0-5 year olds - Early Years

About

This section of the website allows you to search for information, support and services which have been tagged as appropriate for children aged 0-5 years with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families as well as practitioners who may work with them.

It includes details about education, health and social care services as well as things to do across the Wakefield district and, where appropriate, out of district or online.

Once you have had a look at the information on the website, if you know about a service or provider not on the Wakefield Local Offer and you feel it should be, please click on Joining the Local Offer. The more information we include about what the local area has to offer, the better the choice of services and support for families.

Support in the Early Years

Early Help Wakefield has lots of information on what is available in Wakefield.
 
Hungry Little Minds is a Government site that gives ideas and support for children under 5
 
Contact provides a section specifically for getting support in the Early Years

The National Autistic Society provides information on the use of Visual supports to aid communication

 

ICAN can provide ideas on developing speech, language and communication.

 

The Communication Trust provides information and resources for parents/carers

 

Ambitious About Autism gives lots of tips, ideas and support for children with or who may be showing indicators of Autism.

 

Wakefield Homestart is an under 5's support service that may be able to help you.

Sensory Stay and Play

The sensory stay and play sessions are targeted at children aged 0-5 years who have an identified social or communication need. 

Referrals to the groups are completed by the Health Visitor or Nursery Nurses within the Wakefield 0-19 children's services and families are invited to attend. 

You can find out more in our Health Visitor Sensory Group leaflet.

 

50 Things To Do helps parent/carers develop their home learning environment, suggesting a wide range of low-cost and no-cost local activities. The 50 Things approach improves early language and literacy, motor skills and resilience. As a result children thrive cognitively, physically and emotionally, and will be more ready for primary school.

Team Around the Early Years (TAEY)

Wakefield Families Together are a group of people and services who are working together to make it easier for you to find and access the support you need, at the earliest opportunity.

The Team Around Early Years (TAEY) brings together professionals from Wakefield Families Together who can support with worries and concerns around child's development, speech language and communication, physical health, emotional wellbeing, and behaviour.

Team around Early Years (TAEY)

Families working with the TAEY team have access to support from:

• Childcare providers (nurseries, pre-schools, childminders)
• Early Years Children First Coordinator
• Area Early Years Special Educational Need Coordinator (SENCo)
• Health Visitors

To find out more about the TAEY visit the webpage here.

Bookstart gives free books to every child in England and Wales at two key stages before school, as well as free packs for children with additional needs, tips and guidance on reading together, resources and activities, and much more.

Did you know your child may be entitled to a free education place? You can find out more on the Childcare Choices website. 

You can also read a leaflet on Information for Parents, Carers of 2, 3 and 4 year olds. This was created by Wakefield Council.

Adaptations Service

Have you looked at our Distance Learning Packages?

You can find out about the adaptations service on the Local Offer website.

How to find information

You can search this section of the website by clicking on any of the categories listed below. You will be taken to a search results page where you can use the additional filters available to refine the search results even more.

You can also use the Search available on every page of the website, for more details about how to make the best use of this, please click on How to use the site. 

Categories of Information

The list of the categories you can search on this section of the Local Offer website are:

Education Providers – for details of educational provisions within the Wakefield district and out of area providers. You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of provider e.g. Nursery, Special Educational Need, Age and Post Code.

Information & Support – for details of support available in education, health and social care, support groups for parents, carers and young people, signposting services, guidance and legislation.  You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of information and support e.g. education, Special Educational Need, Age and Post Code.

Things to do – for information about targeted and specialist activities, groups and places you can go for families with children and young people with SEND. You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of activity e.g. clubs and groups, Special Educational Need, Age, Post Code, When/Day and Frequency.

 Money Matters  – for information about benefits, grants and discounts available. You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of Special Educational Need, Age and Post Code.

Training & Advice Sessions – for details of training and advice sessions offered for parents/carers and practitioners who work with families. You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of Special Educational Need, Post Code and When/Day.

Childcare – for details of where to find out about suitable childcare that may be available. You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of Special Educational Need, Age and Post Code.

Health Providers – for details of health services available in the local area including community services, therapy services and hospices. You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of provider e.g. community services, Special Educational Need, Age and Post Code.

 Travel – find out about travel passes and travel training as well as support available when you are out and about and travel tips. You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of information e.g. passes, Special Educational Need, Age and Post Code.

Social Care Providers – details of the approved providers, care agencies and council run provisions available in the local area. You will also be able to filter the search results by the type of provider e.g. approved provider, Special Educational Need, Age and Post Code.

How to save information

You can save and print pages from the Local Offer website by using the My favourites function available.

Details you save will stay in My favourites until you delete them but you will need to save any favourite pages you have on each separate device i.e. smart phone, laptop, iPad etc you may use to look at the website.

Please note, if you do decide to print out information, you may need to double check the details are still up to date when you use it as pages on the website can be updated at any time.

For more details about saving and printing pages, please read How to use the site.

Who to contact if you need help

If you have problems finding information on the website or would like more help and support, you can contact the Wakefield Early Support, Advice and Information Liaison Service or WESAIL.

This service is provided on behalf of Wakefield Council by Barnardo’s and you can contact them directly by calling 01924 304152, email wakefieldlocaloffer@barnardos.org.uk 

You can find out more about WESAIL here.