Early Years SEN Service Overview
The aim of this page is to provide parents and carers with details of where they can get advice and guidance from. The overview also aims to provide details of services that are available, to provide direct support for children and their families, and provide details of support that is available for early years providers to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Early Years SEN Service (EYSENS)
The Early Years Special Educational Needs Service aims to improve outcomes for Early Years children with SEND by removing barriers to learning, supporting and empowering families and practitioners and enabling successful transitions into school. The service supports Early Years children who have significant and complex needs and who may require long-term support plans in place.
In addition to working directly with children and their families, the service provides guidance and advice through the EYSEN Helpline. To contact the service, send an email to EarlyYears.SENHelpline@derbyshire.gov.uk.
The service also provides training and briefings for early years providers and other professionals.
Details of training can be found on Eventbrite by visiting:
Eventbrite - Derbyshire Early Years Service - SEND for Practitioners
Schools can also access Early Years SEN training on the training section of the S4S website.
Training is also available for parents/carers of children with SEND, please contact the Early Years SEN Helpline for further details.
The intention of the EYSEN service is that the support they provide, remains with parents/carers and providers long-term, leaving them well-equipped to maintain high quality inclusive provision for the children of Derbyshire.
The Early Years SEN service is provided by three individual teams. The following section gives an overview of each team, with links to their team pages for further information, including criteria and the referral process.
Derbyshire Portage Service
The Derbyshire Portage Service provides a programme of support to particularly complex children who are not yet attending an Early Years setting. This support may be in the home, within the community or may be as part of specialist groups, such as Portage Pals. The team work closely with Health professionals as the children they support often have medical needs. Support is provided for children and their families to prepare and transition to an Early years provider or in some cases is extended to when a child starts school.
Specialist Teacher Service
The Specialist Teacher Service provides direct support for children with significant and complex needs, attending an Early Years provider (Private, Voluntary, Independent and Maintained Nurseries and Childminders). When visiting a child in setting, the Specialist Teachers work directly with the child to support providers with their assessment and small steps targets, they model strategies and activities and support the provider with advice and guidance related to funding, referrals and tools appropriate for the child.
SEMH Outreach Service
The SEMH Outreach Service provides a programme of support (approximately 10 weeks) for children with significant SEMH needs that present as a barrier to learning. The support that the team provide is based on a whole setting approach and family engagement. The support includes whole setting and family training, modelling strategies and advice and guidance.
Supporting children with medical conditions in schools and education settings
Supporting children with medical conditions explains how children and young people with medical needs are supported in schools and education settings in Derbyshire. It includes information about schools’ responsibilities, individual healthcare plans, and how services work together to make sure children can attend school safely and take part in learning.
Support for families and early help
Support for families and early help explains the help available for children, young people and families in Derbyshire. It includes information about early help services, family support, and where to get advice if you need extra help with parenting, relationships, finances, health, or your child’s wellbeing.
Families Information Service
The Derbyshire Families Information Service (FIS) provides free, impartial information and guidance. It is for parents, carers, practitioners, children, and young people. The information covers a range of services, activities, and events available in Derbyshire.