Welcome to the October edition of the All-Age Disability (0-25 years) Newsletter

This month we have amongst other things, Daniela Carson’s update, information about what’s happening regarding our Priority Action Plan and Improvement Plan, requests for feedback from parent carers of young children with SEND along with information for families with older young people who may be considering University or Higher Education.

Update from Daniela Carson

Time just flies past, doesn’t it? I can’t believe it’s October already and half term is less than two weeks away!

I’m sure you are aware that as of the 1st October Worcestershire Children First was reintegrated back into Worcestershire County Council (WCC) and this included the All-Age Disability Service. There shouldn’t be any noticeable difference other than now we are part of WCC again all our email addresses have changed, from @worcschildrenfirst.org.uk to @worcestershire.gov.uk. All contact emails on the SEND Local Offer have been changed to reflect this but rest assured that anything sent to an old email address will automatically get redirected to the new one for the next few months.

We continue to work together with partners on our Priority Action Plan (PAP) and improvement plan. We are committed to giving regular updates about this work, and the article below outlines the work which has happened so far and we have also have a dedicated page on the SEND Local Offer which is regularly updated: What we’re doing to improve SEND services following the 2024 Ofsted and CQC inspection.

If you would like to get involved you can do so through Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum, who represent parent carers in the county. You can check their Facebook page for details of events and how to get involved or you can become a member, it’s completely free, by scanning the QR code:

   
Thank you

Daniela Carson
Assistant Director All-Age Disability (0-25) Service.

What we’re doing to improve SEND services following the 2024 Ofsted and CQC inspection: October update

Worcestershire’s services for children and young people with SEND were inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April 2024. The whole local area partnership was part of the inspection which includes NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board and Worcestershire County Council.

The local area partnership is working through the Priority Action Plan and SEND Improvement Plan following the outcome of the inspection. Key progress includes:

• recruitment of new SEND Casework Officers to increase capacity in the teams who support the coordination and management of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
• recruitment of an Epilepsy Nurse and a procurement process underway to reduce Community Paediatrics waiting times
• starting the transfer of up to 250 young people aged 16+ to an independent accredited autism assessment provider with the aim of improving their waiting time
• co-production sessions with parent carers around a new care pathway for autism and ADHD diagnostic assessments for children and young people aged 0-18 years, which will eventually replace the Umbrella Pathway
• commissioning Dingley’s Promise to provide two Early Years Enhanced Provisions in Droitwich and Worcester which will be accompanied by extensive outreach support services, including support to local nursery settings and family support
• co-production with parent carers to discuss areas of improvement, particularly on the topics of data/attendance, specialist placements, EHCP timeliness and quality, and CAMHS waiting times

The full information can be found on the SEND Local Offer website.

Early Years Inclusion Process: Parent/Carer Feedback

The Early Years Inclusion Process (EYIP) launched on the t November 2023.  

The EYIP serves several purposes:

• to fulfil health’s statutory duty to notify the LA of any children who may have SEND
• to support sufficiency planning for the LA (using the data to identify areas of needs in cohorts, to inform service planning and delivery).  This includes children who may require specialist provision for their reception year
• to support settings in meeting needs (Inclusion Support Services will be notified and further support offered either at setting level or individual child level)
• to inform EY Inclusion funding decisions

Since then we have received 776 notifications from Health and Early Years Providers, with 496 being allocated to Inclusion Support Services for further educational support either at a provider level or individual level.

Inclusion Support Services review their involvement with every child, and there is an opportunity for parents and carers to provide specific feedback related to that involvement.

Once a year, we wish to seek views from parents and carers who had involvement from the EYIP and whose children have just transitioned into their reception year.  If this is you, please could you complete a short online survey which can be found by following the link: Early Years Inclusion process PC views post transition  or scanning the QR code.

CHOICES - Transition into Higher Education (SEND) magazine now available

The transition to Higher Education can be confusing and hard to navigate. The Skills 4 Worcestershire team have produced a magazine which has been designed to support learners with additional needs or an EHCP on their journey into Higher Education (HE). The aim is to help young people to easily access information about the timelines, processes and support available to students as they progress onto their next steps. 

The magazine is now live on the Skills 4 Worcestershire website and the SEND Local Offer. You can find it and other CHOICES magazines on their website here:

• Choices careers and advice magazines and booklets

Or it can be found on the SEND Local Offer: Higher Education – University/HE College.

You can also access a digital copy here: 

• CHOICES - Transition into Higher Education (SEND)

Seeking ways to support parents of children with additional needs before they attend a pre-school setting

The Early Years development group in the All-Age Disability Service, is currently looking at ways that they could support parent carers before their child attends a setting. They would really like to gain the views of parents in Worcestershire about what they feel would be helpful so have put together a short questionnaire. The questionnaire has 8 questions and should take 5-10 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept anonymous and the information that you provide will help them to shape the way that they can support parents and children through children's groups and family hubs. 

Inclusion Support Services Questionnaire about helping parents to navigate EY

They would really appreciate it if parents could complete this questionnaire to share their views and also share the link with other parents that may be interested in this type of support. They would really value any feedback. 

FREE webinars from Autism West Midlands

Autism West Midlands are running a number of webinars between the end of October and December. They are FREE to Worcestershire parents, and once you have registered you can watch them anytime.

The webinar topics include:

• Autism and anxiety - 23 October
• Autism and communication – 6 November 
• Autism and sensory differences – 13 November
• Autism and behaviour – 20 November
• Navigating the system – 27 November
• Autism and the teenage brain – 4 December
• Supporting your autistic teen – 11 December

They are also running a free online 5-week course about autism for autistic teens aged 13 to 17.

For more information about any of the above or to book your place visit their website: Autism West Midlands | Supporting the Autistic Community

Email: herefandworcs@autismwestmidlands.org.uk

Call or Text: 07749 497808 or Visit Eventbrite - Autism West Midlands.

Where to look for information about things to do during October half term

As the October half term approaches you may be looking for things to do and to help, we’ve included details below about some websites that might help you find out what’s going on. Please note that none of the websites are SEND specific, and some activities could have a cost associated with them.

Worcestershire County Council has an Events directory, where you can search by area and activity type, and filter by date – it can be found here: Events.

Worcestershire Libraries are hosting events and activities throughout half term, and you can find out more here: Library events and activities.

Visit Worcestershire is the county’s official tourism website, and it has a directory of upcoming events, you are able to filter by type/category (family) and then by date. Upcoming Events - Visit Worcestershire: Official Tourism Website.

The SEND Local Offer also has a ‘Things to do’ page with a directory, this is information about groups which run throughout the year rather than events during the holidays Things to do.

