Q4. How can we ensure that children in the Targeted layer, are best supported?

The context: ‘Targeted’ is the first of three layers of support for those who need more than the universal offer. Support for children with “ongoing and commonly occurring needs” will be provided in the setting. Each child will have a digital Individual Support Plan developed with parents and reviewed regularly.

In your answer, you may want to consider:

• SENCOs will need training to develop the expertise to recognise the intersection between needs arising from trauma and disrupted attachments and those arising from SEND.
• Training for SENCOs should include specific guidance on whether and when children with a history of trauma, disrupted attachments and care experience should be escalated quickly, for example to Targeted Plus, to mental health support, or to specialist support from therapeutic professionals, such as that accessed via adoption agencies.
• While the three layers of support are not intended to be a ‘ladder’ requiring children to move through each stage in turn, there is a real risk that this is how it may work in practice. Guidance must be robust to ensure that care experienced children, who are already likely to have had many missed opportunities to identify their support needs, are not subject to a ‘wait and see’ approach at the Targeted level.