SEN Specialist Support Services

Newport withdrawal from the Sensory and Communication Support Service

On the 1st October, Newport City Council gave notice that they intend to withdraw from the Gwent-wide collaborative Sensory and Communication Support Service (SenCom).

Newport City Council have provided the minimum six month notice as per the service level agreement and the existing collaborative arrangements will end on the 31st March 2019.

This means that from April 2019, the SenCom service will no longer be supporting children, families, schools and settings in the Newport City Council area.

Newport plan to set up their own team to deliver specialist support to children and young people with hearing, vision and multi-sensory impairment, along with children who have speech and communication difficulty.

There will be no change to the service between now and the end of March.  Beyond April, it is not expected that the new service will differ significantly in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire or Torfaen.

Following discussion with staff today (Monday 15th October),  the SenCom service intend to discuss the new service with parents, schools and external partners later this term. 

Chief Education Officers from partner councils have confirmed that the collaborative model is working successfully for service users and delivering efficiencies of scale for partners. 

SenCom will work with colleagues from Newport City Council to support a smooth transition for service users to the new team in Newport. 

Service users from Newport with questions on the future service should email: InclusionAdmin.Support@newport.gov.uk.

Current service users with any questions should contact Roger Thurlbeck, Head of Sensory and Communication Support Services on 01633 648888 or email roger.thurlbeck@torfaen.gov.uk

SEN Specialist Support Services provide support and advice in a number of specialist areas.

The Support Services within Torfaen are:

• The Educational Psychology Service
• Specific Learning Difficulties Service
• Hearing Impairment Service
• Visual Impairment Service
• Communication Intervention Team
• School Counselling
• Careers Wales
• Independent Parental Support