Skip to main content

Autism Outreach, Nurture Team, and Positive Play Support Team information.

Our services are committed to creating resilient school environments where the social, emotional mental health (SEMH) and wellbeing needs of the whole community are no longer a barrier to learning and inclusion.

Our vision and intended outcomes are:

  • Increased capacity and confidence within schools to promote and support inclusion and reduce the risk of exclusion.
  • Increased attendance and engagement of all learners, particularly of vulnerable groups.
  • Improved educational outcomes for learning, social and emotional development, wellbeing, and resilience.
  • Skilled and confident school staff who feel enabled to support the inclusion of children and young people with SEMH difficulties.
  • Improved wellbeing of pupils and school staff.
  • Reduction in suspensions and permanent exclusions.
  • Reduction in part-time timetables.

Autism Outreach

The Autism Outreach Service has now closed and been replaced with the new Inclusion Support Advisory Service - ISAS.

Autism Outreach is a team of specialist teachers in Derbyshire. It is set up to promote the inclusion of autistic pupils in mainstream settings.

The aim of the service is to increase the capacity of staff in schools and maintained early years providers to make appropriate adjustments for children with autism. It may not always be necessary to refer an autistic pupil. This will depend on skill levels within the school, including the prior experience and training of staff, and on the needs profile of the individual child. The child must have a medical diagnosis of an Autism to be referred to our service.

For more information and referral forms please see Derbyshire Local Offer.

The Nurture Team

The Nurture team consists of a highly skilled, experienced team of teachers and specialist learning teaching assistants (SLTAs) who have all undertaken the national Nurture training. We have worked in Derbyshire schools since 1999 to set up and run nurture groups, train staff, and offer ongoing support to the most vulnerable learners.

We also offer a range of training to help schools set up and run nurture groups of their own. For more information please see Derbyshire Local Offer.

Positive Play Team

The Positive Play Team offer a unique early intervention programme designed to raise the self-esteem and emotional wellbeing of shy, timid, disaffected, and challenging children and young people. Their family programme provides support for families, encouraging positive parent/child interactions through the medium of play.

For more information please see Derbyshire Local Offer.