Children's Social Care
Bridge Centre ,
Children with Disabilities Team ,
Description of Need ,
Early Help ,
Education Benefits Team , Education Health Care Plan ,
Education Welfare Service ,
Equipment and Adaptations Service (children) ,
Outreach Support Service (Behaviour Improvement Team, EAL service, Travellers Education Service)
,
Referral Process ,
School Admissions ,
School Transport Team , SEND information Hub ,
St.Helens Alternative Provision Service ,
TESSA ,
Youth Justice Service
Bridge Centre
The Bridge Centre offers a specialist service to children from birth up to the age of 5 years old, with:
The service provides a child centred approach offering assessment, monitoring and intervention through multi-agency working, portage home visits, preschool developmental groups and training to professionals and families.
Portage
The Bridge Centre have a Portage Service. Portage is a home visiting service working in partnership with families to support their child’s development. Portage Workers understand that parents/carers know their children best and are key figures in their care and development. Portage visits happen in the home so that the very young children the centre work with can be assessed on an individual basis in familiar surroundings.
Once a portage assessment is completed and it is decided that portage will continue the Portage Worker will write targets jointly with parents and the multi professional team involved with the child’s care, for the child to work towards, this will be called an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Following this the Portage Worker will continue to visit on a regular basis completing activities with the child and working towards them achieving the targets in their IEP.
More information about portage can be found on the website www.portage.org.uk
Support for Parents and Carers
Portage Coffee Day
The coffee morning offers parents the chance to have a brew and a chat with other families who are known to the service and gain some peer support from each other. In addition to this there is a Portage Worker present at the coffee morning to offer advice and emotional support as needed. The centre also invite professionals from other services who can give advice currently there is someone from Occupational Therapy and The Neurodevelopment Pathway.
Sleep Clinic
The sleep clinic is support for parents of children known to the Bridge Centre. If your child is having sleep difficulties, please come along to these drop-in session for advice and support from our sleep specialists.
Support Sessions
These sessions run at the Bridge Centre, parents / carers can attend to gain support completing forms, referrals, questionnaires, there will be staff from the Portage team present to offer support.
For further information on the above groups, please contact The Bridge Centre. Dates will soon be listed on the SEND Information Hub.
Referrals
The centre has an 'open referral system' meaning a parent/carer or a professional involved with a child can ask the centre to see the child.
If parents/carers are worried about their child’s development, it is encouraged for them to speak to professionals already involved with their child, for example the health visitor and an early years setting. Professionals working with the child should complete an Early Help Assessment Tool (EHAT) gathering information about what parents and professionals are worried about, and what support the child may need.
If a family has no contact with universal services, the centre do accept self-referrals, parents/carers can contact The Bridge Centre for more information.
The Bridge Centre is based at Moss Bank Children's Centre, Kentmere Avenue, Moss Bank, St Helens WA11 7PQ
Telephone: 01744 673131/3132
Website:
https://familyinfodirectory.sthelens.gov.uk/kb5/sthelens/directory/service.page?id=oHYz6U0att4
Children with Disabilities Team
The Social Care Team works with children and young people up to the age of 18 years with a disability, who are subject to the eligibility criteria. The team comprises of Social Workers and Family Support Workers and provides practical, emotional support, advice and information and undertake social care assessments.
The Team supports Children in Need and their families who have severe or substantial disabilities, specifically:
The team aim to safeguard and promote the wellbeing of children and young people in St Helens. They do this by:
The referral process and criteria for support
All referrals for an assessment are sent through Contact Cares and screened by the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) using the St Helen's Threshold of Need document and the criteria for the CWD team.
Children who do not meet the eligibility criteria for the Children with Disabilities Team may still be entitled to services as Children in Need and may be referred to other teams within Children’s Services, which may include Early Help.
The CWD criteria is currently under review. This will be published following approval.
Child and Family Assessment
Child and family Assessments involve collecting and analysing information about children, young people and their families with the aim of understanding their situation and determining recommendations for any further professional intervention.
Assessments are strengths based in determining what is working well for a family as well as identifying any unmet needs.
The purpose of the assessment is always:
Further information can be found on the St Helens SEND website here:
https://familyinfodirectory.sthelens.gov.uk/kb5/sthelens/directory/advice.page?id=xIFGef7GjfM
Description of Need
The four levels of need are summarised below. The descriptions of the levels are intended to help decision making in relation to considering levels of need and strengths; they should not be viewed as a replacement for professional judgement and line management advice.
