We work in partnership with schools, settings and families to support the development, learning, achievement, psychological well being and safety of children.

We work both directly with children and young people and with and through others to create the most effective learning opportunities for all children and to bring about positive change and progress for children who are experiencing difficulties.

We offer Specialist practitioners who are available to work both at the organisational and individual level:

• Educational Psychology - The team includes educational psychologists, family workers, advisory teachers and support staff specialising in Autistic Spectrum and behaviour difficulties. The team offers a flexible and responsive range of assessments, training and interventions which can be focused on the needs of an individual child or group of children or on organisational and development issues within schools and settings.
• Support and Advisory Teachers - The team provides teaching, assessments, advice and support for children and young people who are deaf and hearing impaired, have been diagnosed with a speech and language difficulty, are visually impaired or have physical difficulties. Support is also provided to pupils who have a statement of special educational needs to access ICT within the curriculum.
• Education Welfare - Advice and guidance are provided on any problems that may impact on the ability of a child to access or sustain an acceptable level of attendance in education, including welfare issues, behaviour and special educational needs. Training is also provided to ensure the safety of children in educational settings in order that children can access education in a safe environment.
• Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Achievement - Advice and support are offered to schools and settings to fully include Traveller children in line with national strategies and race equality guidelines. Resources are available to include the Traveller perspective in the curriculum. Outreach work is available to support the inclusion of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and their families. Training and workshops raise the awareness of Traveller culture and lifestyles and provide examples of good practice.
• Home Based Education - The education of a child at home is a great responsibility for a family. It demands a serious commitment of time, money, patience and energy. If you are considering educating your child at home as opposed to in a school, it must be borne in mind that it is the decision of parents as to what and how the child learns and that it is your responsibility to provide your child with a broad and balanced curriculum.
• Inclusion - The Inclusion and Reintegration Team are based at Great Moor House, Exeter and the Civic Centre, Barnstaple and provide a statutory but impartial service to parents and carers, school governors, headteachers, their staff and other agencies in relation to exclusion, reintegration and inclusion.

The benefits LDP provides through Learner Support:

• A team of staff experienced in working across all phases of education, supporting the wide range of additional and complex needs of young people across a large local authority
• The ability to work at the preventative level and at the crisis level
• Providing support which is based on an integrated approach to the needs of young people, working in tandem with a wide range of agencies and organisations
• A high quality training offer individualised to the particular needs of organisations
• Research and evaluation skills to support action research in schools and settings and to support new initiatives and project work
• Specialist coaching skills
• Critical incident support work
• Specialist services for particularly vulnerable groups
• A focus on ensuring that children and their parents and carers are fully engaged in all interventions