Early Access Physical and Sensory Team

Our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team is available for all education settings, including early years, primary and secondary schools and post-16 settings.

What is the Early Access Physical and Sensory Team?

Our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team facilitates the early identification and intervention of social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs within children and young people who have a primary area of need related to physical and sensory conditions.

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What does EHP's Early Access Physical and Sensory Team do?

EHP's Early Access Physical and Sensory Team improves the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people with physical and sensory needs through taking a holistic approach. Supporting wellbeing and reducing the likelihood of further problems occurring happens through our early intervention and preventative measures. Increasing awareness of co-occurring needs supports an inclusive environment which in turn prevents future SEMH problems.

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What are physical and sensory needs?

When referring to physical and sensory needs, we include all levels of physical and sensory needs including, but not restricted to:

• Fine motor difficulties
• Gross motor difficulties
• Hearing impairments
• Visual impairments
• Physical disability
• Sensory processing difficulties

Physical and sensory needs may cause secondary SEMH needs, or they may occur independently. It is important to account for the primary area of needs when assessing or delivering interventions for SEMH needs. The primary area of need does not necessarily need to have received a diagnosis for our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team to provide input.

People who have physical and sensory needs are likely to have:

• Physical disability
• Cerebral palsy
• Down's Syndrome
• Developmental disorders
• Chronic illness
• Congenital limb differences
• Mobility problems
• Sensory processing difficulties
• Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) / Dyspraxia
• Epilepsy
• Hearing impairment
• Visual impairment
• Multisensory impairment
• Arthritis
• Brittle bones
• Hypermobility
• Asthma

SEMH assessments and interventions are carried out in an inclusive nature to maximise the impact of our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team's input.

Who we work with

Our specialist services can be accessed by education, health and other professions working with children and young people.

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Which professionals from within EHP are in our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team?

Our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team consists of the following EHP professionals:

• Occupational therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Educational psychologists
• Clinical psychologists
• Mental health professionals
• Special educational needs consultants
• School nurses

Using a combination of specialities allows us to offer a broad range of services to suit the SEMH needs of children and young people with physical and sensory needs. Our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team works alongside all EHP professionals to facilitate timely internal referrals and recommendations.

We're registered

EHP is registered with all major professional memberships.

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What types of screening and assessments can EHP's Early Access Physical and Sensory Team provide?

Our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team provide screening and assessments to identify a broad range of SEMH needs. To deliver a cost effective service we also offer training related to carrying out and interpreting specific screening relevant to education settings prior to deciding whether a specialist assessment would be beneficial. Our specialist team may need to adapt screening and assessments to make them accessible without losing reliability. Screening and assessments provide information related to whether SEMH needs are a result of primary physical and sensory needs, or unrelated.

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Why is early SEMH needs identification and intervention important within physical and sensory needs?

Early SEMH needs identification, and intervention, is important within children and young people who have physical and sensory needs because those needs could intensify SEMH needs. Accurate identification, followed by swift intervention, enables children and young people to overcome these secondary needs and maximise their potential. In the case where a child or young person has a physical disability which places them under Section 17 (a child in need) then there is more responsibility on the education setting to accurately and swiftly identify and address needs.

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What interventions can our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team deliver?

Interventions delivered by our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team will be adapted or bespoke to accommodate existing physical and sensory needs. Common types of interventions we deliver include:

• Self acceptance
• Disability acceptance
• Disability awareness
• Resilience
• Recognising and using strengths
• Identity
• Positive self-image
• Increase self-esteem
• Emotional regulation
• Art therapy
• Play therapy
• Drama therapy
• Life skills
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Social groups
• Mindfulness

Overcoming SEMH needs with our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team facilitates the opportunity to repeat the success in the future. If you have an intervention in mind which you would like us to provide then please get in touch to see how we can help.

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What do our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team provide for the whole school?

Our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team provide a broad range of services on a whole school level to support the SEMH needs of children and young people with physical and sensory needs. A selection of the services we offer include:

• Inclusion and accessibility learning walks
• Reducing risk factors
• Environmental reviews
• Helping to implement a student programme
• Developing physical and sensory groups
• Curriculum adaptations
• Reviewing, adapting and creating inclusion policies and procedures
• CPD opportunities
• Ofsted response

There are many opportunities available for the implementation of a whole school approach in relation to physical, sensory and SEMH needs. Our specialist Early Access Physical and Sensory Team are flexible and adaptable to the needs within your education setting.

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What training can our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team deliver?

Our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team provide bespoke training in addition to set training. Set training topics include:

• Physical support
• Sensory support
• Sensory integration
• Improving emotional wellbeing
• Preparing for the future
• Bespoke condition related training to support inclusion
• Experiencing differences sessions

Bespoke training provides information tailored to the needs within your setting. Training is available as twilight sessions, INSET days and workshops. Our training can be provided onsite and offsite.

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Why use EHP's Early Access Physical and Sensory Team?

There are many reasons to use EHP's Early Access Physical and Sensory Team. We maximise potential and wellbeing through:

• Taking a specialist multidisciplinary approach
• Facilitating early intervention of SEMH needs
• Supporting primary areas of need
• Offering bespoke services according to requirements
• Providing targeted interventions
• Providing immediate access to our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team

Through supporting primary areas of need alongside SEMH needs, our Early Access Physical and Sensory Team offer a holistic service.

Next steps

• 
  Step 1.Interested?
• 
  Step 2.Request more information
• 
  Step 3.Commission EHP

Funding

Our services can be funded through a variety of ways.

EHP's Early Access Physical and Sensory Team provides cost effective specialist services to support the SEMH of children and young people with physical and sensory needs. Our holistic approach to identifying needs and interventions is effective in overcoming barriers to learning.

Commission EHP

Our specialist multidisciplinary services can be commissioned through a service level agreement and as standalone input.