Welcome to the latest edition. We hope you are all keeping well, we are so happy to be reaching more families all the time to be part of our online newsletter community.
We understand as the festive season approaches, it can be very difficult for many of our children. Extra noises, changes, and unexpected gifts and visitors can all cause a lot of extra stress.
There are some brilliant videos shared by Witherslack support group offering advice for managing the festive period. One piece of advice they share is to prepare well ahead of time for any adjustments you will need to make.
Christmas party solely for young people with a learning and/or physical disability age 11+ to adult. Mavericks night club, Bingley. Friday 20 December (6pm - 9pm). Cost £6. Organised by the Bradford Down Syndrome Training and Support Service.
Did you know Cliffe Castle have a quiet weekend to visit Santa? The weekend of 7 and 8 Dec is a quieter Santa experience. Run by Keighley Lions Charity, the event costs £10.
West Yorkshire ADHD support group - Tuesday 17 December (7.30pm - 9pm) at Shipley Library. For parents/carers of children with ADHD or suspected ADHD.
Jump Aboard educational psychologist sessions available - sessions held at least once per month. Phone your local Hub to book. Find out location, dates and times on the Family Hub timetables.
Bradford SENDIASS workshops - The first in a series of workshops for parent/carers will run in-person on Tue, 7 Jan at 10am. Learn about completing a parental request for a Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment.
The National Science and Media Museum will reopen its doors on 8 January 2025! The museum’s IMAX screen will reopen from Friday 20 December with screenings of Mufasa: The Lion King.
Bradford Markets are running a free drop- in family workshop making fairy wreaths at Oastler Market on December 21 from 11am-3pm.
Bradford 2025 are bringing a little magic to their opening event 'Rise' in City Park on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 January 2025. Created with the Bradford-born magician formerly known as Dynamo. Tickets, £2 and under 16's are free. Book here.
Andy's Man Club, Bradford - (groups located in central Bradford and Bradford South) free places for men to get peer-to-peer mental health support and support each other's health. For men aged 18 and over. Mondays at 7pm.
If you, or someone you’re worried about needs urgent mental health support, call First Response: 0800 952 1181 or dial NHS 111. For online information visit the Healthy Minds website.
Have your say on proposed new transport plans for post-16 learners
Bradford Council is asking for feedback on proposed changes to how it provides transport assistance for post-16 learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
A public consultation into the proposed changes has opened and runs until 12 January 2025.
Annual SEND survey 2024 - your voice matters
The Parents’ Forum for Bradford and Airedale (PFBA) are asking for your help to fill our their survey.
The Forum works closely with Health, Education and Social Care services in improving SEND services and your feedback helps identify areas that are important to you and those that need more work.
Please note PFBA has an interpreter who can translate the survey in Urdu/Punjabi/Hindi. For any other languages, please speak to your nearest family hub or your child's school.
There's still time to share your experiences with the Short Breaks team
During 2024 and 2025 Bradford Council and Bradford Children and Families Trust have been, and continue to work with partners from the NHS to improve and develop some of the services for children and young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities) and those who care for them.
There is a further opportunity to ensure the team know about everything that is important to you.
You can do this by either attending an in-person meeting or through one of the online sessions on offer. (Please note you only need to attend once.)
If you cannot attend any of the sessions, you can still share your feedback here.
Online session - 28 January 2025, 12 noon - 1pm. Book now
Online session - 28 January 2025, 7pm - 8pm. Book now
In-person event at Shipley Library, 30 January 2025, 10.30am - 11.30am - Book now.
HAF Christmas clubs taking bookings now
You can now book a place for your child on one of the many holiday activities and food (HAF) clubs taking place over the Christmas holidays.
Places are free for children who live in the Bradford district and get benefits-related free school meals and for children with special educational needs or disabilities.
If your child with SEND is not on free school meals, please look at the list of clubs here and contact the club directly.
SEND Service Standards Charter – improving levels of service
Our new charter sets out how services should communicate with you.
It is based on the levels of service you have told us you would like to see.
To make sure you are more informed and involved, SEND services will:
listen to your experience and develop service information with you (‘co-production’)
ask how you prefer to keep in touch
use plain language and explain any terms
aim to meet SEND timescales that are set by law
Tell us about your experience, whether that’s good or ‘could do better’, by scanning the QR code above or clicking here to the feedback survey.
Find out more about the Service Standards Charter and which services are signed up to the ‘Service Level Agreement or SLA' on the Local Offer website.
Parent and carer support group
Monday 18 December 2024, 10.30am or 7.30pm on Zoom.
The topic for December’s group is:
Supporting your child: Social media and keeping your child safe
The parent support group is an online group, facilitated by NHS mental health practitioners. The group is a safe space for parents to get together, share your experiences and build positive relationships.
In the group session you will discuss what social media is, how it may be used by children and young people and the potential impact on emotional wellbeing. You will also chat about strategies for keeping young people safe online.
Join Bradford, Keighley and Craven mental health support group (called Raising Yorkshire Puddings) on Facebook.
Family Hubs December timetable
Family Hubs support children and young people across the Bradford district, from birth to 25 (with a Special Educational Need or disability). They run lots of brilliant events you can pop along to, including SEND specific sessions. Take a look at what's on.
At Gateway on 13 December (9am - 3pm) the SEND community support team are available to chat to about difficulties you may be having with your child's behaviour and/or sleep.
Check out the many Sensory Space sessions available for families to book. It's a space with light/sound and textures for children and babies to explore.
listening to the local radio stations e.g. Sunrise radio or Pulse.
visiting the Bradford Council website, www.bradford.gov.uk
If you need to contact the service, here are the numbers you will need. Please be aware during busy times you may receive a recorded message.
Passenger Transport Service useful numbers:
PTS Home to school taxis: 01274 436692
PTS Minibus for children or adults: 01274 438889
PTS Adult or Looked after children: 01274 437275
Some transport will now be operating CCTV inside for safety
Some of the Council vehicles and approved transport services will now be operating CCTV within the vehicle. This is not a requirement, however the decision was made to give extra protection to children, young people and anyone else who uses transport to get to their destination.
Any footage taken, can only be viewed when Passenger transport services request as part of an investigation or incident. Any CCTV taken, unless being used to assist an incident will be deleted within 30 days of the recording.
If you have any question or concerns, contact the Passenger Transport Service on the useful numbers above. Thank you.
Have you heard of FILMPASS PRIME for Max Card holders?
If you haven't got a Max Card you can easily sign up, if you already have a Max Card you can save up to 40% on cinema tickets. Simply create a free film pass prime membership and follow the instructions here. Participating Cinemas include Cineworld, Odeon, Picturehouse, Showcase, The Light and Vue.
Have you tried a relaxed cinema screening?
Christmas can be an especially lovely time to visit the cinema, and it's great to see many of the cinemas are showing regular relaxed screenings.
To make these screenings more comfortable, relaxed screenings are prefect for people who need some sensory adjustments. For example:
Moana 2 (PG) will be the next Autism Friendly screening on Sunday 15 December at 10am. The Odeon hold relaxed screenings one Sunday morning each month.