The event and activities are mainly run by outside providers and are not provided by the council. We have made every attempt to ensure all information held is accurate but would recommend you contact the organisers to check the information is correct before travelling. When choosing activities for your child or young person it is your responsibility to check that it is suitable for them and to discuss any needs they may have with the provider beforehand. We cannot accept any responsibility for third party services. Their inclusion here is for your information only and does not represent endorsement or recommendation by us.
 

Welcome to the September All-Age (0-25) Disability Newsletter

Welcome to the September edition of the All-Age Disability (0-25 years) Newsletter. 

This month’s issue contains Daniela Carson’s update along with information about our response to the SEND Area Inspection, information about a new Neurodivergence zone on the SEND Local Offer and details of this year’s Inclusive Careers Event in October.

Update from Daniela Carson

I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer break as we look forward to a new school year. 

In my first update last month I said that I would be working with colleagues and partners to prepare the Priority Action Plan (PAP) and Improvement Plan to address the areas identified for improvement detailed in our recent SEND area inspection. I am pleased to say that our plans have been submitted and approved by Ofsted and the Department for Education, and now the work begins.

The area partnership is committed to improving services for our SEND children, young people and their families and we want to keep you informed of the work we are doing towards this along with any opportunities there are for you to get involved. Information and updates can be found here: What we’re doing to improve SEND services following the 2024 Ofsted and CQC inspection. Further information about this area on the SEND Local Offer can be found in one of the articles below.

In addition to publishing information on the website, we will be sending out regular updates via this newsletter and in the future, we are planning to host engagement and update sessions for parent carers which will include a question-and-answer slot.

We are working closely with Worcestershire’s Parent Carer Forum who represent the county’s parent carers and I have regular catch-up meetings with them. For details of what they do and how you can become involved follow Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum on Facebook.

Thank you

Daniela Carson

Director All-Age Disability (0-25) Service.

What we’re doing to improve SEND services following the 2024 Ofsted and CQC inspection

Worcestershire’s services for children and young people with SEND were inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April 2024. The whole local area partnership was part of the inspection which includes NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board, Worcestershire Children First and Worcestershire County Council. 

Read the full Ofsted and CQC report

Ofsted and CQC inspectors identified there are “widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which the local area partnership must address urgently”. As a result of the inspection, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector asked the local area partnership to co-produce a Priority Action Plan to address two priority actions, and an Improvement Plan to address the three areas for improvement.

The plans were submitted in August and have been approved by Ofsted and the Department for Education. Both plans can be found on our newly created area on the SEND Local Offer where you can also find more information and regular updates about what we are doing and how you can get involved. You can find it here: What we’re doing to improve SEND services following the 2024 Ofsted and CQC inspection.

NEW co-produced Neurodivergence Zone launched on the SEND Local Offer

We have been working with parent carers and our colleagues in Health services to create a new Neurodivergence Zone on our SEND Local Offer website. This is a specific section of the website that has information on children, young people and neurodivergence for families and professionals. 

Neurodivergent means that the brain functions, learns and processes information differently. The most common types of neurodivergence are:

• Autism
• ADHD
• Dyscalculia 
• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD)

The Neurodivergence Zone has information about how to support your neurodivergent child, along with information on diagnostic pathways, support groups and forums, education support, behaviours that challenge and mental health. There is also information for other family members which you can share with them. 

Neurodivergence Zone

Life Beyond School Inclusive Careers event 

The Worcestershire Life Beyond School Inclusive show gives students, parents and carers a unique opportunity to attend an inclusive careers event in Worcestershire.

Life beyond School is on Tuesday 15 October 2024 between 9:30am to 3:30pm at Sixways Stadium, Worcester, WR3 8ZE

The event is designed to provide Worcestershire students who do not attend a mainstream school or hold an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) in a mainstream school an opportunity to speak to colleges, employers, training providers and more about their next steps. 

The event is aimed at students in years 9 to 13 and Post 16.

To find out more about the event and what providers will be there, visit: Life Beyond School Inclusive Show 2024.

Parent and carers will be able to attend throughout the day, but you must pre-book your time slot through Eventbrite: Worcestershire Life Beyond School Inclusive Show 2024 Tickets, Tue, Oct 15, 2024 at 9:30 AM | Eventbrite

NHS Acute Hospitals Trust Big Quality Conversation survey launched

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust have launched their new Big Quality Conversation survey for 2024 to 2025. This survey will help them understand what the experience is like for people when they come into their hospitals and are in our care.

The survey is for patients, carers, families and friends and they would like to encourage anyone who has experienced care at one of their hospitals in the last 12 months to share their feedback.

To complete the survey please visit: Big Quality Conversation 2024 / 25 (surveyhero.com)

The Big Quality Conversation is 100% anonymous and your feedback will help them to improve their services. The results directly inform their Quality Priorities which they report publicly on every year and monitor progress on at monthly meetings.

The survey ends on 5 January 2025.

Welcome to the August All-Age (0 to 25) Disability Newsletter

Welcome to the August edition of the All-Age Disability (0 to 25 years) Newsletter. I hope you are enjoying the summer sunshine.
This month’s issue contains an update from Daniela Carson, the new Director of the All-Age Disability Service; and amongst the other articles are ones about Accessible toilets in Worcestershire, Things to do, and an update about Early Years enhanced provision.

Update from Daniela Carson

Hello, I am really pleased to use this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Director of the All-Age Disability Service. 

Some of you may already know me from my previous role at Worcestershire Children First (WCF), as Group manager for the Children with Disabilities Service and Specialist Short breaks and Children’s Residential Homes, but for many of you I am a new face and I look forward to working with you.

I have a busy time ahead of me, looking at the continued development of the AAD service along with working with colleagues, partners and parent carers to prepare and submit the Priority Action Plan (PAP) to address the identified areas in our recent SEND area inspection for priority action. The PAP will be shared on the SEND Local Offer once It has been finalised.

I’m also working together with other colleagues in WCF on the plans overseeing our transition back into Worcestershire County Council on the 1 October 2024.

I hope you are enjoying the summer break, and I look forward to sharing our news in future months.

Thank you

Daniela Carson
Director All-Age Disability (0-25) Service.

Update: SEND provision in the Early Years

Our vision is that most early years aged children in Worcestershire should be able to attend their local early years provider and have their SEND needs identified and met within that setting.  To enable this to happen Worcestershire has a strong Early Help offer provided by a range of partners, and specialist support in education provided through the Early Years Inclusion Process.  However, we recognise that for a small number of children their needs require an enhanced provision offer, and therefore overtime, starting in the South of the county, we are developing Early Years Enhanced Provisions.  Whilst we transition to this model of working, additional offers via outreach and one Nursery Assessment Unit will be in place.

Early Years Enhanced Provision for the South of the county (including Worcester)

Two sites have been identified for the new Early Years Enhanced Provision and we are working with the identified provider to confirm final timings, with the hope that the provision will be open to children and families from January 2025.  Worcestershire Children First is working with the provider and stakeholders to finalise plans for these provisions.  In the meantime, Vale of Evesham continues to provide outreach support for children identified with significant and complex SEND needs.

