2 February - 45th edition

Welcome to this edition of the SEND News Bulletin.  This week includes information on

• SEND Quality Assurance Framework

• The SEND Forum

• Help to improve SEND services by taking part in the SNAP PCF Survey

• Missing the Mark - Parent Training Sessions

• Skills 4 Success - Autism Bedfordshire

• "Yes We Can" Multi Sports Day

• Down In the Jungle - A Sensory Story Workshop

• Autism Bedfordshire February Half Term events

• What's On
• Children's Centres SEND Support Coffee mornings

SEND Quality Assurance Framework

We are delighted to share with you our new Quality Assurance Framework for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It is designed to support service leaders and professionals in monitoring consistency and quality for young people and their families in Central Bedfordshire. It sets out the high expectations that we have in relation to the quality of support and processes that we seek and expect for our children and young people with SEND. It also sets out how we will continue to gather feedback from parents and carers as well as children and young people, so that we know where things are going well and where we need to continue to improve. This framework provides professionals in Central Bedfordshire with a consistent approach to ensuring that our young people are safe, learning well, making good progress and having their needs met.

The SEND Forum

At the beginning of the autumn term we advised schools that we were trialling a new SEND Forum for three meetings to replace the Special School Panel.  These meetings took place during November and December 2021.  We would like to thank all those who attended these meetings for their contributions.

The meetings were well attended and we received positive feedback that they were child focused.  However, they fell short of achieving the core aim of enabling a more collaborative approach to agreeing whether children require specialist provision and, if so, helping us identify that provision. This resulted in a large number of cases still being discussed at each meeting.  We have taken the positive elements of the trial to revise the process going forward.

The new process will mirror that with all other CBC schools.  Requests for a special school place will be sent as consultations to special schools who will be asked to respond within the statutory 15 days.

SEND locality teams will be available to discuss any challenges a school feels it may face.  If a collaborative decision between the SEND team and school cannot be reached then the decision will rest with a CBC placement board.

The new process will be implemented this term, Spring 2022

Help to improve SEND services by taking part in the SNAP PCF Survey

The annual SNAP Parent Carer Forum survey for parents or carers of young people with SEND is now live.

The survey which aims to understand the views of parents and carers should be completed one per child. There is a prize draw for those parents who take part and it only takes around 10 minutes to complete.

SNAP PCF is an independent forum of parents and carers of SEND children in Central Bedfordshire and feedback will be shared with Central Bedfordshire Council, The Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Bedfordshire Community Health Services and CAMH/CHUMS, as well as SNAP PCF members, to help improve services.

Missing the Mark - Parent Training Sessions

Skills 4 Success - Autism Bedfordshire

For more information, contact Amy either by email: amy.gavin-birch@autismbeds.org or telephone: 07880 387255

"Yes We Can" Multi Sports Day

Down In the Jungle - A Sensory Story Workshop

Autism Bedfordshire February Half Term Events

What's on

More events and workshops that are being held this month are on our What's On Calendar 

Children's Centres SEND Support Coffee mornings

Leighton Buzzard Mencap Opportunity Group
Thursdays 10 – 11:30 (Termtime only) starts 13^th January 2022

Casual chat & play session for parents, carers & their children who have additional needs. Support for parents, carers & their children who have additional needs.
Ring 01525 384368 to book on.

SEND - Stay, Play & Chat
Every Monday from 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Dunstable Children’s Centre

If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8106/0300 300 8104

SEND Support coffee afternoon every second Monday of the month,
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Shefford and Stotfold Children’s Centre

If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8112

SEND Support virtual coffee morning every first and third Thursday of the month,
10:00 – 11:00 am
Flitwick Children’s Centre 

If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8111

SEND Support virtual coffee morning every first and third Friday of the month,
10:30 – 11:30 am
Houghton Regis Children’s Centre 

If you would like to book a space please call 0300 300 8115

Super Kids Online – virtual support group for parents or carers with children who have SEND
Sandy Children's Centre - every other Wednesday, 1:00 am – 2:30 pm

Fortnightly catch ups and support online and face-to-face.  A chance to speak to professionals from the CDC, Early Years Support Team, Speech and Language plus more.

To book a free place contact Karen on 0300 300 6009 or email karen.burton@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Please visit the Local Offer for more information on activities, services, advice and support across Central Bedfordshire for children and young people with SEND or follow us on Facebook

We hope you have found the information in the bulletin helpful. We would love to hear your feedback and what you would like to see in future editions.  Please let us know by emailing send.feedback@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Do you provide a service or run events for children and young people with SEND and their families?

We would like to offer providers the opportunity to advertise local SEND services and events in our fortnightly SEND news bulletin, on our local offer Facebook page and to be included in the local offer What's On page.

If you would like to be featured then please email details about your service and/or event to local.offer@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk