Bradford Council has announced the opening of a new specialist centre that will support children with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Established by the local authority’s Specialist Teaching and Support Services (STaSS), the Social, Communication, Interaction and Learning (SCIL) Centre has been designed to help children from all over the district.

It will deliver specialist assessment, support, and intervention for children with complex needs. According to the council, these pupils could be at risk of permanent exclusion from school and might benefit from a more specialist intervention offer.

Responsibilities of the staff will include working directly with the children, as well as assisting schools in developing the skills and confidence required to help their pupils.

Specialists will also be able to use the centre as a training hub, in which they can ‘model approaches and share expertise with education staff from across the district’.

 The local authority has reported that since its opening, the centre has already contributed to a reduction in the number of permanent exclusions and an uptake in children’s attendance and engagement levels.

Furthermore, it has helped education professionals and SEND services in decisions about appropriate longer-term support, funding, and placements as required.

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Cllr Sally Birch, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Children and Families, said: ‘The SCIL Centre will provide specialist support for children with complex needs while helping schools access the expertise they need to support pupils more effectively. By working together, we can ensure children receive the right support at the right time and help prevent unnecessary exclusions from school.

‘I have visited this provision myself to see first hand the dedication and professionalism of the service and how it has already started to make a difference to the lives of these children and their families. It is helping children remain engaged in education and receive the support they need to succeed.’