Provision for the North of the county

Batchley Nursery Plus will continue to operate in 24/25 as a Nursery Assessment Unit, with a maximum of 16 part-time places for the year which will provide enhanced provision for the Redditch and Bromsgrove areas.  In the Wyre Forest Area, in preparation for the transition to an Early Years Enhanced Provision model, Wyre Forest Nursery Assessment Unit will no longer operate in its current model from September 2024. Instead, Wyre Forest School will provide outreach support for children identified with significant and complex SEND needs in the area, bringing this area into line with the South of the county and enabling a greater amount of children to receive support. 

There are no proposed changes to the nursery provision at Chadsgrove Special School for pre-school age children with complex physical and medical needs.

Changing Places Accessible toilets search

When you are out and about with your family, knowing where the fully accessible toilets are before you go can be really useful. The standard accessible toilets meet the needs of some disabled people – but not all.

If your child or young person need personal assistance to use the toilet or to change continence pads, then you may need a larger space or a hoist.

There are 21 registered Changing Places facilities across Worcestershire.

If you’re out and about in the county, or further afield in the UK you can search on the Changing Places website for the full list of publicly accessible Changing Places facilities, visit: Changing Places Toilets (changing-places.org).

Parent carers representatives needed

Our partner agencies are actively seeking parent representatives to support them with the co-production that is planned with the All-Age Disability Service, as well as other partner services such as Worcestershire County Council and the NHS Health and Care Trust.  
We want your voice to be heard and to support us with the development and design of better ways of doing things both in social care, as well as in SEND.

If you are interested in becoming a parent carer representative there are two different routes.  Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum and Worcestershire Association of Carers.  Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum can be contacted on worcspcf@gmail.com and for Worcestershire Association of Carers it is mail@carersworcs.org.uk. You can email either and ask for further details about becoming a parent carer representative.

Groups and activities on the SEND Local Offer

Did you know there was a section on the SEND Local Offer which is called Things to do? This page includes a searchable database which lists groups and activities in the county, and you can search to see what’s available in your local area.

• Things to do
• Things to do 16+

Groups like the Unstoppables Youth Group, an autism friendly youth club for young people with ASD, aged 12 to 17 years in Bromsgrove or the Hansel and Gretel Support Group, which supports disabled and special needs children and their families in the Wyre Forest area, can be found on there. 

If you know of group which exists, and it’s not on there, then let us know by emailing localoffer@worcestershire.gov.uk and we can look into including it.

Things to do in the holidays

Four weeks of the summer holidays have passed, and you may be looking for things to do with the family over the next two weeks.
Visit Worcestershire have an article which has a round-up of activities and events to enjoy over the summer holiday. Visit Worcestershire's guide showcases the top destinations and events perfect for families. You can find out more here: Summer Holidays 2024: Things to Do in Worcestershire. There is also a section called: Explore - Visit Worcestershire which has info about Worcester City and the different towns in the county.

We also thought it might be helpful to reproduce the information we shared in April about websites which have details about the outside spaces you can visit in Worcestershire.

Country parks, picnic places and nature reserves has details of country parks, picnic sites and nature reserves.

Walks in Worcestershire has what it says on the title, information about walks in Worcestershire and you can view the walks on a map.

The Malvern Hills Trust website contains information about the walks and cycling routes on the hills. 

Clent Hills information (they are part of the National Trust).

Forestry England has sections on ‘Things to do’ and a ‘Find a forest or woodland’ search facility.

Walking and Exploring - Cotswolds National Landscape Search for walks in the Cotswolds.

Thinking ahead to September, Malvern Theatres have Creative Art Workshops for adults (17+) with learning disabilities, find out more about Make Your Mark Xtra here: Autumn Term 2024: Make Your Mark Xtra - Malvern Theatres

On the 14 September they have an outdoor film screening of The Greatest Showman, find out more here: The Greatest Showman in Priory Park - Malvern Theatres.

Welcome to the July edition of the All-Age Disability (0-25 years) Newsletter.

This month’s issue contains Mel Barnett’s last update before she leaves Worcestershire Children First as well the outcome of the SEND Local Area Inspection and information for parent/carers of young people about a Your Pathways guide, news from Inclusion services and information about this year’s summer reading challenge in libraries.

Update from Mel Barnett

This is my last update as I leave for pastures new, having been in Worcestershire for 2 years. I have worked with so many people and parents/carers during my time and would like to say thank you to you all. I along with the partnership recognise that there is much more to be done. I am also pleased to update that Daniela Carson will be taking on the role of Director of All Age Disability (0-25) when I leave. 

I leave Worcestershire having been inspired by many children and young people and want to end my last update in recognition of a group of young people that have been my biggest inspiration. I am so very proud of them all and remember meeting them at their interview in March 2023 and now have the pleasure of attending their graduation this week.  Josh, Michaela, Ethan and Ashton an amazing achievement in securing employment with the NHS and I wish you all the success you deserve. 

Thank you and goodbye

Mel

You can find out more about Project Search, the scheme they were involved in here: Home - DFN Project Search. We also have details of the new NHS Supported Internship Programme here: Worcestershire County Council Announce New NHS Supported Internship Partnership and information about Supported internships in general can be found on the SEND Local Offer here: Supported internships.

Your Pathways guide launched

The world of work and entering the employment market can be a daunting time for young people. A booklet, which is designed to offer help and advice, has been launched by Worcestershire’s Skills and Investment Service called Your Pathways. This guide is aimed at young people with SEND and their parent/carers. 

The magazine aims to act as a guide to help navigate the working world: providing answers to your questions, giving you helpful tips and activities, and linking you to various resources for more information.

The 52-page booklet is full of useful content including, information about Routes into Employment, Next Steps, Case Studies and information from the Department for Works and pensions (DWP).

You can access the guide here: Worcestershire Inclusive Employment: Your Pathways

Local Area SEND Inspection published

An inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) into Worcestershire’s approach to special education needs and disability (SEND) has been published.

Ofsted and CQC inspectors felt that there were systemic failings in the Worcestershire local area, with the following 2 priority actions required of the local area partnership.

1. The local area partnership should urgently address the long waiting times for community paediatrics, the neurodevelopment assessment pathway, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. 
2. The local area partnership should urgently develop genuine co-production with children and young people with SEND at a strategic level. Children and young people should feel they have fully participated in the process of developing services, improvement strategies and plans that meet their needs

The local area partnership, which comprises of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board, Worcestershire Children First and Worcestershire County Council, fully accept their findings and recommendations on what needs to improve. Whilst the report recognises that progress has been made in some areas, the Partnership would like to apologise to those children and young people with SEND who have not received the timely support they need.

