Early Health Notification

Under Section 23 of the Children and Families Act 2014, health services have a duty to notify the appropriate local authority, where they anticipate that a child under school age has or is likely to have a special educational need and/or disability (SEND) when they start school. Nottinghamshire County Council will be the appropriate local authority for pre-school children living in the county, except for those children residing in the city for whom the appropriate authority will be Nottingham City Council.

The notification should be preceded by a discussion with the child’s parent or carer, so that they are aware that such a notification is proposed. Health colleagues can then use the form under 'downloads' to make an Early Health Notification. For children with severe and complex SEND, health colleagues may also wish to consider making a request for the involvement of the Early Years Team and/or the Sensory Team (for pre-school children who are deaf and/or visually impaired). This can be done by completing the penultimate section of the form and confirming that the appropriate parent/carer consent has been obtained.

Once the form has been submitted to the local authority, the information will be used in the following ways:

  • Where the child attends a pre-school setting, it will be used by Early Childhood Services to inform parents of any eligibility for additional funding around the special educational need/disability and for Area SENCO’s to target their support when a child attends an early years setting.
  • It will be used to prompt discussions nearer the child’s admission to school about any additional support that may be required to smooth the transition into statutory schooling.

Where a request for the potential involvement of Early Years and/or the Sensory Team within Nottinghamshire County Council’s Schools and Families Specialist Services by completing the penultimate section of the form:

  • Then the content of the form will also be shared with the relevant team(s) i.e. Early Years and/or Sensory.

 For further information about Schools and Families Specialist Services please click here: Schools and Families Specialist Services (SFSS) | Notts Help Yourself

Downloads

  1. Form for Professionals - Early Years Notification/Request for Involvement

Page last reviewed: 12/02/2024

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