2.3 Evaluate the benefit of working with others to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities

This guide will help you answer 2.3 Evaluate the benefit of working with others to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Working with others to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) helps to meet their individual needs more effectively. No single professional can provide every type of support for a child with SEND. By sharing skills, knowledge, and responsibility, the child can receive a more complete and joined-up service.

SEND can include a wide range of needs such as physical disabilities, sensory impairments, learning difficulties, and emotional or behavioural challenges. Each type of need often requires a different area of expertise. Collaboration between staff and external professionals ensures that support is consistent and well planned.

Using a Team Approach

Supporting a child with SEND often involves many different tasks. This can include managing physical access to buildings, adapting learning materials, or providing emotional support. One person may be strong in one area, while another is more skilled in a different area. By working as a team, strengths are combined to give the child the best possible support.

A team approach means that information is passed between those involved, reducing gaps in support. This is particularly helpful where the child’s progress or difficulties need to be closely monitored.

Benefits of a team approach include:

• Better communication between staff and professionals
• A wider range of ideas and strategies
• Reduced risk of important needs being missed
• Shared responsibility for outcomes

Roles of Different Professionals

Supporting a child with SEND can involve many different professionals. Understanding their role helps to clarify why working together is so valuable.

• Teachers: Plan and adapt lessons to suit the child’s needs and abilities.
• Teaching Assistants (TAs): Provide direct support during lessons and activities, often working one-to-one.
• Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO): Oversees SEND provision, coordinates support, liaises with families and external services.
• Speech and Language Therapist: Helps children improve communication skills using targeted therapy.
• Occupational Therapist: Assists with fine motor skills, daily living skills, and physical access.
• Educational Psychologist: Assesses learning needs and advises on strategies to support progress.
• Social Worker: Supports families where there are wider concerns such as safeguarding or home environment issues.
• Healthcare Specialists: Provide medical care or advice for conditions affecting learning or participation.

Each role brings a different set of skills. No single person can replace all these skills, so working together ensures that support is well rounded.

Sharing Knowledge and Expertise

Sharing knowledge means that information about the child’s needs and progress is available to all who need it. For example, a speech therapist may explain techniques to help with communication during lessons. A teacher can then use these techniques in the classroom, reinforcing the therapy. The teaching assistant can also apply the same strategies when providing individual support.

This prevents conflicting methods and allows the child to experience the same approach in different settings. It also helps to monitor progress, as each professional can give feedback from their own observations.

Benefits of sharing knowledge include:

• Consistent approaches across different settings
• Clear understanding of what works and what does not
• Reduced misunderstanding between staff
• Better adaptation of activities and materials

Coordinating Support Plans

Many children with SEND will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). These documents outline the child’s specific needs and the support required.

Working with others ensures that the plan is realistic and achievable. The SENCO may lead on writing the plan, but input from teachers, parents, and therapists ensures that all areas are addressed.

Regular meetings allow for updates. This means that if something is not working, the team can make changes promptly. Coordination avoids gaps where no one is addressing a need.

Benefits of coordinated planning include:

• Clear roles and responsibilities for each professional
• Up-to-date targets that reflect current progress
• Better communication with the child and family
• Avoidance of duplicated or conflicting support

Building Positive Relationships with Families

Families know the child better than anyone and can provide valuable insight. Working with families as part of the wider team allows staff and professionals to understand home circumstances, preferences, and routines. This helps to plan support that fits the child’s life, rather than just the classroom.

Positive relationships with families build trust. This trust encourages open communication. Families feel more confident to share concerns and ask questions.

Benefits of family involvement include:

• A more complete view of the child’s needs
• Support strategies that fit both school and home environments
• Greater consistency in routines and expectations
• Emotional support for parents and carers

Reducing Isolation for the Child

SEND can sometimes cause a child to feel isolated from peers, particularly if they struggle to join in activities. Working together allows staff to create opportunities for inclusion. A teaching assistant may facilitate group work in the classroom. A therapist may suggest adaptations that make games and sports accessible.

When staff coordinate efforts, they can open doors to experiences that might otherwise be closed. This helps with social skills, self-esteem, and emotional wellbeing.

Managing Behaviour Effectively

Some SEND conditions involve challenging behaviour. If different staff members use different strategies, the child may become confused or resist expectations. Working together ensures that everyone uses the same agreed approach.

Behaviour plans can be created jointly, with clear guidance for all involved. Sharing responsibility for behaviour support means that no single person is overwhelmed, and the child receives consistent messages.

Benefits of coordinated behaviour support include:

• Predictable responses to behaviour
• Less anxiety for the child
• Reduced conflict between staff
• Better tracking of triggers and patterns

Improving Training and Professional Development

Working with others gives staff the chance to learn from each other. For example, a teaching assistant might learn new techniques from a therapist, while a teacher might discover adapted teaching resources from the SENCO.

Joint training sessions help everyone to develop skills that benefit not just one child but other pupils too. This broadens overall school capacity to support SEND.

Benefits of shared training include:

• Increased confidence in supporting different needs
• Greater consistency in applying strategies
• Development of a shared language and understanding
• Faster implementation of new approaches

Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Support

Progress monitoring is more accurate when feedback comes from multiple sources. A child might show improvement with fine motor skills in therapy but struggle to apply them in class. When therapists and teachers compare notes, they can identify gaps and adjust support.

Joint review meetings are a good way to update targets and share outcomes. This ensures that support remains effective and relevant to the child’s needs.

Preventing Burnout for Staff

Supporting a child with complex needs can be demanding. If one person tries to manage everything alone, they may feel overwhelmed. Sharing responsibility through teamwork spreads the workload. Staff can support each other and cover tasks during absences.

This leads to better wellbeing for staff, which in turn benefits the child through more consistent and positive support.

Final Thoughts

Working together to support children and young people with SEND brings clear benefits. By pooling skills, resources, and knowledge, each member of the team contributes to a stronger and more effective support system. Children receive help that covers education, health, emotional wellbeing, and social participation.

Collaboration also benefits staff and families. Everyone involved gains clarity, confidence, and shared responsibility. This creates a more positive environment where the child can thrive.

When professionals, staff, and families commit to working together, SEND support becomes more effective, more consistent, and more human. That shared approach is the key to helping each child reach their potential.