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Welcome to the first newsletter from Cumberland SEND Partnership, your new local area partnership. We would like to take this time to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and we hope everyone had a restful and joyful festive period - however long ago it may now seem!
The Cumberland SEND Partnership and Westmorland and Furness SEND Partnership are now the two new local area partnerships for Cumbria, replacing the Cumbria SEND Partnership. Both partnerships will continue the previous work of the Cumbria SEND Partnership, but with a focus on their local area.
Our newsletter this month will include more information about the Cumberland SEND Partnership, as well as news on Targeted Short Breaks services, and the Cumberland Annual SEND Conference. In our events this month, we have upcoming drop-in sessions from the Autism Pathway Navigators, as well as professionals from Cumberland Council. Our resources in this edition include the 'Teenager's Guide to ADHD' from the ADHD Foundation, as well as an EHCP Annual review resource from the Council for Disabled Children and more!
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Introducing the Cumberland SEND Partnership
As mentioned in our introduction, this is our first newsletter coming from the Cumberland SEND Partnership, the new partnership for the Cumberland area.
The Cumberland SEND Partnership consists of colleagues from Cumberland Council, local health and NHS services, as well as SENDAC, the parent-carer forum for the Cumberland area. The Cumberland SEND Partnership brings together colleagues from these organisations to improve SEND services for the local area. As mentioned, we will continue to work on Cumbria SEND Partnership work in the Cumberland area, as well as our own workstreams!
We have a new logo, shown above. Westmorland and Furness SEND Partnership will also have a new logo, which we will share shortly so both new Partnerships logos are recognisable and familiar to all families.
For the time being, the Cumbria SEND Partnership Facebook page will continue to share county-wide SEND news and updates. This Facebook page will rebrand to the Cumberland SEND Partnership page in the upcoming weeks, but will share county-wide news until the Westmorland and Furness SEND Partnership page is established.
We have really appreciated families' patience and understanding following Local Government Reorganisation and the split of the Cumbria SEND Partnership. At this point, our communications channels (particularly for receiving this newsletter) are still being established, and we would really appreciate your support with spreading the word. If you know any other families with SEND children or young people in Cumberland who would benefit from receiving our newsletter or updates from the Partnership, please forward this to them or share the information below:
To subscribe to our newsletter, please click the link below and enter your email address. To subscribe to updates and newsletters from the Cumberland SEND Partnership, please select the 'children, families and schools' category, and the select 'Cumberland SEND Partnership.' Please then scroll to the bottom and select 'submit' to ensure you are subscribed.
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Targeted Short Breaks 2024/25 year about to begin!
If you successfully applied for the 2024/25 Targeted Short Breaks year, please note the year will commence on 1 February 2024 and run until 31 January 2025!
The Targeted Short Breaks year will commence on 1 February 2024 - if you were successful in applying for Targeted Short Breaks, an email will have been sent to you with a unique booking link. This will allow you to start booking activities for the 2024/25 year, and begin to use the 72 hour allowance.
We are working with Sport Works to improve sessions in the Carlisle and Allerdale areas following parent feedback. Sport Works says:
"If your child has a specific interest, we'd love to know! Feel free to contact us with any details, and we'll make sure to pass this information along to our coaches to tailor the sessions accordingly. Your input is valuable, and we appreciate your support. Thank you!"
You can get in touch with Craig Holcroft, the Sport Works operations lead for the area at craig.holcroft@sportworksltd.co.uk.
Endorphins will continue to run sessions in the Copeland areas. We will soon be launching a feedback survey for the Targeted Short Breaks service to share your views on the service.
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Cumberland Annual SEND Conference gathers professionals from around the county
On 11 and 12 January, education and health colleagues from Cumberland and the surrounding areas gathered for the Cumberland Annual SEND Conference, hosted by Cumberland Council in Partnership with the University of Cumbria.
Attendees listened to keynote speeches from nationally renowned speakers, attended multiple workshops delivered by professionals from the council, NHS and health organisations, and SENDAC, the parent-carer forum for Cumberland. A number of local and national exhibitors were also present.
We have received really positive feedback from attendees, and will be sharing resources for attendees to pass on to colleagues from their education settings. We hope the conference will have a positive impact on children and young people's experiences in education.
"Thank you for another super conference.
You always know it has been a good course, when you leave with a 'to do' list!"
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Autism Pathway Navigators - Autism Assessment drop-ins for parents and carers
The Autism Pathways Navigators for the Cumberland Area will be running drop in sessions over the new few months. These sessions are for parents and carers of children who have been seen by a pediatrician, and/or are on the 'multi agency assessment team' (MAAT) pathway, and/or who have not yet received a diagnosis.
Is your child undergoing assessment for autism? Do you have any questions or would you like some support? Would you like to meet other parents and carers also going through the process?
Come along to a drop in session and meet the team at a library in your area! The sessions will be attended by an Autism Pathway Navigator, as well as team members from Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and a Learning Disability Nurse.
Sessions take place on:
 Thursday 25th January, Carlisle Library, 1 - 3pm
Thursday 29th February, Workington Library, 1 - 3pm
Thursday 25th April, Workington Library, 1 - 3pm
For more information, please contact an Autism Pathway Navigator at NorthCumbriaChildrensMAAT@ncic.nhs.net.