The four levels of need are:
Further information can be found here: sthelenssafeguarding.org.uk/p/procedures/st-helens-descriptions-of-need
The St Helens Description of Need 2024 - 2026 booklet can be downloaded here
Early Help
Early Help involves services working together for children, young people and their families, who would benefit from extra support:
You may ask for Early Help as you are worried about your child’s health, development or behaviour. You may be caring for a child with a disability and need extra support. Or if you are a young person, you can ask for help to manage situations that affect your life such as having caring responsibilities, concerns for either your own or someone else’s drug or alcohol use, emotional wellbeing or any other health or social difficulty. Whatever the concern, it’s ok to ask for help.
Talk to someone that is already working with you and your family. This could be your child’s school, nursery, health visitor or any other worker that you are in contact with. If you are a young person this could be your teacher, youth worker, school nurse or a trusted adult.
Alternatively, a professional can make a referral into Children's Social Care for Early Help (EHAT) to be started if needed.
Further information can be found here: https://familyinfodirectory.sthelens.gov.uk/kb5/sthelens/directory/advice.page?id=ctOVY31gh_c&startforlifechannel=5
Education Benefits Team
Applying for free school meals
Your child will be eligible for free school meals if you (or your partner) are in receipt of any of the following:
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also receive free school meals.
Once eligible, your child will continue to receive free school meals in primary or secondary school until they have finished their current phase of education i.e. primary (Year 6) or secondary (Year 11). From 1 April 2025, if your child moves between primary and secondary school you will need to reapply for free school meals.
If your child attends a school within the St Helens Borough, you can apply for Free School Meals via the online form here: www.sthelens.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals
Telephone: 01744 676789
Write to: St Helens Borough Council, Revenues and Benefits, PO Box 10592, NOTTINGHAM, NG6 6DP
Email: educationbenefits@sthelens.gov.uk
Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
An education, health and care (EHC) plan is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support. EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs.
How can I request an educational, health and care needs assessment?
If you have concerns about your child’s special educational needs or disability needs, your first point of contact should be the school or setting. You may speak to the class teacher, tutor, SENCO, Head teacher or key worker. The school or setting should discuss these concerns with you and complete an assessment of your child’s needs themselves or request an assessment from another professional.
An Action plan should then be put in place and a review held with yourself and your child to see if this has helped your child to make progress. If progress has not been made or if it is very slow, the school may arrange a meeting with yourself and an SEN Casework manager to discuss whether a request should be made to the local authority for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.
To apply for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment you will need to complete the following documents, which you can work alongside staff from the school or setting, or with the assessment coordinator:
What happens next?
The school or setting will complete an application form and send it to the Local Authority along with the forms detailed above and any professional reports regarding your child. These will then be considered by the Provision Agreement Panel (PAP)
You will be notified of the decision of the PAP within 6 weeks of the Local Authority receiving the application from your child’s educational setting.
Applying as a Parent/Carer in your own right
A parent/carer is entitled to make an application for an Education, Health and Care needs Assessment in their own right. If you feel that this is necessary you should write to:
Additional Needs Administration Service
People’s Services Department
Atlas House
Corporation Street
St Helens
Merseyside
WA9 1LD
In your letter you should state that:
Further information, including what to do if you disagree with the outcome can be found here: https://familyinfodirectory.sthelens.gov.uk/kb5/sthelens/directory/advice.page?id=2oJh5NFE9w0&localofferchannel=1-10
Education Welfare Service - including Elective Home Education
The Education Welfare Service provides help, advice and support to schools and families experiencing school attendance related difficulties. The service hold the statutory responsibility for the following areas of work:
How the team support families and pupils:
However, persistent failure in ensuring your child attends school regularly can lead to prosecution.
Educating your child at home - Elective Home Education (EHE)
Some parents decide not to send their children to school and educate them at home instead.
Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children receive a 'suitable' education; one that prepares them for life in modern, civilised society and enables them to achieve their full potential. The parent is responsible for providing an education that's both suitable to the age, ability and aptitude of the child and any special needs they may have.
