Physical Difficulties Support Service

• Physical Difficulties Support Service is one of the Birmingham City Council Special Educational Needs and Disabilities support services.
• Physical Difficulties Support Service is a small team consisting of qualified teachers with a specialism and expertise in supporting children and young people with physical difficulties in mainstream nurseries and schools.

Physical Difficulties Support Service support children and young people on caseload from 3 years – 16 years who have a physical difficulty or medical condition that has a significant impact on their physical access to the school/nursery they attend.

• Offer educational advice on the physical access to the curriculum. This ensures the children and young people make progress and are fully included in all aspects of school life.
• Recommends resources and strategies that they can use in the classroom to show the teacher what they have learnt.
• Recommends ways of recording their work using computers, laptops, and tablets.
• Support children and young people to be active and join in with PE and swimming lessons with their friends.
• Support children and young people to join in with practical lessons e.g., Art, Food and Design Technology and Science.
• Support children and young people to join in with all educational visits/school trips.
• Support young people in preparing to leave school.When the Physical Difficulties Support Service work with children and young people, they listen to the pupils and parent’s views and include them in decisions that affect them.

• Offer advice to schools and nurseries about the Equality Act.

• Advise schools about educational provision and funding.
• Attend annual reviews of children and young people on active caseload who have Education and Health Care Plans (EHCP)

• Support the writing of Send Support Provision Plans (SSPPs) for children and young people on active caseload.
• Support schools in writing physical management plans for children and young people on active caseload.

• Offer advice around accessible schools in the local area.
• Support the return to school for children and young people who have been away from school because of illness/hospital stay.

• Offer training for nurseries, primary schools, and secondary schools.
• Offer virtual meetings to nurseries for pupils that do not meet criteria for caseload support.
• Offer P.E advice to schools.
• Encourage schools and health care professionals to work together.
• Let schools/nurseries know about appropriate support groups and charities.

• The school will refer your pupil to the Physical Difficulties Support Service, and you will be asked to sign to give your consent.
• The first meeting will be held in school with the Special Educational Needs & Disability Coordinator (SENDCo) and yourself to share information with the Physical Difficulties Support Service teacher.
• The Physical Difficulties Support Service teacher will come into school and meet your child and offer advice to the school.

• Physical Difficulties Support Service run training sessions within schools and across the city for parents to meet up and discuss their experiences.
• Physical Difficulties Support Service offer a workshop for parents/carers called ‘Getting ready for school’. The aim of the workshop is to help the move from nursery to reception. It offers advice around how to prepare your child at home and what to expect when your child starts school.
• Signpost to appropriate support groups and charities.