Specialist Education Services
The Specialist Education Services work closely with schools and children across Suffolk. Find out more about each of the services by following the links below:
Cognition & Learning (C&L) Service
Communication & Interaction (C&I) Service
Sensory & Physical (S&P) Service
Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) Service
Whole School Inclusion (WSI) Service
Psychology and Therapeutic Services
This is a team of person-centred Child, Adolescent, Community and Educational Psychologists, a School Counsellor, Family Systemic Psychotherapist and a team of Inclusion Facilitators.
They support emotional well-being, mental health and learning on an individual, group and whole school / organisational basis. They are qualified to work with children and young people from 0-25 years as well as with the adults who care for and work with them.
They may work with the parent and their child/young person in order to help find ways forward. This could involve helping to find solutions to the issues they are facing. Their involvement may also include working with groups of students and working with educational and pastoral staff, e.g. in training, research and project work.
As part of a traded offer they can deliver a range of training to school staff including person-centred planning, solution-focussed approaches and support for pupils with complex emotional needs.
Specialist Learning Support (SpLSS) Service
The Specialist Learning Support Service is a jointly funded service between health and education that supports children and young people with complex health needs to receive education. They are part of the Sensory & Physical Service, which is in turn part of the Specialist Education Service.
They support children and young people (CYP) with complex medical conditions who are reliant upon technology (for example non-invasive ventilation, tracheostomy, oxygen therapy) to enable their inclusion in mainstream and special schools. All children and young people who access the SpLSA Service meet the Continuing Care criteria. Many, but not all, have an Education, Health and Care Plan or EHCP.
The Service supports children and young people from the ages of 2 1/2 to 19 in the East and West of Suffolk, covering the Suffolk and North East Essex ICB area. For information about how to access support for children and young people with complex health needs in the Norfolk and Waveney ICB area, please visit Norfolk and Waveney NHS ICB website.
Find out more about the Specialist Learning Support Service
School Nursing Service
This service covers the whole of Suffolk and works in partnership with school-aged children, young people and their families to promote health and well-being with a focus on early help and support.
The local teams consist a range of professionals including school nurses, community staff nurses and child health screening practitioners. Each primary and secondary school has a named school nurse who is supported by their team to promote health and emotional wellbeing in schools and in the community.
School nurse referrals can be made by completing their referral form. Please refer to this Information for Referrers (opens pdf) before submitting referrals to the School Nursing Service.
To contact your school team, call: 0345 607 8866 or email: childrenshealth@suffolk.gov.uk
Find out more about the School Nursing Service
Children’s Community Learning Disability Nursing -Behaviour Support
(East and West Suffolk only)
This team supports children diagnosed with a Significant Learning Disability (moderate to severe) who also have behaviour support needs up to the age of 18 years old.
Based on the child’s individual needs they will offer specific strategies to help with managing behaviour. Their work might include visits to the home, school and wider community and contact with short break services. It might involve group work or clinic-based appointments.
Find out more about the Children’s Community Learning Disability Nursing team
Useful links
Suffolk Local Offer (for the full range of services for children and young people with SEND)
SEND Family Service Teams in Suffolk – contact details
Service for children and young people with vision and multi sensory impairments