Early Years Inclusion Support (EYIS)

Who are Early Years Inclusion Support?

The teams provide specialised teaching, advice and support for babies and pre-school children who have emerging or identified special educational needs in the following area(s):

  • Communication and Interaction
  • Play, Thinking and Learning Skills
  • Hearing
  • Vision
  • Physical Development
  • Social and Emotional Development

Early Years Inclusion Support is a National Portage Association affiliated Early Years service.

How do the Early Years Inclusion Support Teams Support Babies and Pre-School Children?

Early Support Service

The Early Support Service offer support to children with emerging or identified SEND needs at home with their parents or carers. If your child is yet to attend a childcare or early education setting you or any agency involved with your child can make a referral into the Early Support Service.

The Early Support Service works directly with babies and pre-school children with emerging or identified learning and development needs.

By working in partnership with you and your child we support by:

  • Listening to everything you share with us about your child and family.
  • Understanding your child’s interests, strengths and needs.
  • Enabling your child to develop through assessment, play and learning activities.
  • Developing SEN Support Targets.
  • Signposting to any relevant groups or accredited training offered within Birmingham, or nationally.
  • Working as a Team Around the Child with all other professionals involved.
  • Offering information to support your child’s successful transition to an early years setting, childminder or school.
  • Liaising with staff in any setting/school and/or with any specialist SEND teams that might offer the setting/school future support.
  • Requesting, and guiding you through the Graduated Approach of the SEND Code of Practice 2014 leading into Statutory Education, Health and Care Assessment (EHC), if required.
Area SENCo Team

Babies and Pre-school children who are in private, voluntary, or independent (PVI) early years settings have their special educational needs co-ordinated by the setting based SENCo.

You can speak to the Setting based SENCo if you have concerns about your child’s needs. The setting based SENCo may contact the Area SENCo Team who support setting based SENCos by:

  • Promoting Inclusion
  • Providing advice and training and targeted support to settings
  • Upskilling staff to identify and assess children’s needs and to develop individual plans
  • Supporting the setting based SENCo to work in partnership with parents/carers and other professionals as part of the ‘Team around the Child’
  • Guiding through the Graduated Approach of the SEND Code of Practice leading into Statutory Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments if required
  • Offering advice and support when children make the transition to school
  • Managing Inclusion Support in the Early Years (ISEY) budget on behalf of the Local Authority

How to Access the Service

  • Early Support Service: If your child is yet to attend an early years setting or school, please email EYISreferrals@birmingham.gov.uk for referrals information
  • Area SENCO Team: Talk to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) in your child’s PVI early years setting
  • Contact:  Karen.A.Jones@birmingham.gov.uk