Swindon early years centre
The Swindon Early Years Centre supports young children under the age of five with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) and their families.
They do this through:
- the Special Tots Groups (Ofsted registered Early Years setting for children aged two to five years). Sessions are three hours long from 9.00am to 12.00pm and 1.00pm. to 4.00pm, every day except Wednesday afternoons.
- portage home visiting for children with identified complex needs
- specific support related to the child’s needs, for example, completion of DLA forms, Early Help and Support Records, specific and/or, time limited pieces of work
- signposting parents to other services, offering advice and support and helping families to navigate the SEND system
All our work is based on the portage model and portage home teachers are registered with the National Portage Association (NPA).
There are three essential elements to the portage model:
- child-led play
- structured teaching
- family focus
These elements are used flexibly to meet the individual needs of each child and family at any point in time. The work is underpinned by 12 portage principles, a key one being that of partnership. In all our work, we work in close partnership with parents, other professionals and the child’s mainstream early years setting to maximise positive outcomes for children.
For further information about portage, see The National Portage Association website.
In addition to the direct work we do we also offer the EarlyBird programme for parents of children under five years at the start of the program who have a diagnosis of autism or who have been accepted on to the Neurodevelopmental Conditions (NDC) pathway.
EarlyBird is run by trainers licensed by The National Autistic Society. It is a 10-week parenting programme (8 x 2.5 hour group sessions and 2 x 1 hour home visits).
The programme aims to support families to:
- understand autism and how their child experiences the world around them
- develop interactions and communication with their child
- understand their child’s behaviour
Criteria and referral process to access portage or Special Tots
Parents and carers, or professionals, can refer a child to our service by completing a simple referral form.
If you would like to discuss a referral or request a referral form, email SEYC@swindon.gov.uk or call 01793 465360.
Criteria and referral process to access EarlyBird
Children must be under the age of five and have a diagnosis of autism or have had a referral accepted into the NDC pathway. We would require evidence of this and may require further information from other professionals involved.
Referrals are only accepted directly from parents. This can be done by completing an application form accessed by emailing earlybird@swindon.gov.uk or by calling 01793 465360.
Referrals are not accepted from professionals.
Charges
Special Tots
Most parents use their Early Years Entitlement Funding to fund their sessions at Special Tots. Funding is usually split between us and the child’s mainstream setting. If a child is accessing more than their entitlement hours, parents will have to pay for any additional hours in advance.
We charge the equivalent rate to Early Years Funding. For more information about fees, please contact us directly.
A voluntary donation is required for a snack. This is currently 50p per session (September 2024)
Portage
There is no charge for portage but once children are entitled to their Early Years Funding we strongly encourage children to be in settings (this may include a space in our Special Tots groups as well as mainstream settings).
Portage sessions at home may be offered alongside a group setting, depending on need and individual circumstances.
EarlyBird
There is no charge for the EarlyBird programme but there is a requirement to purchase a programme book at the cost of £30.
How to contact us
You can contact us using the details below:
Swindon Early Years Centre
Salt Way centre
Pearl Road
Swindon
SN5 5TD
Email: SEYC@swindon.gov.uk for enquiries related to Special Tots or portage.
Email: earlybird@swindon.gov.uk for enquiries related to EarlyBird.
Telephone: 01793 465360 for all other enquiries.
