"Dear parents and carers,

"As I hope you will have heard by now, we have received notification of our Local Area SEND and Alternative Provision Inspection for Cumberland. There is more information in the News section of this newsletter, and I would encourage you all to please complete the survey provided to make sure Ofsted and CQC hear your views. This inspection is vital for us to understand where we can continue to improve outcomes for children, young people and families in Cumberland.

"We will keep families informed of our inspection result once we receive this.

"We have also included in News a link to our Annual Survey summary and report. A huge thank you to all parents, carers and young people who took the time to complete our survey. We are continuing to action this feedback and have included 'you said, we're listening' points under each key theme from the survey; we will regularly update our Local Offer with how we are actioning your feedback. 

"We also have introductions from our new DSCO, DCO and Senior Practitioner Keyworker - it is very exciting to have them on board as they support us to achieve our priorities in the Local Area SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy. Our Local Partnership action plan which underpins the delivery of our strategy has been developed further. 

"There is also news of our fantastic new animation from our Unique Voices group, information on how to join our parent/carer forum SENDAC, as well as information about Targeted Short Breaks and our Holiday Activity and Food program. 

"A final huge thank you again to the families who have taken the time to engage with us over the past few months. We have a lot of upcoming workstreams that we would like parents, carers and young people to be involved with, to make sure your voice is informing and guiding our services. 

"As part of this, we are currently arranging new Chat With Emma sessions, following the success of the sessions around Cumberland earlier this year. A huge thank you to all the parents carers who took the time to come to these and tell me about your experiences. A provision date has been set for 7 August for some of these sessions, with details to follow soon. 

"We are also arranging Local Offer Drop In Sessions to operate out of our Family Hubs. You can find your nearest Family Hub in our 'Events and things to do' section below. We will let parents and carers know of the dates and times for these as soon as they are finalised."

During this time Ofsted and CQC will be inspecting the effectiveness of our SEND and Alternative Provision services and provision across the Local Authority, Health, Social Care, and Education.

Last day to complete the Local Area Inspection survey

As part of the inspection, inspectors are gathering the views of children and young people and their parents, carers, and families, as well as SEND Practitioners in the area, via the survey below. We would encourage as many people as possible to complete this survey to share their experiences, both positive and negative. 

The survey is voluntary, and you do not have to take part. The responses will complement the evidence collected by inspectors during the inspection. It does not ask for your name.

If you complete this survey, you consent to the transfer of your information from SmartSurvey to Ofsted.

We would kindly ask you please complete the survey before 9am on 1 July.

Complete the Cumberland Local Area SEND Inspection Survey

There is more information available for children, young people, and their families about the inspection and how you can get involved on the government website. This includes EasyRead and British Sign Language versions.

Your feedback is vital to making sure we continue to measure how effective our processes and services are in Cumberland for SEND children and their families, and so we know where our key areas for improvement are.

We have published the full report from the survey on our Local Offer, as well as a summary of trends and themes in the feedback received. We have also included a 'You said, We're Listening' break down for each topic of the survey we asked questions on.

We will update our 'You said, We're Listening' page on the Local Offer as we continue to action more of your feedback. 

"Hi my name is Alison Mills-Clarke I’m happy to be working in Cumberland as the Interim DSCO. I come with a wealth of experience working with children and young people with disabilities. I’m a qualified social worker and have practised for 24 years.  I have held various roles in local authorities working in partnership with partner agencies offering support and services to children and their families.

"The DSCO is an exciting role as it supports us to strive for good results. Within my role I work with internal services SEND, Children social care including the CWD service and partner agencies including our colleagues in the NHS, it offers me the space to listen to and hear the voices of our families and improve our ways of working, both strategic and operational, making developments to improve our ways of working outcomes and planning for the future.

"My main priority is to support with implementation of the SEND Strategy."

