Brighton & Hove Inclusion Support Service (BHISS) Language support

How we provide support

We support children who are 4 to 16 years old and have been diagnosed with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). We also support children with developmental language disorders.

Language support is delivered in schools from reception to year 11 to:

• observe and assess children's Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
• model teaching strategies
• provide advice, support and training for school staff

Direct work with pupils involves assessment and collating a pupil's voice. This may involve:

• support with accurate early identification of SLCN through assessment, observation and training
• support with differentiation of planning, adapting teaching practice, modelling and delivering interventions to enable inclusion
• advice, support and training to fulfil statutory responsibilities around pupils with SLCN who have an Education, Health and Care plan
• providing evidence to support Annual Review processes, including video-recorded assessments
• city-wide and bespoke training for staff and parents around all aspects of SLCN

Every school has a named SEN Specialist Teacher who can be contacted by the school's SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator).

A member of staff from each school can join our city-wide network of 'Communication Champions' to benefit from bespoke training and the sharing of successful practice, which they can then take back to their own schools.

Benefits and impact

The benefits include:

• addressing the SLCN of all pupils to support all children to meet their full potential
• Quality First Teaching developed across the city through training, workshops, and the modelling of effective techniques
• children in the 'Talk Boost' programme making as much as 18 months' progress in their speech, language and communication over a 10-week intervention

Language Support team

Our team:

• provides advice and training to school staff so that they can support children with speech, language and communication needs, including strategies to help staff make sure all children can understand the language used in the school curriculum
• provides advice, training and support for the SEN specialist teacher for language who works with schools so that they can identify children and young people with SLCN as early as possible, assess their needs and suggest ways to support them
• supports schools with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans and preparation for the annual EHC plan review
• supports parents and carers with on-to-one advice
• provides training and workshops for parents and carers, such as courses in Makaton, which is a language programme that uses signs and symbols to help people communicate
• works closely with other BHISS teams

How to get support from us

Your child's school will contact us if they need support from us. Colleges can buy support from us for young people who are 16 to 19 years old.

Talk to your child's teacher or the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator if you think your child needs support from us.