Contact details, consultations & send ofsted

Contact details, Consultations & SEND Ofsted 24th March 2017 Dear All More news, more dates. Please follow the given contact details below for questions and more information on Aiming High etc

Aiming High Funding is back!

You can read the highlights and find the application form on the Local Offer. Due to the proximity of Easter – applications may be received one week in advance (instead of the usual 3 weeks): https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/blog_articles/975-aiming-high-funding-is-back Should you have any queries on Aiming High, please contact Nasima and/or Caroline in the first instance: Nasima Sultana - Short Breaks Administrator T: 020 8547 5562 E: nasima.sultana@achievingforchildren.org.uk Caroline Jager - Short Breaks and Aiming High Manager T: 020 8547 6069 E: caroline.jager@achievingforchildren.org.uk

Short Breaks Survey – Enter draw to win a £50 voucher (consultation) Short breaks are a hugely important service for families with disabled children, and one which all local authorities are legally obliged to provide.

Please take a few moments to fill out SEND Family Voices online survey (it takes about 10 minutes); all responses will be completely anonymised. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NQZZC3R

SEND Education Review (consultation) – deadline now 29th March We’re pleased to say that the response to this survey has been really good, with over 150 parents completing and submitting it so far. The deadline has been extended to next Wednesday, if you haven’t done so already, there is still time…

“Achieving for Children are currently conducting a review of education provision for children and young people from Richmond and Kingston with special educational needs and disabilities. The review will make recommendations for the future. If you would like to contribute to the review (and we'd encourage you to), please do so via completing the survey contained in the attached link. “ https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/blog_articles/967-review-of-education-provision-forchildren-and-young-people-from-richmond-and-kingston-with-special-educational-needsand-disabilities-parents-survey

Peripatetic Learning Support Assistants (PLSAs) – Update (consultation) Last week, we reported on the news that the Richmond PLSA service was due to close – here’s an update: A letter from Achieving for Children should have been received by all families whose child(ren) is / are supported by the PLSA Team*. The letter explains the consultation in more detail….

"The implications for you as a parent is that …. The individuals supporting your child may change as a result of the consultation. However, we would want to support and encourage schools to offer opportunities for the existing PLSA’s where they would like to apply. The staff are skilled and we would hope to minimise the impact of change wherever we can for your child.

It is likely that an outcome of the consultation will mean that PLSA’s will no longer be employed centrally by Richmond Council and may either transfer on a contract directly to a school team or another learning support assistant will be appointed to that role. However, PLSA’s will have an opportunity to apply for newly created posts, LSA’s to support visually impairment, which will sit within the ESSI (Education Service for Sensory Impaired). This will provide greater continuity and training for VI LSA’s and VI teachers.

All parents* should by now have been contacted by Anna Chiva from the SEN team and / or invited to attend a meeting by letter or email. There are meetings scheduled for: Tuesday 28th March - 9:00am - at Orleans Park School, Twickenham Wednesday (afternoon) - at St Mary's and St Peter's CE Primary School, Teddington Alternatively, parents can contact Anna Chiva for a meeting directly and ask any questions about the plans: E: anna.chiva@achievingforchildren.org.uk

Free School Application (the Auriga Trust) Long-time subscribers to this newsletter will remember we held consultations on the possibility of new special schools for Kingston & Richmond – to be created under the Auriga Trust. You can find some information here: http://www.strathmore.richmond.sch.uk/Academy-Conversion-and-MAT/ The application went in to the Education Funding Agency (EFA) last autumn, and Auriga are hoping to hear the result of the before Easter 2017.

Auriga have been told that the volume of applications was very high and that this will delay the next stage of the process involving confirmation of sites and required works. This means that realistically the earliest the school identified for somewhere in Richmond will open would be September 2018. Kingston may be similar.

We will keep you informed about the free schools when we have news.

School Transport Inquiry – Call for Evidence (national consultation) “Contact a Family have launched their biggest inquiry into school transport for disabled children, and we want to hear from UK families and local parent carer forums.

