Short Breaks, #Christmas & Parents Know Best 25th November 2016 Dear All More holidays and more to do… what works for you? Or, what would work for you?
Achieving for Children’s Aiming High Funding - Ceased for 2016-2017 You may have already received notification that the Aiming High Funding (that was the funding of up to £500 per year to pay for activities for a disabled child, administered by Caroline Jager) has now run out for this financial year. This means that no more applications will be considered. Applications for funding for activities in the Easter holidays (next financial year) can be sent to Caroline Jager from 1st March 2017. We, at SEND Family Voices are parents too, and are very disappointed by this. Please email us and tell us how you have used or would have like to have used the funding, and what other options are available to you now. This will help us to represent parents effectively going forward. E: sendfamilyvoices@outlook.com
Local Offer link: The following letter has been issued regarding the funding of Short Breaks activities (note the December 9th deadline): https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/blog_articles/751-aiming-high-funding-for-activities
Sundays in Hounslow We are reliably informed that this park is open to all on Sundays, and is often quiet. (btw – it sounds fabulous… can we have one in Kingston and Richmond??) Contact details below. “As part of the Aiming High for Disabled Children project, Hounslow Council’s Short Breaks team funded development of the Redlees Play Centre in order to make an exciting and accessible play space for disabled children and young people in the borough, in consultation with parent and carers of disabled children. A log cabin was built so that there is now extra indoor play space including a soft play area and changing room facilities with hoists. Development of the original building included a new sensory room and café area. In the enclosed garden, accessible play equipment such as a bed and wheelchair swing were installed. Future plans include a wheelchair accessible tree house which will be built this year.” For further information, please call the Hounslow Council Short Breaks team on 020 8583 3636. http://www.hounslow.info/parks-open-spaces/find-your-park/redlees-park/buildings-andservices/
Puberty and Sexuality (for families of young people with SEND) A reminder… We have arranged two workshops with Mark Brown, at Special Help for Special Needs.
The workshop will explore the issues faced by children/teenagers with special needs and the people around them when the child/teenager is going through puberty. This includes: identifying some of the characteristics of puberty that have a massive impact upon children/teenagers with special needs; provide some understanding in relation to anger management as a teenager; look at practical approaches towards inappropriate sexualised behaviour. Please contact sendfamilyvoices@outlook.com to book a place. Thursday 8th December - 10am to 12noon The Langdon Down Centre, 2A Langdon Park Teddington, TW11 9PS Thursday 8th December - 7pm to 9pm King Charles Centre, Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, KT5 9AL Note: there is a Varsity rugby match in Twickenham that day, so best avoid central Twickenham in the afternoon! These events are being advertised via this bulletin, our website and schools. Please do send on to your friends and networks.
Children & Young People’s Plan 2017- 2020 We have had a number of very successful consultations on this subject. The feedback is rich and representative. We look forward to taking this forward. There is still time to send us your thoughts and priorities. Please contact sendfamilyvoices@outlook.com The deadline for completing the online survey has been extended to 11th December 2016: Kingston: www.kingston.gov.uk/cypp Richmond: https://consultation.richmond.gov.uk/afc/cypp16
Kingston health services “Help shape how decisions are made about future health services in South West London and Surrey Downs Following the publication of the NHS Five Year Forward View, all regions of the NHS in England have been required to produce a five year Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP). The plans outline how local services will evolve and become sustainable over the next five years. The STP for South West London is now available on the RBK website and has now been published by Kingston Clinical Commissioning Group, please see here. Below is an invitation from South West London NHS to the voluntary and community sector to attend an event to contribute to the next stage of the process, ‘to help shape how decisions are made about future health services in south west London and Surrey Downs’. The event is taking place on: Monday 12 December - 1pm to 4pm venue to be confirmed.
Booking for this event must be made directly with SWL NHS. Please email Clare Thomas - clare.thomas@swlondon.nhs.uk if you are interested in attending.”
Richmond children’s and young people mental health & wellbeing plan Please follow this link for the Richmond Transformation Plan for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing 2015-2020. http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/third-party-documents/
What’s new on the Local Offer As the "season to be jolly" approaches, here is some timely advice from Rosalind on the subject of Christmas crackers. You can find information on events happening over the holidays and in the lead up to Christmas by searching #Christmas .https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/blog_articles/759-reasonably-adjusting-your-crackerschristmas-and-other-fun-things-to-do Please could all local charities, voluntary and community organisations please upload their Christmas events if they haven't already done so. https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/website_users/sign_up And parents & carers… please let the Local Offer know about anything that isn’t on there that you think should be. https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/enquiries/new Hot tip from the Local Offer: Advice on safeguarding for family's arranging activities and care for their children “There are lots of issues for you to consider when for planning activities and care for when your children aren’t with you, make sure you can trust those who look after them.” https://www.sendirect.org.uk/information/i-need-information-on/safeguarding/
28th November 2016 “ 'Don't call me Mum' Awareness Day has been set up by parents who get irritated by being called 'Mum' or 'Dad' in meetings and appointments about their children. We ask that practitioners call parents by their first name. In doing so they are making a simple step toward acknowledging the valuable participation parents make in every child's care and education. Our Values We see parents as partners in care and education. We believe that when practitioners address parents by their name, they show respect and acknowledge their participation. We see parents as central professionals within the care and education of their children. We see parents as having expert skills, knowledge and perspective, needed to give the best for their children. “ http://www.dontcallmemum.com/
Could you argue with this…? “A teacher’s expertise in educating pupils with SEND is valuable, but so is the expertise of parents, says a disability researcher and former teacher”
https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/send-parents-views
Father Christmas...
“Come down to Me too & Co's AGM next Friday, 2nd December at 10am and meet Father Christmas! That's not all! At 11am a special entertainer is coming to keep your little Christmas cherubs happy in our crèche while you join us upstairs for our AGM until 1pm. MeToo&Co want to hear about what you think we could do to meet the needs of your families even more. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided. We're looking forward to seeing you there.” Please contact Fiona on info@metooandco.org.uk
And… …just in case you missed it. Our lovely film with young people in their own words (about halfway down, on the left-hand side): http://www.richmond.gov.uk/news Or: http://www.sendfamilyvoices.org/film/ 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