As a Partnership, we are committed to reducing waiting times and providing better support for those children and young people who are currently waiting. We want children and young people with SEND to feel truly seen and respected as individuals and this will be a key priority for us in further developing our co-production of services.

A monitoring inspection will be carried out within approximately 18 months and the next full reinspection will be within approximately three years. As a result of this inspection, His Majesty s Chief Inspector requires the local area partnership to prepare and submit a priority action plan (area SEND) to address the identified areas for priority action

Evaluation of pre-statutory Educational Psychology (EP) involvement in the Early Years Inclusion Process

The Early Years Inclusion Process (EYIP) was introduced in November 2023, replacing the previous preschool forum. Early years practitioners can now refer into the Educational Psychology (EP) service if they feel that a child may have special educational needs. They will be supported with a joint assessment meeting (JAM) which parents, settings and other professionals are invited to attend. The feedback has been resoundingly positive and has enabled us to continue reflecting on how the process can be improved in response to the comments that we have received. 

A qualitative analysis of the survey results found the following:

Qualitative Data – Parents

What worked well: 

• the meeting was really helpful, to get opinions and putting parent’s minds at ease
• listening to opinions on whether targets would be met and useful to have review or multiple meetings with the EP rather than a one off
• information is sent out straight away and we always feel in loop, always felt supported

What could be improved:

• spending more time with the child

Qualitative Data – Settings

What worked well:

• parental involvement was valued, helped to get their wishes, develop knowledge and be involved in setting outcomes
• feedback (paperwork/report/advice) is efficiently and promptly delivered
• value the co-production of outcomes/target setting/planning next steps for the child
• settings valued EP involvement as it provided professional evidence which supports an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) request
• other themes include joint working/collaboration, building a team around the child and seeking the child’s voice

What could be improved:

• some settings would value more time with the EP/for the EP to spend more time with the child
• the need for a longer review cycle

Social Events and updates from the Sensory Impairment team 

Family Fun at Perdiswell

Families were invited to our annual summer fun event on 4 July. A lovely opportunity to meet other families of children with a sensory impairment while making summer-themed crafts with the team. This year’s event was the best yet and we are already planning next summer!

Vision Impairment Team

We had a super playdate with some early years profoundly vision impaired children at Churchfields in June.  They joined in with singing time, went on the play equipment including a huge trampoline and petted some animals. Parents were able to chat and support each other, and it was glorious summer day.

Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team

The Deaf and hearing impairment team has been busy this term - we had a ‘meet and play’ Coffee Morning in Worcester for our Early Years Families and a 10-pin bowling evening for some of our ‘tweens’.

Summer reading challenge is back!

The Marvellous Makers Summer Reading Challenge is a free holiday activity for all children aged 4 to 11. It is developed by The Reading Agency and delivered by public libraries.

Every year the challenge has a new theme and this year the Reading Agency have worked with leading arts charity Create Arts to develop the theme ‘Marvellous Makers’. The challenge this year is all about creativity with custom-made illustrations created by the brilliant illustrator - Natelle Quek.

How the Summer Reading Challenge works

Children sign up at their local library to start their challenge.
Children choose the books they want to read.
Library staff and volunteers are on hand to chat to children about books they have read.
There are rewards and incentives along the way to encourage children to read.
Every child who completes the challenge, by reading 6 library books, receives a medal and certificate.

Libraries also have activities for children to enjoy during the summer holidays. Ask at your local library or look at library events page.

You can find your nearest library here: Find a library.
 

Welcome to the June All-Age (0 to 25) Disability Newsletter

Welcome to the June edition of the All-Age Disability (0-25 years) Newsletter.

This month’s edition contains Mel Barnett’s update as well as news about the Inclusion conference and the next stage of the new EHCP template trial.

Update from Mel Barnett

I wanted to focus my update in this addition on Supported Internships and start with a video that says so much about  Supported  Internship - NHS Case Study - INclusive Worcestershire (YouTube.com)

This year we are immensely proud of our interns who have been successful in obtaining paid employment at the hospital. I am also very much looking forward to the graduation ceremony next week where we will celebrate this success with them.

Please also take the time to look at the following video which will tell you more.  What is a Supported Internship? Parent Edition (YouTube.com)

I also want to take the opportunity to tell you about the Young Adult Learning, which is a team in the Council, who are working with Inclusive Worcestershire to offer Supported Internships within the NHS.  This year-long programme based at Worcestershire Royal Hospital offers an incredible opportunity for young people with special educational needs, aged 16 to 24 and with an EHCP to enter employment.  Supported Interns often face barriers to traditional routes into employment and although they may be considering an apprenticeship, they may also need a stepping stone to get there.  By joining this programme, interns will gain valuable work experience sampling different roles within the hospital, opening up access to over 350 different careers in the NHS.  Opportunities are not just for the clinical roles which might first spring to mind but cover a range of roles across various hospital teams.

The programme is a DfN Project Search partnership and is complemented by expert job coaching services.  Throughout the programme, the teaching and job coaching teams support interns to develop skills and behaviours for employment, provide practical support to learn new tasks and help them build relationships with colleagues.  

Applications are open now and can be made to Kelly Champion at Young Adult Learning by calling 01905 728537 or emailing youngadultlearning@worcestershire.gov.uk.  Informal visits to their centre in Worcester are warmly welcomed as a first step to finding out more.  The Fairfield Centre is on Carnforth Drive in Warndon, WR4 9HG.

Inclusion conference for Educational Settings

The annual Inclusion Conference this year had keynote sessions from Karl Rogerson (Principal of Billesley Primary School) and Wayne Harris (Inclusive Attendance), these sessions focused on school level practices that promote inclusion.  There were also a range of workshops available to attendees which cover areas such as the social emotional impact of Dyslexia, Transitions, meeting speech and language needs in high school, Intensive Interaction and many more. 

Change Programme Partnership, new EHCP template

In the February edition of this newsletter we mentioned Worcestershire is part of the Change Programme Partnership (CPP), and as part of the pilot we would be testing a new EHCP template.

In March we began to use this new template with families who were happy to be part of this trial. 

The EHCP template is designed to improve the consistency and quality of EHCPs. It is based on intensive co-production, with a wide range of stakeholders across education, health and social care, local authorities, organisations representing parents and those who advise them, children and young people themselves, and experts in the early years, schools and post-16 provision.

The new template is not dissimilar to the one we were already using, but this one brings Outcomes, Needs and Provision together. 

We have now reached a point where we will be seeking feedback from the families involved, along with SEND Casework Officers, and colleagues from settings, educational psychologists, health, social care and other professionals. We welcome any thoughts about how to improve it, what people liked and disliked and these will be fed back via the Change programme.

Welcome to the May edition of the All-Age Disability (0-25 years) Newsletter.