School transport is one of the top issues the Contact a Family helpline gets calls about. So, Contact a Family have set up an Inquiry in order to understand more about the problems and most importantly identifying the solutions, and that’s why we need to hear from you.

Take part here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SchoolTransportInquiry The deadline is 31st March 2017. The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete Parent carer forums, transport providers, and commissioners can make general comments about school transport in their area by emailing: una.summerson@cafamily.org.uk

For advice on SEN Transport Please call the Contact a Family helpline on 0808 808 3555 to understand your rights to school transport and how to challenge a decision if school transport is stopped or refused“

Direct Payments – how can they help?

This Mencap event covers direct payments for adults… and all our children will become adults… and all are welcome to attend this.

Wednesday 29 March 2017 12.30pm lunch, 1pm-3pm workshop Cross Way Centre, Richmond Road, East Twickenham “Once the Council has determined the Personal Budget and Support Plan to meet the needs of a person with learning disabilities to live as independently as possible, all or part of this Budget can be taken as a Direct Payment. This money can then be used to buy the care and support services needed – offering much more choice and flexibility in the who, what and where of provision.”

What’s new on the Local Offer?

Information Day on Special iapps

“Colin Dean, the founder of Special iApps will be running a workshop hosted by 21&Co, on the use of his award-winning technology in the teaching of children with communication difficulties...” https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/events/23602-21-co-information-day-on-specialiapps?date=2017-05-22

Free Family Pass Orleans House Gallery is offering a Free Family Pass to some families. This pass enables free entry to a range of their family programmes at Orleans House Gallery. https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/organisations/14862-orleans-housegallery?term=orleans+gallery

Employment projects for people with autism – event - 28th April https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/events/23628-employment-projects-for-people-withautism?date=2017-04-28

Have your say on young people’s mental health services! (consultation) “NHS England are working with YoungMinds, a charity campaigning for better mental health for children and young people, to find out young people’s views about how they are and how they would like to be involved in mental health services” https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/blog_articles/970-have-your-say-on-young-people-smental-health-services

Useful links and ideas

Thank you to those (you know who you are) for sending these in…

Please see attached a guide for people with learning disability to register with GPs (Kingston) https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/health/dont-missout?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social@NDTiSue Kingston Carers are up for £50k from People's Lottery - please watch their fab video (in Korean!) and vote for them https://www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk/projects/view/fit-for-caring Huge market leader in iPad communication app, proloquotogo has 50% discount for autism awareness week (worth £100+) http://www.assistiveware.com/dont-miss-get-50-our-popular-aac-apps Fabulous piece by campaigner Nicky Clark on blue badges for older teens with profound learning disabilities - please read & join her parking campaign https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/social-life-blog/2017/mar/22/mydaughter-is-not-deemed-disabled-enough-to-get-free-parking?CMP=share_btn_tw Local kids affected by long delays in getting a wheelchair https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/21/nhs-delays-disabled-people-waitwheelchair?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other Period-proof underwear - fantastic for SEND girls too https://www.shethinx.com/ The guessing game when your child is non-verbal http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/15370062?utm_hp_ref=ukparents&ir=UK+Parents&ncid=tweetlnkukhpmg00000012

SEND Ofsted Over five years, each of the 152 Local Authorities nationally will be inspected as to their effectiveness in identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). This inspection framework is a direct result of the SEND Reforms (The Children & Family's Act, September 2014).

Never before has SEND been inspected within Local Authorities.

We commend the NNPCF briefing document as a clear explanation of the purpose of these inspections, and the finding thus far. http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/send-ofsted/

@SENDFamilyVoice Finally, follow us on Twitter… our steering group has got the bug… there’s plenty to read! https://twitter.com/SENDFamilyVoice As ever, if you have any queries at all, please ask and we'll always do our best to find an answer.

With best wishes, Caroline North (for Kingston) and Romany (for Richmond) Phone: 07469 746 145 www.sendfamilyvoices.org