There is a comprehensive package of support around Lincolnshire schools/academies to empower them to meet the need of children and young people with Autism or social communication differences.
The Working Together Team is a National Autistic Society (NAS) Accredited service. [encompassing the former Lincolnshire social communication (including Autism) Outreach Service].
- Team members are skilled practitioners with specialist training and day-to-day hands on experience of working with youngsters with Autism, Social Communication and a wealth of special educational needs.
- The Working Together Team offers high quality, specialist support for schools, academies and families with children and young people, aged 4-19, with Autism, social communication and/or learning needs
- The Working Together Team provide expertise and practical specialised advice that enables schools to support children and young people to achieve the best possible social and educational outcomes and make the successful transitions to adulthood.
- The Working Together Team can support the transition into Primary school from Nursery (the summer term before entering school) and then further transitions up to college.
- The team will aim to identify the needs of the young person and work with staff and families in schools to tailor approaches to create specific programmes of intervention.
- Children and young people do not need a statement or an Education, Health Care plan to access support from the Working Together Team.
- The setting and family must have completed our “Referral to Service” booklet together. (Please see criteria for involvement) This is then sent to our central referral point and reviewed by a panel. Both setting and family will be contacted after the panel review, with next steps, via email.
What we can offer
As a Team we offer support to settings and families in 3 main areas:
Consultancy
- Observations
- Input into meetings (Review, IEP, Multi-agency, TAC, ESCO etc)
- Helping to create an Autism friendly environment
- Recommending strategies to support the young person’s areas of development and modelling of those.
- Signposting to resources to support development of social communication skills
- Target setting for Individual Education Plans/Learning Maps
- Individual/group support for staff to enable young people to access the curriculum, removing barriers to learning.
- Providing support for transition.
- Helpline support – to speak to a member of the Working Together Team via phone or email
Training
- The Working Together Team can offer a variety of development opportunities for staff and families.
- Practical training workshops.
- INSET/staff meeting input.
- Specific training, tailored to the needs of the setting.
- Opportunities to visit an NAS accredited setting and see a working Autism friendly environment.
- Specialist training workshops for all areas of school staffing, (TAs, Teachers, SENCOs, Governors etc).
- Presentations for young people of all ages, at an appropriate level to encourage acceptance of difference.
- National Autism Education Trust Schools training programme.
Support for Families
- We provide Drop in sessions for families of children attending a mainstream setting. These are based in our outreach schools and each team member will send out dates and times of availability.
- Training within settings alongside professionals.
- National Autism Education Trust training at tier 1.
- Helpline support – to speak to a member of the Working Together Team via phone or email
“The team always involve me with their work with my child, they forward me copies of their reports and findings and tell me the positives and any areas of concern and the best way to deal with any issue”
Contact details
Working Together Team
c/o Gosberton House Academy
11 Westhorpe Road,
Gosberton
Spalding,
Lincolnshire
PE11 4EW
Telephone- 01775 840250
Fax— 01775 841017
Email us at
outreach@gosberton-house.lincs.sch.uk
Visit our website at : website.twtt.org.uk
Autism Education Tust
The Working Together Team are licensed to deliver the AET Schools training programme within Lincolnshire. More information about the programme and further resources can be found at: http://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/
“Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full”
Aim4Lincs
Children and Young People (CYP) with social communication or autism (SC/AS) may have a range of differences which can impact on their social and academic inclusion and could present a challenge to schools. The range of needs and differences for the CYP can have many implications in terms of adapting and devising existing practice or in developing innovative practice. To achieve positive outcomes for the CYP there may be a range of issues to consider, such as the way in which the whole curriculum is planned and delivered; understanding of and training for all members of staff regarding SC/AS; appropriateness of behaviour policy; accommodating sensory sensitiveness; and whether the school environment is SC/AS ‘friendly’.
These aspects of school provision and others are covered in the AIM4Lincs Inclusion Mark.
What is it?
The inclusion mark was a Lincolnshire initiative developed to ensure the continuity of the practices initiated by The National Inclusion Development Programmes (IDP) – Supporting Pupils on the Autism Spectrum 2009/2010. The AIM4Lincs Inclusion Mark is awarded to schools who demonstrate that they:
- Consistently develop and deliver good practice standards for children and young people with SC/AS, through a whole school approach.
- Work with families and others (e.g. support agencies) to support individuals with SC/AS.
- Sustain and develop practice to renew their AIM4 Inclusion Mark every three years.
Why is it important?
- To identify good practice, have it recognised and move it forward.
- To develop confidence among staff in meeting the differences of CYP with SC/AS.
- Effective SC/AS practice is helpful for all CYP but is essential for individuals with SC/AS.
How do we get it?
As part of a planning session, Specialist Teachers from Lincolnshire’s Working Together Team will discuss with you the strategies and approaches in place in your setting, and how your practice can be enhanced to progress to an AIM4LIncs Inclusion Mark. They will support you through the process.
The award is made by an independent panel of professionals experienced in the field of autism who will carefully consider the portfolio of evidence submitted by your School.
The submission process:
- Get the Toolkit to help you through the process. This is available from The Autism Inclusion Mark Committee based at Gosberton House Academy: aim4lincs@gosberton-house.lincs.sch.uk
- Complete a self-audit and submit a portfolio of evidence.
- Ask for support from your school’s Working Together Team Teacher to complete the self-audit and to compile the portfolio.
To achieve the AIM4Lincs Inclusion Mark schools will need to show how their policies and practices have been adapted or developed to support CYP with SC/AS and their families. The portfolio of evidence will need to show how school policies have been implemented in practice and to contain evidence which reflects the impact of the practice.
Developing support for CYP with SC/AS may not involve significant changes to existing practices and the evidence will reflect the adjustments made. For some CYP significant changes may need to be made and the evidence will need to reflect how the changes were evolved, disseminated and used in practice.
For more information contact: