 |
|
Hello, it's been lovely to see a little sunshine this week, and walking through Bradford city centre it's exciting seeing the new spaces and tree planting - getting ready for a year ahead of new and creative projects and events in our district with Bradford 2025 - UK City of Culture. We hope you find this edition helpful, and thank you as always for all your contributions this month. |
Please spread the word with family, friends and others who might like to join our supportive community on the Bradford Local Offer Facebook page.
Quick links to helpful information
- Q & A with Iain McBeath, Director of Adult Social Care for Bradford Council - Monday 3 March (10am - 12 noon) at Equality Together, Manningham Mills Community Centre, Lilycroft Road, Bradford BD9 5BD. If you have a question, email: willq@equalitytogether.org
- The Parents’ Forum for Bradford and Airedale is offering three more dates for the EHCP workshops. These are 25 April, 2 May and 10 May. The workshops run from 10.30am to 1.30pm at Carlisle Business Centre, Carlisle Road, Bradford BD8 8BD. Book here.
- Year 7 places at secondary school (September 2025) are offered on Monday 3 March 2025. All parents and carers who applied online will receive their child’s offer letter with any additional information required by email on 3 March. Year 7 admissions queries, email: secondaryadmissions@bradford.gov.uk. Find information on school admissions here.
- EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance) parent support sessions - dates are on the FYI website: EBSA sessions.
- Help support the development of the children and young people's pages of the Local Offer website. Please help young people aged 8 - 25 to complete the survey..
- Online and in-person consultation - feed back on proposed changes to the discretionary elements of the Adult Social Care Non-Residential Contribution Policy. Families who receive adult social care community care, will have received a letter if proposed changes will affect you. Read more about the consultation here.
- Find out about a recent event which took place in Bradford to support young people’s mental health. Take the Mic 2: Rap and music
- See What's on for children and young people in Bradford district - search Visit Bradford.
- Don't miss on19 April at New Brook Street Bridge, Ilkley - The Great Ilkley Duck Race.
- free drop-in sessions for children 0–5 years at Bolling Hall, Bowling Hall Rd, Bradford BD4 7LP - Museums for Play and Growth.
- Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, situated in the middle of Lister park is breast-feeding and family friendly, with child sized tables and activity sheets available. Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Lister Park, Bradford BD9 4NS. Read about it's Kids in Museums Family Café Standard.
- The new Bradford district guides are packed with facts, must-visit places and unique experiences. Download or order here - Bradford district guides,
- Don't forget, young people aged 16 – 25 can sign up for cheap tickets, priority booking, exclusive events and more with a Bradford 2025 Youth Pass.
Update on SEND post-16 travel arrangements
All the views that were received on the post-16 travel arrangements consultation were considered and fed into the report which went to the council’s Executive on 18 February on the outcome of the consultation. The proposed changes to the travel policy were agreed by the council’s Executive and the new policy will be published in May 2025.
New applications received by the council for post-16 travel assistance will now be made in line with the new policy which will determine the travel assistance offer families will receive from September 2025.
Anyone who is currently in receipt of post-16 travel assistance will receive a letter to their home to tell them what their offer will be from September 2025.
The new policy will not change the eligibility criteria for new applications. These will stay the same and families can apply as usual by visiting the Bradford Council - home to school travel webpage.
We will continue to update you on these changes in upcoming SEND Partnership newsletters and the Bradford Local Offer Facebook page.
SEND Reforms in Bradford District
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan was created by Government in March 2023, and sets out ways of changing the SEND system in England.
Bradford is one of four local authorities who, along with partners, are testing the proposed changes. This is being done through Change Programme Partnerships (CPP)
The reforms include, a new Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan template for new Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP’s), national SEND Data dashboards to monitor data trends, a review of Bradford’s Local Area SEND Strategic Partnership Board and standardised EHC panels through a three Tier Approved Provision pilot.
Read more about how what changes are happening in Bradford on the Local Offer webpage, SEND Change Programme.
World Down Syndrome Day celebration!
The Down Syndrome Training and Support Service charity shop - Chromosome Rocks in the Airedale Centre, Keighley are holding a celebration event on Saturday 22 March.
From 12pm there will be performances from dancers: dance21 and twirly21s, singing from the Voices of Yorkshire choir and hopefully a secret special guest appearance. There will also be Down syndrome merchandise on sale and lots of Stand Out socks (as seen on Dragons Den).
Follow the Chromosome Rocks Facebook page to keep up-to-date and latest information about the event.
|
Bradford SENDIASS and drop-in sessions
The SENDIASS service apologise that call backs are taking longer than usual due to high demand. If you are needing more urgent information, in the meantime you can visit the national charity Contact or call their freephone helpline on 0808 808 3555 (Monday to Friday).
SENDIASS will be available to speak to you in-person at the upcoming drop-in sessions. There is no need to book, you can simply turn up. If you need advice on any specific letters you have received you can bring them with you.
Upcoming SENDIASS drop-in sessions:
- Wednesday 4 March (1pm - 2.30pm) Keighley and Shipley Family Hub BD22 6JB
- Thursday 6 March (9am-11am) Barkerend Family Hub BD3 8QX
- Thursday 13 March (1.30-3.30pm) Bradford Forster Academy BD4 8RG
The team can offer support, including:
- giving independent advice about you child’s Special Educational Needs support at school.
- providing support with an assessment or annual review of an Education and Health Care plan.
