Gold, Music & Magic 20th September 2016 Dear All The title offers the opening and the closing of this newsletter, lots more in the middle…!
The Golden Binder What do you make of it so far…? SEND Family Voices worked hard on the Golden Binder (aka “Support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)” ) and we now co-chair the twice-yearly Process Governance Group. The idea is that formal changes to the processes are ONLY made through this group and agreed collectively by education, health, social care professionals and parents. The next Process Governance Group is next Monday 26th September. Have you used the Golden Binder? If yes, do you - parents or professionals - have any comments, observations, idea for improvement? If not, do you have any constructive feedback on why not? Please reply to this e-mail by the end of this Thursday 22nd September. For ease, you can find the Golden Binder here: https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/pages/home/assessment-and-education-health-and-careplanning/the-golden-binder
Family’s experiences Occasionally we ask for your experiences of local services – usually families offer feedback without any prompts – and that’s all helpful. We keep an anonymised record of every query, question or comment; this is then translated into an Issues Tracking Log which is our evidence base of our community’s experiences. We have been keeping this Log for over eighteen months now. Factual, evidence based data is invaluable in improving services – especially in these financially constrained times. Our aim is always to work in partnership – SEND Family Voices do not plan to throw grenades – and we want to hear both positive and negative experiences. We seek to understand what is working and what is not – and why. Please continue to let us know of your experiences, both good and bad, so that we can be sure that we are representing as wide a group of parents as possible as we continue our work to try and improve the experience of families in our two boroughs.
Children’s Centres – have your say Re-organisation of Richmond Children’s Centres… deadline 30th September. (Kingston to follow) Please take part in this survey and read the proposal document in the link below. Even if you no longer use Children’s Centres, please consider the ‘what and why’ of your experiences:
https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/blog_articles/609-richmond-children-s-centre-servicereorganisation-consultation
Schools that work for everyone (Government consultation) Open 12th Sept to 12th Dec 2016 “We’re seeking views on proposals to create more good school places. We’re consulting on proposals to create more good school places. The proposals include: expecting independent schools to support existing or open new state schools, or offer funded places to children whose families can’t afford to pay fees asking universities to commit to sponsoring or setting up new schools in exchange for the ability to charge higher fees allowing selective schools to expand, or new ones to open, while making sure they support non-selective schools allowing new faith free schools to select up to 100% of pupils based on their faith, and introducing new requirements to make sure that faith schools include pupils from different backgrounds” https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-frameworks/schools-that-work-for-everyone
For young people & young adults… NB; you must book in advance for all of the following… Please see the two attached flyers… Youth Club (Barnes) – Disco & Pizza for young people age 12-17 – last Sunday of every month Whitton All Stars – club for young people age 12-17- every Friday during term time and Wii and Pizza (details below) Sunday 2nd October from 1pm to 5pm. Cabbage patch, Twickenham from 1pm to 5pm. Price: £20, including food and drink (which includes soft drinks and pizza). This is open to young people aged over 18 who will enjoy being in a pub environment socialising with their peers. Please call Laura at Richmond Mencap to ask any questions, and if 1:1 support is required. T: 020 8744 1923 E: laura@richmondmencap.org.uk W: http://www.richmondmencap.org.uk/
For George and all other young artists… “no strings attached is a grant scheme from Farnham Maltings to help young people make their first piece of performance. Grants of between £500 and £1000 are available to young people from across the south east region. The grant is for anyone aged between 18 and 25 who hasn’t previously received a grant for the arts. In partnership with Unlimited, Farnham Maltings is also offering a specific no strings attached grant to ensure young disabled artists are supported” http://disabilityarts.online/jobs/no-strings-attached-grant-scheme-young-theatre-makers/
What’s new on the Local Offer
‘Understanding Autism’ is one of the Autism Seminars for Families which provides information and advice to parents and carers of children aged up to 11 who have received a recent diagnosis of autism. https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/events/21285-understanding-autism-seminar-for-parents-ofchildren-aged-up-to-11?date=2016-10-18 Please take a look at the Local Offer’s events pages – listings are monthly, and are constantly updated. https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/events Updates to the Adult Social Care pages (note that Richmond is joining forces with Wandsworth for adult services): https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/pages/home/preparing-for-adulthood/adult-social-care-inrichmond and https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/pages/home/preparing-for-adulthood/adult-social-care-inkingston We really like the photo used to illustrate the second button in, on the Local Offer home page. Yum! https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/
Tired Out? Tired Out supports families raising disabled children to find help and information about sleep http://www.tiredout.org.uk/
How to distress a child with an invisible disability without really trying From the Special Needs Jungle archives… “Since my son’s diagnosis of ADHD back in 2008, I have noticed that it is one of those conditions that seems to send what would normally be balanced, sensible individuals, into a frenzy of facts, advice and information about the condition.” http://www.specialneedsjungle.com/how-to-distress-a-child-with-an-invisible-disabilitywithout-really-trying/
Music & Magic We’re delighted to say that we’ve been successful in our funding application (via Healthwatch’s Richmond and Kingston) for NHS grassroots funding. So, here is a date for your diaries… we thought it would be good to have something to look forward to in the New Year…
Music & Magic afternoon “Funded by NHS England via Healthwatch this event aims to be fun for all the family. The deal is a) it must be fun and b) that NHS England will have the opportunity to chat informally to families of children and young people with additional needs about their health services. We will have music workshop all afternoon, and Matthew Garrett (Inner Magic Circle Gold Star) magician to entertain us. There will be refreshments, activities and goody bags. And all free!” (for families who attend) Invites will be sent to families in the New Year. For now, please mark the date in your diary. Saturday 4th February 2017- 3pm to 6pm The Langdon Down Centre, Teddington, TW11 9PS
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, Romany (for Richmond) and Caroline North (for Kingston) Phone: 07469 746 145 www.sendfamilyvoices.org If you wish to unsubscribe from this e-mail list, please reply to this e-mail with Unsubscribe in the subject line.