Roles and Definitions

This SEND Handbook has been devised to support the work of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in schools and post-16 settings. This document is designed to support SENCOs in some of the key elements of their roles as well as the roles of those whom they work alongside. The handbook is designed to support new and experienced SENCOs in developing their day to day practice, including their identification of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and supportive provisions which can be implemented, as well as their responsibilities in relation to the legal guidance that we work within. This handbook may also provide useful information to other key professionals in relation to SEND.

The Handbook should be read in conjunction with the SEND Code of Practice, Jan 2015: SEND Code of Practice January 2015

The contents of this handbook have been written with guidance aimed at those supporting learners with SEND between 0 and 25. While transition from early year’s provision is covered within this handbook, where professionals are supporting children within Early Years provision, they should refer to the Early Years SENCO Handbook which can be obtained from Debbie Mitchell or Lisa Rhodes whose contact details are here.

Being a SENCO is a very important but sometimes difficult job where, at times, you may feel pressured by parents, other agencies and even teachers and members of the SLT in your own school, to make decisions or carry out actions that perhaps make you think “Is this right?”

While we hope this handbook will offer some guidance, we acknowledge that SEND is a very varied and complex matter (That’s part of what makes the role of SENCO so exciting!) and so this handbook may not always have the answers you are looking for. You can find further information and relevant SEND documents on the Hull SEND Local Offer website. You can also find a list of people who contributed to putting together this handbook and have consented to the sharing of their contact details; if you have any queries about anything to do with SEND then please do not hesitate to contact them for advice.