This month’s edition contains amongst other things, Mel Barnett’s update along with updates from the Inclusion Support Services, and information about where you can find out what’s on in Worcestershire during half term.

Update from Mel Barnett

You’ll be aware that Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission visited Worcestershire last month to inspect our arrangements for children with special education needs and disabilities. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed information or participated in the inspection. Your involvement has been greatly appreciated. We are expecting the report to be published in June and we will of course add it to the Local Offer when published.

I would also like to inform you that I will be leaving Worcestershire Children First on 31 July after 2 years of being the Director for All Age Disability (0-25).  I am leaving to take up the post of Director of Childrens Services (DCS) in West Northamptonshire. There are too many parents that I would want to thank personally, but particular thanks to those who have been part of the Parent Stakeholder Group. Thank you for all the support and challenge and I wish you and your children the very best for the future. 

Parent/carer Section on Inclusion Support Services webpage

Following our previous article about developing this information section, we would like to invite parent/carers to share their views about the content of the webpage.

The webpage can be found at: Information for parent/carers

If you would like to meet with us to share your views, we are holding an online meeting on 3rd July between 12 and 1.30pm.  You can attend for part of this time, or for the whole meeting, to share your views and ideas with us.  If you would like to join us, please email:  edpsychology@worcestershire.gov.uk with “parent/carer website” in the subject heading.

We look forward to meeting with you!

Phone surgery appointment system in SEND Services

In SEND services we are always looking to improve the way we communicate with you, our parents and carers. In June last year we introduced a phone surgery appointment system as a pilot and after monitoring it for four months we have continued to offer these phone appointments.

The system was introduced because we understood how frustrating it can be if you can’t speak to your case worker when you call because they are in meetings or are busy with other commitments. 

If you contact the office and your query cannot be answered by the person who takes your call, and your case worker is not available, then a time for a call back from them will be discussed and booked. 

Case workers have allocated time in their electronic diaries each week for these phone surgeries. Whoever answers your call can see these surgery slots and discuss with you what is the best time and day for you. 

Once a time is agreed details of your query will be taken and they book a 15-minute appointment in the case worker’s calendar. You will then know when you can expect your call back and case workers will have the time allotted in their virtual diary. 

Wherever possible case workers should take your call when it is received, but this system means that if they are not able to then a suitable time can be arranged.

Exam time

Exam times are stressful, and your young people may be taking exams at the moment, or in the future, did you know there is information on the SEND Local Offer about the support they can get? You can find it here: Support in exams. There is also a short article on the National Autistic Society website, which offers advice about preparing autistic children and young people for exams, which some of you may find useful: Preparing autistic children and young people for exams (autism.org.uk)

May half term – what’s on

With the spring bank holiday weekend and half term coming up, you may be looking to find out what’s on in your local area, or another area of Worcestershire. Please be aware that the websites shown below are not specifically for children and young people with SEND but may offer ideas for the whole family.

Worcestershire libraries have events and activities running – you can check out what your local library has to offer here: Library events and activities.

Every district council has a website or section of their website which has things to do and an events calendar, they are all listed below.

Bromsgrove - Things to do | Bromsgrove.gov.uk

Malvern - What's On | Events, Festivals, Shows & Days Out | Visit The Malverns

Redditch - Listing of things to do within the borough (redditchbc.gov.uk)

Worcester City - Leisure, Parks and Allotments - Worcester City Council

Wychavon - Home - Vale & Spa (valeandspa.co.uk)

Wyre Forest - Visit Wyre Forest | Wyre Forest District Council (wyreforestdc.gov.uk)

Visit Worcestershire is the tourism site for the county and has an events listing: Visit Worcestershire: Official Tourism Website

Hello and welcome to the April edition of the All-Age Disability (0-25 years) Newsletter.

This month’s edition contains Mel Barnett’s update which is about our SEND Area Inspection which is happening now. You will also find updates from Early Years Inclusion and the Educational Psychologist Service as well as from Short Breaks and Activities.

The evidence of spring is all around us now (except perhaps for the weather!) and for those wanting to spend time outside we’ve included an article about different websites with information about outdoor spaces in Worcestershire.

Update from Mel Barnett

You are probably aware that Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will be visiting Worcestershire to inspect our local area arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

Inspectors will be on site from 22 April to 26 April 2024.

The inspection will evaluate how well members of a local area partnership work together to improve the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND.

During this inspection, the inspectors will collect information about children and young people in the area. They will be looking at local area records, speaking to area officers and leaders at settings, and speaking to children, young people and parents or carers. Ofsted and CQC will use this information to prepare the inspection report, and for the purposes set out in their privacy notices. No information will be published in the inspection report that identifies any individual.

Since our last inspection we have been working hard as a partnership to deliver improvements in SEND services for children and young people in Worcestershire and we are looking forward to being able to show the progress we have made and how experiences for children and young people with SEND have changed.

Groups, Activities and Short Breaks update

The Worcestershire Groups, Activities and Short Breaks have been commissioned up to June 2024; and this year we have joined this up with our Worcestershire Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Through this work we have ensured that we have commissioned a diverse range of provisions that are able to meet children and young people’s needs both in terms of complexity and geographical locations. We are committed to continuing to develop this offer to Worcestershire children and we will be seeking feedback shortly from parent/carers and children and young people who have accessed these services over the Easter holidays to inform the summer holiday provision.

We are aware that some providers costs have increased significantly this year, this has resulted in them having to review the number of places they can offer. Both HAF, Groups, Activities and Short breaks are open to SEND children and young people; we ask that parents /carers to always check with providers that they are suitable for their child’s needs before booking a place.

For more information about groups and activities for children and young people with SEND is via this link Short break groups and activities.

To find out more about HAF Ready Steady Worcestershire - Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme.

Parent/carer feedback regarding Joint Assessment Meetings

Following the use of Joint Assessment Meetings (JAMs) with pre-school children for statutory assessment, the Educational Psychology Team have started to use this approach with school-aged children.  To gather views of parent/carers who have been part of this process, we contacted a sample of 14 parent/carers, and were able to gain feedback from 2 to inform our next steps.

Please see the “You Said, We Did” overview for the findings from this work. 

You Said We Did Parent/carer feedback for school age JAMs (PDF)

Survey asking for your views on the way services work together for young people moving into adulthood

Worcestershire County Council Adult Social Care Commissioning team are trying to improve their understanding of current services for 14–25-year-olds who may be moving from children’s social care to adult social care. This is to identify future commissioning needs across education, health and social care and improve pathways through services for young people and their families as they journey into adulthood and improve experience and outcomes.

The survey, which is open to all stakeholders, closes on April 22nd, 2024, and can be found by following this link: 14-25 commissioning needs assessment survey.  

