SEND Parents Newsletter- 9 January

These Weekly SEND parent/carer newsletters are shared with teams within education, health and social care as well as parents/carers SENCOs, the DfE and local charities.

If you would like to be in the weekly meetings, you are most welcome and can contact clare.linfitt@nelincs.gov.uk for more information.

Who can go to school?

Any child with an EHCP, social worker, or a parent who is a key worker can go to school.

Read the full guidance on who can attend in this Gov.uk article, “Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings”.

Children at primary or secondary school with SEN support but without an EHCP or social worker are asked to stay at home and learn remotely at this time.

Queries: If you are unsure please contact the principal at your child’s school. You can also submit your questions by email to school@nelincs.gov.uk. Emails can be sent at any time and an Education Officer will get back to you during normal working hours. Alternatively you can complete the COVID-19: School queries form and someone will get back to them as soon as possible.

COVID and schools: All NE Lincs educational setting are working with our Public Health team to communicate information regarding new or suspected cases and the local position is being carefully monitored. Local Authority Education Link Officers contact settings regularly during the week to offer support or guidance.

Learning at home

For families who are needing a little extra help to facilitate their child’s online learning there is an opportunity to increase in mobile data on certain networks.

Department for Education (DfE) is providing 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged children to help them get online and access remote education.

BBC will put lessons on TV during lockdown

Find free learning games for younger children on Orchard Toys.

Home schooling resources are included on this ‘Useful Information’ page of Scope.

Did you know?
Xbox and PlayStation can be used to access the internet and online learning.

Watch this tutorial to see how to connect an Xbox to the Internet.
Watch this tutorial to see how to connect an Xbox and PlayStation to Google Classroom.
Watch this tutorial to see how to connect an Xbox to Microsoft Teams.

Childcare bubbles

If you live in a household with anyone aged under 14, you can form a childcare bubble. This allows friends or family from one other household to provide informal childcare.

You must not meet socially with your childcare bubble, and must avoid seeing members of your childcare and support bubbles at the same time.

There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles.

Read the guidance on childcare bubbles on the Gov.uk website.

Face coverings

Parents/carers and young people have all told us how challenging wearing a mask can be for some.

Wearing a Mask, a social story provides a visual guide for individuals with autism about wearing a mask to avoid spreading germs.

Useful numbers and advice at this difficult time

Please remember you can report a concern online or call 01472 326292 (option 2).
Support for those isolating without anyone to support them and pick-up supplies, call (01472) 313131.
Health – if you are struggling to manage your symptoms, call 111. If you are in urgent need of medical assistance, call 999.
Domestic Abuse (women and men) – NEL Women’s Aid (01472) 575757, and Men’s Helpline 0808 8010327.
Wellbeing – if you are struggling with your mental health, call (01472) 256256.
Citizens Advice – call 03444 111444.
Carers’ Support Service (support for informal carers) – Go online or call (01472) 242277
Samaritans – call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
HEY Credit Union has come up with a handy financial wellbeing guide to help people in the current crisis.
Turn2Us – Advice on benefits and coronavirus, including a Benefit Check and Grants.
Money Advice Service

Alcohol
Parents/carers are aware that at this anxious time some families have reported struggles with mental health and sought support for the overuse of alcohol. Alcohol change UK offers Coronavirus: top tips on alcohol and mental health.

We Are With You provides support for drugs and alcohol. You can also get in touch if you are worried about someone else’s drinking or drug use. Chat online or call- 01472 806890. Local charges apply. They also have information on their Facebook, @wearewithyoucharity.

SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs Disability Information Advice Support Service)

SENDIASS provides free impartial information, advice and support to disabled children and young people aged 0-25, and those with SEN, through their parents and carers. Young people aged 16+ can have support in their own right. The service is open Monday to Thursday, 8.30am- 4.30pm and Friday 8:30am- 4pm. We are working remotely at the moment but we will answer your call within three days if you leave a message or you can email us on nelincs@barnardos.org.uk, or you can also follow us on Facebook, @NELSENDIASS.

If parents have questions, please contact Clare Linfitt clare.linfitt@nelincs.gov.uk or Jennifer Steel on Jennifer.steel@nelincs.gov.uk. We always try to ensure that parents/carers, children and young people’s voices are being heard.

Access Pathway

Access Pathway Panels are continuing as normal.

Education, Health and Care Plan online Hub

The EHC Hub is a software enables all professionals, parents and carers to submit their updates, assessments, and advice onto a secure system, using their own user ID and password. The system has automated reminders for when annual reviews are due, which sections of a plan are yet to be updated and provides notifications to users appropriate to their role and the request for information that is being made.

Join a training session through Microsoft Teams to learn how to complete the annual review on the Hub.
Thursday 14th January 10-11.30am
Friday 29th January 10-11.30am

Please note that until you receive a letter from the Local Authority confirming that your child’s plan has transferred onto the hub, annual reviews should proceed through current processes and paperwork.

If you have any questions about this project or wish to discuss it further please contact

Rebecca Taylor, SEND Strategic Lead, Rebecca.taylor@nelincs.gov.uk.

For more information on general EHCP education and support calls please contact siobhan.hardy@nelincs.gov.uk.

Health

If parents and have any queries or have any health queries, please email designatedclinicalofficer@nelincs.gov.uk

Local Offer

On our Local Offer there is a section called ‘Celebrating children and young people’. We would really like good news stories to be added so we can share the positives of SEND within our local area.

Please email lauren.thompson2@nelincs.gov.uk if you have a good news story to share.

We have some amazing children and young people who have achieved great steps. Their voices need to be heard so that they too can inspire others.

If you would like to be added to the weekly emailing list to receive these newsletters direct, please contact lauren.thompson2@nelincs.gov.uk.