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Another academic year is at an end, which means that clothes shops will soon start advertising their "Back to School!" range. Some of you might be focused on simply updating your son/daughter's wardrobe with the next size up; others of you might be preparing a whole new wardrobe, as they move up to a new nursery, school or college; and for some of you, you might be preparing for whole new challenges, like letting your youngster make their own way to school/college, or sending them into the workplace.
Whatever position you find yourselves in, these challenges will come with some excitement and, more likely, huge trepidation, as they leave the relative safety of their usual routines for the "unknown". As parents, our role is to put aside any of our own concerns and help celebrate the end of this stage - probably through misty eyes! - and look positively to the next one, however hard it may be.
In the meantime, 5 1/2 weeks of finding things for them to do! This bulletin includes some ideas which will hopefully help you with that, as well as a range of other information that should be of use to you. Special Needs Jungle has also produced a Parents top tips for summer holidays which is well worth a look (as is their website).
Remember, if you know of anything that is happening in Coventry for youngsters with SEND which needs highlighting to other parents or professionals, let us know SENDnews@coventry.gov.uk
Chris Firth, Manager SENDIASS
Coventry City Council is working with Hempsall’s, a research company, to find out about parents’ and carers’ needs for childcare across Coventry.
Your views are really important in helping to decide how to plan new services that will be useful for you and your children.
They are really keen to ensure your views are taken into account. They want to know whether you use childcare, what you think about it, and whether you would like to use more.
They are offering all parents and carers completing the survey the chance to be entered into a free prize draw to win one of 10 £100 High Street vouchers,
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey
 Are you looking for an exciting volunteering opportunity? The Buddy Service, run by Coventry and Warwickshire Mind, matches volunteers up with young people to support them to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, by building self-esteem and confidence so they feel comfortable and happy with their social life. This could be on a 1:1 basis or in a small group.
Just a small amount of your time could make a huge difference to a young person's life.
The service is particularly looking for some more male volunteers, but all applicants are gratefully received.
For more information, please contact The Buddy Service on 02476 631835 or email buddy@cwmind.org.uk
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 The Information Advice and Support Programme is a national government initiative which commenced in June 2018. The programme is designed to ensure that, in every local authority area, children and young people with SEND and their parents have access to impartial and free information, advice and support covering SEND issues – including through a dedicated Freephone service.
This programme will support Coventry's current SEND IASS service, which will continue to offer a wide-range of support to children, young people and their parents/carers.
The programme has also developed a number of minimum standards for services to operate to, and will be the basis of the future operational plans and linked funding
in 2019/20. If you have any feedback on these, there is a link to an online survey on this page, which closes on 3rd September.
If you've never used the SEND IASS before, and not sure how it works, a helpful video is now available to explain it's role and how it can support families.
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 The Council for Disabled Children's guide to EHC Plans for youngsters between 14 - 25 yrs, suggests examples of how a plan may look using the 4 areas of Preparing for Adulthood.
The guide is designed to give examples that can help those involved in formulating a plan - young people, parents, advice givers and Local Authority SEND teams - to create person-centred plans for all young people.
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 Morrisons stores have introduced a "Quieter Hour" in all stores - designed to help customers who currently struggle with music and the other noise associated with supermarket shopping. The "Quieter Hour" takes place every Saturday in all stores from 9-10am.
More details.
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Children with healthcare needs can often benefit from a range of therapies and treatments, not necessarily available via state provision. Tree of Hope supports families to fundraise towards these costs, safe in the knowledge they are working with a registered charity to maximise their fundraising opportunities and get support and help from us every step of the way.
More details are available on the charity's website.
 Have you visited the CHYP Shop yet?
The website has been specially designed for children and young people with SEN which includes:
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Monthly Blogs - from young people across the city commenting on their different
experiences.
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Young Investigators - reviewing different services across the City
(ie Cinemas/Scouts)
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Peer Support - an Agony Aunt style area
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Cov AmbasSENDors - Young Peoples Forum
Please have a look at the website - any feedback gratefully received!
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 Do you know about Browsealoud?
Browsealoud enables hundreds of web pages (and downloadable documents held within them) on the Coventry City Council website to be more accessible for all in a range of different ways.
These include; translating into over 100 languages; speakaloud (which enables you to listen to pages/documents in either English or a range of languages); a range of viewing options; you can even make an MP3 to listen to!
More information.
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Below is a selection of upcoming events around SEND. If you know of any additional parents groups, child/young person's activities, and/or training around SEND that you think would be useful for others to attend, why not add them to the Local Offer?
Are you involved with a parents group? If so, why not tell us about it so more parents can join in?
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Coventry's One Voice Parent Group is part of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums and helps support the views of parents/carers on issues involving SEND.
To register an interest, please contact onevoicegroup@btinternet.com or call/text 07874 242733.
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 The Coventry Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Local Offer brings together information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.
The SEND Local Offer will cover services available to the public across education, health and social care:
Education: such as nurseries, playgroups, schools and colleges as well as support services like Educational Psychology and SEN services.
Health: children's and adult services including GPs, therapists and hospital services.
Social care: such as short break services and children's and adult disability services.
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If you have any comments or wish to contribute something to the next bulletin, please let us know by contacting us sendnews@coventry.gov.uk
Alternatively, you can keep up to date through SEND IASS's;
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