Early Years Inclusion Team Universal Offer

Worcestershire have Area SENCOs, who are teachers and SENCo Support Advisors (SSAs) who are specialists in SEN and disabilities. They work together and are part of the Inclusion Support Service. The principle focus of the Area SENCo strategic role is to support all Early Year’s providers and schools in the early identification and intervention for children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities. 

The Area SENCOs for each area will offer strategic setting support to all Early Years Providers. This includes: 

• sharing high quality, inclusive practice across providers and schools
• providing day to day support to practitioners and early years SENCos put in place the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs
• providing support to every provider in Worcestershire to monitor SEND provision
• planning and delivering high quality training to teachers, practitioners, and childminders to support children with SEN or disabilities
• providing continuous SENCo training programme ensuring a fully qualified SENCo in every early year’s provision
• having an overview of all the providers who claim SEND funding to support and provide guidance
• recommending training that is available to further providers skills and knowledge
• recommending appropriate funding to claim, with advice on how to spend it to best impact on the child’s development

More information on the inclusion funding available to early years providers can be found on the following link: Online inclusion funding application process.

Alongside the SENCo Support Advisors (SSAs), they may also be allocated individual children and offer specific support through the Early Years Inclusion Process as part of the Inclusion Support Services.

You can contact the Area SENCos directly on the details below:

• Sharon Andrews: Area SENCO (Redditch and Bromsgrove)
  Email: SAndrews@worcestershire.gov.uk
  Telephone: 01905 843881
• Caroline Britton: Area SENCO (Wyre Forest)
  Email: CBritton2@worcestershire.gov.uk
  Telephone: 01905 846942
• Amy Rowley: Area SENCO (South Worcestershire)
  Email: ARowley@worcestershire.gov.uk
  Telephone: 01905 643962
• Annette Murray: Area SENCO (Droitwich, Wychavon and Redditch)
  Email: AMurray@worcestershire.gov.uk
  Telephone: 01905 643643

Where to look for information about outside spaces to visit in Worcestershire

As the days get longer and the weather improves, getting out and about can help with our mental health. We’ve listed some websites below which have information about the outside spaces you can visit in beautiful Worcestershire. Hopefully the amount of rain we’ve been getting will slow down (or even stop!) and give the ground a chance to dry out, in the meantime, wellies might be in order when you visit!

Country parks, picnic places and nature reserves where you can search for country parks, picnic sites and nature reserves.

Walks in Worcestershire - Find out about walks in Worcestershire by using the directory of walks. You can also view walks on a map.

The Malvern Hills Trust site which contains information about walks and cycling routes. 

Visit Worcestershire: Official Tourism Website, which includes Explore - Visit Worcestershire containing information about Worcester City and the different towns in the county.

National Trust Clent Hills information (they are part of the National Trust.)

Forestry England has sections on ‘Things to do’ and a ‘Find a forest or woodland’ search facility.

Walking & Exploring - Cotswolds National Landscape Search for walks in the Cotswolds.

Hi and welcome to the March All-Age Disability (0-25 years) Newsletter. 

The daffodils are in bloom which surely means the warmer (and hopefully drier) weather is on its way! In this month’s edition we have Mel Barnett’s update, information about a new dyspraxia pathway, an easy read leaflet about measles to download, information from SENDIASS and details about an event for parents and carers of young people with an EHCP.

Update from Mel Barnett

Last month I provided a very brief update on the Change Programme Partnership (CPP). You will be able to find more detail on the CPP, on the SEND Local Offer via the following link News, updates and feedback.

As part of the SEND and AP Change Programme, one of the reform areas that we will be working on is the trialing and testing of a new EHCP template. All four local authorities in the West Midlands region started using the new template from 4 March 2024. Each local authority has been asked to test the new template on a minimum of 80 EHCPs. 

The aim of the new template is: 

• to develop one, national EHCP template by 2025, which will help to improve the experience for families
• improving the quality and clarity of plans
• providing better support for children and young people
• to improve partnership working, especially those that are working across different areas

If your child will be receiving an EHCP in the new template, this will be communicated to you before the plan writing takes place, which will also include your agreement to take part. As we progress the work of the CPP we will of course keep you informed. In addition, Elaine Lambe who is the Regional Parent Carer representative at the weekly CPP meetings also met with the Worcestershire PCF - Families in Partnership and further communications were discussed and are being planned.

Thank you,

Mel Barnett – Director for All-Age Disability

New dyspraxia Pathway

Worcestershire Children First’s (WCF) Learning Support Team have recently been working alongside NHS Children’s Occupational Therapy (OT) Service to update their Dyspraxia Pathway. This new document will be available to download on the WCF website Learning Support Team. It is designed to ensure that teachers are able to identify pupils with motor coordination difficulties and put in suitable support and intervention. It lays down the process that schools need to follow before they consider making a referral to the OT service. 

Many of the children affected will respond well to intervention and will not need to follow the pathway to the end, but for some, this process will help to ensure that any referrals made to OT will be appropriate and will reduce the time that assessment will take, as much of the groundwork will already be evidenced.  

The Pathway contains links to many useful websites and resources that can be used at school and at home. 

The Pathway was introduced to school SENDCos at their recent network meetings so all schools should now be aware that this is the approach approved by WCF and NHS.

SEND Post 16 Holistic support event for parents and carers

Worcestershire County Council (WCC) are running their first SEND Post 16 Holistic support event for parents and carers of young people with an EHCP. The event is open to parent/carers across Worcestershire and is free.

The informal and relaxed event is your opportunity to connect with a diverse range of services and explore the local support available for your young person. Whether you're seeking advice, information, or simply want to connect with other parents and carers, this event could be for you. The Heart of Worcestershire college are hosting the event in their Smart Living facility in Worcester on Thursday 18 April 4:00pm to 7:00pm.

Where: St. Wulstan’s Building, Worcester WR1 2ES

When: Thursday 18 April 4:00pm to 7:00pm

Reserve your free place: SEND Post 16 Holistic support event for parent/carers booking form

Easy read measles leaflet

You are probably aware that there has been a rise in measles cases nationally and the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Community Learning Disability Service have developed an easy read leaflet about the importance of the measles vaccine. You can download it here to share with your children or young people if you want to help explain about what the measles vaccine is and what having a vaccination entails.

Measles Easy Read February 2024 (PDF)

SENDIASS training videos

The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Special Educational Needs/Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) have released their Online information session as a training video. This video explains the SENDIASS service and how the team can support families of children and young people with SEND in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. 

You can watch the video here: An Introduction to Herefordshire and Worcestershire SENDIASS (YouTube video)

The video is also available on the HW SENDIASS How we can help webpage.

SENDIASS have also released the first of their Meet the Professionals videos. These videos will give you the opportunity to hear from professionals that you or your child/ young person may come into contact with. The first video explains the role of the Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) for SEND. There will be more videos to follow shortly. 

