SENSE Learning - Admissions Policy

This Admissions Policy is made accessible to all Parents, Students, Local Authorities, Schools and SENse Learning associates.

Person responsible for ensuring that these policies are implemented and reviewed in line with the review dates: Sophie Amos, Operational Director.

Introduction & Purpose

This policy is the Admissions Policy for SENse Learning which will be followed by all members of the Organisation and promoted by those in the position of leadership within the Organisation. This policy will be applied to all referrals to SENse Learning.

Policy Principles and Values

• The Organisation will provide highly specialised and flexible education programmes to children and young people with additional needs ranging from complex autism including PDA and/or social communication needs to developmental trauma/attachment disorder, ADHD and clinical anxiety or related mental health issues.

• Although the Organisation can work with some challenging behaviour, in some instances we may deem that we cannot risk assess safe provision for a young person with physically challenging behaviour including the use of weapons.

• The Organisation does not provide any level of personal care and, although all associates receive paediatric First Aid training, associates are not formally medically trained.

• The Organisation will provide a bespoke package for children and young people from the age of 5 up to the age of 25 with an EHCP who are out of school or struggling to attend school or NEET (if over 16).

• The Organisation can only provide up to 15 hours per week of provision for children under the age of 18. For young people over the age of 18, we can provide up to 25 hours per week of provision, this is because we are not a registered school.

• The Organisation will form professional working relationships with all children and young people as well as their families.

• The Organisation will continue to discuss and plan appropriate next steps and long term outcomes to support future transitions.

• The Organisation will be open and honest in the communication with families and the

• local authority if we believe a child or young person’s needs could be better met elsewhere.

• The Organisation will treat all applicants equally regardless of race, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, background or any other factors.

• The Organisation may utilise a waiting list should the provision be full.

• The Organisation may refuse an offer of provision if we feel we cannot meet a child or young person’s needs safely within the provision.

Procedures

A formal referral can be made through the LA and/or a school. A referral of interest can be made through a parent or carer but will then be taken up directly with the allocated case worker within the local authority. Once a referral form is submitted, together with the EHCP, an assessment process takes place:

1. The referral details and EHCP are reviewed by the Leadership team

2. An initial assessment is made on whether we can meet need

3. If the young person has a social worker, we will also make contact with the social worker to gain a full understanding of need

4. If we feel we can meet the need, we will contact parents / carers to arrange a home visit. A risk assessment and student plan will be written in this meeting as part of the assessment process

5. A final decision will then be made on whether we can meet need unless more information is required

6. If an offer of provision is made, a costing provision map will be sent to the case worker and/or school. If agreed, Associates will then be allocated, and we will endeavour to start the following term, if not before

7. A welcome booklet and transition timetable are sent to parents / carers in advance of working with the young person

If you feel we could meet your child or student’s needs please contact our Referrals Team to

make a referral – referrals@sense-learning.com

Once a referral has been made to the Organisation, and provision has been agreed by the Local Authority or school, we have an average turnaround time of a term between provision being agreed and sessions starting. We prioritise the matching of Associates to students, as our provision is built on forming strong, professional relationships with the young people that we work with. Our turnaround times may take us longer if we feel we are waiting for the right Associate to work with the young person in question.

An overview of our admissions criteria is detailed in the table below:

We endeavour to be as flexible as possible for our students, and accomodate the requests for specific times, and criteria for the team working with the student. However, at times this can hinder our matching process and cause delays. Our common session start times are 09:00/09:30 and 12:00-13:00. If we have difficulty matching associates to a student, we may consult with the parents/carers again about the requirements. In some instances, we may need to consult with the Local Authority again to discuss how realistic provision is.

We are not a registered school and cannot offer full time provision, therefore all of our students must have an on roll school or be formally stated as EOTAS on their EHCP. At the point that a referral is made into SENse Learning, we need to know the young person’s named on roll provision or if they are EOTAS.

Should a young person be ‘off-rolled’ whilst they are receiving SENse Learning provision, the Local Authority will have a full term (14 weeks) to ensure the young person gains another on roll provision or is formally marked as EOTAS, otherwise SENse Learning may have to end provision. All young people should have suitable oversight by an on-roll school or EOTAS package, and SENse Learning cannot take responsibility for this as we are not a registered school.

When a young person’s SENse Learning provision comes to an end, SENse Learning will send all relevant paperwork for the young person to their next provision, as soon as possible. If the young person has safeguarding paperwork that needs to be transferred, this will be hand delivered. If the young person does not have a next provision named, this paperwork will be handed to the Local Authority.