Inclusive Practice I want to end on a positive note and encourage all families to, wherever possible, empower themselves with knowledge and understanding of SEN laws, processes and policies within your local authority. This may be a task that is more difficult for some than others, however, there are many accessible online resources that can support your endeavours, which shall be listed below. Lastly, talk to each other, share experiences and knowledge, build communities where you can give and receive support. Online Resources and Services It is a statutory duty for Local Authorities to provide families with a service that offers free, impartial, confidential, advice and support to children and Young people with SEND and their families. In most local authorities this service is known as ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice Support Service’ (SENDIASS).
To find your local SENDIASS, please follow the link to the Information Advice and Support Network. The Council For Disabled Children (CDC) has a wealth of resources aimed at supporting families. Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) is a registered charity operating in England. IPSEA offers free and independent legally based information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and Young people with all kinds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They also provide training on the SEND legal framework to parents and carers, professionals and other organisations. The SEN Code of Practice (CoP 2015) is a document that must be utilised by local authorities when deciding on SEND policies and in decision making processes. I would advise downloading a copy, as use as a reference to support knowledge and understanding.
The 24 Hour School. By Joe Whittaker
We should not create ‘a new normal’ only to fit back into the ‘old normal’ The Coronavirus Pandemic has resulted in 38 million people from around the world being infected, and to date over 1 million people have died. One significant area of disruption has been to our schooling systems. Professional and academics have made strong representations to the UK Government, detailing the negative ways school children have been impacted: being denied their schooling experiences and associated relationships during the months of lockdown.
Psychologists are already preparing Government for a potential epidemic amongst school children who will, it is suggested, experience adverse mental health issues resulting from those months of lockdown and disconnection.
Families have recognised that interruptions in schooling have seriously affected the friendship supports, peer group activities, and many other social relationships that result directly from school closures. The negative impact of disruption to the schooling experiences of millions of children has been recognised by all, and the UK Government has announced additional resources to minimise the impact of lockdown.
“Our friends are the most important thing in life and being separated from our friends is like being cut off from life”
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It is, however, also recognised by many families around the UK that such dreadful consequences of disconnection and isolation have been a common experience of disabled children for the past five decades. As one Young Disabled person said:
This pandemic has demonstrated to us all that disconnecting children from ordinary school activities, and the associated relationships, over several months has been traumatic.
