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Spring has sprung it would seem, and SEND has certainly been in the news already in 2019.
Coventry is still awaiting (and preparing for) a visit from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, with the inspection looking at how the SEND reforms have been implemented across education, health and care. When we are informed of the inspection, the inspectors will be looking for input from a wide range of people involved with SEND across Coventry including parents and carers. If you wish to make sure that your experiences are taken into account, then make sure you are signed up to SEND IASS's mailing list, and/or the Facebook/Twitter pages where full details will be published.
As always, we are so keen for you to contribute to this bulletin, especially children and young people's stories, so if you have any aspiring bloggers or vloggers out there, please let us know.
Finally, any callers to SEND IASS may soon be greeted by a new voice - we're very excited to welcome Elley Aiyedofe to the team. Elley started with us in January and will be supporting us to provide our wide range of services for children, young people and their parents/carers.
Chris Firth, Manager SENDIASS
RIP:STARS stands for Research Into Plans: Skilled Team with Ambition, Rights and Strength.
This consists of a team of disabled young people aged 17 to 25 from Coventry.
Their research project looked at the quality of
Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and whether they meet disabled children and young people’s rights.
They also wanted to find out whether plans prepare disabled children and young people for independent living and help them achieve their dreams for the future.
They were funded by the DRILL (Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning) programme, a five year scheme led by disabled people and funded by the Big Lottery Fund. The project was different or unique because the research was about young disabled people, carried out by young disabled people.
Read the document and the report.
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Act for Autism, in partnership with Arden TCP and Warwickshire County Council are offering awareness training for professionals supporting the autism community. Please note this is for professionals, and not aimed at parents/carers.
There are a number of dates available throughout April and May and places can be booked online.
The National Autistic Society, in association with the Pears Foundation, have produced an online module focused on autism in women and girls.
This module aims to support diagnosticians to better understand autistic female characteristics and therefore enhance confidence to diagnose those individuals successfully. However, it will also be useful for families, health and care professionals and educational practitioners.
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If you have a learning disability, then you are eligible to join the Learning Disability Register through your Doctor's surgery.
Being on the register is the first step to an individual getting reasonable adjustments and better support. Once this information is on the GP system, they will be able to access additional services, such as the Annual Health Check, and request extra support, such as easy read information, longer appointments and reminders, and help to make decisions.
Mencap have created a guide for all children and young people and their families which explains the benefits of joining the register.
It also explains about the annual health check which anyone over the age of 14 with a learning disability is entitled to.
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The CHYP Shop 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
Contact Eloise: Henegham on 024 7669 4307 or 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!
For more information, go to www.coventry.gov.uk/translate.
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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?
SEND Information, Advice and Support Service are planning regular Drop in sessions at various locations across the city.
Our next Drop in Session will be held on Monday 4 March 2019 between 9:30am and 11:30am at:
Pathways Family Hub, Radford Primary School, Lawrence Saunders Rd, Radford, Coventry, CV6 1HD
No need to book an appointment, just come along for an informal chat with one of our Duty Officers.
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Other upcoming dates for the diary include:
March 13 - Benefits advice with Coventry Independent Advice Service
April 4 - Drop in Session - Park Edge Family Hub, Rosebury Ave, Coventry, CV2 1NE
April 11 - Information session around supporting children & young people with ASD with Coventry's Complex Communication Team
May 16 - Dyslexia awareness session with Coventry & North Warwickshire Dyslexia Association (evening session @ Shopfront Theatre)
May 22 - Home to school transport with Coventry Local Authority
Full details will be available via the events page of the Local Offer.
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The British Dyslexia Association have a FREE pop-up roadshow coming to Coventry in April, covering a range of topics around dyslexia.
Where: Coventry Central Hall, Warwick Lane, Coventry, CV1 2HA
When: Saturday 27 April, 12.30pm - 4pm
Tickets can be booked online, or by contacting lesleyhill-dyslexia@ntlworld.com
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For more information please contact Disabled Living: Tel: 0161 607 8200
email: info@disabledliving.co.uk web: www.kidzexhibitions.co.uk
Free wheelchair skills workshop - a great chance to meet other young wheelchair-users and to learn skills to help you become more independent.
Saturday 30 March 10am – 2.30pm
Exhall Grange School, Easter Way,
Ash Green, Coventry CV6 4BX
Email roy@gokidsgo.org.uk or Telephone 01482 887163
Extra wheelchairs provided for mums, dads, brothers and sisters to join in with the games. We welcome young people from 2 yrs upwards!
TV presenter Ade Adepitan learnt his skills with us. Why don’t you?
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SENDIASS have recently set up a regular coffee mornings being held in a central location where possible for parents/carers of children and young people with special educational needs. The next coffee morning will be on 14 March 2019 between 10am and 12noon at the Central Library in the City Centre.
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.
Contact: Meredith Moore
Project Support Officer - Coventry City Council
meredith.moore@coventry.gov.uk
Tel: 024 7683 1085
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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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