HW SENDIASS also offer a range of other training workshops for parent carers and professionals. Find out more on the SENDIASS Training webpage

Hi and welcome to the February All-Age Disability (0 to 25 years) Newsletter. 

We’ve got lots in this month’s issue including information for parent carers of young children and for those aged 14 and upwards, along with Mel Barnett’s update and something new for male parent carers.

Update from Mel Barnett

This month I’d like to give you further updates on the ASD free school, improvement work we are involved in and CPP. 

ASD Free School

The Academy Trust interviews took place week commencing 8th January 2024 and I was part of the interview panel. The Department for Education (DfE) will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State in Spring/Summer 2024 in terms of the successful Trust. The full feasibility, for the site, is currently underway and completion is expected imminently. Worcestershire Children First (WCF) officers are working with the DfE design team on planning for the new school. The next steps will be a report to the March 2024 Cabinet meeting. Once the successful Academy Trust has been announced, they will be part of the planning and design of the new school.

Improvement Updates

As you will be aware there is a lot of improvement work being carried out within Worcestershire Children First (WCF) that we want to share with parent carers, children, young people, and professionals. These are being delivered under improvement projects including the Accelerated Progress Plan (APP), Delivering Better Value (DBV) and the Change Programme Partnership (CPP). We are currently revisiting our communication approach with the key aim being to update parents, carers, children and young people and partners about the key achievements we’re making across SEND as a whole. We hope this approach will help make things clearer for parent carers and allow us to really focus on sharing tangible progress and demonstrate how this progress is working towards meeting key outcomes. I hope to be able to provide further detail in the next newsletter.

Change Programme Partnership (CPP)

As a region we are currently finalising the road map of activity linked to the CPP and the associated communication for parents and how you can become involved. It is anticipated that this will be available in the next few weeks. You may be aware that as part of the pilot there will be testing of a new EHCP template. This will commence in March and will involve 80 children in each Local Authority. Further details relating to this will follow.  I also want to provide assurance that as part of the weekly regional meetings there is a Regional Parent Carer Representative who is in attendance.

Thank you,

Mel Barnett – Director for All-Age Disability

Special School reception places 2024

Worcestershire Children First are currently working towards National Offer Day (NOD) for primary school places, Tuesday 16 April. This is the date which families with a child starting school in September 2024 will find out which school they are being offered a place in.

If you have a child who is going through the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment process (EHCNA), it is our intention to make a decision about their named placement by this date. We are currently working on a number of assessments and aim to confirm special school reception places for September 2024 by 16 April 2024. 

As parents, if your preference is for a reception place at special school, we will name your child’s current early years setting for now, and your request for a special school place will be considered. You should know by mid-April (in line with National Offer Day) what school place is being offered.

Requests that have been received since the beginning of January 2024 may not meet the April deadline, as decisions about placement follow EHCNA timelines. National Offer Day is less than 16 weeks after the beginning of the year and information for the assessment may not have been gathered in time for a decision to be made. However, this does not mean your child won’t be considered for a special school place if they need one, you will be notified after the April deadline.

Early Years Inclusion Process update

The Early Years Inclusion Process and the system to submit Early Years Inclusion Notifications launched on 1 November 2023.  Since then, we have received 139 new notifications for children under 5 in Worcestershire.

Out of those 139 children the outcomes so far are: 

• 75 children are being supported by the Early Years Inclusion Team (EYIT)
• 20 children are being supported by the Complex Communication Team (CCN)
• 15 children are being supported by an Early Years Language Class (EYLC)
• 29 children continue to have their needs met and are supported by their early years provider. No further action is therefore required from the Early Years Inclusion Process  

We are continually reviewing our processes and welcome feedback from parents and professionals.
If you have received support from WCF Inclusion Support Services since the 1st November, we would love to hear from you!

How do I give feedback on the process?

Parent / carers are encouraged to give feedback on the Early Years Inclusion Process. This can be completed via the online form Feedback about EYIP for parents.

Providers are encouraged to give feedback on the Early Years Inclusion Process. This can be completed via the online form Feedback about EYIP for providers.

We also have a Frequently asked question document, which we update following any feedback. This can be found on our webpage Early Years Inclusion Process.

Do you have a question?

Any questions regarding the Early Years Inclusion Process, please contact eynotification@worcestershire.gov.uk

Worcestershire Skills Show 2024

Worcestershire Careers Hub are hosting the 2024 Skills Show at Worcester Sixways Stadium.

Parents and carers are welcome to attend with their young people between 5pm and 8pm on Wednesday, 6 March. The event is FREE with no need to book and there is plenty of free parking.

The event is open to all (it is not SEND specific) and is a great opportunity for you and your young person to talk to the experts about the skills and qualifications needed for a huge variety of roles!

Trained careers advisers are also available to help young people who are not sure of their future pathways. Exhibitors include Worcester University, Harper Adams University, local F.E. colleges and private training providers, Worcestershire Apprenticeships and Careers Worcestershire. Organisations and businesses attending the event include the NHS, the Armed Forces, Southco, Yamazaki Mazak, Worcester City Football Club, NHS Community Dentists, Worcestershire County Council and the Police Cyber Security Unit to name but a few.

This event could be of particular interest to those parents with young people aged 14-16 (though other ages are welcome). You can find out more here: Worcestershire Skills Show 2024.

Parent/carer leaflet about Educational Psychologist Role

The Educational Psychology (EP) Team have put together a leaflet for parent/carers to help explain how they will work with them and what is meant by a ‘consultation approach’.  The aim is that this will be used when schools or settings ask parent/carers for consent for involvement from the EP Team.  

They welcome any feedback or comments to enable them to address any questions that parent/carers may have.  Please email:  EdPsychology@worcestershire.gov.uk

You can download the new leaflet here: EP information for parent carer about consultation approach (PDF).

Men Care Too

A new support group for male parent carers, called Men Care Too Walk and Talk is to start. Following feedback from SEND families saying that there is no support for male carers, Sam, from the Young Adults Team, did some research about what’s on offer in other areas, and what men would like in Worcestershire and is trialling the new scheme.

It's open to any male parent/carer who provides a caring role and who would like the opportunity to meet up with others in a similar position.
The idea is to take advantage of the wonderful countryside we have and the warmer weather which is on its way (hopefully) and meet up for a walk and a chat.

The Walk and Talk group will be meeting the last Wednesday of each month at 10am outside the front entrance of The Orchard Café at Worcester Woods Country Park. The site has free parking and there’s the option to stay and have refreshments (additional cost) at the café afterwards, for those who want to.

Come along to the Walk and Talk for a chance to meet others in a supportive environment. Last Wednesday in the month at Worcester Woods Country Park, Wildwood Drive, Worcester WR5 2LG.

Healthwatch Worcestershire want the views and experiences of young people aged 13-25 years

Healthwatch Worcestershire finds out what people think about health and social care services. They use this information to tell those who run the services how they can be improved. 