- giving advise about preparing for a meeting with a school Special Educational Needs coordinator (SENCo) and/or a tribunal meeting.
upcoming SENDIASS Tribunal support workshops:
These are for families going through the tribunal process needing support with a specific task, for example, completing an appeal form, registration letter or evidence bundle. The workshops available below will take place from 1pm - 4pm at Barnardo's, 40-42, Listerhills Science Park, Campus Rd, Bradford BD7 1HR. Book here.
- Tuesday 11 March and Tuesday 11 April
Find out more about SENDIASS on the SEND Local Offer website - One Minute Guides. You can contact SENDIASS on, 01274 513300 or email bradfordSENDIASS@barnardos.org.uk.
|
Jump Aboard appointments with the Educational Psychology team
This March sees the final Jump Aboard sessions across the Bradford district's Family Hubs, because the Jump Aboard project finishes in April. Please don't miss this last chance to get a Jump Aboard appointment with the Educational Psychology team. The sessions are for parents/carers of children and young people aged up to 16.
- Reevy Hill Family Hub, BD6 - Tuesday, 4 March, appointments from 12.30pm to 3pm.
- Rainbow Family Hub, BD22 - Wednesday, 5 March, 9.30am to 11:30am
- Barkerend Family Hub, BD3 - Thursday, 6 March, appointments from 10am to 11.30am.
- Farcliffe Family Hub, BD8 - Friday, 14 March, appointments from 10am to 12 noon.
Please phone the Family Hub to book your session - all contact numbers are on fyi.bradford.gov.uk.
At these final Jump Aboard appointments, parents and carers can:
- Talk through your concerns and get general advice and suggestions for what is available locally to help you support your child.
- Ask about special educational needs and disabilities; social, emotional and mental health (SEMH); speech, language and communication; and neurodivergent needs such as ADHD and autism.
- Get information about SEND systems and processes in the Bradford district.
|
Opportunity to improve digital skills with Carers' Resource
Carers’ Resource are a regional charity offering support to unpaid carers with information, advice and support. You can follow Carers' Resource on Facebook.
The charity has a Bradford district team, and have set up an exciting new project, supporting carers across Bradford district with free digital skills training.
The Carers’ Resource Digital Inclusion project aims to support carers to improve their digital skills and knowledge through group, drop-in and one to one sessions. The sessions aim be fun, informal and taken at their own pace.
Through the National Databank, the charity can also provide Free SIM cards and data to carers taking part and can offer a tablet loan service to allow participants to practice their skills at home.
Some of the areas the sessions can cover include:
- Navigating devices and getting online.
- Completing online forms and setting up online accounts.
- Keeping safe online and identifying scams.
- Using GP and NHS Apps, ordering medications and accessing online wellbeing support.
For more information, contact Carers' Resource Digital Inclusion Team on 01274 449660 or 07522 237483, or email: digital.inclusion@carersresource.org
|
An update from the Keighley/Shipley family hub
Earlier this month, family navigators from the Keighley and Shipley Family hub organised a SEND drop-in session for families living in the Shipley area.
The session took place at Shipley library, and attending were staff from services including: SENDIASS, the Short Breaks team, the complex health and disabilities team, Kooth, Living Well, Children’s Community Support Team, Carers' Resource, SEND library services, SEND Local Offer, 50 things to do in Bradford and SEND specialist assessment and support team.
Families were able to ask questions and find more out about the support and services available across the district.
Check the latest Bradford 'what's on' timetables for details of upcoming activities at the Hubs during March.
|
Quick, simple information about services - One Minute Guides
One Minute Guides can help you navigate support options and services that are available. They are short or one page documents that provide quick, simple and accessible information.
The Local Offer team have been working with services and parent/carers to develop new guides on health and wellbeing topics, including, mental health, speech and language, toileting and sensory impairment, emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), and improving attendance.
You can find the One Minute Guides on the SEND Local Offer website.
New guides coming soon: Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and masking.
If you have any ideas for topics you would like to see a One Minute Guide about, please do get in touch with our friendly team at: localoffer.news@bradford.gov.uk
|
Coleman Training Development - open days
Coleman Training offer training and career development for neurodivergent young people aged 16 – 24 years, and who have an Education, Health and Care plan. The aim of the training is to get young people ready for gaining independent and paid employment.
Come along to the upcoming open days to learn about training and their year long supported internship. Just turn up – no need to book. Floor 2, 1 The Interchange, Nelson Street, Bradford BD1 5AX
- Thursday 6 March, 1.30 pm – 6pm
- Thursday 22 May, 1.30pm – 6pm
Read a case study, below of one young person's journey with the Coleman Training internship. *Name changed.
|
*Stewart aged 21 is a former Supported Intern of Coleman Training Development (CTD) and was with them for two years before securing a sustainable, permanent paid job at Bradford libraries!
Stewart needed support developing functional maths and English skills, to rebuild his confidence to make his own decisions, and to learn employability skills.
When Stewart first started with CTD, he didn't know what he wanted to do for work, but during his time with CTD, he was very open to trying out different work-experience opportunities in various industries including 1Energy, Leeds Building Society, Leeds Wood Recycling Centre, Balfour Beatty, and the library.
Stewart flourished and did so well at Balfour Beatty that they still tell CTD they miss him, (but are happy he’s landed a job doing something he loves, and that they were part of his journey).
Bradford district Healthy Minds
For support with mental health in the Bradford district, the Healthy Minds service is a really helpful place to start.
For information about early support and support available while waiting for assessment, diagnosis or treatment, along with wellbeing support for carers, check out our new One Minute Guide on the SEND Local Offer website: One Minute Guides - A quick guide to the Healthy Minds website.
Visit the Healthy Minds website.
|
|
