SEND News and Update 19.08.20

Date Added: 20/08/2020

Welcome to this edition of the SEND News Bulletin. This week includes information on:
• Welcome and update from Sue Harrison
• NEW Home-Start SEND Parent Mentoring support service launching soon
• Going back to school - Local Offer update
• Return to School online helpdesk
• Promoting Positive Emotional Wellbeing
• Children's Community Health Service and Covid-19
• CBC Local Offer Facebook page competition
• The first steps to supporting a child with Autism Spectrum Conditions
• Leighton Buzzard Mencap Holiday Club
• What’s On

Hello and welcome to our seventh edition of our SEND email bulletin.
Firstly, I would like to say thank you to all the parents and carers who attended the virtual group sessions in partnership with the SNAP Parent Carer Forum last week to help produce our Written Statement of Action (WSOA) addressing the six areas of weaknesses identified by Ofsted and CQC.

We received lots of constructive and useful comments from parents and carers to help us develop our actions for the WSOA.

Some of the feedback we received included:
• Having better engagement with children, young people, parents/ carers and those from ethnic minority groups.
• Providing an independent review of Education, Health, Care, Plans (EHCPs)
• Better knowledge from staff on different types of disabilities
• Better knowledge needed from staff on SEND processes, legal requirements, customer relations etc
• Ensuring information is simple, clear and easy to understand

Our next steps will be taking on board all these comments to fine tune our WSOA. We will also get feedback from the Member Task and Finish Group and our Department for Education Advisor to ensure our WSOA fully addresses all the six areas of weaknesses before we submit the final version to Ofsted on the 1 September.

In addition to all the feedback we have received on our WSOA there have also been lots of questions and comments about our SEND services overall from parents/carers throughout this process. These have been captured and we will address and answer these as part of our ongoing commitment to improving our SEND service.

Once our WSOA has been submitted, accepted and approved by Ofsted and the DfE we can really start to demonstrate how those actions will improve our services to our SEND children and young people. I look forward to working in partnership with our parents, carers and young people as we monitor our progress by using key performance figures and continuing to listen to our service users to ensure we see improvements on the ground reflected in our action plan monitoring. I will be holding termly ‘Meet the Director’ sessions along with Anne Murray, Chief Nurse at BLMK Commissioning Collaborative, to enable service users to speak with us about their experiences and feedback the impact of our action plan. We will of course circulate these dates for the year as soon as they are available.

Sue Harrison, Director of Children's Services

NEW Home-Start SEND Parent Mentoring support service launching soon!
Home-Start are currently training Special Needs Volunteers to offer a new SEND Parent Mentoring Service.

This service is delivered by parents, for parents and carers who care for a child with additional needs.
• Parent Mentors could offer someone to talk to that ‘gets it’ – the Parent Mentors have all had experience of parenting children with SEND and can provide 1:1 support via phone call/ video call etc.
• Parent Mentors could offer guidance to navigate the pathways to access Neurodevelopmental support services inc. CAMHS, paediatricians, speech and language services, support groups etc.
• Parent Mentors could offer to signpost to further support services including groups with other parents who may be experiencing similar challenges and provide access to further information around specific conditions.

Parent Mentors can provide practical and emotional support, with the aim of parents feeling confident and informed about their child’s needs.

Parents can self- refer or be referred by any professional that they are working with.

Find out more here

Going back to school - Local Offer update
We have updated the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources for Parents booklet with more resources for going back to school.

More information can be found on the Local Offer.

Return to School online helpdesk
If you're a parent or carer, we have launched a new online helpdesk so you can let us know if you require any support or advice relating to the reopening of schools in September.

We understand that the COVID-19 national health emergency has put pressures on many people, particularly in regard to children not attending school and missing that everyday interaction with teachers and other pupils.

Every school has been required by the Department of Education to undertake a rigorous risk assessment and have detailed plans in place for the September return, to help keep pupils safe, and schools will be able to advise parents and carers, on these plans.

But to help us understand and address some of the concerns that you may have about your child returning to school, you can now provide information via our website, on a range of topics including:
• educational psychology
• exclusion/behaviour concerns
• admissions
• attendance
• school transport

The online helpdesk form can be accessed here.

There is also further information about schools on our COVID-19 page.

COVID-19 schools update

Promoting Positive Emotional Wellbeing
Do you want to learn more about feeling happy and calm at home?

Worried about returning to school or other changes happening?

Activities and information will be aimed at all children.
17:00-17:30: Activities and information tailored to children of all ages (no boring adult bits allowed)
17:30- 18:00: Information for parents and professionals to support children

Younger children may need support from an adult.

Understanding anxiety Monday 24 August 2020 Book here
Managing back to school fears Tuesday 1st September 2020 Book here
Feeling Positive Monday 7th September 2020 Book here
Supporting children with angry feelings Monday 28th September 2020 Book here

Children's Community Health Service and Covid-19
Children’s Community Health service now have a restoration plan for all children’s community health services, including where families have had to wait to access a service.

Read more

CBC Local Offer Facebook page competition
You will already be aware that we are currently in the process of setting up a SEND Local Offer Facebook page, which many parents and carers said they wanted.

The Facebook page will help to promote The Local Offer which provides information for parents and carers of children and young people (0 to 25 years old) with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

To help set up the Facebook page we are inviting children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 years to take part in an artwork competition, themed ‘What makes you happy?’

The winning artwork will be used as the banner picture on the Facebook page and there will be a £25 prize for the three chosen winners.

There is still an opportunity to enter so please email all artwork to as soon as possible: [email protected]

Stay tuned for when the Facebook page will be launching and who the chosen winners are of our competition.

Leighton Buzzard Mencap Holiday Club
Leighton Buzzard Mencap Club has made their very own online version of Holiday Club on their brand new LB Mencap YouTube channel!

Many long standing and regular workshop leaders are featured, as well as some new faces and topics. You can enjoy a magic show, join in with drumming, follow a chocolate mug cake recipe or just relax to a story. There is something to enjoy for everyone!

It is now accessible to pick up and dip into whichever videos suit at whatever time is best.

What’s On:

SEND Support virtual coffee afternoon every first Tuesday of the month, beginning 8 September1:30 – 2:30 am Shefford and Stotfold Children’s Centre
If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8112
SEND Support virtual coffee afternoon every other Monday, 2:00 – 3:00 am Leighton Buzzard Children’s Centre
If you would like to book a space please call 01525 384368
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 Thursday, 10:30 am – 11:30 am. Fortnightly catch ups and support online. 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]

We hope you have enjoyed this News Bulletin and have found the information helpful. We would love to hear your feedback and what you would like to see in future issues. Please let us know by emailing [email protected]