Social Communication Interaction & Learning (SCIL) Team

The SCIL Team is part of the Specialist Teaching and Support Service (STaSS) also made up of; The Children's Sensory and Physical Needs Service, The Local Authority Led Resourced Provisions and the Medical Needs and Hospital Education Service.

“Our vision is to provide high quality support for all Bradford children and young people using a collaborative approach through transformational learning experiences so that they can flourish and make excellent holistic progress and successfully transition to responsible citizens”.

Who is the SCIL team?

We are Specialist Teachers and Practitioners (supporting schools), Access and Inclusion Officers (supporting private, voluntary and independent (PVI) (birth-5 years) settings) and an Early Years Project Support Officer.

We offer specialisms in four key areas: Early Years, Communication and Interaction, Learning Support and Social Emotional and Mental Health. 

We are a service for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across the Bradford district aged 0-25.  We offer support to maintained mainstream schools, free schools, academies and early years/PVI settings. In addition, advice can be sought from the team for a child or young person who has an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) and lives in Bradford but are educated out of the Bradford District.

What is our vision?

Our aim is:

To offer a flexible and responsive service, supporting schools and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) (birth-5 years) settings to better understand and meet the needs of children and young people across Bradford in order to improve outcomes and life chances.

What do we offer?

Our offer focuses on improving the standard, quality and/or range of educational provision for children/young people with SEND in mainstream schools/settings.

By:

• Providing regular access to specialist staff.
• Collaborating with school/setting staff to equip them with skills to identify need and effectively support children and young people.
• Proactively advising and supporting early intervention.
• Supporting the development of inclusive practice and the graduated approach.

SEND Specialist Support Request

Schools/settings can access specialist support to work alongside key staff in a collaborative and solution focused way to improve their inclusive practice.

Access to SEND Specialist Support is via the form, found at Referral Forms | Skills 4 Bradford 

A link SCIL Specialist Teacher/Access and Inclusion Officer/Specialist Practitioner is allocated to provide support, modelling and training around priority areas by working alongside key staff to develop skills, knowledge and confidence.

Support for individual children

We understand that a number of children and young people with more complex needs may require individual targeted specialist advice beyond that which the link teacher is already offering.

Requests for individual support should be brought to link teacher’s attention where advice/support for provision is given first.  

If the child or young person’s needs are outside of the specialism of the link teacher, they can liaise with a specialist from another team.

Training

Each team (Early Years, Communication and Interaction, Learning Support and Social, Emotional and Mental Health) offers ‘Fundamentals for Inclusion’ continuous professional development programme for up to two key members of staff in a school/setting. The programme takes place over two or three terms and provides materials and resources to disseminate to colleagues focusing on implementing and embedding inclusive practice in schools/settings. 

Practical Strategies (for each area of specialism) is being offered for support staff from September 2023.

Bookings details and closing dates can be found at Training & Events | Skills 4 Bradford

Training/courses can be accessed as a scheduled course or delivered on demand to schools/settings. Details and booking details can be found at;

Courses / Training & Consultancy | Skills 4 Bradford

Contacts

lucy.stead@bradford.gov.uk - SCIL Team Service Manager

fiona.whitaker@bradford.gov.uk - Team Lead Learning Support

ruth.pecher@bradford.gov.uk -  Team Lead Communication & Interaction

sara.burgess@bradford.gov.uk – Team Lead Social, Emotional and Mental Health

william.langdale@bradford.gov.uk – Interim - Team Lead Early Years

shelley.donnison@bradford.gov.uk  – Team Leader – Access and Inclusion Officers, Specialist Practitioners and Project Support Officer for Early Years Inclusion Funding.

Further Information

Requests for support are made directly by schools and settings. All details can be found on https://skills4bradford.co.uk

Families with concerns about their child should discuss this with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) at their child’s school or setting.

The Early Years Team also receives referrals from Education Advice 1 (EA1 notifications) which is a statutory notification from health informing education that a child may have an additional support need.

Further information around Early Years Inclusion Funding can be found here:
early years inclusion funding