SEND Support Service is changing: introducing the Intervention and Inclusion Support Team

02 September 2025

West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Support Service is now called the Inclusion and Intervention Support Team (IIST). This transformation is designed to make it easier for families to access support and guidance at an earlier stage. The new service model focuses on early identification and tailored intervention, helping children and young people with SEND thrive from the earliest years through to school age, while also empowering parents, carers and education professionals with clearer pathways to advice and guidance.                                                                                                                

These updates are based on feedback from over 130 parents, carers, school and health professionals. The responses have been key to refreshing the service, with priorities including; better access to school support, simplified request forms, more frequent in-person appointments and training for education and early years professionals to build confidence and capacity.  

Working together with partners to embed these changes, parents and carers can expect:  

• Easier access to support: a new online form for parents and carers of children who are between the ages of 0 to 5 years, which focuses on development needs rather than an eligibility criteria, making it simpler to get advice and guidance.
• Building resource in early years settings: early years settings practitioners will receive further support to become accredited providers to help identify needs earlier, in line with the National Stamp of Approval scheme.
• Expanding training ability in the Portage Home Teaching team: increasing training to volunteers so more families with young children who have SEND can get support at home. The Portage model focuses on learning through play and helping children build skills step by step, supporting children’s development in a way that fits naturally into everyday routines.
• More in-person support in the community: the team will hold drop-in sessions for in-person advice at Family Hubs and other SEND parent groups for school age children. For Early Years children the team will attend existing stay and play sessions and SEND groups for parents to speak to the team during these sessions.
• Designated link worker for schools: each school will have a designated link worker offering half-termly support, including advice and training as well as targeted workshops for parents.
• Schools to be equipped to support children and young people with SEND: to work with schools on best practice approaches so they feel more empowered and confident to support pupils with SEND.
• Trained staff to support effective signposting: a skilled team who can work together with partners and professionals to efficiently signpost to teams and services for support where they are best placed to lead. 

These changes are designed to make it easier for families to get information and support early, by providing improved guidance and resource to them directly, as well as to early years and education settings. 

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or visit the Inclusion and Intervention Support Team webpage here.