What is the Targeted Approach?
The Targeted Approach offers a more intensive level of support for children, young people and families with complex needs, either over a short or longer term period of time.
It aims to reduce the need for statutory intervention, and minimise trauma for children and young people, but also to identify as early as possible those families where change and improvement are more difficult to achieve and sustain.
The importance of early identification and intervention with appropriate multi-agency support is key to addressing specific needs on an individual basis, to then implement targeted interventions.
The Plymouth Graduated Approach to Inclusion highlights the importance of a quality adaptive response, which addresses the needs of all children and/or young people. The Graduated Approach Framework cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, and Review, supports the identification of strategies and resources documented through an Individual Learning and Development Plan (ILDP). This plan will be developed jointly with the child’s/young person’s family to promote consistent support at both home and at the setting.
Some children/young people may need a referral to more specialist services. When their needs are complex, severe and long term and an education provider cannot meet their needs from within their own resources, and the education provider has sought advice from outside agencies, a statutory assessment of the child’s/young person’s needs will be undertaken.
Early identification is crucial to provide appropriate and timely support, families and professionals involved with the child/young person should first speak and professionals could include:
- Health visitor
- School nurse
- GP
- Pre-school staff member
- School staff member /SENCO
- Speech and language therapist
- Educational psychologist
- Community paediatrician
If at any point you need to consult with the Plymouth advisory teams, please see below:
Additionally, the Inclusive Good Practice Guides to Plymouth Inclusive Local Offer outline the expectations of mainstream schools, early years settings and wider partners to fulfil their duty by offering a fully inclusive and adaptable learning environment as a universal commitment to all pupils, in advance of targeted planning through the graduated approach.
These guides have been created to support all practitioners, including leaders, practitioners, teachers, support staff and other professionals to maximise their offer in collaboration with children, young people and their families.
