SEND weekly parent and carer update

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Following feedback from parent carers Sarah Harding, Designated Clinical Officer has been developing information for the Local Offer on DCD (dyspraxia).

See the information and resources on DCD. NELC SEND Local Offer | Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) (nelincs.gov.uk).

This will be followed by more information on neurodevelopmental conditions such as Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Have you been advised that your child has or may have Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)?

We are keen to hear your experiences of accessing assessment and advice to help us to improve local support for families.

Please contact Sarah Harding the Designated Clinical Officer for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities if you would like to share your experiences: designatedclinicalofficer@nelincs.gov.uk.

SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs Disability Information Advice Support Service)

Graduated Approach

New information has been added to the SENDIASS webpage on the Graduated Approach.

To meet the needs of your child, their school will follow the Graduated Approach. It follows a cycle of:

1. Assessment
2. Planning
3. Action
4. Review

The first step before going down a formal route, is talking to the setting about your concerns.

Being able to have positive conversations with the school is one way to avoid disagreements starting.

Learn about the Graduated Approach, what you should prepare, how to have a productive conversation, what to do if things don’t improve, and more on the SENDIASS page. NELC SEND Local Offer | SENDIASS (nelincs.gov.uk)

Change to contact hours

The times that you can get in touch with SENDIASS during the tendering process has changed.

SENDIASS will provide their service from Monday- Friday, 9am-4pm.

They will respond to new enquiries via phone, answerphone, webchat, and email within 5 working days and no longer than 10 days.

Email: nelincs@barnardos.org.uk
Facebook: @NELSENDIASS

SENDIASS Tender

North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) are undertaking a competitive tendering process for an organisation to deliver their SENDIASS Service from 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2027.

Find out about all of the changes to their service during the tendering process. NELC SEND Local Offer | SENDIASS Tender (nelincs.gov.uk).

Sleep Training

Secure your space on the sleep training. Children with SEND are more likely than other children and young people to have issues with sleep.

It’s useful, convenient, and could make a huge impact on you and your child.

Parents and carers are invited to attend a free sleep workshop online, funded by Humber Transforming Care Partnership.

The workshop consists of two, two hour sessions that are held over two weeks. Please chose one set of sessions.

Sleep Workshop for Parent/Carers

Monday, 10 and Monday 17 January, 2022 from 10am-12pm

Tuesday 1 and Tuesday 8 February, 2022 from 10am-12pm

Thursday 17 and Thursday 24 February 2022 from 12pm-2pm

Tuesday 22 February and Tuesday 1 March 2022 from 10am-12pm

Saturday 5 and Saturday 12 March 2022 from 9.30am-11.30am

To book a place please email Claire.Earley@kids.org.uk

Read the ‘Sleep’ tab on the ‘Events and training’ page.

NELC SEND Local Offer | Events and training (nelincs.gov.uk)

YPAG recruitment project

The Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG) is a group of 14 children and young people from seven local schools. They meet regularly online with us to work on projects chosen by people with SEND, explore other projects that they can engage with, share ideas, play games and have fun.

The big project that the group have been working on over the last several months is the SEND Award Ceremony.

It has been an exciting and creative project that has already brought a lot of joy and pride to local people.

The YPAG group has guest speakers, and the group are introduced to other groups that they can get involved in.

More recently it is a requirement that young people are involved in the recruitment process of individuals who will work in Children’s Services.

Why involve young people in the recruitment process?

Young people should have the chance to express their views on services which affect them and this involves having their say on who works within services which affect them.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) states that all children and young people have a right to have their views heard and have a right to be involved in decisions that affect their life.

This is supported by the Children Act (2004), which requires local authorities to take into account the child or young person’s wishes and feelings when making decisions which impact their life.

Involvement in recruitment can be a great experience for you people and develop them personally as well as prepare them for employment. Their participation can help the Local Authority and it’s partners it can benefit the candidate. There are a number of ways that young people can be involved in the recruitment process.

Some initial ideas that the young people have had include having less questions during interviews, using video’s, having a precursor to the interview that included questions from young people, and having schools involved.

Why not speak to your child and ask if they would like to get involved. Contact Lauren Thompson, SEND Local Offer Engagement Coordinator and Communications Officer for more information, Lauren.thompson2@nelincs.gov.uk.