It is both legal and acceptable to choose to home educate your children. Where parents have chosen to do this, the Education Welfare Service want to make sure that they have access to good information so that they can offer the most positive experience possible. They believe this is best achieved where parents and the council recognise each other's rights and responsibilities and work together
Whatever the circumstances, the Education Welfare Service aim to support parents in their choice.
Education Welfare Service
Telephone: 01744 673356
Email: EHE@sthelens.gov.uk
Websites: www.sthelens.gov.uk/article/4904/Statutory-responsibilities
https://familyinfodirectory.sthelens.gov.uk/kb5/sthelens/directory/advice.page?id=4upcQHZmPbo
If you live in St Helens and have a long-term disability or health condition or you are the parent or carer of a child with a long-term disability or health condition, you can make a referral to the occupational therapy team by telephoning
Contact Cares on
01744 676767 or emailing the team on
contactcares@sthelens.gov.uk . The advisors will ask for your personal details and ask you about the things that you find difficult to manage at home.
Occupational Therapy can provide equipment if your child has a disability and is assessed as needing more specialised equipment than a non-disabled child of a similar age. You are usually responsible for providing readily available equipment that a non-disabled child would need (for example a fire guard or a baby gate).
Adaptations to your home
Where a minor adaptation has been recommended (for example grab rails, stair rails, half steps), your assessor will order this via our Home Improvement Agency.
Where an adaptation that costs over £500 has been recommended, this is classed as a major adaptation and is funded by a disabled facilities grant (DFG). The DFG is provided where there is an assessed need and can fund adaptations up to a maximum of £30,000.
The DFG is a means-tested grant and we will calculate if you have a contribution to make towards the cost of the works. Children are exempt from the means test and will receive 100% grant funding.
If your home is unsuitable for adaptations, you can apply to be rehoused to a property that is purpose built or already adapted. To do this you would need to register with Under One Roof.
Under One Roof is a service for people who want to rent a home in St Helens.
Your occupational therapist will help you identify suitable properties.
Further information can be found on the St Helens Council Website here:
https://sthelens.gov.uk/article/4991/Introduction
Outreach Support Service - Behaviour Improvement Team, EAL service, Travellers Education Service
The Outreach Support Service is comprised of three teams that support and challenge schools with pupils. These are:
The Outreach Support Service works closely with the Alternative Provision Service, who are responsible for Pupil Referral Units, Alternative Education and Tuition Services, in order to support all mainstream schools in the borough with behaviour and inclusion related issues.
Contact details for the teams can be found here:
https://new.sthelens.gov.uk/send/support-services/outreach-support-service
Referral Process for Children's Social Care
To make a referral into Children's Services as a professional, we should complete the online referral form on the following page (please scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on 'You can make a referral using the Service Request Form') : www.sthelens.gov.uk/article/10867/Are-you-a-professional-who-has-concerns-for-a-child-or-young-person
Note for staff: SJ enquired with MASH team for a word document of the questions asked (to assist us when speaking to parent/carers when we don't have immediate access to our laptops). The MASH team told me we can work off the old Service request Form here as it includes all the same questions. All referrals should still be made via the St Helens Council Website.
School Admissions
If you have any queries regarding school admissions, please contact the school admissions team at schooladmissions@sthelens.gov.uk
Further information can be found on the website here: www.sthelens.gov.uk/admissions
School Transport Team
For children who are eligible and meet the criteria, they can receive assistance with transport to school.
Primary School
Statutory criteria:
If your child is attending the nearest qualifying school with places and the safest walking distance from your home to school is more than two miles, and your child is under eight years of age (or three miles if your child is over eight years of age), you may be entitled to a free concessionary bus pass for them.
The Department of Education states that a qualifying school with places is a school that provides education appropriate to the age, ability and aptitude of the child. The measured walking route is one that an accompanied child may walk safely.
Low income criteria:
If your child is entitled to free school meals or you are in receipt of maximum working tax credit, and your child is attending the nearest school, you may be entitled to a free concessionary bus pass if the safest walking distance from your home to school is more than two miles.
Secondary School
Statutory Criteria:
If your child is attending the nearest qualifying school with places and the safest walking distance from your home to school is three miles or more, you may be entitled to a free bus pass for them.
The Department of Education states that a qualifying school with places is a school that provides education appropriate to the age, ability and aptitude of the child. The measured walking route is one that an accompanied child may walk safely.
