Dates, deadlines & meet other parents (creche provided)

Dates, Deadlines & meet other parents (crèche provided) 22nd November 2015 Dear All Please read on for details of our informal family friendly events this coming weekend…

Dates From Richmond Mencap “Join us for Coffee and cake… We would love to hear from all people with learning disabilities and family carers about what they think and want. Come along for a cuppa and some cake and tell us what you think we should be doing more, or less of. We hope to see you then.”

Monday 23rd November from 3pm to 6pm at the Crossway Centre, 305 Richmond Road, Twickenham, TW1 2NP http://www.richmondmencap.org.uk/

SEN Transport – Open Consultation The final open consultation for all families whose children and young people receive SEN transport in Kingston & Richmond: Monday 23rd November, 7pm-9pm, Guildhall, High Street, Kingston, KT1 1EY

What would make school better?

Chocolate Cake consultation for young people: to discuss the Accessibility Strategy for Kingston & Richmond. We will cover school life, school trips and ‘reasonable adjustments’.

Please reply to this e-mail if your young person would like to join us.

Tuesday 24th November, 6pm to 8pm, Langdon Down Park, Teddington, TWtw11 9ps

Deadlines Reminders and a new link; all these deadlines are for end of Monday 23rd November!!

Leisure activities for children & young people The attached survey on leisure activities for children and young people with disabilities is a very real opportunity to affect the forthcoming commissioning. There's not a huge amount to be commissioned at this point (we're mid-commissioning cycle) - but it's really important to make that the money is used in a way that we, as parents, really need.

Please complete the attached survey and return it to Rachel by end of Monday 23rd November if possible.

New play area in Strawberry Hill Help shape the design of a new children’s play area in Strawberry Hill. The aim is to create a woodland themed natural play area that will incorporate an outdoor classroom and educational play features.

Take part in the consultation - open until Monday 23 November – and share your views http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/council/news/press_office/older_news/november_2015/ have_your_say_on_childrens_play.htm

NHS mandate Make sure there is comment on Special Educational Needs & Disability in advance of the Spending Review… “The mandate to NHS England sets the government’s objectives for NHS

England, as well as its budget. In doing so, the mandate sets direction for the NHS, and helps ensure the NHS is accountable to Parliament and the public.

In accordance with the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the Secretary of State must publish a mandate each year, to ensure that NHS England’s objectives remain up to date.

A new mandate to NHS England is due to be published following the completion of the Spending Review, to take effect from April 2016. This consultation document sets out how the government proposes to set the mandate to NHS England for this Parliament. The final mandate will be subject to the outcome of the government’s Spending Review.”

The consultation is open until 11.45pm, Monday 23rd November https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/setting-the-mandate-to-nhs-england-for2016-to-2017

Meet other parents – crèche provided SEND Family Voices have two informal, relaxed family events this coming weekend. Please come and join us, meet other parents and chat whilst your children play. Refreshments provided.

Saturday 28th November – 10.30am to 12.30pm – 13 Geneva Rd, Kingston, KT1 2TW Sunday 29th November – 3pm to 5pm – Greenwood Centre, Hampton Hill, TW12 1QL As you’d expect with a crèche, places must be booked in advance… please reply to this email to let us know or telephone 07469 746 145 We hope to see you there.

Achieving for Children’s… …senior management structure chart - updated for November 2015 and attached.

#notanurse_but What is really striking about the video link below is how it ends with what we hear a lot from families; the desire to keep their child at home: “for us, it’s so important for her to still be at home, to still live a normal life, to be with her sisters, be with Mum & Dad, to go to school and to enjoy Life.”

“Across the UK, thousands of parents, siblings and carers are delivering high levels of medical care to their children at home. For many, the physical, emotional and financial strain is unseen, unrecognised and often misunderstood. #notanurse_but is a parent-driven campaign that aims to shine a light on the reality of life behind closed doors for these families. It’s goal – to gather the evidence and highlight to decision makers the massive gaps in support that currently exist and need to be filled.

Join the campaign and help us raise awareness of the challenges these families face 24/7 and identify what needs to change.”

Click the ‘Watch our video’ button. Video is 3.33 minutes https://www.wellchild.org.uk/notanurse_but/ 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