"Hi I’m Sabrina Smith. I am a Senior Practitioner Keyworker in North Cumbria. I work across both Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils to support families. I work closely with the North East and North Cumbria ICB Complex Case Team and attend the Cumbria Dynamic Support Register Meetings.

"I previously chaired the parent carer forum for Cumbria and have a lot of lived experience.

"My role as a keyworker allows me to support children, young people and families in a way that is led by them. I usually come into situations where families are experiencing distress, because the person they care for is at risk of placement breakdown or hospital admission. Children, young people and families may be referred to the DSR by professionals or self-referred, once this happens, they will be made an offer for a keyworker, which they will have to consent to. I will then get in touch to talk about the how I can best support them in their current situation. My role involves me working directly with child, young person or adult to build a relationship, so I can find out what they want/need to happen. At times this is not appropriate as there may be lots of other professionals involved so I can work with families.

"I can work with children, young people and families in a way that best supports them, and we set outcomes together. My priority is to ensure that they are having their voices heard during challenging times. I work alongside professionals involved to make sure that children, young people, families and young adults are at the centre of any planning and discussions."

Styled like a 2D computer game, the animation follows a character named Safen as they go about their daily routine and visit a coffee shop to meet a friend. Once there, Safen becomes overwhelmed by the busy atmosphere, encountering rude customers and an impatient barista. The story then shifts to show how a more positive, supportive environment—marked by kindness, patience, and understanding—can significantly change Safen’s day for the better.

The young creators premiered their animation at a special launch event earlier this month at Cumbria House, where they shared it with local leaders. Attendees included directors and officers from Cumberland Council, portfolio holders Elaine Lynch and Emma Williamson, as well as representatives from The Lanes Shopping Centre in Carlisle. The attendees then participated in a workshop with the young people to discuss how they felt and what they learned while watching the animation, and how they could use the animation with colleagues going forward.

The young people now plan to use their animation as an educational resource, which will form part of an education pack to be sent to all schools in the Cumberland area. They also hope to engage more local businesses in raising awareness and encouraging training around the lived experiences of young people with SEND.

A young person from Unique Voices said:

“At Unique Voices, we are working towards making communities feel accepted and that they belong, no matter what disability they have. We made this animation for people who have a disability to feel okay, and to recognise that there are challenges in life that some people have to face day in, day out -but we are all unique in our own ways!

“While coming to Unique Voices it's okay to be myself around people because it's a safe place, no matter if you make funny noises or you are stimming, you should be accepted for who you are.”

You are legally entitled to be a member of your statutory forum if you are a parent to a child with additional needs/ disabilities age 0-25 living in Cumberland or Westmorland and furness (no diagnosis required)

There are no commitments as a member but you do get a variety of benefits, such as a free MAX card (discount card for SEND families), Free SEND training, updates on SEND services and many more!

For families exploring an autism assessment for their child - sessions are attended by an Autism Pathway Navigator, a Speech and Language Therapist, an Occupational Therapist, a health visitor, and other parent/carers.

Seascale Library - Wednesday 16th July, 10am - 12 noon

Sands Centre, Carlisle - Thursday 17th July 9.30am - 12.30pm

Cockermouth Hospital - Wednesday 17th September, 2pm - 4pm

Sands Centre, Carlisle - Thursday 18th September 9.30am - 12.30pm

Whitehaven Family Hub - Wednesday 15th October, 2pm - 4pm

Workington Library - Wednesday 19th November, 1pm - 3pm

Carlisle Mencap are offering both weekend sessions and sessions within the school holidays. A variety of sessions are run from the Grace Little Centre, which may include activities such as gaming, sensory sessions, crafts, baking and cooking. Carlisle Mencap also offer some trips. Carlisle Mencap can provide personal care for children and young people, and staffing ratios will vary according to the needs of those booked.

Please note, some sessions offered by Carlisle Mencap may include a fee to cover additional costs, and sessions are available for 8 - 18 year olds. 