Low income criteria:
If your child is entitled to free school meals or you are in receipt of maximum working tax credit, and your child is attending any of the three nearest schools, you may be entitled to a free concessionary bus pass if the safest walking distance from your home to school is between two miles and six miles.
SEN Assistance
If your child is unable to walk to school because of his/her mobility problems or because of associated health and safety issues related to their special educational needs or disability (SEND), and he/she is attending the nearest suitable provision, you may be entitled to assistance with transport.
Assistance can be any one of the following:
Over 16's
If a young person aged 16 to 25, with an Education, Health and Care Plan, is attending a full-time educational course at the nearest suitable provision, transport assistance may be provided.
Application Forms
All application forms can be found on the St Helens Council Website here: https://sthelens.gov.uk/School-Transport-Assistance
Applications will only be processed from households who pay their Council Tax to St Helens Borough Council.
Completed forms can be posted to the team or returned by email.
Address: School Transport Team, People's Services, Atlas House, Corporation Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 1LD
Email: schooltransport@sthelens.gov.uk
SEND Information Hub
As of December 2024, St Helens Council have created a St Helens Family Information Directory, which includes the SEND Information Hub. This website replaces the old Local Offer Website. The Hub has sections for parents & carers, children & young people, professionals, a neurodiversity zone, details about the Disabled Children and Young People's Register and further information on the local offer. The website can be accessed here: https://familyinfodirectory.sthelens.gov.uk/kb5/sthelens/directory/home.page
There's also a section on the website for the Family Hub, which has information on support available including Early Years, Early Help, Parenting Programmes, Health and Wellbeing, Schools and Education, along with general Support & Information for Families:
https://familyinfodirectory.sthelens.gov.uk/kb5/sthelens/directory/startforlife.page?startforlifechannel=0
St. Helens Alternative Provision Service
Alternative Education Team
The Alternative Education team form part of the support provided by St Helens Alternative Provision Service. Based within Peoples Services, the small team offers a comprehensive service to all St Helens High Schools and Academies seeking Alternative Provision for 14-16 year old learners (to support learning and reduce the risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream settings).
PACE KS1 & KS2 - Derbyshire Hill Road
St Helens PACE Pupil Referral Unit provides short-term educational places for children at Key Stage One and Key Stage Two who are registered in mainstream schools in St Helens. The pupils who attend present with challenging behaviour and are experiencing some degree of social, emotional and/or mental health difficulty.
PACE specialises in short term intervention strategies, in particular a structured behavioural system in a small, nurturing group environment. The unit aims to provide a broad and exciting curriculum for the children, intent on re engaging them with their education. PACE actively supports the concept of inclusion and pupils are reintegrated back into mainstream school as quickly as possible. The children are referred, usually after considerable Outreach Support through the Behaviour Improvement Team (BIT) has been tried within the child’s mainstream school.
Launchpad KS3 PRU - Derbyshire Hill Road
The KS3 PRU provision helps pupils who require support to re-engage themselves with their mainstream school. As an SEMH provision, they work hard to encourage young people to continue to improve their academic progress, as well as developing their behavioural and social skills.
Many of their pupils thrive in smaller environments, with added support in class. The service aims to be a ‘short-stay school’ and help the pupils develop self-confidence in learning and strategies to help manage their emotions and behaviour. They can also catch up on missing learning if they need to. All these skills will help them to succeed when they make a positive return to their mainstream schools.
Launchpad KS4 - College Street
Launchpad KS4 is part of the St. Helens Alternative Provision Service and is situated on College Street with easy access to the town centre . It offers an educational provision for students in Year 10 and 11, who have been permanently excluded or at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream school. The service work with students who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and accept referrals from all St. Helens secondary schools.
A panel led by the Head of Service determines which alternative provision is most suitable for students referred. Students are referred for a place at KS4 if they have the potential to gain GCSE qualifications.
Launchpad Tuition Service - Beacon Building
Launchpad Tuition is part of the St Helens Alternative Provision Service. It is an integrated Service which incorporates a Tuition Service base for key stage 3 & 4. Teachers utilise a number of settings according to students' learning needs, which are varied and complex. Within the base there are a significant number of students with diagnosed anxiety disorders, and medical conditions. Students remain on their school roll as well as being dual-registered with Launchpad. Whenever it is suitable, students are re-integrated into school.
