Safety, Summer, SWLStG & Starlight 1st July 2017 Dear All The Twittersphere continues to provide a wealth of information on many disabilities – please see our regular update below…
On-Line Safety Once again, an update on our On-line Safety workshops… We've uploaded most of the contents, documents and all the videos onto our website, you can find the details here. We’ve given a short outline on each of the videos. http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/online-safety/ We’d like to remind everyone that we have a stock of Digital Parenting magazine. You can read the magazine on-line, or we can post you a copy (please reply with your postal address. http://www.vodafone.com/content/digital-parenting.html/ We also commend this Channel 4 news item: https://www.channel4.com/news/children-bombarded-with-sexually-explicit-chat-onmusical-ly-and-live-ly
A few summer activities Isn’t odd the things you find out when you bump into people in a car park! We found out about this open to all social group…
Our Barn “At Our Barn we run community based activities providing learning, life skills, and social interaction for young people aged between 16 and 25 with learning difficulties or other disabilities. Our rather unusual name was chosen by the young people and comes from the log cabin we use in Redlees Play Centre. We have extended the opportunities we offer, but Our Barn Youth Club remains our core activity.” https://www.ourbarn.org.uk/
And here’s a few more… RISE – taster courses Richmond upon Thames Inclusive Sports & Exercise Try out sports including basketball, tennis, rugby, dance, football, cricket and athletics at a RISE Sports Camp. http://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/sports/disability_sports_and_activites/rise_sports_camp s For their full programme, see here: http://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/sports/disability_sports_and_activites/rise_activities_for _children
DSActive Activities for people with Down’s Syndrome. DS Active is now running activities in Teddington; the age range is 5-40. here will be 3 coaches on the day, as well as a DSActive team member and hopefully some volunteers too. There is a limit of 15 participants per session, so a coach to athlete ratio of 1-to-5. Locally, For more information: T: 0333 1212 300 E: alex.rawle@downs-syndrome.org.uk W: www.dsactive.org.uk
Special Olympics Surrey “Our mission is to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympictype sports for people with intellectual disabilities.” http://sosurrey.weebly.com/ And the full list on Kingston’s website: https://www.kingston.gov.uk/info/200179/sports/449/sports_for_people_with_disabilities
SWLStG CAMHS autism diagnosis… update SWLStG CAMHS = South West London St. George’s, Children & Adolescent Mental Health Services Last week, SEND Family Voices hosted a friendly, constructive 5 borough forum meeting with Merton, Wandsworth, Sutton and us (Kingston &Richmond) parent carer forums. We also welcomed the National Autistic Society (NAS) Participation person and the NAS's from each borough - and, of course Express CIC! The meeting was empowering for all – in part due to the mutual support and skills that come from a multi-group meeting. As it stands, we understand the proposals from SWLStG will affect Autism diagnosis where there is no presenting mental health difficulty. Clinical diagnosis for Autism with mental health difficulties and ADHD remain protected by the NICE Guidelines. We are not yet sure how – or if - this affects ‘co-morbid’ diagnosis, where autism is present alongside Downs Syndrome or ADHD for instance. That said, the decisions are in the hands of the CCG’s (Clinical Commissioning Group’s children’s commissioners) – not SWLStG. So, the proposals remain proposals – and there is to be no change until the end of this financial year (March 31st 2018) There are plans for formal consultations in the autumn, in each of the five boroughs, with the CCGs. And… whilst the questions about these proposals are 'local' to the 5 boroughs, this, has already received national interest from the BBC and a question in parliament last week: Siobhain McDonagh MP (Merton) asks about ASD diagnosis in Parliament. Watch it here (1 min): http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/18b1ea2c-c8a9-4314-a9ccefbb81cc2b38?in=12:43:56&out=12:44:48 Locally, we have one more CAMHS Chat arranged, this time hosted by NAS Richmond and with Richmond’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) children’s commissioner: Thursday 13th July – 10am to 12noon with NAS Richmond, at York House, Richmond Road, TW1 3AA Additional guest: E Ruddy - Strategic Programme Manager (Transforming Care) - NHS England
E: sendfamilyvoices@outlook.com T: 07469 746 145 Please reply to this e-mail to book your place. We look forward to sharing the collated notes from all the CAMHS Chats (with Express CIC, ADHD Richmond, SFV at MeToo&Co and NAS Richmond) at the end of July.
@SENDFamilyVoice A very busy week again on Twitter - there is so much really great information out there. This week has seen a few big social media campaigns from the Council for Disabled Children (The Secret Life of Us) and #SevenDaysOfAction highlighting the experiences of people with learning disabilities in assessment/treatment units An unbearable but necessary read on treatment units from Laughing Boy's Mum: https://mydaftlife.com/2017/06/24/the-mystery-of-loring-hall-and-the-cqc/amp/ SEND, short breaks & equality: http://annakennedyonline.com/out-of-school-clubs/ The wear & tear of trying to fit in needs to be acknowledged: https://itmustbemum.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/masking-and-blending-in-is-there-adifference/amp/ Why disabled bays are for blue badges: https://thelongchain.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/this-is-a-disabled-parking-bay/amp/ Know Your Normal: Young People with ASD & Mental Health: https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/sites/default/files/Know%20your%20normal%20res earch%20report.pdf One of the best blogs out there on reasonable adjustments, and more: http://wholeschoolsend.com/content/grateful-send-parent-and-cup-tea When a child is in a wheelchair even going to the park takes so much planning: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CbOGvFQnV3E From the archives: autism in women: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/3356496/Autistic-women-a-life-moreordinary.html A short film on what it's like to find out you have ASD at 33: https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2017/jun/29/what-its-like-to-find-out-you-haveautism-aged-33-video Overcoming barriers to help deaf children succeed: https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/overcoming-barriers-help-deaf-childrensucceed/amp/ 13 top tips for the EHCP process: https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/tanias-13-top-tips-for-surviving-the-ehcp-process/amp/ A revolution happening in tech for the blind: https://amp.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/26/braille-be-my-eyes-revolution-techfor-the-blind-visually-impaired
AfC Info & The Local Offer – update As is so often the way for IT migration, the ‘go live’ date for AfC Info is slightly delayed – we’ll send a formal note next week. In the meantime, keep an eye on the Facebook and Twitter feeds below for news as it happens…
Fb : https://www.facebook.com/AfCinfopage/ : Twitter weblink: https://twitter.com/AforC_info : @AforC_info
SEND Reforms – data on progress so far For those that like statistics, we’ve put the Department of Education (DfE)’s presentation from the London Strategic Managers Network meeting on 22nd June. The stats relate to parent experiences, and regional implementation of Education, Health & Care Plans. DfE deadlines notwithstanding (all transfers from Statements to EHC Plans must be completed by end March 2018); the overall message is Communication. Talk to families. http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/send-ofsted/
Reasonable Adjustments (from an author known as Starlight) What is a reasonable adjustment? Well, it’s what it says on the tin, and the intention is to limit disadvantage for those with SEND. Here’s a short article, from a local parent, about the reality and positive impact… http://wholeschoolsend.com/content/grateful-send-parent-and-cup-tea 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