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Workington SEND Drop In sessions
A reminder that our SEND Drop In Sessions are continuing to take place across the Cumberland area.
The next session will take place in Workington on Thursday 25 January, between 1.30 - 3.00pm. This will be at Workington Library, CA14 2ND. The next session will be at Keswick Library on Wednesday 6 March.
The session will be attended by SEND professionals from Cumberland Council, who will be available to answer questions and discuss your views on SEND Services.
The session is free to attend, but we are encouraging anyone who wishes to attend to book a time slot to ensure the session runs smoothly. This can be done using the link below. We would still encourage parents and carers without a time slot to come along!
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Special Educational Needs Group in Whitehaven
Family Action, in Partnership with Cumberland Council, run a Special Education Needs Group every Wednesday between 3.30 - 4.30pm.
The group is aimed at children aged between 0 - 6 who have a diagnosed additional need (physical or educational), and their families. The group offers the opportunity for children to take part in fun activities, and for parents and carers to share experiences and gain support.
Groups are every Wednesday between 3.30 - 4.30 pm, at South Whitehaven Children's Centre, Whinlatter Road, CA28 8BN.
For more information, contact Family Action on 01946 64600.
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Sensory Processing Workshop
Family Action, in partnership with Cumberland Council, will be running Sensory Processing workshops on Zoom.
This session will include information on what sensory processing is, how it may affect your child, and tips and advice on how to manage sensory processing issues that your child may have. The sessions are for parents and carers of children aged 0 -11.
The sessions take place on following dates, both on Zoom:
Tuesday 6th February, 7.30 - 8.30pm
Thursday 8th February, 1.30 - 2.30pm
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Image Description: A wheel of 8 cartoon symbols in different colours, each one representing a different sense.
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Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) section of Cumberland Council Local Offer
The Local Offer is a website that is the central information point for families with children and young people aged up to 25 years with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
The Local Offer includes a section on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). An EHCP is a legal document which identifies a child or young person's educational, health, and social care needs, as well as the support and provision that is required to meet these needs. The provision must be specific, detailed, and quantified (state how regularly or how much support provision should be in place).
You can apply for an EHCP through the local authority (Cumberland Council). The Local Offer contains information on how to apply for an EHCP, and includes an example letter for requesting an assessment. It also includes further information on the EHCP assessment process, what a plan looks like, and advice and guidance on how to fill in section A of your child/ young person's EHCP (this part includes information about the views, interests and aspirations of your child or young person.)
 Image Description: A picture of Cumberland Council's Local Offer website, which reads 'Education, Health, and Care Plans'. It has 3 panels beneath, each with a different black image on an orange background. Each tile has a description of what is included in that section, eg. Assessment Request Example Letter.
Support for young people; getting your views across in your EHCP annual review
Council for Disabled Children have released a resource for young people to help them share and communicate their views in their EHCP annual review.
The Council for Disabled Children have worked with their youth advisory group, FLARE, to produce this resource. It includes information on what will happen during the meeting (including who may be invited), ideas on how to prepare, top tips for sharing your views, and how to find more advice and support.
The resource also includes a template for young people's thoughts and feelings about school and their future ambitions, which they may be asked about in their annual review.
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Image Description: 'How to share your views in your EHCP annual review' is written next to a cartoon of children sitting at a table.
Autism and Mental Health Support - Young Minds parent blog
Young Minds are a national charity advocating for children and young people's mental health.
Young Minds have a blog section, which includes blog posts from young people and parents or family members surrounding mental health. They have recently shared a blog post from Mandy, who shared about her experiences her son's autism diagnosis, and seeking mental health support for him. Mandy found her son's mental health was in rapid decline following the Covid-19 Pandemic.
You can read Mandy's blog post below; Young Minds have included a number of supportive resources, as well as contact information for mental health charities and helplines who may be able to offer support. This includes the Young Minds parents helpline, which is open 9.30am-4pm, Monday-Friday. The number is 0808 802 5544.
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A Teenager's Guide to ADHD: Information Guide and Workbook
The ADHD Foundation have released 'A Teenager's Guide to ADHD: Information Guide and workbook for teenagers living with ADHD.'
The workbook includes information on what ADHD is, what the characteristics of ADHD may look like, and how ADHD may impact girls. This includes a list of executive functions, which may help young people identify how their ADHD impacts their work or social life, and advice for managing these.
It also includes key practical strategies for managing school or college work, both inside and outside of the classroom, as well as revising for tests and exams, and managing medication.
You can access the Guide using the link below:
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Making decisions for your young person, from Ambitious About Autism
Ambitious About Autism have published a resource relating to decision making, capacity to make decisions, and what happens if your child or young person does not have the capacity to make their own decisions at the age of 16.
Their website includes information about mental capacity and who makes the decision about whether someone has mental capacity. They also include information on how to take practical steps to help a young person understand their options, and reach a decision if they are able to.
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New year....new newsletter!
With the launch of this new newsletter for Cumberland SEND Partnership, we want to ask parents, carers and families if there is anything you would like to see in our newsletters. Your newsletter - your news!
If there is anything you'd like to see more of, any news you want to suggest, or anything happening related to SEND that you would like us to share, please do get in touch.
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