The SEDIS Model

The Staffordshire Enhanced District Inclusion Support (SEDIS) model is part of our approach to improving support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It provides early, targeted help for schools before statutory processes, such as Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), are considered.

Last updated: 27th August

The SEDIS Model

The three priorities in the SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy for Staffordshire 2026-2029 are:

  • Priority 1 - Provide timely and consistent support
  • Priority 2 - Listen, understand and support families
  • Priority 3 - Nurture inclusive environments and best practice

The SEDIS Model supports towards meeting these priorities and builds upon the current graduated response for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). SEDIS provides outreach support for schools, which is primarily focused on supporting the educational setting to develop the strategies and skills to enable them to meet the needs of children/young people with SEND.

At the heart of the SEDIS Model are five core principles:

  1. Supporting inclusion in local mainstream educational settings
  2. Earlier evidence-based intervention
  3. Removing barriers to accessing support
  4. Equity of access to support across the county
  5. Building restorative and relational educational settings

How does SEDIS work?

SEDIS operates through district-based inclusion hubs. These hubs bring together:

  • School leaders and SENCOs
  • Local authority officers
  • Specialist support services
  • Health and social care professionals (where needed)

The hubs meet regularly to:

  • Review cases where children need extra help
  • Agree strategies and interventions
  • Monitor progress and adjust support as needed

What support does SEDIS provide?

SEDIS offers:

  • Advice and guidance for schools on meeting SEND needs
  • Training and resources to build school capacity
  • Transition support and planning
  • Strategic whole school planning 
  • Signposting to other local services
  • Modelling
  • Sharing of good practice and evidence-based interventions

SEDIS Pathways

There are three pathways that schools can be recommended SEDIS support through: 

  1. The SEND and Inclusion Hub in each district. Referrals are made by the school, with parental consent, and discussed at hub meetings. 
  2. The central EAPDR panel, if an application for EAPDR has not been successful 
  3. The EAPDR pathway as part of the "do" phase of support. 

The home school must contact the district SEDIS team and education commissioning within 2 weeks to confirm whether SEDIS support is required or not. 

Hub referrals 

  1. 4 hours of initial SEDIS support agreed at hub meeting in consultation with the Hub Chair and 3 other members
  2. Business support update the One Form and send a list of the recommended pupils, home schools and commission requests to education commissioning and the SEDIS team. 
  3. If agreed, the home school contact their district SEDIS provider and send the One Form and copy in education commissioning
  4. On receipt of the One Form, the SEDIS provider checks against their email from business support and then contacts the home school within 5 days. 
  5. A report will be provided outlining strategies and interventions undertaken for CYP, along with recommendations for whole school best practices moving forward. 
  6. There are three possible next steps following initial support: 
    • No further intervention is required
    • CYP/school requires further SEDIS support - the SEDIS provider will detail support recommended
    • Return to the Hub to request further sources of support, e.g. from the Flexible Framework or an EAPDR request. 

EAPDR not agreed

  1. EAPDR panel does not agree EAPDR, but SEDIS support is recommended. 
  2. The decision is communicated to the home school SENCO and district SEDIS team with the recommendation of SEDIS for consideration
  3. The home school agree to receive SEDIS support and contact the SEDIS provider, send the One Form and copy in education commissioning. 
  4. On receipt of the One Form, the SEDIS provider checks against their email from business support and then contacts the home school within 5 days. 
  5. A report will be provided outlining strategies and interventions undertaken, along with recommendations for whole school best practices moving forward. 
  6. Recommendations from the SEDIS team utilised by the home school and EAPDR request re-submitted to the panel for consideration if appropriate. 

EAPDR agreed

  1. Educational psychologist allocated and school SENCO informed
  2. School SENCo arranges assess and plan meeting with Educational Psychologist, parent/carer and other relevant professionals. 
  3. Planning meeting, ('assess and plan' phase), to identify and agree outcomes and most appropriate provision takes place. 
  4. If SEDIS is identified, home school emails the updated One Form, detailing required enhanced provision, to the SEND Commissioning Team inbox. 
  5. SEND commissioning team process and approve and an EAPDR Commissioning reference emailed to school
  6. School contacts SEDIS provider to plan to begin the introduction process and support
  7. Review meeting to assess progress against outcomes and agree next steps against outcomes and agree next steps e.g. second cycle of EAPDR, SEDIS In-Reach, request for EHCNA, or return to APDR. 

Why is SEDIS important?

SEDIS helps:

  • Schools respond quickly to emerging needs with an increased understanding
  • Reduce delays in support
  • Keep children learning in their local school wherever possible
  • Improve outcomes for children and young people
  • Develop inclusive mainstream school settings

SEDIS Lead providers in each district

Cannock

Littleton Green Community School - sedis@suatrust.co.uk 

East Staffordshire

Fountains Primary School - EaststaffsSEDIS@proton.me 

Lichfield

Rocklands School - QRRSEDIS@outlook.com 

Newcastle

Langdale Primary School - newcastlesedis@creativelrng.com 

South Staffordshire

Cherry Trees School - southstaffssedis@cherrytrees.staffs.sch.uk 

Stafford

Greenhall School - staffordsedis@creativelrng.com 

Tamworth 

Two Rivers Primary School - TamworthSEDIS@tworiversschool.net 

Staffordshire Moorlands

The Meadows School - SEDIS@cicely.mhat.org.uk 

SEDIS feedback from schools accessing this support

“The benefits extend beyond the individual children who have received direct support; the entire school community, including teachers, teaching assistants, one-on-one aides, the SENCo, and the senior leadership team, has experienced significant advantages”.

“Having that specialist knowledge in mainstream schools is vital in the current climate”. 

“The popularity of this training has initiated a movement towards transformative change within the school, with discussions about implementing a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) training session in the future”.

“The guidance, encouragement, and expertise provided by SEDIS have been invaluable”.
SEDIS has enabled us to reassess and refine our approaches, introducing innovative strategies that benefit whole-class instruction”. 

“As a headteacher, I highly recommend the SEDIS service for its comprehensive and adaptable support, which has proven to be a transformative asset for our school”