They want to hear the views and experiences of young people (aged 13-25) in Worcestershire. In particular, they want to hear about young people’s experiences of accessing help with their emotional wellbeing, as well as accessing support for issues around gender identity and/or neurodiversity.
The survey is anonymous and confidential - responses will be combined and used to create a report which will be publicly available on their website later this year.

The survey is running until 28 March 2024.

Healthwatch Worcestershire: Young People's Health and Emotional Wellbeing Survey 2024 (surveymonkey.com)

Welcome to the January All Age (0 to 25) Disability Newsletter

Hello and welcome to the January edition of the All-Age Disability (0 to 25 years) Newsletter. 

In this month’s edition we have amongst other things, an update from Mel Barnett, news about changes to way we hear about SEND families experiences, new information which has been added to the SEND Local Offer and information about some Christmas events which our hearing and visual impairment teams ran.

Update from Mel Barnett

You will be aware from previous communications that Worcestershire was successful in its bid for an ASD Free School which will be built in Malvern. The application window for Trust applications closed on 31 August 2023. Between September and December 2023, the applications were assessed by the Department of Education. On 9 and 12 January 2024, the successful applicants were interviewed. I was also part of the interview panel. Applications will now be subject of standardisation and moderation. At the time of writing, it is not known when the successful Trust will be announced, we will of course keep you updated.

In the October Newsletter I updated that Worcestershire were part of the Change Programme Partnership. The planning, for the West Midlands partnership is continuing and I hope to be able to send out some further communications over the coming weeks regarding the next steps and how parents can become involved. 

Finally, I want to update and thank all of you that fed back regarding the Herefordshire and Worcestershire All-Age Autism Strategy 2024 to 2029. My involvement in the Strategy related to Priority 2 as detailed below. The Strategy will reflect the 6 priorities within the National Autism Strategy 2021 to 2026 as detailed below. There will also be an additional local priority around keeping safe. The Strategy will be presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board, for sign off on 28 March 2024.

1. Improving understanding and acceptance of autism within society
2. Improving autistic children and young people’s access into education and support positive transitions into adulthood
3. Supporting more autistic people into employment
4. Tackling health and care inequalities for autistic people
5. Building the right support in the community
6. Improving support in criminal and youth justice systems
7. Keeping safe

Thank you,

Mel Barnett – Director for All-Age Disability

Changes to the way parent carer views are heard and listened to

In January Mel Barnett, Director for All-Age Disability (0 to 25) wrote to all the members of the SEND Parent Carer Stakeholder Group to let them know about changes to the way we hear from parent carer groups, which had been made by the SEND 0 to 25 Partnership Board.

You can read the letter here:

Dear Parent Carer Stakeholder Group, 

It is important to the development and improvement of SEND Services for children and young people in Worcestershire that parent carers have a voice, and our families’ experiences are actively heard and understood.

Just under two years ago a SEND Parent Carer Stakeholder Group was formed to widen stakeholder involvement in the four workstreams of our SEND Accelerated Progress Plan (APP). There has been some success in this forum, but we haven’t been able to consistently reach as many representatives or build the relationships we had hoped. Therefore, the SEND 0-25 Partnership Board, which oversees the work of the APP, has made the decision to replace the stakeholder group with a new process, which will strengthen the direct links we have as a partnership with the widest range of registered forums across Worcestershire. 

Each board representative will be assigned to a parent carer forum and, subject to the forum agreement, they will attend that forum on a quarterly basis in order to hear the experiences, positive and negative, of its group members and also hear any ideas about how things could change and what their role and function in that might be to support that change. Key themes will then be fed back and discussed at the SEND 0-25 Partnership Board.

Board members, who represent organisations across Education, Health, Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Worcestershire Children First, will be assigned to their support group at the next Board meeting on 19 January. Each member will contact and visit their group before the Partnership Board meeting in April. The visits are expected to be face-to-face, except for those groups who have an online presence only or would rather hold it virtually. These new way of engagement will be reviewed in September 2024.

I want to end by thanking all of the representatives from the different groups that have previously attended, and currently attend for your time and commitment to the meetings. On behalf of all Board Members, we very much look forward to continuing to develop those relationships as well as developing new relationships.

Regards

Mel Barnett

New guides and videos added to the Preparing for Adulthood section of the SEND Local Offer

The SEND Local Offer has recently been redesigned and contains lots of new information and it is something that we are continuing to develop. 

This month we have added some new guides and videos which we hope will help to aid understanding about housing options for young people with a disability and the Deprivation of Liberty Standards. They can be found in the Preparing for Adulthood (16 to 25 years) section of the website.

In the Housing section we have added a short video and a written guide which are for people with additional needs and their carers, who live in Worcestershire, and who are looking at the supported living options.

The other new information is about Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, or DoLS. A new guide and video have been added to the Your rights regarding making decisions page of the SEND Local Offer. The video gives an overview of what DoLS is and then the guide gives you more detailed information and can be viewed or downloaded from the page.

Seasonal social events for children with sensory impairments

In December Worcestershire Children First’s Sensory Impairment team had some seasonal events for children. Their social events offer children with a sensory impairment the opportunity to meet one another while having plenty of fun. 

Last term, vision impaired children met at PYPLC on 7 December to celebrate the festive period with a bouncy castle, Christmas crafts, a picnic lunch and a very special visit from Father Christmas himself!

The Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team held their event at Kings Hawford School on the 18 December. Christmas crafts, silent signed singing, a buffet tea and a visit from signing Santa were the highlights of the event which was their most well attended yet with almost 60 children!

Please look out for their Spring social events – your Specialist Teachers can give you further information. 

Your views and experiences of Groups, Activities and Short Breaks needed

Worcestershire’s parent carer forum, Families in Partnership (FiP), want to hear from families with children/young people with SEND, about their experiences booking and using Groups, Activities and Short Breaks Provision across Worcestershire.

They are collecting the views and experiences of families through a short, anonymous online survey, the results will feedback to Worcestershire Children First to help inform their development of a booking system for short breaks and activities.

Amongst other things, FiP want to know what’s working well and not so well, what features families would like in the new booking system and what are the barriers to accessing activities. 

They want to hear from as many families as possible and you can take part here: Groups, Activities and Short Breaks survey.

Warm Spaces in Worcestershire libraries 

As the winter sets in, Worcestershire Libraries are great places to visit, offering everyone a free, warm, welcoming, and friendly space. For more detailed information on warm spaces in libraries, and the different services they provide, please visit the dedicated Warm Welcome pages on their website.

The 21 libraries across the county are part of the Warm Welcome Network, providing a haven of friendliness and relaxation throughout the winter months. The Warm Welcome Network is a national initiative which lists venues that can provide a warm welcome for those struggling to heat their homes this winter, you can find out more here: Warm Welcome Campaign.