide support.

The council uses the information from these notifications to plan education services and make sure that in future years, there are enough education places in the right areas and that support is in place to meet the needs of all children and young people with SEND.

It might not mean that your child needs additional support straight away, but if the staff working at your child’s pre-school or nursery believe that your child does need additional support, they will discuss with you why they think it is necessary, and what may be available for your child. 

How do professionals make a Section 23 Notification in Hertfordshire? 

Once a Section 23 Notification has been completed by the health professional who knows your child best, they will send the notification by secure email to a SEND Specialist Advisory Service team in your area. (These are the teams who provide specialist education and learning support to schools).

Some health professionals may also complete the Section 23 Notification form online. The notification will be updated into our secure database and will be reviewed by our Early Years service.

If the service feel that earlier support can be offered (in addition to any support you may be receiving from your child’s early years setting), the Early Years service will contact the visiting health professional or the child’s parent, carer, or guardian to discuss the emerging need and decide if targeted help and support is needed.

Information:

We are responsible for keeping your personal information secure and up to date. Information about you is protected by law and must be treated carefully. You have the right to ask the professionals supporting you about information they have and what they are using it for.