New centre for children with special educational needs opens in Gloucester

More than a dozen children in Gloucestershire with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are now getting vital support after the opening of a new dedicated centre by a UK charity.

The new Dingley’s Promise centre in Coney Hill Road, Gloucester, is currently supporting 12 children aged between 2-4 years old and a further 7 through its outreach services.

The centre will offer the children early, specialist intervention to give them the best start in life and fully support their transition to school.

Lucy Wickett, Centre Manager, said: “I am very excited about the centre opening in Gloucester, where we can work with children, families and the wider community to allow them to feel included, supported and listened to.

“The team are very passionate about offering each child an individual curriculum to best support their development, that provides a wide range of experiences and is inclusive to all.”

The centre is working closely with Gloucestershire County Council Early Years team, other nursery facilities in the area and local families to continue to support and develop children with SEND across the county.

At present it mainly supports children who have had an autism diagnosis or who are likely to receive one. However, staff are currently training to support children with very complex needs so they can also attend the centre.

Lucy added: “I am thoroughly looking forward to watching the team develop and the centre become a place where children can feel safe, grow in confidence and reach their full potential.”

Dingley’s Promise offers life-changing support to children with SEND in the early years with the aim of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

“We offer a high staff to child ratio, to support children’s individual needs, using a wide range of resources to provide for the children’s development and facilitate their learning,” continued Lucy.

“We use an extended amount of communication opportunities and resources to support non-verbal and pre-verbal children, giving them the opportunity to express their own wants and needs. We also offer the children an engaging, inclusive curriculum, in which they can enjoy new experiences.

“We work on; individual targets daily, plan activities based on the children’s interests and enhance the environment to support development. We also offer diverse sensory opportunities to allow children to regulate their emotions.”

While the charity is supported by local authorities, it relies heavily on community and business donations and support to provide its services.

 

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk