Last minute Activities, SEND News & An Angel Who Sings

Last minute Activities, SEND News & An Angel Who Sings 19th August 2018

Dear All Of particular note is the ‘hot off the press’ news of more summer activities for young people (item 1). We know it’s very short notice, we’re just spreading the word…

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Apply now: summer activities for Richmond children w/c 20th & 27th August More activities The Post-16 Maze – our event with Steve Broach SENDIASS – minimum standards consultations Against Human Rights: Landmark ruling against school exclusion for behaviour related to autism Legal victory for Bristol parents against SEND cuts – what does it mean for other areas?

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision in London Council for Disabled Children (CDC) digest - highlights Talking sexual health with a young person with additional needs Children with Disabilities Sleep Workshop An Angel Who Sings (un Angelo che canta)

1 Apply now: summer activities for Richmond children w/c 20th & 27th August Energise+ Holiday Groups 2018 Key points are: 1. Two (2) days a week for the weeks commencing 20th and 27th August 2018.

2. The groups are for disabled children living in Richmond aged 9-15 3. Contact Heidi Mansfield to find out if the group would be appropriate for your child heidi.mansfield@achievingforchildren.org.uk 4. Applications must be submitted by 5pm on Monday 20th August. Follow the link below to download the form: https://www.afcinfo.org.uk/local_offer/blog_articles/1817-energise-holiday-groups-2018extra-places-for-children-in-richmond

2 More activities Relaxed events NAS Richmond have sent several e-mails this summer on autism friendly / relaxed events; from London Transport to performances in Battersea. They’re not all listed on their website, and it’s too much to include here. Please contact NAS Richmond direct to be added to their newsletter. http://www.richmondnas.org/contact-us.html

Autism Hours The video is just a simple, clear explanation of what this is. 36 seconds and a link to more information ( www.autism.org.uk/autismhour )Of course, you don’t have to have autism to benefit! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsZtAf48TKI

Public listings The Local Offer recommends looking to their event’s pages for the most current listings (these are often the first to be updated). https://www.afcinfo.org.uk/local_offer/events

Low Bangs Fireworks “Back by popular demand we will be running our Low Bangs Fireworks Spectacular again in 2018. Come down for a day of spooky fun on the farm, and fireworks into the evening, on Saturday 27th October.” https://godstonefarm.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/16438?catID=14554

3 The Post-16 Maze – our event with Steve Broach You are warmly invited to come and listen to Steve Broach, a leading barrister and expert on health, education and social care for SEND. Steve is an articulate and entertaining presenter who will guide us through the maze that surrounds post 16 provision and will be able to cover the practical application of the law.

Thursday 27 September 2018 10am – 3pm Clarendon Hall York House Richmond Road TW1 3AA More detail on the agenda to follow after the summer holidays – in the meantime, please book your place. The event is free to residents of Kingston & Richmond and booking is essential: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rights-of-16-to-25-year-olds-with-send-tickets46882380462?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

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SENDIASS – minimum standards consultations

SENDIASS is the acronym for Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) Information, Advice and Support Services (IASS). It was once Parent Partnership, and now may be tweaking its name again to IAS. Anyway, if you’ve ever used these services, please add your twopenniesworth to the minimum standards for the future…

Minimum Standards for IASS - Draft for Consultation “The CDC (Council for Disabled Children) are currently consulting on a draft of the new Minimum Standards for Information Advice and Support Services (IASS, sometimes known as SENDIASS). These are part of the IAS Programme and will be the basis of future operational plans and linked funding in 2019/20.

We welcome feedback on these draft standards from parents, children and young people, professionals and anyone else with an interest in this topic.

The consultation period will close on Monday 3rd September 2018.” https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/information-advice-and-support-servicesnetwork/resources/minimum-standards-iass-draft-consultation

5 Against Human Rights: Landmark ruling against school exclusion for behaviour related to autism …from Special Needs Jungle “Thousands of children with disabilities will now be properly protected from discrimination in schools after a landmark ruling found the government’s equality laws are unlawful.

On 13th August, Reg 4(1) of Equality Act was ruled to be against human rights law and that schools should not be excluding kids on the basis of a 'tendency', if their behaviour is related to their autism.

The legal team had argued that the legal definition of ‘physically abusive’ had been stretched so that schools could exclude six or seven year old autistic children, who may have only displayed a few instances of 'low-level' physical aggression without being accused of discrimination.” https://specialneedsjungle.com/against-human-rights-landmark-ruling-against-schoolexclusion-for-behaviour-related-to-autism

6 Legal victory for Bristol parents against SEND cuts – what does it mean for other areas? …from Special Needs Jungle Summary: “Last Friday, the High Court handed down a judgment with far-reaching implications for families of children & young people with SEND. This case focused on SEND cuts – specifically, cuts that Bristol City Council planned to make to services funded through its High Needs Block. The judgment is great news for families of children & young people with SEND in Bristol; it’s quashed Bristol’s plans to implement cuts. In the meantime, the LA will have to find some way of plugging the High Needs Block deficit, most likely using council reserves.” https://specialneedsjungle.com/legal-victory-bristol-parents-against-send-cuts-what-meanother-areas

7 Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision in London The London Assembly has published a report about children and young people with SEND across Greater London. There’s nothing that will surprise any of us, but the report was commissioned by the assembly and it has made recommendations back to the assembly.

“Key findings • London requires thousands of new school places for children with special needs.

• There are concerns that the level of funding provided to schools for pupils with high needs is insufficient to provide the quality support they need.

• Close working between organisations is needed to support children and young people with SEND, their parents and carers. But many schools feel they carry most of the burden due to a lack of collaboration between the local authority and the NHS. • Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) are under huge pressure – there is a growing responsibility with diminished resources.

There is a lack of job opportunities, training and work experience for young people with SEND. “ https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/london-assembly/london-assemblypublications/special-educational-needs-and-disability-send-provision-london •

8 Council for Disabled Children (CDC) digest - highlights CDC’s monthly Digest is a compilation of news and there may be items you have already seen in this SEND Family Voices’ newsletter. The link to the Digest is below and we’d like to highlight a couple of items. https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/help-resources/resources/cdc-digest-summer2018?mc_cid=a20df0cb13&mc_eid=04a93be95d

The TES SEN Show 2018 5th - 6th October 2018 at The Business Design Centre, London.

“The Tes SEN Show is the largest, most-established special educational needs show in the UK. The show provides the ideal environment for SEN professionals at all levels of education to benefit from direct access to professional development opportunities and the latest products, resources and services available to the sector.”

We know that many parents also attend this event; and it is free to attend. Follow the registration button in the link below. https://tessenshow.co.uk

Steve Broach on the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill & Case law update from Steve Broach These are on pages 19 to 23 inclusive in the CDC Digest. Worth keeping an eye on as sometimes they may matter to you right now.

9 Talking sexual health with a young person with additional needs The two local Mencap groups for Kingston & Richmond are jointly organising this workshop for young people, parents, carers, support workers. A date for your diary, with more information to follow soon.

Wednesday 3rd October - 11am to 1pm Searchlight Centre, Kingston Rd, New Malden KT3 3RX. “Talking sexual health with a young person with additional needs” in particular LD, Social communication conditions and ADHD. Open to parents and carers of young people and adults who would like to get more comfortable talking about bodies, relationships and sex.”

10 Children with Disabilities Sleep Workshop “The Emotional Health Service for Children with Disabilities are running sleep workshops for parents of children with a learning or physical disability. The sleep workshop will provide parents with information about sleep, and strategies to manage their children’s sleep difficulties. By raising awareness of good sleep practice, the group aims to support parents with their child’s sleep problems. The workshop is for parents only.”

Please follow this link for more details: https://www.afcinfo.org.uk/local_offer/events/27665-children-with-disabilities-sleepworkshop?date=2018-09-24

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An angel who sings (un Angelo che canta)

Fabulous video – just under 5 minutes. Inspiring doesn’t cover it! (nb: we haven’t been able to find a non-Facebook version of this.) https://www.facebook.com/LeFotografiePiuBelleDelMondo/videos/un-angelo-checanta/1859468520766346 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 from all at SEND Family Voices T: 07469 746 145 E: sendfamilyvoices@outlook.com W: www.sendfamilyvoices.org