Further information can be found on the website here: https://paceandlaunchpad.sthelens.gov.uk/
TESSA
TESSA is the ‘Triage for all Education Support and Specialist Advice’. A SENCO or any member of staff at a school can make a referral/contact the TESSA Service. It may be that school get in touch with TESSA to request specialist training or it may be regarding a specific child/issue.
HIVE
The Hive is a dedicated phone line with professionals such as teachers, inclusion officers, education welfare officers and education support staff who provide that much sought-after specialist advice for SENCOs, pastoral staff and senior leaders in St Helens’ schools. The HIVE can be contacted by telephone, but there is a dedicated out of hours email if the teachers are unable to dedicate time to call during the school day.
The Hive is there to listen, guide the conversation, help staff find solutions and where needed give specialist advice, bespoke recommendations, signposting to on-line resources or recommending a referral to TESSA Triage.
The school require consent from the parent to make a referral or discuss a child with TESSA. The initial referral should include what has been discussed with the parent/carer too. If a parent requests a referral to TESSA but feels the school aren’t being cooperative, the parent can ask IASS to make a referral on their behalf as well. There is no direct way for parents to refer to the service as it is specifically to help support schools and includes some teams/services which school pay for. Therefore, TESSA only works with schools within the St Helens Borough.
TESSA Triage/Plan
Once a referral has been taken by the HIVE team, it would then go to TESSA Triage and if needed a TESSA plan would then be written. The plan is tailored to the specific child/situation, so the contents and duration of the plan may vary. Parents can request a copy of this plan from school. TESSA have an expectation that this plan should be shared with the parent anyway. Again, if for any reason school do not share this plan then IASS should be able to help.
It could be the case that the issue is resolved/relevant information provided within the initial conversation with the HIVE team. In this case, it wouldn’t need to go any further. TESSA can only advise schools, they are unable to tell schools what to do or require them to access support.
TESSA works with wider partners too, as and when needed. This includes school admissions, school transport, Early Help and Young Carers Centre.
The TESSA teams include: Dyslexia Specialist - Literacy and Learning, Youth Social Prescribing (Education Welfare Service), Hearing Support, Vision Impairment Service, Outreach services to schools, Inclusion Officers.
Further information can be found on St Helens Council SEND Information Hub website here:
https://familyinfodirectory.sthelens.gov.uk/kb5/sthelens/directory/advice.page?id=LIwahSjm0jY
Youth Justice Service
The Youth Justice Service works with children and young people aged 8 to 18 years who have offended, or at risk of offending and help prevent them getting into further trouble.
The service works with a variety of organisations, children, young people, parents and carers to:
• Make sure children receive the support they need to lead crime-free lives and contribute positively to society
• Make sure that victims are supported
• Make sure the public feels protected and safe
St Helens Youth Justice Service includes:
Head of Service, Operational Managers, Case Managers, Social Workers, Police Officer, Probation Officer, Career Connect Advisor, Barnardo's Therapist, Re-engagement Mentor (Pre-16), Intervention Development Officer, Reparation and Unpaid Work Coordinator, Restorative Justice and Victim Liaison Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator and Volunteer Panel Members/Mentors.
Address: Youth Justice Service, Lord Street Centre, Lord Street, St Helens WA10 2SP
Telephone: 01744 677990
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:45am - 5:15pm, Friday: 8:45am - 5:00pm
Email: yotadministration@sthelens.gov.uk
Website: https://yaz.sthelens.gov.uk/main-sections/youth-justice/
There's also the St Helens Young People's Drug and Alcohol Team (YPDAAT) which is listed under Substance Misuse here
and the Teen Advice Zone (TAZ) listed under LGBTQ+ and Sexual Health here
For the Hearing Support Service 0-25yrs please visit D/deafness page here
For the Visual Impairment Service 0-25yrs please visit Visual Impairment here
Page Last Updated November 2024
St. Helens Carers Centre 31-35 Baldwin Street, St Helens WA10 2RS
Clubhouse & Young Carers Team Fishwick House, Cotham Street, WA10 1SJ
Telephone: 01744 675615 Young Carers: 01744 677279
Email: info@sthelenscarers.org.uk Website: www.sthelenscarers.info