The 0-25 SEND Statutory Service is part of Croydon Council and works with children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their families. The service supports those aged 0 to 25 years who may need extra help with learning and education.

The team helps make sure children and young people with SEND get the right support and at the right time, whether they are in nursery, school, college, or preparing for adulthood.

We have 2 teams, the 0-13 team, and the 14-25 team, who focus on managing, maintaining and updating Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for their respective age groups.

We have recently expanded the SEND service with the addition of the new Assessment Team who will oversee the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA) submitted by parents/carers, professionals, and provisions.

The team is responsible for:

• Managing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
• Supporting families and schools through the EHCNA process.
• Working with schools, colleges and other services to review and update EHCPs.
• Helping with transitions, such as moving from primary to secondary school or from school to college.
• Making sure children and young people’s voices and family views are heard.
• Supporting Post-16 and Post-19 education and planning for adulthood.
• Working collaboratively with the non-statutory SEND service to ensure that there is continuous support when a young person transitions from SEND Support through to the EHCNA process and the issuing of a plan.

They also work closely with health and social care teams to make sure support is joined up and meets the needs of the whole child or young person.

Each child or young person with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) has a named caseworker in the SEND team.

This person is your main contact and can support you with:

• Updates to your child’s plan.
• School placement consultations.
• Advice during annual reviews.
• Preparing for big changes, like leaving school or moving into adult services.

If you’re not sure who your caseworker is, you can contact the team at SENenquiries@croydon.gov.uk.

In addition to the 0-25 SEND team, Croydon offers a wide range of support services, including:

• Croydon SENDIASS - Free and confidential advice for parents, carers and young people.
• Early Years SEND Team and Portage and Early Development Service - Support for families with younger children.
• Early Intervention and Improvement Service - Extra help in schools before an EHCP is needed.
• Educational Psychology Service - Supporting learning and development.
• Preparing for Adulthood services - Helping with transitions and life after education.