Our key partners
Helpful contact information for our key partners, including Somerset’s Area SENCos, Children’s Social Care Team and the Entitlements Team.
Early Years SEND Service
Early Years Area SENCos, are Advisory Teachers with a high level of experience in working with young children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their families. Early Years Inclusion Advisers are qualified early years graduates, specialising in SEND who support early years providers with their inclusive practice.
Find more information about the Early Years SEND Service on the Support Services for Education (SSE) website
Children’s Social Care
Children’s Social Care aims to work with parents, carers and young people in a partnership based on respect, equality and fairness, and to offer advice and support before a situation reaches crisis point. They also work in partnership with, and may refer to, other services and community groups, including education, health, housing, benefits agencies and the police.
Find more information about Children’s Social Care
Early Years Entitlements Team
The Early Years Entitlement Team do all of the administration associated with the take-up of the Early Years Entitlements for three and four years olds. Their work also includes the administration of the funding for eligible two-year-olds and free school meals.
Find out more about Entitlement on our 30 hours Funded Childcare Provider Information and Early Years Entitlement for Parents pages.
Email: eyfunding@somerset.gov.uk
Phone: 01823 357039
Public Health
Public Health are run by the local authority, and their priorities are to enable:
- People, families and communities to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing
- Families and communities to be thriving and resilient
- Somerset people to be able to live independently
Find out more about Public Health on the Healthy Somerset website.
Email: publichealth@somerset.gov.uk
Somerset Health Visitors
The aim of the health visiting team is to work with you/your family to identify areas that may impact on the overall health and wellbeing of your family, and to develop a plan together to support you and your child. Find out more about the role of a health visitor.
Health Visitor contact details
- West Somerset and Taunton – WestandTauntonHV@somerset.gov.uk
- Sedgemoor – DutyBridgwaterHealthVisitor@somerset.gov.uk
- Mendip – sheptonmallethealthvisitors@somerset.gov.uk
- South Somerset – yeovilhealthvisitor@somerset.gov.uk
Ofsted
Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They are responsible for inspecting and regulating services that care for children in England. This includes childminders, registered nannies, nurseries, pre-schools, schools and Further Education colleges.
Find out more about organisations covered by Ofsted on GOV.UK.
Safeguarding
The Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership works to make sure that children in Somerset are safe.
Find out more on the Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership website.
Email: childrens@somerset.gov.uk
Somerset Centre for Integrated Learning (SCIL)
SCIL conduct all training and professional development for all practitioners in early years, childminding, play and out of school settings. They also deal with general enquiries about Early Years Leadership and Peer to Peer Support Framework and Early Years Teaching Centres.
Find out more about Somerset Centre for Integrated Learning on the SSE website.
Address: Dillington House, Ilminster, TA19 9DT
Email: SCIL@somerset.gov.uk
Phone: 0300 123 1967
Somerset Early Help Advisory service (SEHAS)
The Somerset Early Help Advisory Service is a new service commissioned by Somerset Council and delivered, in partnership, by the Early Years Alliance. The service will work with all Early Years educators and settings in Somerset to support them to deliver Early Help to children and families where needed.
‘Early help’ is the term used to describe any intervention or support given to a family when a problem first emerges. The main focus is to improve outcomes for children. We aim to be a consistent point of contact for advice and resources to all Somerset settings, building maximum knowledge and confidence.
We will develop and build on existing resources already provided through the EAL Advisory service, including resources and signposting to help you.
Somerset Early Help Advisory Service support children and families facing specific challenges, by confidently providing early intervention where needed. SEHAS supports children’s emotional health and promotes wellbeing in children under the age of five, supports school readiness and narrows the gap between EAL Learners and their peers.
For more information, visit the Somerset Early Help Advisory website
Address: Early Years Alliance, The Old School, School Road, Westonzoyland, Bridgwater TA7 0LN
Office phone: 01278 691719
Email: earlyhelpsomerset@eyalliance.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/somersetearlyhelpadvisoryservice
Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP)
SASP is the Active Partnership for Somerset, and we work to improve the quality of life in communities across our area through the power of physical activity. SASP is dedicated to increasing the health and happiness of residents in Somerset through physical activity and sport.
Visit the SASP website for more information