Dementia
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Learning Disabilities
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Mental Health
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Parent Carers
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Carers FACTsheets

Monthly Training for Swimmers with a Disability

Supported by Aiming Higher Funding and in partnership with the ASA and local swimming clubs, Wiltshire Council is pleased to offer monthly county training sessions for swimmers with a disability. Sessions are held for ages 8 – 19 on: Saturdays 23rd June, 28th July, 8th Sept, 20th Oct, 17th Nov & 15th Dec, 4pm – 5pm, Devizes Leisure Centre, Southbrook Road, Devizes, SN10 5AB. These sessions are designed for children and young people with a physical, sensory or learning disability who are interested in competitive disability swimming. For more information and to register contact: Nancy Davies [email protected] or Andy Harris [email protected]

Cooking Courses

Any Body Can Cook will run in nine Children’s Centres in 2012-13. This is a free 6 week healthy cooking course for parents and children under 5.

Warminster Happy Feet (June/July 2012)

Trowbridge Studley Green (from Sept 12, 2012)

Dates to be announced: Calne; Chippenham, Pewsham King’s Rise; Chippenham Redland Spring Rise, Melksham Canberra; Melksham Kings Park; Salisbury Little Folly; Westbury White Horse

Contact for Anybody Can Cook is Catherine Maxwell: [email protected]

HEY! – similar to the above sponsored by Danone Social Innovations

Longfield Children's Centre, Trowbridge (June/July 2012)

Bellefield Childen’s Centre, Trowbridge (from Sept 20, 2012)

Contact for HEY! is Ann Evans: [email protected]

Short Breaks during the Summer Holidays

Wiltshire Parent Carer Council have produced a Short Breaks Bulletin for children and young people 0-25 years with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities. It's packed with a calendar of activities for over the school summer holidays. Click here to download.

National Blind Children's Society - new education advice and support for families (UK)

The National Blind Children's Society is providing a new education advice and support service for families of children with visual difficulties.

http://www.nbcs.org.uk/news/New-education-advice-and-support-service-launched/827

MPs report on the oversight of special education for young people aged 16-25

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published a report on special education for young people aged 16-25. The report is based on evidence from the Department for Education, the Young People's Learning Agency, the Principal of Abingdon and Witney College, Disability Alliance and nasen.

Findings include:

-   almost one third of young people with a Statement at age 16 are not in any form of education, employment or training two years later.

-   the system for delivering and funding post-16 special education is complex, and parents and young people are not provided with the information they need.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-accounts-committee/news/special-ed-report/

WorkFit- Connecting Employers and Employees with Down's syndrome

The WorkFit programme is a national employment programme designed to help people with Down's syndrome find jobs and train employers on how to recruit and support someone with Down's syndrome in the workplace.

www.dsworkfit.org.uk

Starting work

RNIB have resources on their website for young people on:

-   identify the people who can advise them about career choices

-   help with interview preparation

-   give guidance about work experience and volunteering

-   advise about the support mechanisms available, such as the Access to Work scheme.

http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/copingwithsightloss/youngpeople/work/Pages/starting_work.aspx

Good healthcare for all

New booklet by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities. It provides practical hints and tips for people with learning disabilities, family carers and anyone who supports a person with learning disabilities on how to go about using the NHS, what to expect, real life examples of challenges and how they can be overcome as well as some advice about how to get help and some useful contacts to get more information.

http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/publications/176171/

Local Involvement Networks

CaF is funded by the Department of Health to support the involvement of Parent Carer Forums in shaping health services by keeping forums informed about the changes taking place in the NHS and providing information to support forums wanting to improve the way health services are provided to disabled children. Their website includes information about (LINks) that support local people to influence health services and HealthWatch which will take over from LINKs.

http://www.cafamily.org.uk/families/parentparticipation/nhsparentcarerparticipation/nhs/latestinfo.html

'talk about change'

This is a dvd resource for children, young people, carers and families and everyone involved in palliative care. It was designed to stimulate discussion, communicate what young people really think and want, and to help professionals develop appropriate services and responses as children begin to make the leap from children's palliative care into adult services.It is based on conversations with children and young people with life threatening conditions, made at their homes and in children's hospices. It features their own video diaries that give real insight into their lives.

http://www.talkaboutchange.co.uk/

UH Bristol's Children's Hospital Passport

The aim of the Hospital Passport is to provide staff with information about a child during a hospital visit. This information will help staff work in partnership with families in meeting their child's needs when using the hospital services.  

http://www.uhbristol.nhs.uk/hospital-passport

Using personal budgets to pay for services

KIDS charity are running the 'Making it Personal' project, which is supporting families interested in having a personal budget to pay for services for their disabled child. They are providing information on legislation, resources and case studies that give examples of how personal budgets can be used.

