External Agencies & Schools

External Agencies & Schools we work with

The Thanet Inclusion Support Service (TISS) includes Specialist Teachers and Outreach from Special Schools. TISS provides advice and training to support settings and schools in improving the outcomes for children and young people with specialeducational needs and disabilities. TISS is responsive and flexible to local needs through the opportunities for discussion and decision-making at the Local Inclusion Forum Team meetings (LIFT).

Services to Children in Early Years

TISS support for children with SEND within this age range is carried out through visits to Day Nurseries and Pre-school provisions. Referrals are received via the EY Local Inclusion Forum Team (LIFT) Meeting.

Requests for intervention are made via the EY LIFT Meetings that are held every two weeks. Each setting has been allocated to an EY LIFT group that meets termly. The EY LIFT will allocate appropriate support.

TISS Services to Schools

The main route for schools to access SEND support is the District LIFT meetings. Support at the LIFT meeting is provided by a range of professionals.

Schools are required to attend the LIFT meetings to discuss a range of support, including schools supporting each other and sharing good practices.

Specialist Training

TISS provides a consistent and equitable core training offer to pre-school settings and schools covering:

  • Support and advice around individual children and young people
  • Training packages that arise from LIFT
  • STLS core training offer (DOC, 87.5 KB) to support the universal level
  • Training Courses at the Targeted or Personalised level
  • Bespoke training for low incidence SEND
  • Training provided with national framework.

For Further information and referral forms please visit the TISS page on the KELSI website.

NELFT – The North East London NHS Foundation Trust, provides a range of integrated community and mental health services for people in the London boroughs, but also eating disorder and adolescent mental health services for Kent and Medway.

Greenbanks Thanet MASH – Is our local Multi Agency Specialist Hub (MASHs) and our centre for disabled children and their families.

At our centre you and your child can benefit from a number of professional and healthcare services. Please speak to Mr Dillon or ring the numbers below for more details.

  • Audiology – 01227 866487
  • Specialist teaching and learning services – 01795 514430
  • Physiotherapy – 03000 42 08 71/42 08 74
  • Occupational therapy – 03000 42 08 71/42 08 74
  • Speech and language – 03000 42 08 71/42 08 74
  • Specialist nurse advisors – 03000 42 08 71/42 08 74
  • Educational home visits for pre-school children, also known as portage – 01892 501897
  • Dentistry (for children and adults with special needs: by referral only) – 03000 42 08 65

Kent Children’s Speech and Language Therapists – assess and treat children and young people with speech, language, communication and feeding difficulties and train and support parents, carers and staff in early years’ settings and schools.

They support the Northdown by providing assessment, diagnosis and treatment for children and young people with, language and communication needs, development language disorder, specific difficulties in producing speech sounds, hearing impairment, cleft palate, stammering, autism/social interaction difficulties, voice disorders and selective mutism.

Valence School Outreach Team – provide fantastic outreach services to advise us on best possible practice for our children and young people who have physical disabilities and complex medical needs. They will come in regularly to perform class observations, then feedback to teachers, support staff and the SENCO on what is working well and how we can improve our practice.

Foreland Field’s Outreach Service – We work closely with the Foreland Fields and have had children on dual role with them in 2018/2019. We regularly access the Foreland Outreach service through our Inclusion Forum.

In the last year they have provided us with specialist expertise in the following areas:

  • Advice and resources to raise knowledge & understanding of a range of Special Needs, (particularly
  • Communication and Interaction/ Cognition and Learning).
  • Advice and resources to raise knowledge & understanding of a range of medical conditions and diagnoses, including the following.
  • Advice on planning a differentiated curriculum and environment within school.
  • Support and advice on identifying need and individual pupil assessment as necessary.
  • Advice, support and training around visual supports and behavioural interventions: Social Stories/Comic Strip Conversations; SOCCSS; TEACCH and PECS.
  • Autism Awareness Training.
  • Communicate-In-Print (Symbols) Training.
  • Sleep Workshops for Parents and Professionals.
  • Range of books and resources available on a variety of topics and interests.
  • Promoting appropriate social behaviour.

They can also provide advice and guidance the following:

  • Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
  • Epilepsy
  • Down Syndrome
  • Genetic Disorders
  • Makaton support and training.
  • Advice and resources to address social and friendship skills.

St Anthony’s – We have links with St Anthony’s (our next door neighbour). We have received visits from their key outreach staff for our children with Educational Health Care Plans, or who have specific behavioural and learning needs, such as SEMH, ASD, FAS and DAMP.