Accessibility, Chocolate Cake & Childcare 1st October 2015 Dear All Lots going on locally – and we’ve tried to keep this brief and punchy! As always, a Word version of this bulletin is also attached.
Accessibility & Chocolate Cake * What does Accessibility mean to you and your family? That’s a big question, isn’t it? In particular, accessibility within schools… so, is that about ramps for a wheelchair, classrooms on the ground floor, brightly coloured warnings on steps & stairs, a quiet route to a classroom? We are working on the Accessibility Strategy with Sarah Herbert (Achieving for Children’s Lead Education Advisor, SEND) and are very keen to answer the question above with parents and young people. This Strategy will directly provide information & advice for schools and families. ….and will, we intend, affect positive changes where they are needed. Please come to one of our meetings on this - rsvp to this e-mail or telephone 07469 746 145. Thursday 8th October
10am to 12noon
Room F, Guildhall 2, Kingston
Tuesday 13th October
6pm to 8pm
Room 7, York House, Twickenham
Monday 5th November
10.30am to 12.30pm
Bedelsford School, Kingston
Tuesday 24th November (especially for young people, no parents expected)
6pm to 8pm
Langdon Down Centre, Teddington
* In moment of joy, we discovered that whilst we can’t buy alcohol with our funding, we can provide cakes for consultations. Hence, we’ve named these the Chocolate Cake Consultations and provision will be made accordingly!
SEND Family Voices – participation & flyers We have just finalised our programme of Open meetings for the autumn and are in the process of putting together the invitations and themes for these. More news to follow very soon! We have also put together our introductory flyer (see Useful Documents page). We’ll be sending these to all parents in Kingston & Richmond with our Open meetings programme. In the meantime, please would any school, professional or parent group who would like a batch sent to them reply to this e-mail with an address & quantity.
RixMedia Wiki’s – the clue is in the name… There is still time to register for the showcase; current attendees show a very good representation of parents, schools and health. There’s a clue is in the name of the Wiki’s developers (RixMedia); as a local parent, actor & campaigner; Lord Brian Rix also has a connection with the Langdon Down Centre in that his daughter lived there for a while. The Showcase will include a video’d address from Lord Rix. His son, Professor Jonathan Rix, Professor of Inclusive Education at the Open University, is coming to say a few words in the introduction. Articles on both are below: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/22/brian-rix-actor-learning-disabilitiesmencap http://fels-staff.open.ac.uk/j.r.m.rix Event details… Monday 12 October - 5:00pm to 6:30pm. Langdon Down Centre, Normansfield, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 9PS To register go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/afc-wiki-showcase-event-tickets-18625648817 If you would like to know more about Wikis please visit our Local Offer website: http://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/pages/home/assessment-and-education-health-and-careplanning/about-wiki-s-and-how-to-get-on or contact James Mannion: James.Mannion@achievingforchildren.org.uk (020 8831 6394)
From the Local Offer – Childcare If childcare is a current concern for you, you may find this link and survey very useful. The survey feeds directly into commissioning. http://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/blog_articles/244-richmond-and-kingston-childcaresufficiency-assessment-2015-parent-carer-survey “Councils are required to undertake an annual Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) in order to identify gaps in the childcare offer, so that a plan can be produced with an outline of how to support the local market and ensure sufficient childcare provision. The CSA focuses on formal registered and unregistered childcare provision wherever possible, and involves childcare for children aged 0 to 14, and up to 18 for children with disabilities and/or special educational needs. Childcare sufficiency is more than just making sure there is ‘enough’ childcare. It is also about: Making sure that childcare is available, accessible and affordable so parents have the opportunity to use childcare in their area. Making sure childcare is of good quality so that it benefits the child. Providing parents with a choice of childcare so they can choose the childcare that meets their needs.
As a parent or carer your views are important for shaping the plans and we invite you to have your say by completing and submitting this questionnaire by 30th November when the survey closes.” If you would like a paper version of the questionnaire or have any queries about the survey, the CSA, childcare or other children's services in Richmond or Kingston, please contact either: For Kingston Natasha Garthwaite 020 8547 6545 Natasha.Garthwaite@achievingforchildren.org.uk
For Richmond Anita Board 020 8831 6370 Anita.Board@achievingforchildren.gov.uk
Going to university…? Publishing this article is a little late maybe… but still might be useful. “Going away to university for the first time can be daunting for everyone. But if you also have a disability and are leaving home, there can be additional factors to get nervous about – so it’s worth taking a little extra time to prepare.” http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/sep/29/top-tips-for-students-startinguniversity-with-adisability?utm_content=buffer81921&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_ca mpaign=buffer As ever, if you have any queries at all, please ask and we'll do our best to find an answer. With best wishes, Romany (for Richmond) and Caroline North (for Kingston) Phone: 07469 746 145 www.sendfamilyvoices.org