http://www.kids.org.uk/information/100347/106207/106214/making_it_personal/

Wiltshire Short Breaks Local Offer for 2012-13
Short break options aimed at those children and young people who require additional support to access a short break (leisure or recreational activities) because of their disability and/or special educational needs. The Local Offer was designed in consultation with parents and carers and was launched for the first time in 2010.   It enables families to choose the type of short break that works best for them. 
Wiltshire Parent Carer Council can confirm the following for 2012-2013:   
  1. Information Booklet and Registration/Application Form is available slightly earlier this year and is being sent by post directly to families via Wiltshire Council.  In the past, whilst some schools have been really excellent in helping to distribute these, many families reported they either got the information either  much later in the year or, in some cases, not at all (via school).  They and Wiltshire Council hope that by posting directly to eligible families, take up of the Local Offer will reach 100% this time round!  Please check your letterbox from w/c 5th March. 
  2. Wiltshire Council's Aiming High Team worked very hard to set up an online application facility for this year (which would have been far easier for us all) but there was so much 'red tape' to get through it simply has not been possible.   If you don't want to wait until next week for the hard copy of the leaflet and application form to arrive by post, you can download a copy from their website. 
  3. Hard copies will also be available from their office if you need extra copies telephone 01672 569300 and they'll have a pile on their stand at the Annual Aiming High in Wiltshire event on 14th March at The Civic Centre, Trowbridge (details of this event and booking form will follow shortly).
  4. Apply between now and by the 18th May 2012 to ensure you receive the full entitlement however, please note that your choice of short break will be effective from 1st April 2012 - 31st March 2013. 
  5. Applications received from 21st May 2012 will be subject to a reduced entitlement.
  6. Applications received after the 28th September 2012 will NOT be eligible for the Local Offer.
Further information on this year's Short Break Local Offer 2012-13 can be found on their website http://wiltshireparentcarercouncil.co.uk/LocalOffer.aspx

Please take the time to read the information available on their website and the Local Offer booklet from cover to cover and get your applications into Wiltshire Council as early as you can.

FREE Legal Advice

Coram Children's Legal Centre provides access to free factsheets, an immediate response service and web-chat or telephone facilities to talk with an advisor, all depending on your level of need.

They offer advice on all areas of family, child and education law.

The webchat facility is available from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

The telephone advice line is staffed 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and a voicemail facility made available outside these hours.

the tel no for free legal advice is: 08088 020 008

Access Coram's free legal advice on their website. 

New SEN National Advice Service

Contact a Family have expanded their services to include a new SEN National Advice Service. It will be a one stop shop for parents and other family members caring for a child with SEN, on all education issues. The telephone helpline will enable parents and carers to get one-to-one, in-depth and personalised advice from fully-trained SEN advisers.

To contact the helpline telephone 0808 808 3555 or email [email protected]. The helpline is open Monday to Friday 9.30am-5pm.

Rethink's sibling workshops

Rethink Mental Illness have launched a new programme for 14-18 / 19-25 year olds who have a brother or sister experiencing mental health problems and they are taking referrals now. The programmes will be delivered across England and will offer siblings the chance to learn about mental illness, meet other siblings, get support and learn ways to support their brother or sister. The programmes are FREE and self-referral based. You can signpost siblings to the programme or find out more by contacting: [email protected]

Also visit the siblings' network website which hosts blogs, stories, videos, factsheets, support groups and an online forum where siblings can share experiences and advice.

The Department for Education has commissioned a two year programme called Preparing for Adulthood. The programme will provide knowledge and support to local authorities and their partners, including families and young people, so they can ensure that disabled young people achieve paid work, independent living, good health and community inclusion as they move into adulthood.

The Council for Disabled Children, which hosts the Transition Information Network, will work in partnership with the National Development Team for inclusion (NDTi) and Helen Sanderson Associates to deliver the programme. NDTi are the lead on this programme, read more about their work on their website. The Council for Disabled Children is working as Strategic Partner for SEN and Disability to the Department for Education, read more on the CDC website.

Preparing for Adulthood is part of the Government's programme to implement the Green Paper Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability, which set out proposals to reform the system of support for young people with SEN and disabilities and their families. You can read more about the green paper, including the response that TIN submitted earlier this year on our website.

Preparing for Adulthood is part of a range of contracts involving voluntary and community organisations which will help deliver key reforms to support children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities, and their parents. Read more on the Department for Education's website.

For more information about Preparing for Adulthood visit the website www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk.

The new SEN National Advice Service

Contact a Family is delighted to announce that they have been awarded the Department for Education contract to include a Special Educational Needs advisory service within their existing range of services for families.

The new SEN National Advice Service will be part of their integrated Helpline/Online service for families. It will be staffed by experienced SEN advisers. It will be a one stop shop for parents and other family members caring for a child with SEN, on all education issues, including: Early years/portage, School Action and Action Plus, Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Statutory Assessments, Statements, Transition Planning, 139A assessments and post-16 provision, home education, bullying, exclusions, school transport, 16–19 Bursary Fund.

To contact the helpline telephone 0808 808 3555 or email [email protected]
or visit www.cafamily.org.uk

 
 

Worth your time