Learn how health services can make and early health notification and how this helps children under school age with special educational needs or disability (SEND)
What is an early health notification?
Under Section 23 of the Children and Families Act 2014, health services have a duty to notify the appropriate local authority where they anticipate that a child under school age has or is likely to have a special educational need and/or disability (SEND) when they start school.
- Nottingham City Council is the appropriate local authority for pre-school children living in the city.
- Nottinghamshire County Council is the appropriate local authority for pre-school children living in the county
The notification should always be preceded by a discussion with the child’s parent or carer, so that they are aware that such a notification is proposed. Health colleagues can then use the EY SEND Pathway Referral Form to make an Early Health Notification (Section 23 notification). For children with significant and/or complex SEND, health colleagues may also wish to consider making a request for the involvement of the Early Years SEND Team, or the Sensory Team (for pre-school children who are deaf and/or visually impaired). This can be done by selecting the EY SEND Pathway referral option on the form. You will need to confirm that the appropriate parent/carer consent has been obtained and that they have seen the privacy notice embedded in the form.
What the notification is used for
Once the form has been submitted to the local authority, the information will be used in the following ways:
Specialist support
If a referral to the EY SEND Pathway has been submitted at the same time the EY SEND team or Sensory team may offer additional support.
- Specialist support for child and family
- Transition support into school or setting
Understanding need within Nottingham City
Information from early health notification may be used by the local authority to monitor the level of needs across the city to aid with planning and provision for children with SEND needs as they enter education.
Section 23 Notification Referral - EY SEND Pathway Referral Form