SEND weekly parent carer update

LOVE YOUR TOWN this half-term

Feel the love this half-term. LOVE YOUR TOWN is bringing the streets alive with music, art, street acts, and group activities.

There will be no shortage of fun, excitement and wonder for both children and parents so why not find out what’s on near you, and see all the reasons to LOVE YOUR TOWN.

LOVE GRIMSBY – Saturday 12 February 2022
LOVE IMMINGHAM – Friday 18 February 2022
LOVE CLEETHORPES – Saturday 19 February 2022

To keep up to date with LOVE YOUR TOWN and find out more about all of the exciting activities visit, Discover North East Lincolnshire | Love Your Town Week – Discover North East Lincolnshire and The Culture House.

Follow @DiscoverNEL on Facebook, Discover North East Lincolnshire | Facebook

Follow @theculturehousegy on social media

What else?

Check out Community Spotlight for a calendar of events for children, young people and families.

Community Spotlight – NELC | NELC (nelincs.gov.uk)

Supporting parent carers

Our local parent carers have told us that they would like to be supported by others who have had shared similar experiences and have walked in their shoes. That is why we are developing the SEND Peer Mentor Volunteer Programme.

Are you a parent carer of a child with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)? Would you be interested in becoming a Peer Mentor volunteer and offering a listening ear to other parents carers?

North East Lincolnshire Council is offering people the opportunity to train as Peer Mentors and support other parent carers at local events like the SEND coffee mornings. 

The training is funded by the Council and is delivered online over six weeks via Microsoft Teams. Each session lasts around 2-hours. The dates and times can be arranged to fit around your other commitments. 

There are ten places available. Once trained, you will be invited to attend coffee morning sessions along with three events throughout the year in your new role as a volunteer qualified peer support mentor.

If you would like to apply to take part in the training to become a SEND Peer Mentor volunteer, complete an expression of interest at: https://bit.ly/3oXam6j.

If you would like to learn more about the coffee mornings and events that you will be participating in please contact Abi Fleming, SEND Parent Engagement Champion, by email Abi.fleming@nelincs.gov.uk.

If you have any questions about the training, please contact Jordan.aisthorpe@climb4.co.uk.

Autism in Schools (AIS)- first Parent Forum

The first Autism in Schools (AIS) Parent Forum was a great success.

The forum was held on Tuesday, 8 February from 9:30-11:30am at Grimsby Town Hall.

The Forum was led by Maureen Morris from Contact and practitioners that attended included:

• Nicola Chappel, Lead for the Parents Supporting Parents element
• Abi Fleming, SEND Parent Engagement Champion
• Harry Dixon, Wellbeing Practitioner from Compass Go!
• Sharon Westermann and Teresa Washington from The Carers’ Support Service
• Lauren Thompson, SEND Local Offer Coordinator

Parent carers shared positive experiences that they have had and would like to see more of, as well as the challenges that they have faced.

Parent carers evaluated the current suite of training that we have developed so far and suggested additional training.

Tell us what you need

The lessons learned, training and best practice that we develop during the Autism in Schools Project will be shared across the borough. Please get in touch and help us shape the offer, fmld@nelccg.nhs.net.

We received positive and constructive feedback from the twelve parent carers that attended.

Parents said:

“It felt like you were listened to. Everyone was so kind and understanding.”

“I’m feeling hopeful.”

It will “be nice to get to know parents here more –  sure that will happen in time.”

Next forum

The next forums will be held on Tuesday, 22 March, the venue is to be confirmed. A forum for the Infants and Primary schools will be held from 9.30am- 11.30am, and a forum for the Secondary schools will be held from 1pm- 2pm.

Is your school involved? Learn more about Autism in Schools. NELC SEND Local Offer | Autism in Schools (nelincs.gov.uk)

We need you! SEND Surveys extended

UPDATE: The SEND Annual Surveys have been extended until Tuesday, 8 March.

We are nearing 200 submissions.

It would be wonderful to have another 200 people complete the survey’s. They close on Tuesday, 8 March.

The more people who participate, the better picture we have of everyone’s needs within our borough.

Help shape the future of SEND in our borough. Why not take the survey now?

Parents/Carers survey

Children and young people survey

Exciting new Supported Internship

Join an event about the exciting new Supported Internship programme coming to our borough.

There are two online information events next week for young people with a learning disability or Autism.

The DFN Project Search supports young people with learning disabilities and Autism to receive a 5-day, high quality Supported Internship work programme to increase their chance of gaining paid employment.

This event is for college and school staff, young people, and their parent carers.

• What is DFN Project SEARCH and how does it work
• How can you nominate people that you think might benefit from the programme now
• How you can support younger children to aim for employment in the future

We aim to recruit our first intake of supported interns in April 2022 for a September 2022 start and hope that you will be able to attend.

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Are you a parent carer of a young person aged 14+ with SEND?

Now is a great time to get involved. Parent carers are needed to join a monthly Preparing for Adulthood Group.

Parent representatives are invited to get involved in our work across education, health and social care preparing young people for an adult life that enables them to live the lives they want to in their communities, including employment, being independence, friends and social activities.

The preparing for adulthood group meets monthly at 1.30pm on the first Thursday of the month. If you would like to join to drive and shape our developments to improve outcomes for young people with SEND aged 14-25 so they have full and fulfilling lives.

Please contact Angie Kershaw to learn more and get involved, Angie.Kershaw@nelincs.gov.uk.

Specialist Advisory Service Update

Due to some staffing and service changes, the Specialist Advisory Service and SEND Outreach teams will not be taking on any new referrals from Tuesday, 1 March.

This will enable the current caseload to be reviewed and supported effectively to positive exit strategy discussions, and clarification of future support needs and how this will align to a newly commissioned model.

Specialist teachers will still be on hand to support and advise via e-mail and telephone during this time. 

Our SEND Local Offer pages also provide an online directory of organisations, teams and local processes that will also be able to help you in seeking appropriate support for children and young people that you have concerns about.

The schools catalogue will be coming out in March, which will confirm the SEND support services available and education welfare services that can be commissioned by schools and Academies from September, 2022.

If anyone wishes to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Rebecca Taylor, Head of SEND and Inclusion by email rebecca.taylor@nelincs.gov.uk. 

FREED. Eating Disorder programme

NAViGO has launched ‘First episode rapid early intervention for Eating Disorders’ (FREED).

This is for young people aged 17 and a half to 25.

This is an evidence- based, early intervention model for eating disorders, tailored to young peoples needs.

A young person can refer themselves to the service.

Young people to get rapid eating disorder help with FREED launch :: NAViGO (navigocare.co.uk)

SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs Disability Information Advice Support Service)

SENDIASS are experiencing an extremely high number of enquiries and are very busy.

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

Learn more about the changes to their service during the tendering process. NELC SEND Local Offer | SENDIASS Tender (nelincs.gov.uk).