STSS Charges for 2026-2027
Posted on 28th April 2026
From: Specialist Teaching Support Team
Introduction
This offer is for pupils with a diagnosis of Autism, Deaf / Hearing Impairment or Vision Impairment attending FE Settings in Staffordshire who require Specialist Support. Requests for involvement should be made directly into the Specialist Teaching Support Service office.
Support provision varies according to whether a pupil comes under an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) or the Graduated Response and whether the pupil lives in Staffordshire or not.
Eligibility for Core Offer
Pupils with a Staffordshire EHCP, attending FE settings in Staffordshire, will be able to receive the following specialist support from the Specialist Teaching Support Service without charge.
- One off visit for advice where there has been a significant change of need.
- Assessment of need as part of an Education, Health and Care Plan Needs Assessment [EHCNA]
- Initial transition, pupil specific awareness training for staff if required.
- Annual monitoring of a Staffordshire EHCP which will usually be by phone or email.
Where the FE provider does not currently employ specialist staff to provide the support identified within a student’s EHCP, the Specialist Support Service and/or ASSIST may be able to provide this upon request.
This support will be charged to the education provider, so the provider will need to apply for the appropriate FE funding to cover this.
Other than for statutory transition support and reviews, assessors and course providers need to check availability before naming members of the STSS teams in documentation.
Traded Offer
Where learners require assessment or support as part of the graduated response or support in addition to our statutory Core Offer, this may be purchased from the Specialist Teaching Support Service if there is capacity.
Support may include:
- Awareness training
- Guidance on Assess, Plan, Do, Review
- Specialist teaching support e.g. tutorials, language support, ICT access, specialist mentoring
- Specialist Mobility and Orientation Officers
- Communication Support Workers
- British Sign Language Interpreters
- Lip-speakers
- Note-takers
- Translation and transcription, including braille, moon, audio description
Assessors and course providers need to check availability before naming any of the STSS Teams or ASSIST for support.
Specialist Access Technology
Specialist access technology; e.g. radio aids, braillers, embossers can be provided, and the Specialist Support Service has a loan agreement for the education provider. There is a cost to this Service of 25% of total purchase cost of the equipment per annum, please refer to details within the DHI/VI equipment loan document. This agreement will include advice, set up and routine maintenance, but does not cover damage or losses.
Please be aware that provision of access technology, required by Autistic, DHI and VI pupils in schools, comes under the Equalities Act, 2010.
Outline of Charges 2026-2027
Hourly Support Costs
| Specialist / Bespoke Awareness Training | £100 per hour |
| Specialist Teacher / Educational Audiologist | £75.00 per hour |
| Communication Support Worker | £75.00 per hour |
| Rehabilitation/Mobility Officer | £80.00 per hour |
| Deaf Role Model / Vi Role Model | £75.00 per hour |
| Intervenor | £75.00 per hour |
| Manual Note-taker (Library/Reader Support, Sighted Guide) | £50.00 per hour |
| Transcription (Modification/Braille/Large Print/Audio) | £50.00 per hour |
| ICT Technician | £50.00 per hour |
| Touch Typing Tutor | £75.00 per hour |
STSS Service Level Agreement
We are offering the opportunity for FE Settings to purchase packages of support devised to create the best ‘fit’ for STSS time within your setting. The 25-hour package is ideal for settings who have a large number of students with a diagnosis of Autism, Deafness, or Vision Impairment and wish to use the Specialist Support Service flexibly across a number of students. This would prove to be the most cost-effective access to Specialist Support.
These packages are subject to availability and limited to one package per setting, per academic year in the first instance.
| Number of Support Hours Package for Academic year 2026-2027 | Total per Annum |
|---|---|
| 25 hours @ £60 / hour | £1,500 |
| 15 hours @ £65 / hour | £975 |
| 10 hours @ £70 / hour | £700 |
| Please note, follow up written reports are also chargeable by the hour | |
Should your setting wish to purchase an annual STSS support package (academic year) please contact The Specialist Teaching Support Service office direct where we would be happy to discuss an agreement with you further.
Autism Inclusion Team Early Intervention EAPDR Offer
This offer is for pupils who are presenting with Social, Communication and Interaction difficulties who do not have an EHCP. Pupils may or may not have a formal diagnosis of Autism, if they don’t have a diagnosis they must have been referred and accepted onto the diagnostic pathway. This offer will allow early intervention and support from Specialist Teachers and Communication Support Workers within their locality mainstream settings and facilitate a ‘waiting well’ approach. Request for involvement should be made directly via the SEND District Locality Hubs.
EAPDR Early Support Offer
Identifying and responding to individual needs is at the centre of this offer and specialist support may include but is not limited to:
- 1:1 Pupil Sessions and small group work.
- Post diagnostic work, understanding the diagnosis (if appropriate).
- Anxiety management / emotional regulation mentoring.
- Modelling and support to implement recommendations.
- Social Skills development sessions, Lego, Playdoh, Circle of friends etc.
- Peer mentoring, student ambassador training and support groups.
- Observations and recommendation reports outside of those completed during initial take up report.
- Attendance at staff meetings / parent meetings / coffee mornings.
- Transition visits.
- Support with positive behaviour plans, risk assessments and environmental audits.
- Support with Sensory profiling overseen by an Occupational Therapist.
- Preparation of resources to support inclusion within settings e.g. visual timetables, first, next, then boards / prompt keyrings etc.
- Any whole staff training required by the setting e.g. creating inclusive environments, sensory spaces etc. (Please refer to AIT Training offer for a comprehensive list).