People First will be running activities for children and young people aged 14 – 18 in Carlisle, Mayport, Whitehaven, and Workington. Some sessions will include activities promoting independence, such as using local train services and exploring the local community. All sessions will be staffed one staff member to two young people.

Please note, some sessions offered by People First House may include a fee to cover additional costs.

West House offer sessions that will run during school holidays. These will include a range of different activities and trips, such as to Honister Slate Mine, swimming, and the cinema. Some sessions include the option of 1:1 and personal care, and all other sessions will be staffed one staff member to two young people.

Please note, some sessions offered by West House may include a fee to cover additional costs, and sessions are available for 8 - 18 year olds. 

If you have any feedback about Targeted Short Breaks, you can let us know via our Microsoft Feedback Form.

We have received feedback from parents and carers regarding the current lack of provision for those aged 5 - 7. This is something we are looking into currently with our teams, and we hope to have more activities available for these ages soon. In the meantime, children with SEND are available for the HAF program, detailed above this article; HAF have some specialist SEND provision available throughout the summer holidays. You can also filter by your child/ young person's age on the HAF booking website. 

Cumberland Family Hubs intend to provide a range of useful information, advice and support for families. This includes on topics such a pregnancy, health and wellbeing, money and debt, and many more. 

A number of Hubs have opened around the Cumberland area, offering a range of activities for families. This includes activity days often run through the school holidays. 

The Cumberland Family Hubs are listed below. Click your nearest Hub for more information: 

Unique Voices is our group for children and young people with SEND. They currently meet regularly in Carlisle, with plans for a group to be established in West Cumberland very soon.

"We are a group for young people aged 11 to 25 years who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Cumberland.

"Unique Voices is a safe place to have your voice heard. We are all supportive within the group.

"We came up with the name Unique Voices because nobody is the same."

For more information on Cumberland Youth Voice and Unique Voices, please visit the Cumberland Family Hubs website. If you, or your child/ young person is interested in joining, please email youth.voice@cumberland.gov.uk

Cumberland Youth Voice also run a drop-in on the first Tuesday of every month, between 4.30 - 6.00pm at Morton Family Hub (Carlisle), CA2 6JP. All welcome! 

Carlisle Mencap have an experienced team of practitioners; Karen Dickie, Emma Crabtree, Shirley Gilpin and Nicola Brockbank, who deliver the service, which is funded by Cumberland and Westmorland
and Furness councils.

The Family Autism Information, Advice and Guidance Service, is available to families/carers whose child(ren) has/have been given an autistic diagnosis, are under the age of 19 and live in Cumbria. The service also offers the What Now? Programme.

The What Now? Programme:
The What Now? programme is delivered by the Family Autism Information Advice and
Guidance Service. The service can deliver What Now? to parents and adult family carers whose child(ren) has/have an autistic diagnosis and are of school age up to 19.

The aims of the programme are:

• To help parents and adult family carers develop an understanding of their autistic child and how they see the world.
• To bring parents and adult family carers together to explore common difficulties and reduce isolation
• To provide support and information about autism
• To share tips and strategies in managing behaviour

To access the service, contact Carlisle Mencap on:

📞 01228 674393

📧 enquiries@carlislemencap.co.uk

Mencap have webinars and resources available for sensitive future planning such as wills and trusts. 

"It’s crucial to plan for the future of your loved one with a learning disability to protect their means tested benefits and support packages."

Inheritance from £6000 can impact your child/ young person's means-tested benefits. Webinars and resources from Mencap can advise on how to protect your child/ young person's means tested benefits and support packages when you are no longer here. 

You can find out more on Mencap's website below:

The Summer holidays can be a stressful time for some families due to the lack of routine and regularity that school can provide. 

Contact, the charity for families with disabled children, have created a Summer holidays strategies guide. The guide offers some strategies and tips for families for coping with the lack of routine.

Contact also has a helpline and listening ear service.