SEND News and Update 02.02.22
Date Added: 02/02/2022
Welcome to this edition of the SEND News Bulletin. This week includes information on
• SEND Quality Assurance Framework
• The SEND Forum
• Help to improve SEND services by taking part in the SNAP PCF Survey
• Missing the Mark - Parent Training Sessions
• Skills 4 Success - Autism Bedfordshire
• "Yes We Can" Multi Sports Day
• Down In the Jungle - A Sensory Story Workshop
• Autism Bedfordshire February Half Term events
• What's On
• Children's Centres SEND Support Coffee mornings
SEND Quality Assurance Framework
We are delighted to share with you our new Quality Assurance Framework for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It is designed to support service leaders and professionals in monitoring consistency and quality for young people and their families in Central Bedfordshire.
It sets out the high expectations that we have in relation to the quality of support and processes that we seek and expect for our children and young people with SEND. It also sets out how we will continue to gather feedback from parents and carers as well as children and young people, so that we know where things are going well and where we need to continue to improve.
This framework provides professionals in Central Bedfordshire with a consistent approach to ensuring that our young people are safe, learning well, making good progress and having their needs met.
The SEND Forum
At the beginning of the autumn term we advised schools that we were trialling a new SEND Forum for three meetings to replace the Special School Panel. These meetings took place during November and December 2021. We would like to thank all those who attended these meetings for their contributions.
The meetings were well attended and we received positive feedback that they were child focused. However, they fell short of achieving the core aim of enabling a more collaborative approach to agreeing whether children require specialist provision and, if so, helping us identify that provision. This resulted in a large number of cases still being discussed at each meeting. We have taken the positive elements of the trial to revise the process going forward.
The new process will mirror that with all other CBC schools. Requests for a special school place will be sent as consultations to special schools who will be asked to respond within the statutory 15 days.
SEND locality teams will be available to discuss any challenges a school feels it may face. If a collaborative decision between the SEND team and school cannot be reached then the decision will rest with a CBC placement board.
The new process will be implemented this term, Spring 2022
Help to improve SEND services by taking part in the SNAP PCF Survey
The annual SNAP Parent Carer Forum survey for parents or carers of young people with SEND is now live.
The survey which aims to understand the views of parents and carers should be completed one per child. There is a prize draw for those parents who take part and it only takes around 10 minutes to complete.
SNAP PCF is an independent forum of parents and carers of SEND children in Central Bedfordshire and feedback will be shared with Central Bedfordshire Council, The Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Bedfordshire Community Health Services and CAMH/CHUMS, as well as SNAP PCF members, to help improve services.
Missing the Mark - Parent Training Sessions
Poster 1
Poster 2
Skills 4 Success - Autism Bedfordshire
For more information, contact Amy either by email: [email protected] or telephone: 07880 387255
See here for more information
"Yes We Can" Multi Sports Day
See here for more information
Down In the Jungle - A Sensory Story Workshop
See here for more information
Autism Bedfordshire February Half Term Events
Autism Bedfordshire Children’s Services have planned lots of FUN and EXCITING activities for February Half Term! They have EXCLUSIVE use of all the venues below. If you would like to book on, call 01234 214871 or [email protected]
See here for more information
What's on
More events and workshops that are being held this month are on our What's On Calendar
Children's Centres SEND Support Coffee mornings
Leighton Buzzard Mencap Opportunity Group
Thursdays 10 – 11:30 (Termtime only) starts 13th January 2022
Casual chat & play session for parents, carers & their children who have additional needs. Support for parents, carers & their children who have additional needs.
Ring 01525 384368 to book on.
SEND - Stay, Play & Chat
Every Monday from 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Dunstable Children’s Centre
If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8106/0300 300 8104
SEND Support coffee afternoon every second Monday of the month,
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Shefford and Stotfold Children’s Centre
If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8112
SEND Support virtual coffee morning every first and third Thursday of the month,
10:00 – 11:00 am
Flitwick Children’s Centre
If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8111
SEND Support virtual coffee morning every first and third Friday of the month,
10:30 – 11:30 am
Houghton Regis Children’s Centre
If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8115
Super Kids Online – virtual support group for parents or carers with children who have SEND
Sandy Children's Centre - every other Wednesday, 1:00 am – 2:30 pm
Fortnightly catch ups and support online and face-to-face. A chance to speak to professionals from the CDC, Early Years Support Team, Speech and Language plus more.
To book a free place contact Karen on 0300 300 6009 or email [email protected]
Please visit the Local Offer for more information on activities, services, advice and support across Central Bedfordshire for children and young people with SEND or follow us on Facebook
We hope you have found the information in the bulletin helpful. We would love to hear your feedback and what you would like to see in future editions. Please let us know by emailing [email protected]
Do you provide a service or run events for children and young people with SEND and their families?
We would like to offer providers the opportunity to advertise local SEND services and events in our fortnightly SEND news bulletin, on our local offer Facebook page and to be included in the local offer What's On page.
If you would like to be featured then please email details about your service and/or event to [email protected]