Outline of Charges 2026-2027
Specialist / Bespoke Awareness Training - £100 per hour
| Number of Pupil Support Hours requested direct from SEND District Locality Hub | Total Cost inclusive of 50% School Contribution |
|---|---|
| 10 hours @ £100 / hour (Spec intervention) | £1000 |
| 5 hours @ £100 / hour (Spec intervention) | £500 |
Please note that any written feedback / reports are also chargeable by the hour.
Autism Inclusion Team Offer 2026-2027
CORE OFFER:
This offer is for pupils with a diagnosis of Autism in Staffordshire settings who require Specialist Support. Requests for involvement should be made directly into the Specialist Teaching Support Service office, or via your Specialist Teacher, if the young person has an EHCP. If the Young Person does not have or require an EHCP, requests for support beyond this ‘Core’ offer should go via the SEND District Inclusion Hubs (EAPDR Pathway) or direct via the Traded Offer to STSS.
Staffordshire pupils with a diagnosis of Autism either with or without an EHCP (*Staffordshire EHCP’s only*) will be able to receive the following specialist support from the Autism Inclusion Team without charge:
- Initial ‘Take Up’ following on from formal diagnosis of Autism to include parent meeting, setting meeting with key staff, observation and/or meeting with the CYP, a report with recommendations, and feedback meeting, if requested.
- Referrals to the Autism Inclusion Team can be made by the school setting to the Specialist Teaching Support Service: sss.service@staffordshire.gov.uk
- SEND locality hub attendance.
- Attendance at multiagency meetings: including CIN/Safeguarding meetings /DSR meetings, TAF.
Setting Support
- Autism awareness and acceptance training to all Staffordshire settings, if requested.
- A planning / signposting meeting with SENCo/key staff for any setting purchasing a traded package of Autism Inclusion Team support.
Young People with a Staffordshire EHCP
- Attendance at EHCP annual review, if requested; plus, one pre visit (observation and/or session with CYP) and a written report to inform annual review.
- EHCNA/EHCP hub paperwork requests.
- Autism Inclusion Team Intensive Support Service input if CYP has a Staffordshire EHCP and placement is at risk of breakdown. The expectation is that the Specialist Teacher involved will have offered support and the setting will have endeavoured to follow this advice, yet the young person is still struggling to access.
TRADED OFFER:
This offer is for pupils either with a diagnosis of Autism or those who have been identified as having social communication and interaction needs and have been accepted onto the Autism diagnostic pathway. It facilitates a ‘waiting well’ approach and an EHCP or formal diagnosis is not required to access this support. Requests for involvement should be made directly into the Specialist Teaching Support Service office or alternatively you can book ‘best value’ packages of support via the MS FORMS link at the end of this document. This support is also available via the Staffordshire EAPDR mechanism as part of a graduated approach.
Eligibility
The traded offer is open to Staffordshire settings including Early Years providers, Mainstream schools, Independent schools (Non-Specialist), Colleges and PRUs*
*(Maximum 5-hour package to support pupils known to the Autism Inclusion Team, with a diagnosis of Autism).
Staffordshire pupils with a diagnosis of Autism (or on the pathway to a diagnosis assessment) may benefit from additional Specialist input in addition to the Core Offer.
This specialist support may include but is not limited to:
- 1:1 Pupil Sessions and small group work.
- Post diagnostic work, understanding the diagnosis.
- Anxiety management /emotional regulation mentoring.
- Supporting school attendance – tailored planning, sessions/mentoring.
- Modelling and support to implement recommendations.
- Social Skills development sessions, Lego, Playdoh, Circle of friends etc.
- Peer mentoring, student ambassador training and support groups.
- Observations and recommendation reports, outside of those during initial take up.
- Attendance at staff meetings / parent meetings /coffee mornings
- Transition visits
- Support with positive behaviour plans, risk assessments and environmental audits.
- Preparation of resources to support inclusion within settings e.g. visual timetables, first, next, then boards / prompt keyrings.
- Any whole staff training required by the setting e.g. creating inclusive environments, sensory spaces etc. (Please refer to AIT Training offer for a comprehensive list).
Please also refer to the AIT ‘Bitesize’ training offer which will help to support you in creating inclusive environments for all students either with or without a formal diagnosis of Autism.
Outline of Charges 2026-2027
Hourly Support Costs
Specialist Teacher/Communication Support Worker = £75.00 per hour
Specialist/Bespoke Awareness Training = £100 per hour
STSS Service Level Agreement – Support Packages
We are offering the opportunity for Settings to purchase packages of support devised to create the ‘best value’ for access to the Autism Inclusion Team within your setting. The 25-hour package is ideal for settings who have a large number of students with a diagnosis of Autism. This would prove to be the most cost-effective access to Specialist Support. These packages are subject to availability and limited to one package per setting, per academic year in the first instance.
| Number of Pupil Support Hour Package for Academic year 2026-2027 | Total per Annum |
|---|---|
| 25 hours @ £60 / hour | £1,500 |
| 15 hours @ £65 / hour | £975 |
| 10 hours @ £70 / hour | £700 |
| 5 hours @ £70 / hour | £350 |
| Please note, follow up written reports are also chargeable by the hour | |
Autism Inclusion Team Booking Form
Should your setting wish to purchase an annual STSS AIT support package (academic year) please contact The Specialist Teaching Support Service office direct where we would be happy to discuss an agreement with you further.
Please follow this link for the Booking Form:
Specialist Teaching Support Service (STSS) Traded Offer Request Form (2026-2027) – Fill in form
Alternatively, scan the QR CODE:
Specialist Teaching Support Service (STSS)
Autism Inclusion Team
Staffordshire Place 1
Tipping Street
Stafford
ST16 2LP
01785 356830
sss.service@staffordshire.gov.uk
