Experience

• 

  Blackpool Council

  • United Kingdom
  • Government Administration
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Early Years Coordinator SEND and Portage

    • Jan 2002 - Present

    I mange and supervise a team of 10 people including a teacher, 2 Area SENCos / Inclusion Officers, 4 Portage Home Visitors and 3 Eary Years Inclusion Practioners. I am responsible for service development, business planning and project management. I have recently been taking the lead in developing the process plan for and the format of the new Educationa Health and Care plan for Blackpool.I provide home visits through Portage to families who have children with additional needs, working with children who have Autism, Severe and Profound Learning Needs, Cerebral Palsy, and others with a range of diverse and eclectic needs. I provide support to Private Voluntary Independant and maintained nursery settings to ensure that they are able to meet the needs of children with additional needs in their settings. I chair meetings from Team around the child meetings, CAF meetings, Transition meetings and educational review meetings. I write reports for a whole range of purposes including advices for statutory assessment. I have close liasons with Health visitors, Consultant Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Head Teachers, SENCos, Educational Psychologists, Social Workers and parents. I deliver training to a wide range of practitioners on subjects including Portage Basic Workshops, Key Working, Working in Partnership, Understanding Behaviour and Understanding and working with children on the Autism Spectrum. I provide training on an individual basis in order to introduce PECS as a means of communication for children with Autism.I coordinate a seating and equipment loan service to nurseries so that children with additional needs can access the provision made to the best of their ability.I manage a small budget and do a high proportion of my own administration

  • Blenheim House CDC

    • Jan 1996 - Dec 2001

• 

  National Portage Association

  • Training and Quality Support chair

    • 2010 - 2011

• 

  Lancashire County Council

  • The Elms School

    • Sep 1989 - Dec 1995

• 

  Fieldhead Hospital School

  • Wakefield, United Kingdom

  • Teacher

    • Sep 1975 - Aug 1978
    • Wakefield, United Kingdom