Many neurodivergent children and young people enjoy attending MASKK because of our playwork approach. Playworkers support children to choose how they spend their time, follow their own interests and engage at their own pace. Our sessions are generally low-demand environments where children have the freedom to play, explore, socialise, relax and be themselves.

Our staff are experienced in supporting a diverse range of children and will always seek to make reasonable adjustments wherever possible. 

Our wraparound childcare and holiday camps are Ofsted-registered childcare services operating within standard staff-to-child ratios. While we strive to be as inclusive as possible, these services are not funded or staffed to provide dedicated one-to-one or enhanced support.

Many children with SEND attend these sessions successfully and enjoy being part of our play-based environment. However, attendance is dependent on whether a child’s needs can be safely met within our staffing arrangements, environment and programme of activities.

Our building is accessible for many children who use wheelchairs, walking aids or have physical disabilities. However, some aspects of our provision, such as off-site visits, outdoor adventures and community trips, may not always be suitable for every child.

Children attending our childcare services need to be able to communicate their needs in a way that staff can understand and respond to, whether through speech, gestures, visual communication, assistive technology or other established communication methods.

We strongly encourage families to arrange a visit before booking so that children can explore the environment, meet staff and help us determine whether the provision is likely to be a positive experience for them.

Some children require dedicated support to access activities safely and successfully. Where a child requires one-to-one, enhanced or specialist support that falls beyond what our childcare services can reasonably provide, we may recommend alternative provision that is better suited to meeting their needs.

MASKK works with Sheffield City Council to deliver Short Breaks provision for children and young people with higher levels of support needs. These sessions are separately commissioned and funded by Sheffield City Council and are specifically designed to provide additional support. Families wishing to access Short Breaks services should contact Sheffield City Council or the relevant referral service for further information. For more information about our Short Breaks Programme, visit http://maskk.org.uk/projects/shortbreaks/ 

You can search the Sheffield Directory for more information about other local services here: https://www.sheffielddirectory.org.uk/

Community Activities

Our community activities, park sessions and open-access events are intended to be welcoming and inclusive for everyone. However, these sessions are not childcare provision and parents or carers remain responsible for their children throughout.

Where a child requires additional support to participate, parents and carers are welcome to attend alongside their child and provide any support they may need. We are always happy to discuss individual circumstances and make reasonable adjustments where possible to help children and families feel included. 

Every child is unique. The best way for us to determine whether MASKK is the right fit is to have a conversation with you.

If you are considering one of our services for a child with SEND, we encourage you to get in touch, arrange a visit and tell us about your child’s interests, strengths and support needs. Together, we can explore the options available and identify the most suitable opportunities for them to play, have fun and be part of the MASKK community.